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Being human:
ASHG 2012 annual meeting preview
October 2012
EDIT CONNECT
SHARING OPTIONS:
SAN FRANCISCO—The human
genome stars
aligned well for this issue of ddn, allowing us not only to
cover major news with initial results from the Encyclopedia of DNA
Elements (ENCODE) project—showing that much of our human junk DNA
isn't junk after all (see October 2012 cover story, "Treasure in the
junk")—but also to have that happen in the same issue we preview
what is reportedly the
largest human genetics meeting and exposition
in the world.
Hosted in the "City by the Bay"
this year, the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) will hold
its 62nd annual meeting Nov. 6-10 at San Francisco's Moscone
Center, with more than 6,000 scientists, medical geneticists and
genetic counselors expected to attend and more than 200 companies set
to grace the exhibit hall. The meeting headquarters is the San
Francisco Marriott Marquis Hotel.
The ASHG meeting's scientific
sessions, platform presentations and posters will cover a number of
areas, prime among them being gene
discovery in human genetics, new
insights and challenges in next-generation sequencing, revelations
about human genes from studies of model organisms,
progress in gene
therapy, advances in non-invasive prenatal diagnosis, implications of
population genetic studies, modeling in statistical genetics,
data
centralization and its implications for genetics, cancer genetics,
clinical and social implications of genomics and improvements in
genetics
education.
The meeting also will feature
presentations of ASHG's annual awards (see "Briefs" stories after this
article) and the Gruber Genetics Prize.
"Whole-genome and whole-exome
sequencing occupy a dominant place in this
year's program," Dr.
Michael J. Dougherty, ASHG's director of education, tells ddn.
"These technologies, made possible by rapid increases
in sequencing
capacity and bioinformatics and dramatic decreases in cost, are
enabling breakthroughs in the discovery of disease genes and the
identification of biological pathways that may be good targets for
therapeutics. Also, this year the ASHG meeting will highlight the
extent and
importance of rare variation and unprecedented levels of
international collaboration via large consortia."
Also, in
the realm of public outreach,
the ASHG 2012 meeting will host for the first time its Science Café,
with the topic being the genetics of autism, he
says.
Dr. Mary-Claire King, ASHG president
and professor of genome sciences and medicine at University of
Washington-Seattle, will kick-off the conference on Tuesday, Nov. 6,
with the topic, "The Scientist as a Citizen of the World," with
the meeting
capped off by its closing symposium on Saturday, which
will be "Present and Future Directions for Human Genetics."
The rapidly changing landscape of human
genetic research has brought with it significant changes for ASHG's
annual meeting, Dougherty notes,
saying, "With the rise of
technologies that allow genomic-scale investigations and the
generation of large datasets, bioinformatics tools have become
an
essential part of genetic analysis. In recent years, ASHG has
dramatically increased the number of training workshops involving
bioinformatics
tools, such as the UCSC Browser, Galaxy and Ensembl.
These workshops are one example of how ASHG supports the professional
development of its trainees,
who are particularly eager consumers of
these tools, and how it supports the advancement of the research
enterprise itself."
Beyond the knowledge-gaining aspect of
the show, Dougherty adds that since just 2009, the annual meeting has
grown from 4,800
scientific registrants to 6,300 and from a 189-booth
show to a 300-booth show. Compared to previous years, registration
and vendor booth sales are up,
Dougherty shares, noting that ASHG
expects to sell out booth space—300 booths in total and 210
companies among them—and was already at 5,250
scientific
registrants by late September, with an expectation to match or exceed
the group's 2011 record of 6,345 registrants.
New for the 2012 conference will be a
mobile app related to the show.
"In the past, we've had a
mobile
website, but this is the first year we're taking advantage of the
widespread use of smart phones to deploy a downloadable mobile app,"
Dougherty explains. "We believe this will greatly enhance our
attendees' ability to navigate the meeting and obtain even more
value from their
attendance."
That addition, and the rapid growth of
the meeting in recent years, probably won't be the only changes
to
come soon.
"ASHG continues to be the world's
largest meeting in human genetics and the place where the most
significant discoveries are announced. It's also the best
opportunity for researchers from around the world to network with
their colleagues and
to strike up fruitful collaborations,"
Dougherty notes. "ASHG's Program Committee and meeting planners
are always alert to new developments that
will enhance the experience
of our attendees. And because our IT and meeting-planning expertise
is in-house, we can react very quickly to new trends in
the industry.
That's one reason that we know 2013 will be even better than 2012."
ASHG NEWS BRIEFS:
Cast your vote before you go
BETHESDA, Md.—The American Society of
Human Genetics (ASHG) reminds you that
Tuesday, Nov. 6 is general election day
across the United States—as well as the first day of ASHG's
annual meeting in San Francisco. As the organization notes, "We
realize that many of
you may be unable to vote at your regular
polling stations. We encourage your participation in the elections.
Please consider voting early, which is
allowed in most states, or
voting by absentee ballot, which is allowed in all states."
ASHG also notes that
attendees for its
annual meeting can visit the www.canivote.org website for further
specific
instructions by state.
Honoring human genetics leaders
BETHESDA, Md.—Although the ASHG
hasn't revealed yet who will receive its Gruber Genetics Prize at
the annual meeting in San
Francisco, several other annual award
winners were named during the summer and also will be honored during
the conference.
Among them is Dr. Uta Francke, whom
ASHG named as the 2012 recipient of the annual William Allan Award,
which recognizes a scientist
for substantial and far-reaching
scientific contributions to human genetics. Francke, a professor
emeritus in genetics and professor of pediatrics at
Stanford
University, was ASHG's president in 1999. She will deliver her
William Allan Award presentation on Nov. 9 during ASHG's 2012
annual
meeting.
In addition, the organization conferred
its 2012 Curt Stern Award on Dr. Jay Shendure, an associate
professor
of genome sciences at the University of Washington, for work that has
been of "great impact to human genetics research and the discovery
of genes contributing to the development of high-throughput
sequencing and its application to exomes and functional studies of
non-coding DNA
disease," according to ASHG. The Stern award is
presented annually to recognize outstanding scientific achievements
occurring in the last
decade.
The 2012 Victor A. McKusick Leadership
Award will go to Dr. Francis Collins, director of the U.S. National
Institutes of Health, making him the sixth recipient of the award,
which recognizes individuals whose professional achievements have
fostered and
enriched the development of human genetics.
Recipients of the McKusick award
"exemplify the enduring leadership and
vision required to ensure
that the field of human genetics will flourish and successfully
assimilate into the broader context of science, medicine and
health,
while also making major contributions to awareness or understanding
of human genetics by policy makers or by the general public,"
according
to Dr. Joann Boughman, executive vice president of ASHG.
Finally, Dr. Alan Emery will receive
this year's Excellence
in Education Award "for contributions of
exceptional quality and great importance to human genetics
internationally," and more specifically, notes
Boughman, for being
"one of the most prolific authors of important genetics texts in
the world. One of his textbooks has been republished in 12
editions
and translated into seven languages. For many in the field of human
genetics, he is simply known as 'the expert.' He is also a most
gracious gentleman." About the ASHG
The American Society of Human Genetics
was founded in 1948 and considers itself the primary professional
membership organization for human
genetics specialists worldwide. The
society's nearly 8,000 members include researchers, academicians,
clinicians, laboratory practice professionals,
genetic counselors,
nurses and others who have a special interest in the field of human
genetics.
ASHG serves
research scientists, health
professionals and the public by providing forums to:
• Share research results at
annual
meetings and in The American Journal of Human Genetics
• Advance genetic research by
advocating for research
support
• Enhance genetics education by
preparing future professionals and informing the public
• Promote genetic
services and
support responsible social and scientific policies
Members of ASHG work in a wide range of
settings,
including universities, hospitals, institutes and medical
and research laboratories.
MORE ABOUT
THE ANNUAL MEETING: Workshops and trainee events
Many of the
following events at the
ASHG annual meeting in San Francisco require advance registration.
Seating tends to be limited, so please register early;
however, also
be aware that some events may already be fully booked.
• Undergraduate Faculty Genetics
Education
Workshop
• High School Workshop (for San
Francisco students and teachers)
• Trainee-Mentor Luncheon
• Discovering Biological Data at NCBI
• Clinical Interpretation of
Cytogenomic Arrays: Tools and Resources
•
UCSC Browser Interactive Workshop
for Intermediate/Advanced Users
• Social Media + Scientists = Success
• Diagnostic
Challenges: Review and
Discussion of Unique Cases (Rare and Unknown)
• Galaxy 101: Data Integration,
Analysis and Sharing
•
Trainee Development Program and
Networking Session
• Mock Study Workshop
• Galaxy Workshop: Working with
High-
Throughput Data and Data Visualization
• Ensembl Browser Interactive
Workshop for Intermediate/Advanced Users
Electronically speaking …
ASHG is encouraging the use of social
media
before, during and after the 2012 annual meeting as a means to
share information and network with others who are attending the
meeting. Free wireless
Internet access will be available in public
areas of the convention center and access also will be available in
limited common areas; however, that
free access reportedly will not
be available inside the exhibit hall or meeting rooms.
The society encourages
conference
attendees to follow ASHG on Twitter (@GeneticsSociety) and to use the
#ASHG2012 meeting hash tag to follow the latest updates and join in
the conversation about the ASHG 2012 Annual Meeting, as well as to
follow ASHG on
Facebook at facebook.com/GeneticsSociety.
Attendees are welcomed to blog or tweet
about what they hear and learn at ASHG's annual meeting, but are
asked to refrain from sharing
information online when speaker
explicitly requests they do so. The presentations "are 'Tweetable'
and shareable by default," ASHG notes, "but
speakers can ask that
specific details or slides are not shared."
In addition, attendees are not allowed
to
capture, transmit or redistribute data presented at the ASHG'S
annual meeting, which may preclude subsequent publication of the data
in a scientific
journal. ASHG also asks attendees to be respectful of
journal embargo policies and not to jeopardize the work of their
colleagues or engage in
rudeness, slander or personal attacks.
In other electronic prohibitions,
attendees are "strictly prohibited from using cameras and all
other
recording devices in all meeting session rooms, on the exhibit hall
floor and in all poster/oral presentations," ASHG notes. "This
means
that attendees are not permitted to take pictures of speaker
slides or posters."
ASHG notes that in addition to its
Twitter and Facebook presence, interested parties can join ASHG's
LinkedIn group to gain access to the job announcements posting board
for
current position openings in genetics-related careers, develop
new connections in the field and network with colleagues, and keep up
with the latest
industry and research news; subscribe to ASHG's
YouTube channel to
view webcast recordings of selected ASHG annual
meeting sessions and educational videos; and subscribe to ASHG's
Vimeo channel to view full-length webcast recordings of selected
annual meeting sessions and more.
Social and special events
ASHG
opening mixer and trainee mixer
within a mixer
San Francisco Marriott Marquis Hotel
Yerba Buena Ballroom 7/8/9, Lower
Level
Tuesday, Nov. 6
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
This event is open to all scientific
registrants and paid guests. The mixer offers a relaxed atmosphere in
which attendees can become acquainted and reacquainted with
colleagues. Light
snacks, refreshments and a cash bar will be
offered. Trainees should look for their designated area. Trainees
will receive one complimentary beverage
ticket.
An Interactive Play: Drama,
Discourse and Genomics: From IRBs to IFs
Moscone
Center, Room 300, Esplanade
Level
Friday, Nov. 9
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Separate advance registration
required
This interactive session weaves
audience participation with the premiere of an original new
vignette-play
that illuminates ethical, psychological, social, legal
and policy concerns surrounding the sharing of information generated
by next-generation
sequencing. Between each act of the fictionalized
play, audience and actors are engaged in discussion as the vignettes
evolve, from an institutional
review board (IRB) meeting through the
informed consent process to the disclosure of incidental findings.
The
presenters, Lynn Bush and Karen
Rothenberg, aim to delve into controversial ethical issues that
include how much should be reported, what specifically
and to whom,
as well as exploring under what circumstances such reporting should
occur and how sharing medical information differs in varying
cultures.
As ASHG notes, "This dramatization is
intended to foster a deeper appreciation for conflicts when
potentially disclosing massive amounts of genomic information. The
dynamics of this play revolve around a family (including a child
symptomatic with
an autosomal recessive disorder and an 'unaffected'
sibling), their geneticist, genetic counselor and a discussion among
IRB members, as they all
experience the challenges of a genomic
research study. Interspersed throughout the play, we explore together
the complex implications of genomic
information, particularly
dilemmas raised by the return of results. Contextual subtleties will
be brought to life by the volunteer actors who are ASHG
attendees."
Seating is limited, so attendees need
to register in advance if they haven't already done so and if
there
is still room. The $10 fee for the performance will offset the cost
of evening refreshments, and a cash bar will be available at the
event.
Two unavoidables: Weather and taxes
San Francisco is beautiful and vibrant,
but it's also a coastal city that you will be visiting in late
fall. Be aware that November
weather in the city brings with it an
average high of 64ºF and an average low of 51ºF, with about three
inches of rain during the month. As the ASHG
notes, "The golden
rule when packing for a trip to San Francisco is to bring layers. Fog
can roll in at any time, and areas near the water can feel
cool."
Another note about your clothing—or
rather, one of your accessories to it: To make sure you can best
manage what's in your wallet or purse, you should remember that in
San Francisco, there is a 9.5-percent sales tax. Also, the city has
taxes that
are applied to your hotel rate per night as follows: a
15-percent occupancy tax, a 1.5-percent tourism fee and a 25-cent
commerce fee.
Family matters
There will not be any
formal child care
services at the 2012 ASHG meeting, so attendees who are bringing
younger family members along may need to make arrangements directly
with the hotel where they have reserved their rooms.
Also, while ASHG doesn't endorse any
childcare or
babysitting services specifically, it notes that there
are at least three programs available in the area: Bay Area Child
Care Agency at www.abcbayareachildcare.com, Bay Area 2nd Mom Inc. at
www.2ndmom.com and American Child Care Inc. at
www.americanchildcare.com.
A "family room" will be located in
the convention center so that parents and
children will have a place
to relax during the meeting, and the room will be equipped with
"comfortable furniture and separate private areas for
nursing
mothers," ASHG notes. However, they cannot use the room for
babysitting services. ddn
Career concerns
Career resources and employment
opportunities at the 2012 meeting
will be offered in partnership with
the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
(FASEB), and a career center will be open in the
exhibit hall during
exhibit hours at booth 1700. Coaches will be available to give
attendees career guidance, provide interview tips and critique
resumes or CVs.
In addition to the onsite services from
Nov. 7 through Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the
ASHG/FASEB
Career Center will operate between Oct. 28 and Nov. 10, available at
http://careers.faseb.org.
SAN FRANCISCO SCENES:
![]() San Francisco's cable cars reportedly
comprise the nation's only moving national historical landmark,
running on nine
miles of track along three of their original routes
at speeds of around 9.5 miles per hour. An average of 13 million
people travel on the cable car
each year, and this unique and
nostalgic mode of transportation is popular not just with tourists
but also locals who need to get around San Francisco
but don't
necessarily want to do it on foot, especially when steep inclines
must be traversed—a frequent situation in the this hilly city.
CREDIT: San Francisco Travel
Association photo by Phillip H. Coblentz ![]() The tightly packed
Victorian-style
homes of San Francisco, often painted in bright or non-traditional
house hues, are a signature image for many when they think of the
city, and some 14,000 Victorian-era homes remain in San Francisco
despite 514 blocks of the city going up in flames following the 1906
earthquake.
Alamo Square is a good place to see the Victorian homes
of Postcard Row, a portion of which is pictures here, with the
skyline of San Francisco in the
background. Victorian houses in San
Francisco are often called Painted Ladies.
CREDIT: San Francisco Travel
Association photo by Christine
Krieg ![]() The 1.7-mile-long Golden Gate
Bridge is
the only highway connecting San Francisco directly with Marin County.
It took more than four years—about 25,000,000 man hours in total—to
build the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s; it officially opened to
vehicles on May 28, 1937. The bridge's two tapered towers, which were
sculpted in
the Art Deco style of the 1930s, were once the tallest
bridge towers ever built, soaring 65 stories above San Francisco Bay;
also, when the Golden Gate
Bridge was built it was the longest
suspension bridge in the world, and the 746-foot suspension towers
were higher than any construction west of New
York. More than 40
million vehicles cross the Golden Gate Bridge annually.
CREDIT: San Francisco Travel
Association photo by Phillip H.
Coblentz ![]() Alcatraz Island was home to the
infamous maximum-security prison that once held, among others, Al
Capone and Robert Stroud, who was known as the Birdman of Alcatraz.
Visitors can
ferry over to the island to partake of cellhouse tours
and get spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline. Alcatraz
Island, like Angel Island in
the San Francisco Bay, also once served
as a military post.
CREDIT: San Francisco Travel
Association photo by P. Fuszard ![]() Lavender agapanthuses complement the
facility in San Francisco's massive Golden Gate Park that some call
the
park's "glorious Victorian vase" but is officially named
the Conservatory of Flowers. Said to be the oldest public growing
house in California, the
conservatory was shipped from London to San
Francisco in 1875 and is the oldest structure in Golden Gate Park.
CREDIT: San Francisco Travel
Association photo by Carol Simowitz ![]() If you like seafood—both the
taste
and the pervasive smell of it—San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf is
a great place for a snack or a meal, offering a variety of fresh
seafood
that is typically ready for a to-go order. The Dungeness crab
at Fisherman's Wharf is one of the main attractions; a San Francisco
favorite, this
creature reportedly accounts for about 99 percent of
the crab catch in the Pacific Ocean. Various tourist spots, shops and
eateries are also found near
the wharf.
CREDIT: San Francisco Travel
Association photo by Jerry Lee Hayes Code: E101218 Back |
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