Leading thinkers in the field of genetics from both sides of the Tasman will gather in Wellington later this month for the 2nd Australia-New Zealand Roundtable on Genomics on Tuesday 24 November 2009.

They will examine how genomic knowledge is produced through research, how it is used at the bedside in the clinical situation, and what sorts of parameters and safeguards are needed for using genomic knowledge.

The gathering is a follow-up from the first Australia-New Zealand roundtable on genomics, held in November last year, which brought together distinguished, leading thinkers from both countries to discuss the legal, ethical and policy gaps created by the rapid expansion of genetic knowledge and technology.

Both countries have produced significant research in the field, through the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) reports on the protection of human genetic information and gene patents and with the recent Genes, Society and the Future reports from the New Zealand Law Foundation-sponsored Human Genome Research Project (HGRP) led by the University of Otago's Faculty of Law.

Professor Mark Henaghan, Otago Law Faculty Dean and leader of the HGRP says the first round-table proved to be an extremely valuable exercise.