Why Increasing Diversity in Human Genomics Research Will Benefit Therapeutic Discovery

Session Description

Genetic studies of human disease historically have not included the level of diversity that exists globally, as they have predominantly been conducted in populations of European ancestry. As of 2018, the majority of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), which aim to identify genetic variants associated with complex traits including disease risk, have been conducted in European (52%) and Asian (21%) descent populations. The under-representation of ethnically diverse populations prevents us from understanding the genetic architecture of human disease and exacerbates health inequalities. This lack of diversity in genomics studies results in an inability to translate genetic research into clinical practice; or the formation of public health policy that may incompletely or incorrectly guide clinical care. This session will discuss why it is vital to include ethnically diverse participants in human genomic studies and why a more inclusive approach will benefit populations worldwide.

Learning Objectives

1. Explain how studying the genomes of African descent populations will contribute to further understanding of the mechanism of common and rare disease, identify medically relevant genetic loci, and aid in the interpretation of the pathogenicity of genetic variants.

2. Discuss how research in multi-ethnic cohorts will improve our understanding of disease and enhance drug target discovery and novel therapeutics.

Session Schedule

3:00 PM - 3:01 PM ET
Opening Remarks
Akinyemi Oni-Orisan, PharmD, PhD and Sony Tuteja, PharmD

3:01 PM - 3:16 PM ET
Why Sequencing African Genomes Will Benefit Us All
Neil Hanchard, MD, PhD

3:16 PM - 3:31 PM ET
Genomic Screening in Diverse Populations to Promote Equity in Genomic Medicine
Noura Abul-Husn, MD, PhD

3:31 PM - 3:46 PM ET
Sequencing Millions of Humans- A Path Towards Drug Discovery
Alan Shuldiner, MD

3:46 PM - 4:00 PM ET
Live Q&A and Closing Remarks
All Speakers