"Individualized Medicine is no longer the stuff of science fiction."

—Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., Pharmacogenomic Program director and conference co-director

This quote from pioneering , Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., set the tone for Individualizing Medicine 2013: From Promise to Practice. With more than 750 physicians, researchers, scientists, medical staff, genetic counselors and others gathering in Rochester to exchange ideas, it's evident the time is right to lead the charge for individualized medicine.

John Noseworthy, M.D., president and CEO, Mayo Clinic, opened this year's conference offering a view of how medical genomics is being put into practice at Mayo Clinic.

"Medical genomics is the future of medicine, but it is also reality. We use it every day to treat our patients. We know a lot still needs to be done, and this recurring conference is part of that ongoing effort and our commitment."

—John Noseworthy, M.D., president and CEO, Mayo Clinic

Eric Green, M.D., head of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health, shared his vision for what we’ll see in genomics research and application before the year 2020.

• Cancer genomics
• Pharmacogenomics
• Ultra-rare genetic disease diagnosis
• Prenatal & Newborn sequencing & analysis
• Clinical genomics information systems
• Genomic medicine

This year also featured a conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #CIMCon2013 for those attending and around the world to talk about individualized medicine. With more than 200 people joining the conversation, we saw people from around the world engaging with the conference in a way that wasn't done before. One of our personal highlights this year was the Twitter Chat with Dr. Richard Besser on his weekly #abcDrBchat.

We look forward to next year's conference and the advancements that will be made between now and then!

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