WILL KNOWING YOUR GENOME IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH?

Genomics has promised to transform medicine and medical practice but for the average New Zealander the evidence for this might seem lacking. My talk will address the technologies that have enabled step changes in understanding the genetic architecture of disease. I will also highlight the areas of medicine that have benefited most from this technological revolution. Finally, I will provide some speculation on where future trends might see the implementation of genomics into broader medical practice.

Stephen Robertson has been the Curekids Professor of Paediatric Genetics at Otago University since 2002. He specialized in Paediatrics and then subspecialised in Clinical Genetics after training in Auckland and Melbourne. He held a Nuffield Medical Fellowship at the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Oxford University. Professor Robertson is an active clinical geneticist in addition to directing the Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in the Dunedin School of Medicine. His main research interests are the genetics of developmental disorders and the delivery of equitable genomic medicine for all New Zealanders. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of NZ and was awarded the Liley Medal from the Health Research Council and the Hercus Medal from the Royal Society of NZ for his contributions to biomedical research in NZ.