In this thought-provoking episode of ByteSight, Dr. Manuel Corpas joins us to explore how genomics can serve all people, not just the privileged few. Drawing from decades of work in bioinformatics and health equity, he shares why data diversity is essential for the future of medicine and what steps we must take to ensure fair access worldwide.
Meet Dr. Manuel Corpas
Dr. Corpas is an internationally recognized leader in genomics, bioinformatics, and health data science. His career has been dedicated to advancing personalized medicine for underrepresented populations. As President of the Organizing Committee of the Spanish Congress of Genomic Medicine, the leading Spanish-speaking event in the field, he has helped shape how genomic data is used in healthcare across Spanish-speaking countries. He is also a Senior Lecturer in Genomics at the University of Westminster and a Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute.
The Equity Gap in Genomics
Dr. Corpas explained how genomic data currently available is overwhelmingly based on European populations. In a personal project, he analyzed open-access genome data and found that 95% came from people of European descent. This lack of diversity means many genetic tests and treatments are less effective or even unsafe for people from other backgrounds.
He described how access to genetic testing is severely limited in the Global South due to high costs, lack of local infrastructure, and companies that do not ship to these regions. As a result, samples often must be sent abroad for analysis, stripping local scientists and patients of control and opportunity. Dr. Corpas called this a form of disempowerment and stressed the need for local capacity building to address this imbalance.
Real-World Consequences
This lack of diversity isn’t just a data issue; it impacts lives. Dr. Corpas shared powerful examples. In Ethiopia, 30% of the population has a gene variant that makes the common drug codeine dangerous. Because of this, Ethiopian government banned codeine use. Similarly, the widely used blood thinner warfarin causes adverse reactions in 25% of African patients because dosing guidelines were developed for Europeans. These examples highlight why diverse data is crucial for safe and effective care.
The Role of Industry and Innovation
Dr. Corpas believes we need business models that can support health solutions for small or lower-income populations, just as rare disease treatments have found ways to be developed despite small patient groups. He sees an opportunity for commercial and research sectors to invest in diversity not just for ethical reasons, but because the global population is increasingly mixed. With migration and globalization, no country can assume a single genetic profile for its people.
He also discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the lack of data diversity in clinical trials and forced companies to rethink how therapies are tested. Dr. Corpas sees this as a wake-up call and a chance to change.
Vision for Equitable Medicine
For Dr. Corpas, equitable medicine means everyone, regardless of where they are born or what they look like, should benefit from scientific progress. This requires action at all levels: governments, researchers, and companies must put health equity at the center of their work. He believes with strong coordination across policy, education, and industry, this is possible.
Using the example of the COVID-19 vaccine, he reminded us that when there is collective will, rapid and meaningful progress can happen. The key now is to apply that urgency to closing the equity gap in genomics.
Final Takeaway
“We need to think more about the faces of the people we are trying to serve. And that can only be achieved if we have diversity.”
Dr. Corpas left us with this powerful message, stating that technology and data must serve real people, and this is only possible when we prioritize diversity, ethics, and fairness.
