Genomics & Precision Medicine is an emerging model of healthcare where the genetic makeup of a person or organism, and its interaction with the environment, is incorporated towards enabling better prevention, precise diagnosis and tailored treatment and management of a disease/condition. By establishing the sequence of an individual’s genetic material, it is possible to identify sequences or mutations which are specific to that person. Not only can these sequences identify the cause or stage of a disease, or the risk of future disease, they can also help us to predict the likely benefits or side effects of a particular treatment.

There is great scope for application of the Precision Medicine model in the Arab world, since many diseases have higher prevalence rates here (diabetes, heart disease, breast & colon cancer, birth defects, etc.). The UK is at the forefront for research in this field as many of the major scientific discoveries relating to genomics have been made in the UK, from the identification of the structure of DNA by Watson and Crick to the sequencing of the human genome at the Sanger Centre in Cambridge.

This Symposium will be held at King Saud University in Riyadh on 15th and 16th February 2017.
It will be attended by scientists from all Gulf countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Oman, as well as researchers from the UK.

This Science Collaboration Symposium will invite open discussions and potential investment to encourage the creation of UK-Gulf research linkages to access the deep pool of information & technology sharing, which will catalyse new clinical and commercial benefits to populations in the GCC and the UK, adding to the fundamental knowledge needed to build an effective healthcare system where early screening, early diagnosis and effective management can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality rates.

This Symposium, organised in collaboration by the British Council, the UK Science & Innovation Network (SIN) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, also encourages scientific researchers to present their stimulating work and ideas for knowledge transfer related to Genomics & Precision Medicine.