Join OurDNA

Who can take part?

We are currently enrolling people within the Filipino & Vietnamese communities for the OurDNA program. 

We will soon be recruiting in the Lebanese, Tongan, Samoan, Fijian and Sudanese communities.

In the future, we aim to include all underrepresented communities from these regions: 

  • East African (e.g. Ethiopian, Ghanaian, Kenyan, Mauritian, and Sudanese)

  • North African and Middle Eastern (e.g. Assyrian, Chaldean, Egyptian, Iranian, Iraqi, Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian, and Turkish)

  • Oceanian (Fijian, Māori, Papua New Guinean, Samoan, and Tongan)

  • South-East Asian (e.g.Cambodian, Filipino, Indonesian, Malay, and Vietnamese)

    People who take part in OurDNA must: 

    • Be over 18 years of age;

    • Have access to Medicare;

    • Self-identify as having ancestry from one of the following communities: Filipino (currently), (and soon in) Samoan, Fijian, Tongan, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Sudanese;

    • Be able to donate a blood sample in Victoria or New South Wales.

How can you join?

To take part in OurDNA we will ask you to:

● answer a few questions to set you up in the OurDNA portal about:

○ how you would like to be known

○ your date of birth and sex

○ your ancestry

● read some information about:

○ what you would be asked to do in OurDNA

○ the risks and benefits to you

○ how your information will be stored and shared

● ask us questions if the information is not clear or you would like more details

● decide whether to take part (or not to take part) in OurDNA

○ If you choose to take part, you can also make choices about what you want to hear from us and which parts of OurDNA you want to participate in

○ If you choose not to take part, we’ll thank you, help you to delete your account and ask you a couple of questions about your thoughts on OurDNA as you leave

● sign the OurDNA consent form (electronically)

● give a blood sample at one of our collection locations or at an OurDNA event.

To join OurDNA, you'll need:

  • A unique email address or your mobile phone number to register, keep your account secure, and as a way for us to contact you with updates, results or program changes (two people cannot use the same email or phone number)

  • A computer or phone that you can personally access, as we cannot supply them at the moment (this might change later!) 

For help, contact us and our team can guide you over the phone or Zoom.

Next steps:

Opt-in to stay updated on OurDNA research and related studies (such as Lifeblood). Opt-out to limit contact to consent and sample donation.

After providing your blood sample, you will be reimbursed $100 AUD for your time.

DNA is unique to you, so you can only participate one time.

How do I sign up!

To take part in OurDNA, you must:

  • Be over 18 years of age; and 

  • Have access to Medicare; and

  • Self-identify as having ancestry from one of the following seven communities Filipino (active now), Samoan, Fijian, Tongan, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Sudanese (active soon); and

  • Be able to donate a blood sample in Victoria or New South Wales.

If so, you can download our apps for iOS or Android, or sign-up online, or fill out the form and a member of our team will reach out!