Version updated on Apr 18, 2007
LATIN AMERICAN SCHOOL OF HUMAN AND MEDICAL GENETICS
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
José Maria CANTÚ
Eduardo CASTILLA
Roberto GIUGLIANI (Chairman)
Sérgio Danilo PENA
Victor PENCHASZADEH
Francisco SALZANO
Guadalajara, Mexico
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Porto Alegre, Brazil
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
New York, USA
Porto Alegre, Brazil
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
(Headquarters: Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Rua
Ramiro Barcelos 2350, 90630-080, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil)
Roberto Giugliani (Chairman)
Ursula Matte (Vice-chairman)
Liliane Koester (Secretary)
Fernanda Pereira (Organizing Assistant)
Guilherme Baldo (Organizing Assistant)
Verônica Muñoz (International Liason)
Daniela Luquetti (Local Manager)
BACKGROUND
The genetics revolution is changing the world, and the gap between developed and
developing countries in this field seems to be growing. The decodification of the
human genome is opening broad avenues for research and development, and
genomics will certainly change the medical science very deep and very soon. Short
courses of medical and human genetics to young students and professionals are
already a tradition in North America (the Bar Harbor course) and Europe (The
European School of Medical Genetics in Sestri Levante and Bertinoro). Young
researchers and professionals of Latin America should also be prepared to deal with
the growing challenge of the genomic medicine. The First Course of the Latin
American School of Human and Medical Genetics took place in Caxias do Sul, Brazil
in 2005. There were 70 students from 13 Latin American countries and 24 faculty
members from 8 different countries. A second edition of LASG took place in the same
venue in 2006, with 75 students from 12 Latin American countries and 25 faculty
members from Brazil, Latin America, North America and Europe.
Headquarters: Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clinicas,
Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, 90630-080, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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AIMS
To promote a “state of the art” course of Medical Genetics, exposing during almost
one week a selected number of top-grade students with first rank researchers in the
field. In addition to attend to strong teaching program, the students will have the
unique opportunity of discussing projects, techniques, clinical cases and scientific
issues with the faculty members. The participation of students and faculty members
from several Latin American countries will stimulate further cooperation between
groups inside the continent. It is expected that new links would be created and new
opportunities would be opened.
TARGET AUDIENCE
PhD students and post-docs of the biomedical area, and young MDs interested in the
field of medical genetics. The students will be selected on the basis of a broad
participation of Latin American countries and on a top-grade performance according
to academic records and CVs.
FACULTY
Top rank scientists from Latin America and from developed countries will be invited
to address lectures and courses. The possibility of staying at the course site all the
period will be an important point, as the informal contact between students and
faculty is one of the major goals of this initiative.
FINANCIAL ASPECTS
The organizers will apply to governmental organizations, research funding agencies
and companies in order to obtain financial support for the expenses with the faculty
(transport, accommodation and meals) and to grant a limited number of fellowships
to students on competitive basis. The organizers will also encourage national
agencies of Latin American countries to grant fellowships to cover expenses of the
students.
Headquarters: Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clinicas,
Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, 90630-080, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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THIRD COURSE, June 23 to 28, 2007
Portogalo Hotel, Angra dos Reis, RJ, Brazil
VENUE AND DATE
This third course is scheduled to take place on an isolated hotel located on a small
beach resort 100 West of Rio de Janeiro, which has direct flight connections with
most Brazilian cities, Latin American capitals and many cities around the world. The
course will begin on evening of June 23 (Saturday), after the III International
Conference on Birth Defects and Disabilities in the Developing World (Rio de Janeiro,
June 17-21, 2007), and will close on June 28 (Thursday) by noon.
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
SATURDAY – JUNE 23
14:00 – 19:00 – Check-in and Registration
18:00 – 19:30 – Welcome Cocktail
19:00 – 19:30 – Official opening
19:30 – 20:15 – Opening Lecture: Family History, Pedigrees and Breeding
Structure (E. Castilla, R. Janeiro)
20:15 – 21:00 – Speaker’s introduction
21:00 – 23:00 – Welcome dinner
SUNDAY - JUNE 24
08:30 – 12:30
Symposium I: From Genetics to Genomics
1.
2.
3.
4.
The history of DNA and genetic code (J. C. Prolla, P. Alegre)
Non-coding RNAs and the complexity of human genome (E. Reis, S. Paulo)
Bioinformatics and identification of therapeutic targets (S. Souza, São Paulo)
Human genome project: the day after (J.M. Cantu, Guadalajara)
MONDAY – JUNE 25
08:30 – 12:30
Symposium II: Human Genetic Variability
1.
2.
3.
4.
Evolution and structure of Latin American populations (F. Salzano, P. Alegre)
Genomic variability and genetic diseases (TBD)
The Genographic Project (F. Santos, B. Horizonte)
Proteomics (L. J. Greene, R. Preto)
Headquarters: Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clinicas,
Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, 90630-080, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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TUESDAY – JUNE 26
08:30 – 12:30
Symposium III: Medicine in the Age of Genomics
1.
2.
3.
4.
Farmacogenomics (A. Llerena, Badajoz)
Cancer Genetics (J.S. Saldivar, Pasadena)
Developmental genes and dismorphology (I. Orioli, Rio de Janeiro)
Neurodegeneration (L. Jardim, Porto Alegre)
WEDNESDAY – JUNE 27
08:30 – 12:30
Symposium IV: Therapy for Genetic Disorders
1.
2.
3.
4.
Overview on the treatment of metabolic diseases (P. Huertas, Boston)
Clinical Research and Enzyme Replacement Therapy (A. Smith, Cambridge)
Substrate inhibition therapy (TDB)
Therapy with pharmacological chaperones (G. Licholai, Princeton)
THURSDAY – JUNE 28
08:30 – 12:00
Symposium V: New developments and Public Health Implications of Medical Genetics
1.
2.
3.
4.
Organ transplantation and cell therapy (TBD)
Gene therapy and novel therapeutic strategies (R. Linden, R. Janeiro)
Pre-symptomatic diagnosis and predictive medicine (J. Sequeiros, Porto)
Human rights for health and dignity: the role of genetics (V. Penchaszadeh, B. Aires)
WORKSHOPS
Sunday, Monday and Wednesday – 14:30 to 16:00 (choose one)
1. Modern tools in genomics, genetics and cytogenetics
Sunday – Analysis of microarray data: exploring the human transcriptome
(E. Reis, S. Paulo)
Monday – Bioinformatic tools in genomic research (S. Souza, S. Paulo)
Wednesday – Development of therapeutic molecules (P. Huertas, Boston)
2. Birth Defects Epidemiology
Sunday – Introduction to epidemiologic design (H. Krupitzki, Bs. Aires)
Monday – Case control studies and candidate genes (J.L. Camelo, Bs. Aires)
Wednesday – Space-time clusters: a case study (E. Castilla, R. Janeiro)
Headquarters: Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clinicas,
Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, 90630-080, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Sunday, Monday and Wednesday – 16:30 to 18:00 (choose one)
3. Therapeutic Strategies – Present and Future
Monday – Bone Marrow transplantation (Carmem Bonfim)
Sunday – Enzyme Replacement Therapy (J. F. Cabello, Santiago)
Wednesday – Interfering RNA (TBO)
4. Genetic counseling in the age of genomic medicine
Sunday – Genetic counseling in clinical practice
(F. Vargas, R. Janeiro)
Monday – Pre-symptomatic diagnosis and predictive medicine
(P. Ashton-Prolla, P. Alegre)
Wednesday – Pre-symptomatic diagnosis and predictive medicine in neurogenetics
(J. Sequeiros, Porto)
Sunday, Monday and Wednesday – 18:00 to 19:00
5. Preparing projects, grant applications and reports
Sunday – How to prepare a research project (A. Giraldo, Colombia)
Monday – How to prepare a scientific paper (L. J. Greene, R. Preto)
Wednesday – How to prepare a grant application (TBD)
Headquarters: Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clinicas,
Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, 90630-080, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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MEALS AT HOTEL
Welcome cocktail Sat
Breakfast
Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu
Lunch
Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu
Dinner
Sat, Sun, Mon,Tue, Wed
Coffee-breaks
Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu
Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu
18:00 to 19:00
06:30 to 08:30
12:30 to 14:30
20:30 to 22:30
10:30 to 11:00
16:30 to 17:00
SOCIAL PROGRAM (outside hotel)
Boat tour
Tue
15:00 to 21:00
Evenings (dinner time): cultural and scientific activities to promote social integration
between participants.
TRANSFERS
Transfer to and from city & airport of Rio de Janeiro (around 3 hours) will be provided on
June 23 and June 28, in scheduled times. Please check your flight time to ensure that
enough time is left to arrive at airport, since the first transfer will depart two hours after
closing of the course.
LANGUAGE
Speakers may talk in English, Spanish or Portuguese (no translation will be provided).
Slides and handout material will be provided in advance and will be exclusively in
English.
Headquarters: Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clinicas,
Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, 90630-080, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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LIST OF CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:
International speakers:
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Francisco CABELLO (Valparaiso, CHILE)
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Jorge LOPEZ-CAMELO (La Plata, ARGENTINA)
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José Maria CANTÚ (Guadalajara, MÉXICO)
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Alejandro GIRALDO (Bogota, Colombia)
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Pedro HUERTAS (Boston, USA)
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Hugo KRUPITZKI (Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA)
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Adrian LLERENA (Badajoz, SPAIN)
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Victor PENCHASZADEH (New York, USA)
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Juan Sebastian SALDIVAR (Pasedena, CA, USA)
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Jorge SEQUEIROS (Porto, PORTUGAL)
Brazilian speakers:
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Patricia ASHTON-PROLLA (Porto Alegre, BRAZIL)
Carmem BOMFIM (Curitiba, BRAZIL)
Eduardo CASTILLA (Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL)
Roberto GIUGLIANI (Porto Alegre, BRAZIL)
Lewis Joel GREENE (Ribeirão Preto, BRAZIL)
Laura JARDIM (Porto Alegre, BRAZIL)
Rafael LINDEN (Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL)
Ieda ORIOLI (Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL)
João Carlos PROLLA (Porto Alegre, BRAZIL)
Eduardo REIS (São Paulo, BRAZIL)
Fabrício SANTOS (Belo Horizonte, BRAZIL)
Francisco Mauro SALZANO (Porto Alegre, BRAZIL)
Sandro SOUZA (São Paulo, BRAZIL)
Fernando VARGAS (Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL)
Headquarters: Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clinicas,
Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, 90630-080, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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