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OurDNA and Arab Council Australia Expand Community Engagement in Genomic Research

lite News Desk 2 min read

At a glance

  • OurDNA involves 2,658 community members and six partner organisations
  • Arab Council Australia supports Arabic-speaking Australians in Sydney
  • OurDNA and Arab Council Australia collaborate on inclusive research

Efforts to broaden participation in health research are underway through partnerships between OurDNA and Arab Council Australia, focusing on reaching under-represented communities in Australia.

The Centre for Population Genomics, which operates the OurDNA program, is a collaboration between the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. This program is designed to increase the inclusion of diverse Australian groups in genomic studies.

OurDNA is working with multicultural communities by establishing a Multicultural Consultation Group. This group includes organisations such as the Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative and is involved in developing strategies for data sharing and community engagement.

To support communication with participants from various backgrounds, OurDNA has produced educational materials in several languages, including Arabic. These resources are intended to explain both the aims of the program and key genomic concepts to community members.

What the numbers show

  • 2,658 individuals have joined OurDNA as of the latest update
  • 52 community events have been conducted by the program
  • Six partner organisations are involved with OurDNA

Arab Council Australia operates as a secular, non-profit entity based in Sydney. The organisation provides advocacy, social services, and supports research engagement for Arabic-speaking Australians.

Arab Council Australia is a partner of the Australian Centre for Cancer Equity (AcCE), where it contributes to research that incorporates community engagement and represents vulnerable groups.

In 2025, Arab Council Australia formalised its transition from an incorporated association to a company structure, becoming Arab Council Australia Ltd. This change was approved at a Special General Meeting in May and took effect on 4 August 2025.

Both OurDNA and Arab Council Australia continue to focus on collaborative approaches that aim to ensure more inclusive participation in health and genomic research across Australia.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.

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