Genomics of Brain Disorders

We are pleased to announce the second conference on the Genomics of Brain
Disorders. This meeting will bring together scientists and clinicians
working on neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases to compare
approaches used and the emerging lessons from both categories of disease.
The overall aim is to encourage practitioners of neuroscience, systems
biology, bioinformatics, epidemiology and genomics to discuss and debate
the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as we attempt to tease
apart the genetic contribution to and understand the biology of brain
disorders.

Psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and depression, and
neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s
disease, are placing an increasing burden on the developed world.
Technical advances over the past few years, including genome-wide
association studies and next generation sequencing studies, have led to
the discovery of many predisposing loci for both psychiatric and
neurodegenerative disorders.

This meeting will synthesise the advances and remaining challenges in the
genomics of various brain disorders. We will discuss recent insights into
genomic architecture and the emerging biology of disease. We will
consider how best to gain biological understanding from both common and
rare allele findings and explore the translational and clinical
applications, focusing on early detection of risk, biomarker discovery
and using genomics to drive precision medicine.

The conference will start at approximately 12.30 on Monday, 23 April and
close at approximately 14.00 on Wednesday, 25 April 2018.

Topics will include:

• Genetic architecture
• Predicting risk
• Connecting genetics to biology
• Systems biology
• Population studies
• New technologies
• Modelling disease
• Neuroimmunology
• Precision medicine

A draft programme is available.

Scientific programme committee
Alison Goate  Icahn School of Medicine,
USA
John Hardy University College London, UK
Mike Owen Cardiff University, UK

Keynote speaker
Ruth McKernan Innovate UK

Confirmed speakers
Kristen Brennand Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, USA
Nancy Cox Vanderbilt University, USA
Bart De Strooper VIB, Belgium
Sarah Gagliano University of Michigan, USA
Michael Heneka German Center for Neurodegenerative
Diseases (DZNE), Germany
Soyon Hong Harvard University, USA
Michael Johnson Imperial College London, UK
Lesley Jones Cardiff University, UK
Rick Livesey University of Cambridge, UK
Danielle Posthuma VU University, The Netherlands
Stuart Ritchie University of Edinburgh, UK
Kaitlin Samocha Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK
Kári Stefánsson deCODE Genetics, Iceland
Naomi Wray University of Queensland, Australia

Conference organiser
Sue Taylor Wellcome Genome Campus, UK

Registration Fees:

The registration fee includes entrance to the lectures and poster
sessions, an abstract book, meals (lunch and dinner) and refreshments
during the conference. Breakfast will be provided for delegates who have
booked accommodation.

Registration deadlines
Early Bird registration: 30 January 2018
Standard registration:  27 March 2018

Accommodation
Accommodation is provided for the nights of 23 and 24 April 2018. Please
note: there is limited onsite accommodation and this will be allocated on
a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, early registration is
recommended.

If you wish to book onsite accommodation either side of the conference
dates, please contact the Conference Centre directly.

Travel visas
Contact the conference organiser if you require a letter to support a
travel visa application. Please note: letters will only be provided to
confirmed registrants.

Non-European Economic Area or Swiss nationals may be required to have a
visa to enter the UK.
Early application is strongly advised, as this process can take 6-8 weeks
or longer.

Please visit the following websites for further information:
UK Border Agency website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/

Information for general visitors and business visitors: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting/business/business-activities/

A limited number of registration bursaries are available for PhD students
to attend this conference (up to 50% of the registration fee) from
Wellcome Genome Campus Scientific Conferences.

The following documents will need to be provided:

• Abstract
• CV
• Covering letter
• Letter from supervisor

To apply, please contact the conference organiser.

Bursary deadline: 13 February 2018

Additional funding opportunities
Visit
our Funding webpage for additional funding opportunities currently
available.

We welcome abstracts from all areas relevant to the main themes of the
meeting, for both oral and poster presentations. Several oral
presentations will be chosen from the abstracts submitted.

Abstracts will only be considered from registered delegates. Please use our online abstract submission system and follow the instructions given to ensure your abstract is submitted correctly. All abstracts must be submitted by the deadline. If you are intending to submit more than one abstract, please contact the conference organiser prior to registration.

The scientific programme committee will assess your abstract after the
deadline has passed and you will be notified whether you have been
selected for an oral or poster presentation.

Poster boards onsite will accommodate 118 cm high by 84 cm wide (A0-
portrait) of printed material. Accepted abstracts will appear in the
conference programme book and poster boards will be allocated at the
conference.

Abstract deadline: 27 February 2018

Abstract guidelines can be viewed here.