About us
Vision
An Australian health system which routinely includes health genomics in clinical practice to prevent disease and provide personalised treatments.
Genomics Australia was established on 1 July 2025 to provide national leadership and coordination on health genomics and improve its transition from research to clinical service delivery.
Mission
Provide national leadership, coordination and expertise to support the better integration of genomics into the Australian health system in a person and family-centred, culturally safe, efficient, effective, ethical and equitable way.
Genomics Australia will do this though:
- Leading on addressing complex health genomics issues
- Providing expert health genomics advice on issues that have national significance
- Conducting projects to give effect to the National Health Genomics Policy Framework and Implementation Plan
- Providing a national and international presence in health genomics
- Informing the Australian public about health genomics and giving stakeholders a focal point for government engagement and communications.
Australian Health Genomics Commissioner
Tiffany Boughtwood
Australian Health Genomics Commissioner
Tiffany Boughtwood BSc (Hons) MBA was formerly the Managing Director of Australian Genomics, a national collaborative supporting genomic research and its translation into clinical practice. Tiffany has over 25 years’ experience in molecular biology and research management, including: leading academic and diagnostic laboratories, collaborating internationally in genetic and genomic research, and consulting in genomic implementation and management.
She has served on the World Economic Forum Global Future Council for Biotechnology, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Collective Global Network for Rare Disease and is a member of the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Genomics.
As the Australian Health Genomics Commissioner, Tiffany will guide the work of Genomics Australia and provide advice to Government based on broad engagement with the sector and community.
Governance
Leadership team
Australian Health Genomics Commissioner – Tiffany Boughtwood
General Manager – Renaye Lucchese
Director – Innovation and Integration Section – Mathilde Desselle
Director – Community Impact and Partnerships Section – Matilda Haas
Director – Governance and Engagement Section – Clare Donovan
Areas of interest
Innovation and integration
The Innovation and Integration Section will focus on the translation of genomic and genomic enabled health technologies into routine clinical care. Its priority projects will include improving access to personalised cancer care, looking more broadly at barriers to research translation, horizon scanning and industry partnerships.
Community impact and partnerships
The Community Impact and Partnerships Section will focus on building and managing partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and internationally, and considering and addressing ethical, legal and social issues with the integration of genomics into the Australian health system. Its priority projects will include implementation of an engagement mechanism between Genomics Australia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, negotiating international partnerships and establishing processes to understand community priorities, values and expectations for health genomics.
Governance and Engagement
The Governance and Engagement Section will focus on building and managing networks across the health genomics sector, the Australian Government, and states and territories. Its priority projects will include establishing the Genomics Australia Advisory Board and Networks, finalisation of the new Health Genomics Policy Framework and progressing work on health genomic information management.
National Health Genomics Policy Framework and Implementation Plan
In collaboration with state and territory governments and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group on Health Genomics, the Commonwealth is updating the National Health Genomics Policy Framework. The new National Health Genomics Policy Framework and Implementation Plan will provide a national, intergovernmental approach to embed genomics into the Australian health system in a person- and family-centred, culturally safe, efficient, effective, ethical, and equitable way.
Public consultation on the new National Health Genomics Policy Framework and Implementation Plan is currently open via the Department’s Consultation Hub. Public consultation will close at midnight, 25 July 2025, Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST).
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Genomics Australia is committed to building strong, respectful and genuine partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We recognise the transformative potential of genomics and the need to ensure equitable access to, and outcomes from, genomics-informed health care, health systems and research.
Genomics Australia will engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations to ensure the voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is appropriately captured and informs the implementation of culturally safe and responsive approaches to health genomics. Genomics Australia will work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to develop and implement an engagement mechanism.
Genomics Australia is also developing a Statement of Commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people which will be published shortly.
