Speeches
Tuesday, 25 November 2025
Open the 10th Australian Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Society Annual
I warmly welcome members of Abacus, international speakers and guests to Adelaide for the 10th Australian Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Society Annual Conference.
This conference has drawn together some 400 of the brightest minds in this field – and the possibilities that a meeting of such minds can ignite are endless and exciting.
I am sure that being in the same room together, face-to-face, will bring rich opportunities to share expertise, collaborate and develop new partnerships.
Hosting this conference in South Australia is important for a number of reasons.
It builds on and extends our proud history of research excellence supported by our institutions, including SAHMRI, the Australian Cancer Research Foundation Cancer Genomics Facility, the Waite and Roseworthy Agricultural research precincts and our universities.
As Governor, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting many of these institutions and meeting the people who undertake ground-breaking research that affects our lives.
It’s important because we face challenges shared around the world: diseases like cancer that compromise people’s lives and wellbeing; food security; and, conserving our environment, to name but a few.
Many of you will be aware that, in South Australia, we have been experiencing a not‑so‑common challenge - the toxic algal bloom that is affecting some of our coastlines.
All of these issues cry out for solutions, and I recognise and thank you all for the effort you invest in these endeavours.
What you do inspires hope.
Hope for treatments and cures … hope for sustainable and secure food production into the future … and hope that our children and grandchildren can inherit a healthy environment.
Your discussions here will influence how we respond to many urgent issues – antibiotic resistance, cancer genomics, food security, and the conservation of our planet’s biodiversity.
I congratulate Abacus on your 10th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of this conference.
That number underscores that bioinformatics is a new and evolving discipline, and that advances in technology are accelerating at an extraordinary pace.
The possibilities are endless and exciting … but they also raise important issues that must be examined, among them data integrity and storage, ethical responsibility, and equitable access.
We know some Australians have a greater burden of ill health and unequal access to health care.
Professor Alex Brown has highlighted health inequalities for Indigenous Australians in his research. He is leading the way in empowering Aboriginal Peoples to harness genomics for better health outcomes.
Flinders University researcher Dr Jennifer Baldock is raising awareness about health inequalities for people with an intellectual disability who, on average, die 27 years earlier than members of the general population. One barrier identified is the lack of information about treatments in accessible formats.
As a society, we must ensure that every member can share in the benefits that come from new discoveries and applications.
Friends
As you all know, bioinformatics is not just about algorithms; it is about people working together across disciplines, sectors, and countries.
The solutions we seek are being driven by partnerships and collaboration.
Over the course of this conference, you will exchange insights, challenge assumptions, and create partnerships that may well define the next decade of Australian and international bioscience.
I wish you all a very productive week and look forward to hearing about the impact of the conversations, ideas, and partnerships generated here.