Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and President of Dubai Health Authority, the Center for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS), a division of Hamdan Medical Award, is organizing the 5th Pan Arab Human Genetics Conference & 2013 Golden Helix Symposium from 17 to 19 November at Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, Dubai, under the theme "Genomics into Healthcare."

 

Prof. Najib Al Khaja, Secretary General of Hamdan Medical Award, President of CAGS and the conference chairman said that CAGS is keen to organize such an important conference every two years to bring together the largest possible number of Arab and foreign geneticists. This helps to discuss the latest discoveries nationally and internationally in this field, by featuring the most important aspects of scientific research in the Arab world. Needless to say that human genetics is one of the most important modern specialties, and it is expected to radically change medical practice in the near future.

 

"CAGS has already prepared the scientific program of the conference with four main topics; Cancer Genomics, Pharmacogenomics, Next Generation Sequencing and Diagnosis and molecular profiling", Al Khaja said.

 

"Over three consecutive days, the conference includes 8 scientific sessions and 19 lectures by 22 keynote speakers from 15 countries including USA, China, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Tunisia.

 

Among the top participants of the conference is Prof. David Cooper, Cardiff University, UK, professor of human molecular genetics. He will deliver the opening keynote speech of the conference on the molecular basis of reduced penetrance.

 

Also, Prof. Angela Brand, Founding Director, Institute for Public Health Genomics, the Netherlands, will deliver the closing keynote speech of the conference.

 

It should be noted that the Scientific Committee of the Conference has opened the door to receive submissions of original contributions for oral or poster presentations, till July 15, via the website of the conference http://www.pahgc.org.