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Last updated:

November 29, 2007

African Society of Human Genetics

AfSHG 2007 Conference Announcement

NOTE: The conference was held as scheduled. You can read about the many exciting sessions in the detailed conference program. The book of abstracts is here, especially for those who could not attend.

For members, please check out the notes of the annual general meeting held during the conference. The photo albums can be viewed here.

Thank you !

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The 5th Annual Meeting of The African Society of Human Genetics (AfSHG) will be held November 3 - 5, 2007 in conjunction with The First Annual Meeting of The Division of Human Genetics and Genome Research and The National Society of Human Genetics of Egypt. The conference theme is: Genomics Research in Africa: Implications for Disease Diagnosis, Treatment and Drug Development. The Conference venue is the National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt.

As one of the aims of the African Society of Human Genetics is to collaborate with and support the activities of existing societies in Africa, this conference will provide a forum for the interaction of two major African scientific and medical organizations. This would be the society's first meeting in North Africa and would provide an opportunity to interact with scentists, physicians, students and other people working in genetics in the region.

The conference theme is: Genomics Research in Africa: Implications for Disease Diagnosis, Treatment and Drug Development. Keynote speakers at the conference will include: Francis Collins (Director, NHGRI/NIH), Luca Cavalli-Sforza (Stanford University), Lucio Luzzatto (Istituto Toscano Tumori), Kari Steffanson (CEO, deCODE Genetics), Walter Bodmer (University of Oxford), David Goldstein (Duke University) and Griffin Rodgers (Director, NIDDK/NIH).

There will be key sessions on:

• Understanding Genetic Diseases in Africa: Implications for Research and Public Health Strategies
• Understanding the Human Journey Within and Outside Africa
• Human Variation and Disease 
• The Genetic Basis of Common Human Diseases 
• Genetic Technologies, Pharmacogenomics and Bioinformatics
  

We also look forward to panel discussions on “Clinical integration of genomic research in Africa” and “Ethical, legal, social and policy implications of genomic medicine in developing countries”. As we did in last year’s meeting, we will have an early-bird teaching session.

You can read about the many exciting sessions in the detailed conference program.

For the first time, the society will be offering a prize for young investigators at the Cairo conference. The AfSHG prize will be awarded at each annual AfSHG meeting for the first, second and third best oral or poster presentation given by a young scientist attending and presenting their own work. To be eligible for the AfSHG Prize competition, participants should have received, within the last three years, a university degree (at the undergraduate or postgraduate level) in Biological, Medical, Pharmaceutical or Social/Behavioral Sciences and work in the field of genetics relating to African populations. More information about the prize is available here.

Conference registration and abstract submission will be done online. While it is possible to register on-site, we encourage everyone to register before the conference to facilitate planning for seating arrangements, registration materials and organization of tours. 

More information about registration is available here. To register, please review the information on the registration page and then, register using the online registration form. 

Please note that abstract submission is now closed. Authors have already been notified about acceptance of their abstracts.

Instructions for poster presentations
- The dimensions of the poster should not exceed 100cm width x 110cm length.
- The presenting researcher should be underlined in the list of authors and contact email address should be given on the poster.
- The presenters are kindly asked to put posters early on the first day of the meeting.
- Presenters may want to consider to bring A4 copies of their poster as handout for other meeting participants.

Funding for this conference was made possible (in part) by 2 R13 HG003267-04 from the National Human Genome Research Institute. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention by trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

About the venue:

The National Research Center (NRC), Cairo, Egypt is a multidisciplinary institute that has a wide spectrum of research fields and interests. The NRC has a major medical research section which includes among others, the Division of Human Genetics and Genome research (DHGGR). In association with the National Society of Human Genetics (NSHG), chaired by Prof. Samia A. Temtamy, the DHGGR will undertake the major part of local organization. The NRC is centrally located in Cairo, close to many accommodation facilities/options (i.e. hotels of various ratings) and easily accessible by public transportation systems.

You may find out more about the conference venue here.