The rare disease next door: A personalized approach

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Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
Grounded Kitchen and Coffeehouse
100 Gloucester St., Ottawa
RSVP: Go to the registration page

Being diagnosed with a rare disease, such as an uncommon genetic disorder or an unusual infectious or autoimmune disease, can be a lonely and frightening experience. Because of their rarity, these illnesses are often poorly understood, and don't generally inspire big fundraising campaigns in the same way that more common diseases do. As a result, the people affected by rare diseases often feel abandoned.

But that could change. When you consider the cumulative impact of the thousands of rare diseases, they add up to one big health care challenge, as they could affect up to 10% of the Canadian population. Advances in technology, such as next-generation DNA sequencing, are offering hope to patients. As we translate these findings into a personalized approach to medicine, there may be a lot more we can do to help people who suffer from uncommon illnesses.

Join us for a discussion on this important issue.

This free event is presented by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and its Institute of Genetics.

Space is limited.

Experts:

Kym Boycott, MD, PhD
Professor, University of Ottawa
Clinical Geneticist Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Matthew Herder, BSc, LLB, LLM, JSM
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine
Member, Health Law Institute
Dalhousie University

Durhane Wong-Rieger, PhD
President
Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders

Moderator:

Alex MacKenzie, MD, PhD
Senior Scientist
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario