Medicine for the many, not the few: sixth-former’s plea on genetics wins European competition
Sixth-former Tanush Gupta has won first prize in a prestigious European competition for his video on genetic diversity.
His name was announced in front of more than 5,000 international scientists and doctors at the European Human Genetics Conference in Milan.
The prize from the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) in its 17th annual European DNA Day Video Contest, includes €400 for Tanush and €1,000 for the School.
Head of Biology Gillian Ridge said: “This is really quite a considerable achievement: Tanush’s video was meticulously put together and he worked on it independently. Many congratulations to him on this success.”
Pupils from 26 European countries submitted 31 videos in video contest and 298 essays in the parallel essay competition this year.
The task set for the entrants was: Please, discuss the importance of understanding genetic diversity for health and disease. Support your example with specific DNA variants and genes.
Tanush submitted a five-minute video entitled Genes Across the Globe: Why Genetic Diversity Matters that was amply illustrated throughout with colour drawings and simple animations.
In the video he highlights the current focus of genetic medical research being on European populations, with deleterious consequences for people of other ethnicities: “If genetic research is not inclusive, certain populations suffer from undetected risks and ineffective medical interventions,” he says.
Tanush concludes: “Genetics isn’t just about understanding the past, it’s about shaping the future of medicine. The more inclusive our research, the better our ability to predict, prevent, and treat diseases for everyone.
“So next time you hear about a groundbreaking genetic discovery, ask yourself: ‘Who does this benefit, and who’s being left behind?’ Because science should serve all of humanity, not just a select few.”
The entries were evaluated by 45 experts in the field, who selected three winners in each category, while also awarding 11 honourable mentions over both competition categories.
In their prize citation, DNA Day Co-ordinator Dr Christophe Cordier, ESHG President Professor William Newman and ESHG Education Committee Chair Professor Inga Prokopenko told Tanush: “Your video…has impressed the members of the jury based on its originality, its scientific content, and the fact that you expressed so clearly the benefits and consequences for science and society.
“We do hope that your interest in genetics and DNA will continue to grow over the years and that you will continue to follow the developments in the field, which promise to become more and more spectacular.”
- You can watch Tanush’s video here.