Gene editing, artificial intelligence, pharmacogenomics and a new era of genomic testing to identify and hopefully treat inherited cancer are just a few of the emerging areas of precision medicine that have the potential to transform patient care.

These are among the hot topics in precision medicine experts from Mayo Clinic and around the world will discuss at this year’s Individualizing Medicine Conference: Advancing Care through Genomics, hosted by Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine on Sept. 12-13 in Rochester, Minnesota. Registration opens April 2 for the seventh annual conference.

Timothy Curry, M.D., Ph.D.

“The Individualizing Medicine Conference offers providers, researchers, and individuals in laboratory medicine a unique opportunity to hear about the latest advances in genomics and see how these efforts are being translated to improve patient care now,” says Timothy Curry, M.D., Ph.D., director, Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine Education Program. “The conference offers attendees the chance to interact with leaders in the field and learn firsthand how to apply genomics into daily medical practice.”

Precision medicine – where we are and where we are headed

This year marks an exciting milestone in genomics – the 15th anniversary of the Human Genome Project. At this year’s conference, speakers across the spectrum of precision medicine will discuss current precision medicine research and practice underway and highlight new developments on the horizon.

Here’s a look at two speakers who will share their insights on precision medicine:

Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D.

Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D., will look at the rapid advances in genomic medicine and how genomic testing has helped uncover not only the genetic causes of many rare diseases, but also those linked to many common diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Green is the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he provides overall leadership of the institute's research portfolio and efforts to accelerate genomics into medical care.

As genomic sequencing technology has advanced, genetic testing can now examine a larger number of genes even faster and more cost effectively. That means more potential to apply genomic testing to more areas of patient care, such as cancer, cardiology, neurology and gastroenterology.

Heidi Rehm, Ph.D.

Heidi Rehm, Ph.D., has championed the identification of genetic variants linked to a patient’s disease or risk for disease. She’ll discuss her ongoing efforts to discover and share disease-related variants and review hot topics in genomic sequencing.

Dr. Rehm is chief laboratory director, Partners Laboratory for Molecular Medicine and medical director, Broad Institute Clinical Research Sequencing Platform, and associate professor, Pathology at Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Take a deeper dive into precision medicine topics

As a conference attendee, you’ll also have the chance to hear experts provide in-depth updates and practical applications in breakout sessions covering a wide range of topics, including:

• Super babies and more: genome editing and its impact on health care.
• Fast forward with artificial intelligence: also known as augmented human intelligence, artificial intelligence is helping analyze data, find patterns and reach conclusions that would be difficult for the human mind alone, allowing providers to diagnose disease and identify treatments faster.
• Personalized nutrition: the impact of diet and the microbiome on disease risk.
• Individualized medicine for men and women: gender matters when diagnosing and treating disease.
• Rare and undiagnosed diseases: the latest developments in using genomics and other omics to find answers.
• Personalized medicine: the current and future state of personalized medicine – hype or hope?
• Pharmacogenomics: strategies to move pharmacogenomics into clinical practice.
• New cancer technologies: how mate pair, RNA sequencing and liquid biopssy are changing practice.
• Microbes and cancer: does bacteria in our bodies cause cancer or provide insights into our cancer risk?

Join us at the conference

• For a complete schedule and list of speakers, visit the conference website.
• Follow the latest news related to the conference on the Center for Individualized Medicine blog, Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter at @MayoClinicCIM and use the hashtag #CIMCon18.

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