Personalized medicine and how it affects us all, is the theme for this year’s series
We all know that each one of us is different. But how does our individual uniqueness affect our health, and our health care?
UBC Okanagan is bringing back its popular Mini-Med Series and this year’s topic is Personalized Medicine. The four sessions, beginning Tuesday, October 27, will host researchers from both UBC campuses and will see discussion on what personalized medicine is and why it matters?
Personalized Medicine refers to customized health care based on a person’s unique genetic and molecular makeup. In this four-part lecture series, participants will learn the fundamental principles of personalized medicine, how it impacts disease detection and the drugs to treat it, and how it affects your health and health care delivery.
“UBC Okanagan is proud to offer the third annual Mini-Med series as it offers accessible opportunities for our community to learn from our acclaimed UBC researchers,” says Director of Development at UBC’s Okanagan campus Adrienne Nolan. “Mini-Med offers a unique opportunity to learn in a 21st century classroom about current medical issues and how the latest research can teach us more about our own health.”
Tuesday, October 27: Frontiers in Personalized Medicine — Dr. Marco Marra
In this lecture, participants will learn how personalized medicine approaches are influencing cancer care and research in B.C. and beyond. Dr. Marra is director and Distinguished Scientist, at Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, B.C. Cancer Agency. Named by the Globe and Mail as the second most scientific mind in Canada, Dr. Marra, is Head of the department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine at UBC and a Canada Research Chair in Genome Science.
Tuesday, November 3: Pause on Personalized Medicine — Dr. Michael Burgess
Dr. Burgess will discuss how personalized medicine might change society and health-care, including discrimination, fair access, and undue emphasis on genetics. Dr. Burgess is professor and chair in Biomedical Ethics at the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics in UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, the department of Medical Genetics, and the Southern Medical Program at UBC.
Tuesday, November 10: The Microbiome — PhD Student in biology Candice Quin
Topics include definition of a microbiome, how we get it, and what role it plays in our health. Participants will learn how unique microbiomes can be manipulated, and what is involved in personalizing treatments for managing the imbalance between beneficial and harmful microbes.
Candice Quin is a PhD student and works in Dr. Deanna Gibson’s Centre for Microbiome and Inflammatory Research at UBC’s Okanagan campus. Quin’s research, funded by the Intestinal Disease Education and Awareness Society, examines how fish oil supplementation to maternal diets rich in unsaturated fats increases offspring susceptibility to infectious colitis.
Tuesday, November 17: Pharmacogenomics and Primary Care — Dr. Martin Dawes
Participants will learn about “TreatGx”, a clinical decision support tool that aims to reduce harmful drug reactions in people by incorporating their genetic data.
Dr. Dawes ran the UK Centre for Evidence Based Medicine at the University of Oxford and was professor and head of family practice at McGill University before coming to UBC in 2010. His research includes ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, implementation of pharmacogenomics in primary care, and lifestyle interventions to prevent diabetes.
The series of four Mini-Med lectures takes place at UBC’s Clinical Academic Campus at Kelowna General Hospital, each session begins at 7 p.m. Tuition: adults: $30; second Adult $20; seniors (65+) $20; students: $15. Single-class registration: $10. For more information, contact Shirley Hutchinson, Mini-Med coordinator, phone 250-808-9140.
UBC’s Mini-Med is presented by Development and Alumni Engagement with support from the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UBC’s Okanagan campus.
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