Post-GWAS Horizons in Molecular Epidemiology:
Digging Deeper into the Environment
November 11-14, 2012
Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa
Hollywood, FL
Abstract submission deadline: Friday, August 31
Advance registration deadline: Monday, October 1
(Information on registration will be available in June)
Presented in conjunction with the Molecular Epidemiology Working Group of the AACR (MEG/AACR)
CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRPERSONS:
Shelley S. Tworoger, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Cornelia M. Ulrich, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
PROGRAM COMMITTEE:
James R. Cerhan, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN
Jo L. Freudenheim, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY
Kathy J. Helzlsouer, Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, MD
Joellen M. Schildkraut, Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Durham, NC
Giske Ursin, Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway
Wei Zheng, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have brought forth a vast amount of information on genetic risk factors for cancer. As we transition to a “post-GWAS era” the importance of state-of-the-art measurement of non-genetic (i.e., environmental) risk factors of disease and gene-environment interactions is expected to increase. The conference will showcase and discuss new areas of research in molecular epidemiology, focusing on the integration of novel measures of internal and external environmental factors in consortia and genetic studies. Research findings will be presented to illustrate the vast potential within the context of epidemiologic studies in a post-GWAS context to further the prevention of cancer and elucidate mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Large-scale publicly-available research resources will be highlighted and their “rules to play” discussed. Late-breaking findings from genomics, epigenomics, and proteomics in epidemiologic studies will be presented with a view to discern the most promising strategies with the greatest public health impact. The proposed conference will bring together researchers from different disciplines, who have excelled in their research areas and are creative in developing new methods. Building on our previous, successful MEG conferences, we expect that the conference will provide for highly stimulating discussions that will help propel the field of molecular epidemiology forward.