Webinar 1: March 11th, 2024

First Talk: The impact of clinical genomics in Africa

Speaker 1: Prof. Dr. med. Shahida Moosa (Head of Medical Genetics, Tygerberg Hospital, Stellenbosch University; Head of Rare Disease Genomics research group, Stellenbosch University)

Abstract: Hundreds of millions of Africans are living with an undiagnosed rare disease or familial cancer. Being “undiagnosed” means that they will likely die without ever knowing a name for their condition. Being “undiagnosed” also means that they are deprived of the treatment, management and care they require. Clinical genomics, which combines genetic counseling, medical genetics and genomic testing, forms and integral part of ending the diagnostic odyssey for the undiagnosed and providing individuals and families with the appropriate care. The talk will highlight the impact of clinical genomics for underrepresented populations in sub-Saharan Africa, with a special focus on the rare disease community and families with inherited cancer syndromes.

Second Talk: Tackling antimalarial resistance by targeting the MEP-pathway

Speaker 2: Victor Gawriljuk F. Oliveira (PhD student at the Structural Biology in Drug Design group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands)

Abstract: Most mammals synthesize isoprenoid precursors through the mevalonate pathway, on the other hand, bacteria and some protozoa synthesize the same precursors through a non-mevalonate pathway, also known as MEP-pathway. The increase in drug resistance by Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria highlights the need for the development of antimalarials with new mechanisms of action. In this scenario, the non-mevalonate pathway provides new targets for the discovery of novel drugs. In this talk, I will introduce the MepAnti consortium and discuss our latest results of structural biology and drug discovery for the first two proteins of the MEP-pathway, DXS and DXR from P. falciparum.

Contact Us here to receive notifications about upcoming Genomics for Health in Africa webinars.