Cheese and Chats: Improving health equity

Advances in medical research offer the promise of precision medicine tailored to a person’s genome, but the improvements in predicting, preventing and treating disease are not shared equally.

Most human genetic data comes from people of European ancestry, leaving those from other populations without access to the same breakthroughs in healthcare.

Join us for the next Cheese and Chats event, where an expert panel of doctors and researchers will present their bold vision for advancing health equity.

Event details
Date: Wednesday 20 November 2024
Time: 5pm for 5:30–7:30pm
Venue: The Atrium, UQ Brisbane City, 308 Queen Street, Brisbane
Cost: $35 (includes cheese box with tasting notes and one standard drink)
Enjoy light refreshments and cash bar at the heritage-listed Atrium in Brisbane CBD.

Friends and colleagues of UQ alumni are welcome.

Limited tickets available. We hope to see you there.

Speakers

Dr Sonia Shah
Group Leader, UQ Institute for Molecular Bioscience.
Sonia uses large-scale genomic data to address gaps in disease research, with a focus on cardiovascular disease. She leads the South Asian Genes and Health in Australia study, increasing representation in genetic studies. She received the 2024 Australian Academy of Science Ruth Stephens Gani Medal for genetics research, was a 2023 global finalist for the Nature Inspiring Women in Science Award, and was named one of Australia's Top 25 Women in Science by Newscorp.

Associate Professor Loic Yengo
Group Leader, UQ Institute for Molecular Bioscience
In 2024, Loic was awarded a Snow Medical Research Foundation Fellowship to accelerate the deployment of genomic risk prediction in the clinic and improve the benefit of genomic medicine in under-represented populations. Loic was the 2022 recipient of the Ruth Stephens Gani Medal of the Australian Academy of Science recognising outstanding contributions to research in human genetics, and was named in Nature Medicine’s 2022 Yearbook among 11 early-career researchers to watch.

Dr Samarra Toby
Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Samarra is an Indigenous medical practitioner and scientist with a special interest in Space Medicine, AI, Nanotechnology and Astrobiology, alongside her clinical work . Passionate about healing, she focuses on improving health outcomes for First Nations, South Sea Islander, Pacific Islander and Tribal communities globally. She also supports neurodivergent patients, particularly those with Autism, and their families. In addition, Samarra integrates plant, bush medicine, and traditional healing practices into her care.

Dr Nchafatso Obonyo (moderator)
Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Critical Care Research Group, Prince Charles Hospital, and UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience.
Nchafatso's main research focus is cardiac critical care and sepsis research. He received the 2023 Africa Top-40 Under-40 Science Award and the 2023 African Professional in Australia of the Year Award.