4th - 6th November, 2022

3rd International Middle East Genetics and Metabolic Academy (MEGMA) Symposium,
Abu Dhabi, UAE


Register now Our speakers

Meet the speakers

Prof. Eva Morava

Prof. Tamas Kozicz

Prof. Paolo G.V. Martini

Prof. Robert Hegle

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Conference Agenda

Biochemical and Clinical Genetics

Welcome

Registration

07:30 am  —   08:00 am (UAE Standard Time)
Welcome

Welcome and introduction

08:00 am  —   08:05 am (UAE Standard Time)
Presentation

Making Precision Medicine Accessible to Everyone

08:05 am  —   08:35 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Louis Renyuan Luo
Presentation

New frontiers in LC-FAOD / Disease paradigm and management

08:35 am  —   09:00 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Hana AlHarbi
Panel Discussion

History of Genetics services in the region

09:00 am  —   09:30 am (UAE Standard Time)
Panel
Prof. Nadia Sakati
Prof. Aida Ibrahim Al Aqeel
Dr. Nouriyah Al-Sannaa
Dr. Wafaa Eyaid
Presentation

Update on Achondroplasia

09:30 am  —   10:00 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Prof. Moeen AlSayed
Presentation

Update on ASMD disease recognition and treatment

10:00 am  —   10:30 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Khalid Al-Thihli
Discussion

Discussion

10:30 am  —   10:35 am (UAE Standard Time)
Break

Coffee Break

10:35 am  —   10:50 am (UAE Standard Time)
Presentation

Neurogenetic disorder mimicked by Cerebral Palsy

10:50 am  —   11:15 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr Brahim Tabarki
Presentation

Update on inborn errors of pyruvate metabolism

11:15 am  —   11:40 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Fuad Almutairi
Presentation

Recurrent ear infections and gradual hearing loss at frequently missed clues

11:40 am  —   12:10 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Amal Al Teneijy
Discussion

Discussion

12:10 pm  —   12:25 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Lunch

Lunch Break

12:25 pm  —   02:00 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Presentation

Novel inborn errors affecting carbohydrate metabolism

02:00 pm  —   02:30 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Prof. Eva Morava
Presentation

The application of human induced pluripotent stem cells in inborn errors of metabolism

02:30 pm  —   03:00 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Prof. Tamas Kozicz
Presentation

Emerging insights of newly approved therapies for Inborn error of metabolism disorders

03:00 pm  —   03:30 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Prof. Paolo G.V. Martini
Break

Coffee Break

03:30 pm  —   03:45 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Presentation

Needs based clinical genetics testing

03:45 pm  —   04:10 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Muneera Alshammari
Presentation

Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEM) in the Era of Next generation sequencing (NGS): Opportunities and Challenges

04:10 pm  —   04:35 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Prof. Majid Alfadhel
Presentation

Update on inborn errors of metabolism causing cardiomyopathy

04:35 pm  —   05:00 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Prof. Sarar Mohamed
Discussion

Discussion

05:00 pm  —   05:10 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Dinner

Gala Dinner

06:00 pm  —   08:00 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Closure

Closure of the 1st Day

08:00 pm  —   08:05 pm (UAE Standard Time)

Biochemical and Clinical Genetics

Presentation

Update on therapies in congenital disorders of glycosylation

09:00 am  —   09:30 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Prof. Eva Morava
Presentation

The power of multi-omics in studying mood disorders

09:30 am  —   10:00 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Prof. Tamas Kozicz
Presentation

mRNA as a platform therapeutic for Rare Genetic Disorders

10:00 am  —   10:30 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Prof. Paolo G.V. Martini
Discussion

Discussion

10:30 am  —   10:35 am (UAE Standard Time)
Break

Coffee Break

10:35 am  —   10:45 am (UAE Standard Time)
Presentation

Spectrum of renal agenesis and dysgenesis genetic defects

10:45 am  —   11:15 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Eissa Faqieh
Presentation

Multiomics diagnostics - the future beyond next generation sequencing

11:15 am  —   11:45 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Jorge, Basto Pinto
Presentation

Genomic applications to population based screening

11:45 am  —   12:10 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Prof. Fatma Al Jasmi
Presentation

When pediatric cataract is the first sign of undiagnosed systemic disease

12:10 pm  —   12:40 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Prof. Arif Khan
Discussion

Discussion

12:40 pm  —   12:45 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Break & Exhibition

Lunch Break and Poster Exhibition

12:45 pm  —   02:00 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Panel Discussion

Where to go? WES vs WGS vs Gene Panels

02:00 pm  —   02:50 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Panel
Prof. Fowzan Sami Alkuraya
Dr. Ahmed Alfares
Presentation

Aminoacylase 1 deficiency: when ascertainment bias confounds the diagnosis

02:50 pm  —   03:20 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Malak Alghamdi
Break

Coffee Break

03:20 pm  —   03:40 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Presentation

Brain Developmental Disorders

03:40 pm  —   04:10 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Myriam Srour
Presentation

Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia Bad Diet, Bad Luck Or Bad Genes?

04:10 pm  —   04:40 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Prof. Robert Hegle
Discussion

Discussion

04:40 pm  —   04:50 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Closure

Closure of the second day

04:50 pm  —   05:00 pm (UAE Standard Time)

Laboratory Genetics

Presentation

The variant artificial intelligence easy scoring (VARIES) system

08:30 am  —   08:55 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Ahmed Alfares
Presentation

Leveraging AI in rare disease diagnostics: opportunities and challenges and a case study

08:55 am  —   09:20 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Imane Boudellioua
Presentation

Update on Newborn Screening Program

09:20 am  —   09:45 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Ali Alodaib
Discussion

Discussion

09:45 am  —   09:50 am (UAE Standard Time)
Break

Coffee Break

09:50 am  —   10:20 am (UAE Standard Time)
Presentation

Update on rare syndromes associated with short stature

10:20 am  —   10:45 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Rawda Sunbul
Presentation

Genetics in COVID 19 era: challenges and lessons

10:45 am  —   11:10 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Prof. Amal Alhashem
Presentation

Human Genome Editing in clinical practice (CRISPR-Cas9 and other editing tools)

11:10 am  —   11:35 am (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Bahauddeen Alrfaei
Presentation

WIPI proteins: Biological functions and related syndromes

11:35 am  —   12:00 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Mohammed Almannai
Discussion

Discussion

12:00 pm  —   12:05 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Lunch

Lunch Break

12:05 pm  —   01:00 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Presentation

When is "Non-Syndromic" Really Metabolic: Metabolic Causes of Intellectual Disability, Autism and Epilepsy?

01:00 pm  —   01:25 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Speaker: Dr. Mohammed Almuqbil
Discussion

Discussion

01:25 pm  —   01:30 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Multiple Presentations

Oral presentation of selected oral abstracts (Selected Authors Only)

01:30 pm  —   03:00 pm (UAE Standard Time)
TBD
Ceremony

Honoring of the best abstract

03:00 pm  —   03:10 pm (UAE Standard Time)
Prof. Eva Morava
Prof. Tamas Kozicz
Closure

Closure of the symposium

03:10 pm  —   03:30 pm (UAE Standard Time)