Build your understanding of genomics and the vast opportunities it offers to health practice

The Postgraduate Certificate in Health Sciences endorsed in Genomic Health and Medicine offers the first opportunity in Aotearoa New Zealand to complete a postgraduate qualification in the emerging field of genomics.

What is genomics?

Genomics is the study of genes (the genome), including interactions of genes with each other and with the person's environment. Genomic medicine uses this information to improve health outcomes and understand disease risk.

Genomics is increasingly utilised in the study and treatment of complex diseases, such as cancer, typically caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Why is genomics important?

Genomics is driving a revolutionary shift in healthcare. It takes understanding of personalised human health to another level, where technology is being utilised to understand how a person’s molecular makeup can be deciphered and understood to improve their health and clinical outcomes.

And interest is growing, we routinely encounter genomics terms in the media – PCR tests, direct-to-consumer DNA tests, epigenomics, genome sequencing, mRNA vaccines, targeted cancer treatments, gene editing and more.

Do you know what these terms mean? Are you interested in how they could impact your health and that of your community? Or how genomic data can be integrated into clinical practice?

The world is changing rapidly, join us in learning how these new technologies can impact and improve the lives of New Zealanders, and some of the computational methods that make this possible.

Our teaching and research team talk about the genomics programme

This information must be read subject to the statement on our Copyright & Disclaimer page.

Regulations on this page are taken from the 2025 Calendar and supplementary material.