Brave New World

In association with our exhibition Genome - Science of Life, we present a lively panel discussion Brave New World, Genomics in Aotearoa.

Join some of Aotearoa’s leading researchers as they discuss the power of genomic solutions in health, conservation, primary production and much more. How will this brave new world impact on our futures in Aotearoa?

Indulge in after-work drinks & tapas and settle in for some lively and thought-provoking discussion from some of the best genomic minds in Aotearoa.

Hosted by Professor James Maclaurin (philosopher of science and co-director of the Centre for AI and Public Policy), the panel includes:

• Professor Amanda Black (Tūhoe, Whakatōhea, Whānau-ā-Apanui) works at Lincoln University and is also Director of Bioprotection Aotearoa. Her research area is in environmental soil chemistry and biochemistry, focusing on the health of soil ecosystems.

• Professor Justin O Sullivan works at the University of Auckland and is deputy director of the Liggins Institute. His research focuses on understanding the human genome, with particular reference to precision medicine.

• Associate Professor Tammy Steeves works at the University of Canterbury. Her research team focuses on genomics, including the emerging field of chromosomics, to inform the conservation management of some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s rarest taonga species.

• Dr Jemma Geoghegan is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago. She is an evolutionary biologist and virologist with a strong research focus on emerging infectious disease. Jemma co-led the team that developed our covid genome sequencing strategy in 2020.

• Josephine Johnston is a Lecturer at the University of Otago’s Bioethics Centre and a Research Scholar at The Hastings Center, a bioethics research institute in New York. She works on a variety of ethical, legal, and policy issues in medicine and science, with a particular focus on the implications of emerging technologies in human reproduction, psychiatry, genetics, and neuroscience.

This is a free public talk. Tapas are provided and a cash bar is available to purchase drinks.

5.30pm, Friday 2 December
Barclay Theatre
Free - Bookings Required