Program

This opening plenary will examine the evolving landscape of EDI in genomics through a horizon scan of its concrete benefits and persistent barriers, while surfacing emerging challenges and open questions in a changing context. Opening remarks Welcome address and land acknowledgement: Claude Bhérer, McGill University (5 min) Opening address: Christopher McMaster, CIHR Institute of Genetics (CIHR-IG) and Dalhousie University (5 min) Opening address: Wesley Oakes, Genome Canada (5 min) Opening address: Ma’n Zawati,McGill University (5 min) Opening keynote lecture Loydie Jerome-Majewska, McGill University (30 min) Second keynote lecture Francine Buchanan, Lived-Experience Advisor, Patient & Family Engagement leader at POPCORN and the Home Mechanical Ventilation Research Network (30 min)

Grounding the symposium in community realities, this panel will examine approaches to community engagement in international and Canadian initiatives, identifying what works, where gaps remain and how engagement can be strengthened to ensure meaningful participation and equitable benefits. Moderators: Jillian Banfield, CIHR-IG Wesley Oakes, Genome Canada Panelists: Dickens Akena, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda (10 min) Lerato Majara, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT (10 min) Loydie Jerome-Majewska, McGill University (5 min) Francine Buchanan, Lived-Experience Advisor, Patient & Family Engagement leader at POPCORN and the Home Mechanical Ventilation Research Network (5 min)

How can we measure (in)equities in genomics in ways that enable learning, accountability, and action? The afternoon session, structured around two complementary panels, will examine both how we define health equity and how we design responsible research and data systems that enable meaningful measurement of equity.

What do we mean by health equity in genomics, and whose perspectives and experiences shape how we define it? This panel will explore different understandings of health equity, the role of social determinants of health, and the importance of community realities and lived experiences. Moderators: Amirah-Iman Hicks, Pan-Canadian Genome Library Mariloue Daudier, D2R Speakers: Dr. Nadine Caron, University of British Columbia (20 mn) Charlotte Calvez, University of Toronto (15 mn) Kevin Mintz, Stanford University (15 mn)

How do we characterize the populations represented in genomics research, and who may be missing from our data? This session will examine how sociodemographic information and population descriptors are collected and structured, how research practices influence participation and representation, and how self-identification can be meaningfully incorporated into research and data systems. Moderators: Sali Farhan, McGill University (Online) Safa Majeed, University of Toronto Speakers: Dr. Veline L'Esperance, Queen Mary University of London & NHS Race and Health Observatory (15 mn) Daphne Martschenko, Stanford University (15 mn) Alexander Chan, McGill University (10 mn) Hermann Nabi, Université Laval & CHU-Laval Research Centre (10 mn)