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Precision Medicine and Functional Genomics 2021 – Virtual Meeting (PMFG21)

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This year, PMFG21 is a three-day event with post-conference satellite meeting, centered around four themes:

  • Day 1 Track 1: Future of Pediatric Genomic Medicine
  • Day 1 Track 2: Large Scale Genomes and Data: From Discovery to Health
  • Day 2 Track 1: Precision Care in Maternal and Child Health
  • Day 2 Track 2: Advances in Innovative Therapies for Precision Medicine

Target Audience

  • Researchers
  • Physicians
  • Bioinformaticians
  • Clinicians, researchers and scientists
  • Genetic counselors
  • Students
  • Lab professionals
  • Nurse practitioner and physician assistants
  • Pharmacists
  • Allied Health
  • Public Health
  • Public Policy
  • Biotech Industry

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At the end of the Conference, the participants will be able to:

  • Find out how making genomic discoveries and a fundamental first step toward identifying targets for precision treatments
  • Understand the genetic causes and underlying mechanisms of several complex pediatric disorders, and learn methods for precision medicine to treatment and discovering new therapeutic options
  • Learn how large-scale human genomic and health data are transforming medical care
  • Appreciate how evidence-based treatments, innovative translational research combined with providing extra ordinary care will improve outcomes and aid establishing therapeutic approaches for children with critical, rare, and chronic diseases
  • Describe the recent applications of precision medicine in maternal, fetal and child health
  • List examples of the translational applications of precision medicine for different types of diseases

**TRACKS 1 & 2  and 3 & 4 WILL RUN IN CONCURRENT SESSIONS

Day 1: Saturday 4th December 2021 - TRACK 1
“FUTURE OF PEDIATRIC GENOMIC MEDICINE”
14:00 14:10 Opening Remarks
Dr. Khalid Fakhro- Chief Research Officer
Dr. Ammira Akil – Organizing Chair of Track 1
Dr. Younes Mokrab – Organizing Chair of Track 2
Sidra Medicine, Qatar
Session 1: Genomic landscape in complex pediatric disorders and its impact on research and medicine
Objectives:
  • Describe examples of therapeutic approaches of Precision Medicine ongoing in Qatar.
  • Learn about interest, state of the art and the major challenges for the development of the clinical application of Precision Medicine.
  • Appreciate how the local health care can benefit from innovative translational applications of Precision Medicine
14: 10 14: 40 Opening Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Hakon Hakonarson
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, USA		 Precision Medicine Approaches in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Complex Pediatric Disorders
14: 40 15: 00 Session Keynote:
Dr. Adam Jaffe
University of New South Wales, UK		 Precision Medicine in Cystic Fibrosis”
15: 00 15: 20 Dr. Theodore Laetsch
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, USA		 Molecular targeted therapies for children with difficult to be treated cancers
15:20 15:40 Dr. Amal Hassan Sidra Medicine, Qatar Precision Medicine in Disorders of Immune Dysregulation
15: 40 16: 00 Dr. Struan F.A. Grant
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, USA		 Precision medicine role in metabolic disorders, diabetes, and obesity
16: 00 16: 15 Break
Session 2: Precision Medicine in Pediatric Disorders: Opportunities for Improved Patient Care
Objectives:
  • To provide a balanced perspective on the utility of genomic medicine in the field of complex pediatrics disorders
  • To better predicting the disease risk, understanding how diseases occurs, and finding improved diagnosis and treatment strategies
  • To learn how to expand and advance patient outcomes by conducting the execution of precision medicine in clinical practice
16:15 16:35 Session keynote Speaker:
Dr. Stephen Scherer
The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Canada		 Precision Medicine Landscape in Canada
16:35 16:55 Dr. Ma’n Zawati
McGill University, Canada		 TBC
16:55 17:15 Dr. Mustafa Khokha
Yale School of Medicine, USA		 Precision Medicine Role in Critical Illness in Infants and Children
17:15 17:35 Dr. Christian P. Schaaf
University of Heidelberg		 Genetic causes of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders
17:35 17:50 Break
Session 3: Integration of personalized medicine into complex diseases prevention
Objectives:
  • To identify approaches to integrating genetics and genomics into disease prevention
  • To learn about revised approaches to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatrics complex disorders
  • To enhance the understanding about the impact of genetic and the environment in order to accelerate the progression from research innovation to development and delivery of targeted patient's care
17:50 18:10 Session keynote Speaker:
Dr. C Thomas Caskey
Baylor College of Medicine, USA		 “Precision medicine for disease prevention"
18:10 18:30 Dr. Carmella Evans Molina
Indiana University		 Precision approaches to disease modifying therapy in type 1 diabetes
18:30 18:50 Dr. Richard Oram
Exeter University, UK		 The role of genetic screening in type 1 diabetes prediction
18:50 19:20 Closing Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Robert Green
Harvard Medical School, USA		 “Newborn Sequencing with its Implications for lifelong Precision Care”
19:20 19:25 Closing Remarks by Dr. Ammira Akil

 

Day 1: Saturday 4th December 2021 - TRACK 2
“LARGE SCALE GENOMES AND DATA: FROM DISCOVERY TO HEALTH”
14:00 14:10 Welcome Note
Dr. Younes Mokrab
Sidra Medicine, Qatar
Session 1: Data Resources Enabling Genomic Medicine
Objectives:
  • Illustrates the use of large-scale resources in driving precision medicine research
  • Learn about the latest success stories from landmark projects
  • Appreciate the importance of population diversity genomics to reach outcomes in the local and global context
14:10 14:40 Keynote Speaker: Dr. John Mattick
University of New South Wales Sydney, Australia		 Transforming healthcare with genomic information
14:40 15:00 Dr. Dave Brown
Qatar Precision Medicine Institute, Qatar		 Federation of case reference data is vital for precision medicine
15:00 15:20 Dr. Ingrid Sheffer
University of Melbourne, Australia		 “Precision Medicine n Epilepsy”
15:20 15:40 Dr. Joel Dudley
Mount Sinai, USA		 “Large Scale Genomics Studies in Understudied Populations”
15:40 16:00 Dr. Michelle Trenkmann
Springer Nature, UK		 The role of journals in supporting translational research in understudied populations
16:00 16:15 Break
Session 2: Impact of Large Sequencing Consortia
Objectives:
  • Understand how large-scale genome sequencing efforts are changing medicine
  • Learn about efforts being conducted in the Arab and Middle Eastern region
  • Appreciate the impact of specific examples from advanced international efforts
16:15 16:35 Dr. Said Ismail
Qatar Genome Program, Qatar		 Qatar Genome; Spearheading Qatar’s Precision Medicine Agenda
16:35 16:55 Dr. Fowzan AlKuraya
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, KSA		 Large scale Mendelian genomics programs as enablers of precision medicine
16:55 17:15 Dr. Christopher Mason
Weill Cornell Medicine NY, USA		 Global and space station mapping of emerging viruses
17:15 17:35 Dr. Michele Ceccarelli
University of Naples Federico II, Italy		 Large scale computational systems biology in cancer genomics
17:35 17:50 Break
Session 3: Actionable Genome and Phenome
Objectives:
  • Understand the value for combining genomic and phenotypic data
  • Appreciate the efforts driven by industry in specific disease areas
  • Learn about the latest outcomes in the field and future directions and challenges
17:50 18:10 Dr. Laura Addis
GSK, UK		 Recall-by-genotype studies in genetics-driven drug discovery
18:10 18:30 Dr. Rafael Rosengarten
Genialis, USA		 A Million to One: Bridging the Biomarker Chasm from Discovery to the Clinic
18:30 18:50 Dr. Habiba Alsafar
Khalifa University, UAE		 Making medicine personal in the Middle East
18:50 19:20 Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Nancy Cox
Vanderbilt University, USA		 Integration of Genetics, EHR and BioBanks to Drive Precision Medicine
19:20 19:25 Closing Remarks by Dr. Younes Mokrab

**TRACKS 3 & 4 WILL RUN IN CONCURRENT SESSIONS

Day 2: Sunday 5th December 2021 - TRACK 3
“PRECISION CARE IN MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH”
14:00 14:10 Welcome Note
Dr. Souhaila Al Khodor
Sidra Medicine, Qatar
Session 1: Precision Medicine for Successful Pregnancy Outcomes
Objectives:
  • Define the role of male obesity and aging effects on sperm epigenome.
  • Describe the role of pre-implantation genetics in improving fertility outcomes
  • Demonstrate the need for pre-natal genetic counselling and precision medicine in utero
14:10 14:30 Dr. Nady Elhajj
Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar		 “Male Obesity and Aging Effects on the Sperm Epigenome and Possible Consequences for the Next Generation”
14:30 14:50 Dr. Johnny Awwad
Sidra Medicine, Qatar		 “Pre-implantation genetic testing for the selection of the best embryo: A critical appraisal and future directives.
14:50 15:10 Dr. Tawfeg Bin Omran
Sidra Medicine, Qatar		 “Prenatal Genetic Counselling”
15:10 15:40 Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Anna David
University College London, UK		 “Precision Medicine in Utero”
15:40 16:00 Break
Session 2: Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Pregnancy Complications -Focus on Preterm Birth
Objectives:
  • Explain the changes of the immune system during pregnancy
  • Describe the different ways to predict preterm birth
  • Demonstrate how extracellular vesicles can reduce the risk of preterm birth
16:00 16:20 Dr. Nima Aghaeepour
Stanford University, USA		 Machine Learning for Multiomics Analysis of the Immune System during Pregnancy
16:20 16:40 Dr. Rachel Tribe
King’s College London, UK		 Preterm Birth Risk Prediction and the need for Clinically Useful Biomarkers to Predict PTB
16:40 17:00 Dr. Ramkumar Menon
University of Texas Medical Branch, USA		 “Delivery of Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Using Extracellular Vesicles to Reduce the Risk of Preterm Birth”
17:00 17:20 Break
Session 3: Covid- 19 in Pregnancy and lessons learned from Big Data
Objectives:
  • Describe the clinical aspects of Covid-19 in pregnancy
  • Explain whether vertical transmission for Covid-19 takes place in pregnancy
  • Outline the recent statistics about Covid-19 in pregnant women living in Qatar
  • Learn about the use of big data to predict health and disease
17:20 17:40 Dr. Valeria Savasi
University of Milan, Italy		 SARS- COV 2 infection and pregnancy from the first trimester to the delivery
17:40 18:00 Dr. Albert Adu Opoka
Hamad Medical Corporation-Al Wakra Hospital, Qatar		 COVID-19 in pregnancy- experience from Al Wakra Hospital, Qatar
18:00 18:20 Dr. Claudio Fenizia
University of Milan, Italy		 Covid-19 and Pregnancy: is there a vertical transmission?
18:20 18:50 Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Michael Snyder
Stanford University, USA		 Big data and Health
18:50 19:00 Q&A
19:20 19:25 Closing Remarks by Dr. Souhaila Al Khodor

 

Day 2: Sunday 5th December 2021 - Track 4
 “ADVANCES IN INNOVATIVE THERAPIES FOR PRECISION MEDICINE”
14:00 14:10 Welcome Note
Dr. Cristina Maccalli
Sidra Medicine, Qatar
Session 1: The New Dimension of Clinical Care: Prospects and Challenges in Gene Therapy and Immune Related Disorder
Objectives:
  • Describe different strategies of gene therapies currently used for clinical interventions.
  • Explain the potential impact of genomic data on healthcare.
  • Identify examples of precision medicine approaches for disorders caused by chronic inflammation.
14:10 14:40 Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Alessandro Aiuti
San Raffaele Hospital Milan, Italy		 Hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy for inborn errors: turning blood (stem) cells into a medicine
14:40 15:00 Dr. Holm Uhlig
University of Oxford, UK		 One gene has many phenotypes - understanding the complexity of IL6 cytokine family signaling through monogenic disorders
15:00 15:20 Dr. Mamoun Elawad
Sidra Medicine, Qatar		 Precision medicine in VEO-IBD
15:20 15:40 Dr. Ronald Crystal
WCU-NY, USA		 Gene Therapy for Neurodegeneration
15:40 16:00 Break
Session 2: The Promise of Precision Medicine: From Bench to the Bedside
Objectives:
  • Present the latest advances of targeted therapy for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
  • Illustrate novel applications of genomic knowledge to inherited metabolic diseases.
  • Explain the process of the translation of research investigations from the bench to the bedside
16:00 16:20 Dr. Massimo Gadina
NIH-Bethesda MD, USA		 JAKPOT! JAK Inhibitors as a Therapeutic Strategy for Inflammatory and Rheumatic Diseases
16:20 16:40 Dr. Paolo Martini
Moderna Therapeutics, USA		 mRNA Therapy for Inborn Error of Metabolism Disorders
16:40 17:00 Dr. Eliana Ruggiero
San Raffaele Hospital Milan, Italy		 Gene Editing for Improving Safety and Efficacy of Cancer Adoptive Immunotherapy
17:00 17:20 Break
Session 3: Advances in Cancer Cell Therapy and Gene Editing: Paving the New Era in Patient Centric Care
Objectives:
  • Classify the types of cell therapy for cancer treatments and the mechanisms of resistance
  • Describe how the immune system can improve cancer patients' survival
  • Estimate the potential of gene editing for patient care
17:20 17:50 Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Steven Rosenberg
National Cancer Institute, USA		 Cell Therapy for Metastatic Cancer
17:50 18:10 Dr. Adrian Bot
Kite Pharma, A Gilead Company, USA		 Approaches to Define and Overcome CAR T Cell Treatment Resistance
18:10 18:30 Dr. Stanley Qi
Stanford University, USA		 Programmable Genome Engineering for High-Precision Gene Therapy
18:30 18:50 Dr. Francesco Marincola
Kite Pharma, A Gilead Company, USA		 Next generation CAR therapies for Cancer Therapy: making it better rather than easier
18:50 19:00 Q&A
19:20 19:25 Closing Remarks by Dr. Cristina Maccalli

 

Day 3: Monday 6th December 2021 - Satellite Symposium
“UNLOCKING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF PRECISION MEDICINE: OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES AND THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF ADVANCED THERAPIES”
13:30 13:40 Welcome Note
Dr. Cristina Maccalli
Sidra Medicine, Qatar
Session 1: The state of the art in Qatar of the translational application of Precision Medicine
Objectives:
  • Describe examples of therapeutic approaches of Precision Medicine ongoing in Qatar.
  • Learn about interest, state of the art and the major challenges for the development of the clinical application of Precision Medicine.
  • Appreciate how the local health care can benefit from innovative translational applications of Precision Medicine.
13:40 14:00 Prof. Khaled Machaca
WCM-Q, Qatar		 What are the opportunities for personalized medicine application in Qatar?
14:00 14:20 Dr. Khalid Ibrahim
Sidra Medicine, Qatar		 Spinal Muscular Atrophy; The Search for a Cure
14:20 14:40 Dr. Kakil Ibrahim Rasul
NCCCR/HMC, Qatar		 Personalizing mCRC Therapy with Novel Biomarker-Driven Treatments
14:40 15:00 Dr. Nahla Afifi
Qatar Biobank Director, Qatar		 The impact of Qatar Biobank on Precision Medicine Initiative “Opportunities and Challenges”
15:00 15:20 Break
15:20 15:40 Dr. Hadi Mohamad Abu Rasheed
Qatar Cancer Society, Qatar		 How could the Cancer Civil Society Organizations play a catalyst role in Precision Medicine?
15:40 15:50 Introduction to the panel discussion
Panel Discussion:
Advanced Therapies in Qatar: more to come
15:50 17:00

HE. Dr. Mohammed Bin Hamad Al-Thani
Ministry of Public Health, Qatar

Dr. Nahla Afifi
Qatar Biobank Director, Qatar

Dr. Ayman Saleh
Sidra Medicine, Qatar

Dr. Salha Bujassoum
NCCCR/HMC, Qatar

Dr. Dave Brown
Qatar Precision Medicine Institute, Qatar

Dr. Khalid Fakhro
Sidra Medicine, Qatar

Dr. Rayaz A. Malik
Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar
17:00 17:05 Closing Remarks by Dr. Cristina Maccalli

PMFG21 Partners

qatarbiobank weill qatar cancer society Qu
qatar genome HBKU HMC

“This activity is an Accredited Group Learning Activity Category 1 as defined by the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Healthcare Professions - Accreditation Section (DHP-AS) and is approved for a maximum of 12 hours.”

“This activity was planned and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 12 hours Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change”
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