19 December-2018: On the sidelines of the 10th Dubai International Conference for Medical Sciences, the newly reconstituted Executive Board of the Centre for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS) held its first meeting.

 

The meeting was chaired by the CAGS Director, Dr. Mahmoud Taleb Al-Ali and was attended by several members of the Board, including Prof. Fatma Al Jasmi Associate Professor of Pediatrics College of Medicine & Health Sciences UAE University, Dr. Fatma Bastaki Consultant Pediatrician and Clinical Geneticist and Metabolic Specialist, Latifa Hospital, Dubai, Prof. Bassam Ali Professor of Molecular and Genetic Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University  , Dr. Kamal Khazanehdari Director, Molecular Biology and Genetics Laboratory, Dubai, UAE , and Dr. Ahmad Al-Marzouqi Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al-Ain

 

Dr. Al-Ali began by introducing the newly joined members and expressed his appreciation towards them. He then provided the members with a brief overview of the Centre’s achievements since its establishment in 2003 and its various activities. Dr Al-Ali then detailed the expected responsibilities of the Executive Board members, as well as the members of the Centre’s Arab Council and its newly formed Advisory Committee.

Dr. Mahmoud said that these different committees include 13 members from 15 different countries, Stressing that the active participation of new members will have a great impact in expanding the activities of the Center's field and increase its representation in international forums.

The members were then told about the latest developments in the Catalogue of Transmission Genetics in Arabs (CTGA) Database, which the Centre maintains and discussed prospective projects, including workshops and international research collaborations.

At the end of the meeting, the attendees discussed the next Pan Arab Human Genetics Conference, which is scheduled to be held in January 2020, Dr. Al-Ali concluded by thanking the members for their continuous support of the Centre’s various activities, which continue to align with the vision of H.H Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on the basis of which the Centre was first established in 2003.