Pitt Public Health faculty and students shared research and expertise in genetics and precision medicine at the inaugural Polynesian Precision Medicine Symposium, held July 29-31 in Apia, Samoa.
The symposium brought together approximately 110 researchers, clinicians, community leaders and advocates from Samoa, Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia and the United States to explore how advances in genetics and precision medicine can improve health among Polynesian communities while remaining culturally responsive and community driven.
Representing Pitt Public Health were Jenna Carlson, PhD, associate professor of human genetics; Ryan Minster, PhD, assistant professor of human genetics; and human genetics PhD students Lauren Spor and Toni-Ann Yapp. Ashlee Wood and Erin Kershaw, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, also attended as members of the Obesity, Lifestyle and Genetic Adaptations Study Group.
“One of the biggest concerns as we move forward with genomic technologies and precision medicine is that there are going to be communities that are left behind,” Minster said. “It was important for this meeting to not only bring researchers together, but to ensure that people from these communities were participating in and helping shape the conversation.”
Pitt researchers contributed to presentations highlighting decades of work with communities in Samoa and American Samoa, including research on genetic factors related to obesity, diabetes and other cardiometabolic conditions.
A major focus was the CREBRF gene, marking 10 years since Pitt researchers and collaborators reported an association between a CREBRF variant and higher body mass index but lower risk of type 2 diabetes among Samoans. The discovery helped spur additional research into how genetic variation specific to Polynesian populations may influence health and disease.
“The CREBRF finding really served as a proof of principle that research in these communities could uncover important biology,” Minster said. “Ten years later, we have learned a tremendous amount, but there is still a lot to understand about how this gene affects metabolism, body size and disease risk.”
Carlson also provided a “Genetics 101” primer for clinicians attending the symposium, while Minster presented on applications of genetics in precision medicine and how some could be particularly relevant to Polynesian populations.
Because many attendees did not work in genetics or genomics every day, the presentations were designed to provide a shared foundation for the more technical scientific discussions that followed.
“We wanted to make sure everyone had the background needed to fully engage with the science being presented,” Carlson said. “Precision medicine only works when the knowledge is accessible to the clinicians and communities who may ultimately use it.”
Beyond the scientific presentations, the symposium emphasized Indigenous data governance and the importance of conducting research with communities rather than simply on them. Discussions addressed how Polynesian communities can retain a meaningful role in determining how genetic information and biospecimens are shared, used and studied. Similar themes of Indigenous leadership, data sovereignty and culturally grounded research were highlighted throughout the symposium.
“There is a long history of research involving marginalized communities being extractive,” Minster said. “An important part of this work is making sure communities have a voice in how their data are used, what research questions are asked and how discoveries are ultimately translated into practice.”
The meeting also incorporated Samoan culture throughout the scientific program, including an opening ‘ava ceremony centered on gathering and sharing knowledge.
For Minster, the symposium demonstrated both the progress made in Polynesian genetics research and the potential for researchers across countries to build on one another’s work.
“Different groups bring different strengths, populations and health systems to these questions,” he said. “By working together, we have an opportunity to move the research forward faster than any one group could alone and, ultimately, translate these discoveries into better health.”
-Ava Dzurenda