This issue of Nature Reviews Genetics is accompanied by a Supplement: “Genomic medicine in developing countries”, a collection of five Perspective articles that analyse how genomic research is being integrated into the drive of developing countries towards improved public health and economic growth. The Supplement provides insights into the status of research in the developing world and highlights areas in which the international human genomics community needs to take a more forward-thinking approach.

The Supplement is centred around four case studies that were carried out in Mexico, India, Thailand and South Africa, looking at how these countries can benefit from human genomic research, the infrastructure that is already in place to do this, and the hurdles that need to be overcome. Of course, the challenges and opportunities are to some extent dictated by features of specific countries, such as their main health challenges, economic status and existing research infrastructure. However, some themes are common throughout, such as the importance of ongoing political support and the need for better-defined regulatory policies.

On an international level, several themes emerge that human genomics researchers and policy makers around the world need to have firmly in mind. For example, the article that explores the situation in South Africa highlights the need to avoid 'parachute research', in which foreign researchers have taken samples from African populations without putting anything back into these societies. International consortia, such as the Public Population Project in Genomics (P3G), illustrate how this and other issues can be addressed to promote mutually beneficial international collaboration.

The Supplement is freely available at: http://www.nature.com/nrg/supplements/genomicmedicine.