Media Advisory

Monday, February 23, 2009

Genome-wide Association Studies for Cancer: NCI Science Writers Seminar

What

Please join us for a special science writers seminar to discuss genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in cancer research. This promising technology enables researchers to identify novel regions of the genome associated with susceptibility to cancer by using common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Leading experts in the field will discuss how to identify important studies, the mechanisms involved in GWAS research, and the promise of GWAS for future cancer research. The seminar will allow ample time for Q&A and interaction with National Cancer Institute (NCI) scientists. A tour of NCI’s Core Genotyping Facility will wrap up the morning discussion. Who: Experts from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, including: 

  • Stephen Chanock, M.D., chief, Laboratory of Translational Genomics
  • Neil Caporaso, M.D., chief, Pharmacogenetics Section, Genetic Epidemiology
  • Patricia Hartge, Sc.D., deputy director, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
  • Sholom Wacholder, Ph.D., senior investigator, Biostatistics Branch
  • Laufey Amundadottir, Ph.D., investigator, Lab of Translational Genomics

When

Thursday, March 19, 2009: 9:00 a.m. – Noon (EDT) 
Registration will be at 8:45 a.m. Talks by experts will begin at 9:00 a.m. Coffee and light refreshments will be available at the start of the seminar

Where

NCI’s Core Genotyping Facility
8717 Grovemont Circle, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Using public transportation, the facility is accessible via Ride-On buses 61 and 43 from the Shady Grove station at the end of Metro's red line. Please consult www.WMATA.com for further details. Limited parking is available on site. For directions and more information on the facility, please go to http://cgf.nci.nih.gov/resources/location.html How: Please register for the seminar by contacting the NCI Office of Media Relations at (301) 496-6641 or ncipressofficers@mail.nih.gov. Space is limited

NCI leads the National Cancer Program and the NIH effort to dramatically reduce the burden of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI Web site at http://www.cancer.gov or call NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

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