Variant Bio Supports Cultural Initiatives in Norfolk Island through Unique Benefit-Sharing Program

Professor Mulhauseler (center), a linguist who helped oversee the development of the Norfolk Island dictionary using benefit-sharing funds from Variant Bio, together with school cultural leaders at the dictionary’s official launch in June 2025. Photo credit: Rhonda Griffiths

Whutta-wae. Morla. Narwi.

These three words can be found in the brand-new Norfolk dictionary that was published this year and supported by Variant Bio’s benefit-sharing program. In English the words mean “hello,” “tomorrow,” and “swim.”

Norfolk Island is a small island located in the south Pacific about a two hour flight east of Brisbane, Australia and about the same distance north of Aotearoa New Zealand. Many of the inhabitants of this island can trace their ancestry back to a famous historical event — the Mutiny on the Bounty. The unique location, culture, and history of the island make it an appealing place for many visitors, myself included. It is also where, beginning in 2021, Variant Bio and I embarked on a longitudinal study together on the genetics of kidney disease among Norfolk Islanders.

As I flew into Norfolk from Brisbane last month, I could see the island fully encompassed by a thick white cloud. Recent weather on the island has been unsettled in the grip of a low with scattered storms, serious showers, and quite strong winds. The horizon was misty, and the pines made a cacophony of sound as the winds blew through them. I stayed on the island for a week to meet with Norfolk elders, community leaders, friends, and other residents.

Lyn Griffiths with Rhonda Griffiths from the Council of Elders of Norfolk Island, October 2025

While there, I met with Rhonda Griffiths (strangely no relation at all to me), a member of the Council of Elders who, along with a language cultural group, has been instrumental in putting together the Norfolk Dictionary. This is the first ever Norfolk Island Dictionary, and it provides English to Norf’k information and translations. Rhonda and others from the community are very pleased to see the dictionary produced and available for Norfolk school kids and residents, newcomers, and visitors to the island. The dictionary provides a significant boost to revitalizing the language and culture of Pitcairn descendants and Norfolk residents, and is also an important school tool. It translates English to Norfolk, with plans to begin a reverse version soon.

I’ve been working with Norfolk Island residents for many years, starting with the first Norfolk Island Health Study which launched in the year 2000. That year we established a clinic on the island and I lived there with my family while my kids attended the local Norfolk school.

We collected over 600 samples from local participants to help with our genetic studies on cardiovascular risk traits. We also provided a full health check and comprehensive information to all Norfolk participants, as well as an overview of health results to the Norfolk Hospital. My whole family loved our stay there and have fond memories of walks through the pines, bike rides across the lush properties, swims at Emily Bay, and very large fish caught on the fishing boats.

I have been back to Norfolk many times since then to continue the Norfolk Health Study undertaking further collections focused on ocular disorders, bone density, and more recently on chronic kidney disease in our 2021–2 longitudinal collection. The most recent phase of the study was carried out together with Variant Bio which, as part of its unique short-term benefit-sharing program, also provided funding to support a number of key initiatives on the island. One such initiative was the development of the first Norfolk Island Dictionary. Opening the Norfolk dictionary on this visit, I discovered the many translated words in this singular language. I first heard some of these words in the late 90s and again during my extended stay in 2000 when Rhonda and I met as our sons attended primary school together.

View of the ocean from Norfolk Island. Photo credit: Lyn Griffiths

While on the island I also met with Ian Kiernan, the current president of the Norfolk Rotary Club, and discussed the new Ball Bay picnic area which was also supported through Variant Bio’s benefit-sharing program to aid in purchasing materials for its establishment. This isolated area has an outstanding view across rolling green fields to the cliffs and ocean beyond and I could see the Rotary members’ hard work in creating this great public gathering spot for family lunches and picnics.

One of the Norfolk Island Health Study’s most long-standing supporters, John Hughes, passed away recently. John was instrumental in the development of our study in his role as Chair of the Health Board. He was a strong advocate for the research, encouraging, well connected, and with very useful advice. Although I missed John on this visit, I had a couple of wonderful chats and a lovely dinner with his wife Elaine Hughes and grandson Jack on their deck overlooking the Kingston area, across Phillip Island and out to the open ocean.

Going forward, I am thrilled that the Norfolk Island community will also be included in Variant Bio’s long-term benefit-sharing program, which commits to distributing 4% of revenue and equity value among all eligible projects around the world. Through Variant Bio’s recent partnership with Novo Nordisk, the company is now in a position to share revenue for the first time. In the months to come, I will be working together with community stakeholders on Norfolk Island to determine the most meaningful initiatives to support through Variant Bio’s groundbreaking revenue-sharing program.