OurDNA - Australian Genetic Diversity Database - Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Project status: Active

Research area: Genomic Medicine > Centre for Population Genomics

Shape the future of medical research and healthcare in Australia

OurDNA is partnering with multicultural communities to ensure all Australians can benefit from advances in medical research and healthcare. We can’t do this without you.

The way doctors practice medicine is changing. Your DNA can help them better understand, diagnose, and predict health conditions. It’s a fast growing area and will soon be a regular part of your healthcare.

Visit OurDNA website

OurDNA is partnering with multicultural communities to ensure all Australians can benefit from advances in medical research and healthcare. We can’t do this without you.

The way doctors practice medicine is changing. Your DNA can help them better...

OurDNA is partnering with multicultural communities to ensure all Australians can benefit from advances in medical research and healthcare. We can’t do this without you.

Visit OurDNA website

About OurDNA

OurDNA is an initiative designed to address the critical lack of representation of many Australian communities in existing genomic resources. This gap limits the ability of patients from these communities to benefit from genomic medicine.

The program will create a comprehensive resource of genetic variation data from over 25,000 Australians. This includes 10,000 newly generated, high-quality whole-genome sequences from participants in under-represented groups, recruited through deep community engagement and co-design.

OurDNA is supported by a $10 million grant from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) for the period 2022–2027. It brings together a national consortium of 44 investigators from 24 institutions, with expertise in:

Community engagement
Population studies
Large-scale genomic data collection and analysis
Clinical and population genetics
Ethics, economics, and implementation science

The goal of the OurDNA program is to improve the inclusion of communities of diverse ancestry in genomic research and help ensure that the benefits of genomic medicine are accessible to all Australians.

Collaborations

OurDNA is a flagship project of the Centre for Population Genomics. The Centre for Population Genomics is a collaboration between the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne.

What resources are we building?

A searchable, public database of genetic information: The OurDNA database will contain summary genetic information of Australians to help doctors and researchers find the information they need to identify or study health conditions. Doctors and researchers will be able to see trends and patterns in the information, but not who the information came from.
A secure bank of genetic and health information for future medical research: The OurDNA databank will safely keep the genetic and health information of people who take part in OurDNA. It is a resource that can be studied by health and medical researchers working to benefit Australian communities. Researchers will not be able to see any personal details of the people who have taken part in OurDNA.
A secure bank of blood samples that have been donated for future medical research: OurDNA will collect people’s blood and blood cell samples and keep them safe for researchers to study in the future. The OurDNA sample bank will help to make health and medical research that benefits Australian communities easier to do in the future.

Get involved

By giving a small sample of blood, you’re directly contributing to the resources and databases that doctors and researchers use to understand the health issues that are important to your community.

To take part in OurDNA, you must:

Be over 18 years old
Be eligible for Medicare
Self-identify as having ancestry from at least one of the following communities: Filipino, Lebanese, or Vietnamese
Be able to donate a blood sample in Victoria or New South Wales

Note: People cannot participate if they or anyone in their close family has a known severe genetic health condition, like cystic fibrosis or muscular dystrophy. This does not include common conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, cancer or diabetes.

OurDNA is partnering with multicultural communities to ensure all Australians can benefit from advances in medical research and healthcare. By joining OurDNA, you can help improve diagnosis, treatment, and healthcare for future generations.

Take part in OurDNA