Making genomics education accessible for all | LC 25

Biography

Jason Williams is the Assistant Director at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning Center, where he develops national biology education programs. He has trained thousands of students, researchers, and educators, focusing on integrating bioinformatics into undergraduate education, fostering career-spanning learning for biologists, and creating opportunities for students historically excluded from STEM. Jason’s work has contributed to professional development for researchers and educators, as well as advancing research cyberinfrastructure globally through projects in the US, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

As the Director of Community Science at ʻIolani School in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, Yvonne’s mission is to nurture student independent research, foster citizen science among schools and communities, and provide outreach to support STEM education across the state. She received her PhD from Stanford University in Conservation Genetics; however, over the last 10 years Yvonne has worked in K–12 education, where her goal has been to energise, mobilise, and engage teachers and students to do science in service to their communities.

Abstract

Hands-on, research-focused learning produces the most impactful outcomes for students. In this talk we present two contrasting, complementary Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education approaches making hands-on sequencing projects accessible to large numbers of students — especially from underserved backgrounds — and the unique insights derived from these programmes.

At the national scale, the Cold Spring Harbor DNA Learning Center (DNALC) is the world's first science center devoted to public genetics education, with impact reaching more than 500,000 students each year. Supported by the US National Science Foundation, the DNALC has built a network of high school and undergraduate educators to popularise the introduction of nanopore sequencing into the classroom. This includes bringing sequencing into course-based research at three minority-serving institutions and a 2024 national series of workshops reaching more than 130 educators at 100 institutions.

Demonstrating impact at the regional scale, ’Iolani School’s Community Science programs, supported by private donations, have reached 27 schools, 47 teachers, and approximately 2,000 students across Hawai’i, using nanopore sequencing to advance student research — including bacterial species discovery, environmental monitoring, personalised medicine, and public health — publishing findings in professional journals.

These programs advance life sciences and bioethics education in Hawai’i by building capacity and equity across diverse classroom settings, incorporating students’ ethical and cultural frameworks, and enabling STEM career workforce development. Speakers from the DNALC and ’Iolani School will explain how their approaches support an inclusive, equitable, and inspired future for STEM where high school and undergraduate students make meaningful contributions to genomics research. Opportunities for ongoing collaboration will be shared.