Frontiers in Precision Medicine 2015 – Exploring Science and Policy Boundaries

In his 2015 State of the Union Address, President Obama announced plans for the largest genomic study in history: the Precision Medicine Initiative. With a cohort of one million Americans, the PMI promises to increase our understanding of the genetic basis of disease and forge the way for new diagnostic and therapeutic innovations. The technology to undertake this monumental project exists today, but many scientific, legal, economic and ethical questions about the PMI and the practice of precision medicine itself remain unanswered. Join us for this unique two-day symposium at the University of Utah during which leading national experts in genetics, medicine, bioinformatics, intellectual property, regulatory science, health economics and bioethics tackle the major questions raised by precision medicine.

View the event program »

Agenda – Thursday, December 3, 2015,
EIHG Auditorium, University of Utah

9:00-9:10 Welcome Address

Vivian S. Lee, Ph.D., M.D., M.B.A., Senior Vice President, University Health Sciences; CEO, University of Utah Health Care;Dean, School of Medicine

9:10-10:00 Keynote Speaker

Genomics at the Bedside
Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Professor of Pharmacology, Mayo Clinic

10:00-10:30 The NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program:
Diagnosis and Discovery

William A. Gahl, M.D., Ph.D.; Clinical Director, National Human Genome Research Institute; Chief, Section of Human Biochemical Genetics, Medical; Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute

10:30 – 10:45 Break (with refreshments)

10:45-11:35 Identifying Genes for Type 2 Diabetes

Michael Boehnke, Ph.D., Richard G. Cornell Distinguished University Professor of Biostatistics; Director, Center for Statistical Genetics; Director, Genome Science Training Program, University of Michigan

11:45-12:45 Lunch

12:45-1:05 The Utah Genome Project

Lynn Jorde, Ph.D., H.A. and Edna Benning Presidential Professor and Chair, Department of Human Genetics; Executive Director, Utah Genome Project, University of Utah School of Medicine

1:05-1:25 Personalizing Pediatric Cancer Care: Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Cure

Joshua Schiffman, M.D., Professor, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology; Medical Director, High Risk Pediatric Cancer Clinic, University of Utah; Huntsman Cancer Institute, Primary Children’s Hospital, Intermountain Healthcare

1:25-1:45 Barriers to Precision Medicine in Cardiovascular Disease

Martin Tristani-Firouzi, M.D., Professor, Pediatric Cardiology, University of Utah

1:45-2:05 Primary Immunodeficiencies: A Paradigm for Precision Medicine

Karin Chen, M.D., Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, University of Utah

2:05-2:25 The Complex Web of ALS Genetics, Using the UPDB to Move Us Forward

Summer Gibson, M.D., Assistant Professor, Neurology, University of Utah

2:25-2:45 Patient-driven Precision Medicine

Matt Might, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Computing, University of Utah; President, NGLY1.org; Advisor, Undiagnosed Disease Network Coordinating Center, Harvard University

2:45-3:00 Break (with refreshments)

3:00-3:20 Omicia: Clinical Genome Interpretation

Selena Larkin, Omicia, Inc.

3:20-3:40 ARUP Laboratories: Diagnostics and Precision Medicine

Dean Li, M.D., Ph.D., CEO, ARUP Laboratories

3:40-4:00 AncestryDNA: The Power of a Million American Genomes

Ken Chahine, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and General Manager, Ancestry.com DNA

Agenda – Friday, December 4, 2015
University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law

8:00-8:30 a.m. – Breakfast/Registration

8:30-8:45 a.m. – Welcome by Robert Adler, Dean, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law

8:45-10:00 a.m. – Panel 1, Who Will Pay for Precision Medicine?

Moderator: Norman Waitzman, University of Utah Health Society and Policy Program
Eric Hales, Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah
Willard Dere, University of Utah School of Medicine
Mark Trusheim, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

10:00-11:15 a.m. – Panel 2, Patenting Precision Medicine

Moderator: Jorge Contreras, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
Amelia Rinehart, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
Hans Sauer, Biotechnology Industry Organization
Rachel Slade, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
Joshua Sarnoff, DePaul University School of Law

11:15-11:30 a.m. – Break

11:30-12:45 p.m. – Panel 3, The FDA and Precision Medicine

Moderator: Leslie Francis, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
James Czaban, Wiley Rein LLP
Robert Meyer, University of Virginia School of Medicine
Stephen Hansen, US Food and Drug Administration

12:45-1:45 p.m. – Lunch

1:45-2:45 p.m. – Panel 4, The Ethics of Precision Medicine: Consent

Moderator: Leslie Francis, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
Erin Rothwell, University of Utah
Leslie Wolf, Georgia State University College of Law
Carrie Wolinetz, National Institutes of Health

2:45-4:00 p.m. – Panel 5, The Ethics of Precision Medicine: Race

Moderator: Teneille Brown, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
Chanita Hughes Halbert, Medical University of South Carolina
Jonathan Kahn, Hamline University School of Law
Kimberly Kaphingst, Huntsman Cancer Institute – University of Utah
Sean Tavtigian, Huntsman Cancer Institute – University of Utah