In This Project We Look into Opportunities and Challenges for Promoting Equity and Diversity in Australian Research
Background
Precision health is a rapidly growing field that aims to integrate biological, behavioural, and environmental information in providing personalised interventions for health maintenance or restoration.
Multiple precision health initiatives are currently being pursued globally and in Australia, particularly in CSIRO’s Precision Health Future Science Platform. Given the potential of precision health to revolutionise medical treatment and healthcare, associated research and applications must be equitable and account for population diversity.
Using frameworks from responsible innovation, bioethics, and science and technology studies, our research aims to explore opportunities and challenges for greater inclusion of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Australian precision health research.
Our story
Challenge
What does precision health research involve, and how do we make it more diverse? To start addressing these questions, this project begins with a scoping review of empirical academic publications on precision health. Aside from understanding conceptualisations and operationalisations of precision health, the scoping review also provides an opportunity to gauge the inclusion of women, ethnic minorities, and people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Data from the scoping review will eventually be used to determine which types of precision health studies are more inclusive and to reflect on potential barriers that different research projects may face in recruiting a more ethnically diverse study population.
How do we make precision health research in Australia more inclusive? To achieve this goal, the second part of the project involves close and longitudinal engagement with three precision health research teams at CSIRO and the ANU. We are currently collaborating with groups conducting research on COVID-19 systems biology, precision nutrition through genetic technologies, and personalised end-of-life care. By participating in team meetings, interviewing researchers, visiting laboratories, and jointly identifying ethical concerns, this project will develop tailored frameworks for promoting inclusivity in various types of precision health studies. Although broad and general calls for equity and diversity in biomedical and health research are equally crucial, providing specific suggestions on diversifying research participants and increasing the involvement of ethnic minorities are greatly needed to realise a precision health future that benefits most, if not all, Australians.
If you have any question about the project or interested in collaboration, you can contact the Project Lead Dr John Viana.
Project OutcomesÂ
- Viana JNM, Edney SM, Gondalia S, Mauch C, Sellak H, O’Callaghan N, Ryan JC (2021) Trends and gaps in precision health research: a scoping review. BMJ Open. In press.
- Viana JN, Raman S, Barber M (2021) From paternalism to engagement: Bioethics needs a paradigm shift to address racial injustice during COVID-19. The American Journal of Bioethics 21(2): 96-98.Â
- Viana JN, Raman S, Leach J (2020) Responsible Innovation for and from ethical integration. The American Journal of Bioethics 20 (4), 94-97.
- Orthia LA, McKinnon M, Viana JN, Walker GJ (2021) Reorienting science communication towards communities. Journal of Science Communication 20 (3): A12.Â
- Ryan JC, Viana JNM, Sellak H, Gondalia SV, O’Callaghan N (2021) Defining precision health: A scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 11(2): e044663. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044663
