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The 9th Pan Arab Human Genetics Conference Concludes its Activities
The 9th Pan Arab Human Genetics Conference concluded its events ‎yesterday. The conference, organized by the Centre for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS) under ‎the aegis of the Sheikh Hamdan Award, was supported by the Ministry of Health, DHA, ‎Emirates Medical Association.‎
 
The focus of the 9th edition of this conference ‎was on the challenges and opportunities for ‎genomics in the Arab World. ‎The main topics discussed in the conference included big data ‎genomics in ‎Arabs, new insights into rare disease, genomics and society, and the genomics ‎of ‎infection and immunity. All participants also obtained 12 CME  hours accredited by the UAE ‎University.‎
 
The activities of the second day of the conference included 9 lectures given by a group of ‎distinguished lecturers. Evan Eichler Professor and Genetics Researcher at the University of ‎Washington gave a lecture entitled “Rare Variants and the Genetics of Autism and ‎Developmental Delay”.  Module 3 of the 9th PAHGC showcased great talks on the theme of ‎‎"Genomics and Society". Alice Aleem presented on efforts for a neuromuscular disease variant ‎database and its value in data sharing and diagnostics. Mayya Sakr presented on the challenges ‎and expanding landscape of genetic counseling in the Arab World and the Arab Association of ‎Genetic Counselors. Shakir Bahzad covered the clinical and genetic diagnostic journey, ‎management strategies, and counseling services for breast cancer, while Sami Bizzari presented ‎the updated public CTGA database which holds growing bibliographic variant, disease, and gene ‎data from the Arab World. The session and panel discussion was moderated by Mona Saleh and ‎Laila Bastaki. ‎
Module 4 of the 9th PAHGC showcased excellent talks on the Genomics of Infection and ‎Immunology. Rifat Hamoudi presented on deciphering the molecular mechanism of covid19 ‎infection through in silico and in vivo studies. Cybel Mehawej presented on the molecular basis ‎of immune dysregulation disorders and targeted therapeutic approaches. Lastly, Abdulla ‎Alangari presented an overview on the diverse spectrum and molecular mechanisms of inborn ‎errors of immunity with several case studies. The session and panel discussion was moderated by ‎Gulfaraz Khan and Moiz Bakhiet.‎
 
Several competitions and games were held during the conference. Nasna Nassir from the ‎Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Reema Saleous and ‎Huda Samha, both from the United Arab Emirates University were awarded the best poster ‎award. In addition to this, the most popular poster award was won by a poster presented by ‎Mohd Faizan Siddiqui from the International Medical Faculty Osh State University and Mouna ‎Azaroual from the Tambov State Medical University Tambov City Russia.‎
 
During his closing speech Dr.  Mahmoud Taleb Al-Ali, CAGS Director and President of the ‎Scientific Committee of the conference said, “On behalf of the organizing committe, I would like ‎to sincerely thank all our speakers and poster presenters, and to our scientific committee who ‎selected them. A big thank you to our sponsors, and to everyone at the Sheikh Hamdan Award ‎for Medical Sciences who helped make this possible. Finally, thank you to everyone who ‎attended and engaged and a big congratulations to the winners of the poster awards and the ‎competitions”.‎
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