The Arrival of Personal Genetics

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BioInformatics, LLC has been working with our good friend John Boyce in helping promote the First Annual Consumer Genetics Show in Boston this coming June.  I first met John when he was working with Helicos and retained us to do a number of custom market research studies to help refine their market strategy.

John’s new company DNA Like Me is on the cutting edge of personal genetics.  As the life sciences industry begins to deliver initial service offerings and business models based on personal genomics, John and his colleagues chose Boston as the city to host the First Annual Consumer Genetics Show at the Hynes Convention Center from June 9-11, 2009.

The conference is the first major international meeting targeted directly to the growing personal genomics field, direct-to-consumer genetic testing, and to researchers within the life science market.  A physician’s workshop will be co-located with the event.

A number of distinguished, influential thought leaders in the fields of genetics, genomics tools, law, medicine, diagnostics, and the investment community will weigh in.  Confirmed Speakers include:

•    Francis Collins, former Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute and a key thought leader of the Human Genome Project
•    George Church, PhD, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and founder of the Personal Genome Project (as seen on PBS)
•    Dietrich Stephan, PhD, co-founder of Navigenics
•    Linda Avey, Co-Founder 23 & Me
•    Kari Stefansson, CEO deCODE
•    Scott Weiss, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Interim Director, Partners Center for Personalized Genetic Medicine
•    John Burns, General Partner, Highland Consumer Fund
•    Robert Green, Fellow in Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Professor of Neurology, Boston University
•    Mostafa Ronaghi, Illumina, CTO, Sr VP
•    Complete Genomics
•    Affymetrix – Workshop and Talk
•    Patrice Milos, CSO, Helicos Biosciences
•    Scott Weiss, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Interim Director, Partners Center for Personalized Genetic Medicine
•    Michael Christman, Ph.D., Coriell Institute for Medical Research, President and CEO
•    Barret Bready, CEO, NabSys, nanopore sequencing technology
•    Ryan Phelan, founder and CEO of DNA Direct
•    David Ewing Duncan, Bestselling author and award-winning journalist
•    Michael Phillips, PhD, Canada Research Chair in Translational Pharmacogenomics
•    Jorge Conde, CEO of Knome
•    Stanley Lapidus, Chairman of Helicos Biosciences, Founder of Cytyc, Inc. and Exact Labs
•    Hathaway Russell, JD, Intellectual Property Attorney, Foley Hoag
•    Kristen Stoops, PhD, Senior Director of Business Development at Rosetta/Merck
•    Carl Weissman, PhD, Partner at OVP Ventures

With the advent of personal genomics, there’s never been more interest among the general public for direct-to-consumer genetic testing. Be it for full genotyping, disease susceptibility, ancestry, paternity, or other purposes, the general public has more access than ever to DNA-based diagnostics.

At the Consumer Genetics Show, sessions will cover topics from best practices in genetic testing, legal and regulatory challenges, key scientific and technological advances, ethical hurdles, ways for DTC companies to interact with the current healthcare system, and more.

Exhibitor and attendee registration forms, as well as more information on the Consumer Genetics Show, can be found on its website, www.consumergeneticsshow.com .  The conference is hosted by DNA Like Me, Inc and Genomic Healthcare Strategies, Inc. and BioInformatics, LLC is proud to be a supporting sponsor of this important event.

I’m looking forward to it!