Video credit: Australian Academy of Science
Congratulations to Indigenous genomics researcher Dr Justine Clark, who is one of two scientists nationally to receive the Australian Academy of Science’s 2024 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Science Award.
The award, announced by the Academy today, recognises outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD students and early- and mid-career scientists.
Dr Clark is an Adnyamathanha woman and post-doctoral researcher in Indigenous genomics whose focus on precision cancer research will contribute to international efforts to improve Indigenous cancer health equity.
Indigenous peoples in Australia and globally share experiences of reduced cancer survival rates and barriers to accessing cancer healthcare in comparison to non-Indigenous peoples.
“Aboriginal people are about 14 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer compared with non-Aboriginal people, and also about 20 per cent less likely to survive after diagnosis,” Dr Clark said.
Precision cancer medicine is the use of an individual’s genetic profile to provide improved diagnosis, therapeutic decision making and long-term management of cancer, and is becoming an increasingly important part of cancer care in Australia.
While precision cancer medicine has immense potential to improve cancer outcomes, Indigenous Australians still face barriers in accessing both standard and precision cancer medicine.
Dr Clark, who is based at The Kids Research Institute Australia Adelaide, will begin work to build up a knowledge base of Indigenous Australian genomics to drive advancements in clinical care for Indigenous Australians living with cancer.
Her project includes bringing Aboriginal Australian precision cancer researchers together with Māori researchers in New Zealand, who have also begun to explore the potential for genomics-guided precision cancer medicine to improve outcomes for Māori peoples.
Dr Clark said Indigenous-led precision cancer research provided a unique opportunity to create novel, tailored cancer care for Indigenous Australians and set future research priorities by characterising cancer types of the greatest burden of disease.
“This research must be guided by community priorities and aspirations, as well as clinical data identifying cancers that have the greatest burden on Indigenous Australians,” she said.
Established in 2018, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist Award aims to support research and the growth of research networks and international knowledge exchange. It supports interdisciplinary and sociocultural research that could straddle the social sciences and humanities.
Awards include up to $20,000, with additional support provided to attend the Academy’s annual Science at the Shine Dome event.
The award is also part of the Academy’s work to champion diversity and inclusion in the sciences and empower the next generation of scientists. This will strengthen the voice of science and support scientific excellence.
For more information on the Australian Academy of Science awards, see here.