The study is led by researchers at the University of Queensland, led by Professor Loic Yengo and supported by a team of researchers. The study is funded by the Snow Medical Foundation and has been approved by the University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee. This ethics approval ensures that the research is done in a way that protects the dignity, rights, and welfare of study participants, as outlined in the Australian Privacy Principles (2014), and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Guidelines for Ethical Conduct of Human Research (2023).

Individuals can take part if they are:

• Over 18 years of age,
• Individuals who have one parent of European ancestry and the other parent of Asian (South, East and Mainland) ancestry, AND
• Live in Australia

There is no financial cost to participating in this study.

Once we have received your completed survey and saliva sample, we will send you a $30.00 e-gift card to say thank you. You can also choose to donate this amount back to support continued research being done by the DNA BRIDGE research team.

• Saliva samples will be used to generate genetic data.
• Information from the survey, saliva biomarker and genetic data will all be used to how having different genetic ancestries can impact human health
• It will NOT be used for looking at risk to other current health conditions or future health conditions.

Only data and biological samples necessary for the study will be collected. All data will be stored on secure servers behind the UQ security firewall, with appropriate data protection measures, including password-protected access, data encryption and multi-factor authentication. Biological samples (e.g., saliva samples) will be stored in a secure, restricted-access location at the University of Queensland.

Yes. Best ethical and legal practice will be followed to keep your information confidential and private. Your samples will be labelled with a unique ID number (not your name) before being stored. Your genetic data will be linked to this unique ID and stored securely and separately from your personal details (such as name and contact details). You will not be identified personally in any report or publication about the DNA BRIDGE study.

There are still many ways to be involved in our DNA BRIDGE study. Please visit our website: www.AustralianDNABridge.org

Yes, if they meet the criteria listed in Question 3.

No. This study will not disclose biological relationships between participants.

Anyone with and without health problems, can take part.

Yes. Regardless of your genetic test results, you can still participate in this study. Your data is valuable to help our goal for better healthcare for future generations.

No. There are no restrictions in lifestyle, dietary or types of treatment you receive throughout the study. You can continue taking your regular medications. You will not be asked to take any new medications as part of this study and will not be asked to change your diet to take part in this study.

Yes. We can help you by arranging to have a trained research officer verbally conduct the survey via telephone with you at an agreed upon time. If this is not suitable, we can provide you with a paper copy of the survey to complete at home and return via post at your earliest convenience.

Yes. You can stop participating in DNA BRIDGE study at any time. Withdrawal from the study at any time will not affect your primary care in any way, your relationship with the research team, or with the University of Queensland.

Please feel free to email the research team at [email protected]

If you would like a call, please email us your contact details and one of our team members will be in touch.