Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

The Center for Indigenous Science (CIS)—within the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign will host a two-day symposium titled Community Collaborative Research Among African Populations: CIS in Practice. Consistent with the IGB mission to advance team-based, interdisciplinary science that integrates life sciences with social, ethical, and societal dimensions, this symposium foregrounds Indigenous-centered and community-engaged approaches to research in African contexts. The convening brings together scholars, students, and campus partners to examine how scientific inquiry can be conducted responsibly, collaboratively, and with sustained attention to reciprocity, equity, and societal impact core commitments shared by CIS. A central feature of the symposium is the keynote address, which aligns directly with CIS’s focus on ethical research practice, knowledge sovereignty, and community accountability, and with CIS’s leadership in genomic research that addresses complex global challenges. The keynote will engage ethical, social, and governance dimensions of genomics, including data sharing, community engagement, and the return of research results in Africa. Through this lens, the symposium advances CIS priorities by demonstrating how genomics and related fields can be pursued in ways that are scientifically rigorous while also attentive to governance structures, trust-building, and long-term relationships with African communities. Together, the keynote and sessions position CIS as a hub for scholarship that bridges genomics, Indigenous knowledge systems, and socially responsible research practice.

Featuring a keynote lecture by Dr Ambroise Wonkam, Henry J. Knott Genetic Medicine Professor & Director, McKusick-Nathans Institute & Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Accommodations

For all IGB events, gender neutral bathrooms are available on floors 1 and 2 of the IGB gatehouse, open during the hours of 8am to12pm and 1pm to 5pm. A private lactation room for IGB-affiliated members is available by request, see the IGB reception desk for access. Baby changing stations are available in the restrooms on the concourse level. For specific needs, please contact facilities@igb.illinois.edu