The Centre for Arab Genomic Studies, a division of the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences, announced the opening of registration for the 7th Pan Arab Human Genetics Conference, PAHGC, which will be held from 18th to 20th January, 2018 in Dubai.

Dr. Mahmoud Taleb Al-Ali, Director of the Centre for Arab Genomic Studies and the Chairperson of the Scientific Committee of the PAHGC, said the theme of the 7th conference is "The Omics Era." It is mainly aimed at the scientific detection of genes, proteins and metabolism in a specific biological sample.

He also reviewed the topics to be discussed, which cover Precision Medicine, Big Data in Human Genetics, Genomics of Multifactorial Disorders, as well as the Current Trends in Human Genetics, including Genome Editing, Human Microbiome, and Metabolomics.

The conference brings together leading researchers and scientists from throughout the world specialising in each of these areas. Keynote speakers include Prof. Fowzan Alkuraya, Professor of Human Genetics at the Alfaisal University and the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, and Prof. Karsten Suhre, Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, and Director of the Bioinformatics Virtual Metabolomics Core at the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar.

Dr. Mahmoud added that the last day of the conference will be dedicated to workshops. The first of these workshops, on "Genetic Counselling for Arab Populations," will be useful for pediatricians, obstetricians, medical students and nurses. Cases of families with genetic diseases will be presented and discussed during this workshop.

Dr. Ahmed Al Hashemi, Member of the Board of Trustees of the Award, praised the success of the previous conferences, which attracted researchers and specialists in genetics, not only at the local level, but also at the regional and international levels. Past participants included more than 400 researchers and specialists from 24 countries, in addition to students from various universities within the UAE and abroad.

The conference allows researchers and geneticists from within the Arab world to not only network and forge collaborations, but to also review and exchange information with the broader international community. Additionally, it provides constructive co-operation between the various scientists in the field of human genetics, which ultimately helps promote scientific research in the region.

Online registration is available on the conference website at www.pahgc.org.

source:Wam