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From2008-02-24
To2008-02-25
Course

WHAT IS SAFE?

The SAFE (Special Non-Invasive Advances in Fetal and Neonatal Evaluation) Network started on 1 March 2004, and is set to run for a period of 5 years. It is sponsored under the EU Framework 6 programme and has 50 partners from 19 countries currently participating. SAFE aims to lay the foundations for European advances in NIPD (Non Invasive Prenatal Diagnosis) and NS (Neonatal Screening). It is a programme designed to achieve intellectual and practical integration with a view to enhance the efficacy of NIPD and NS for genetic disorders within and beyond the European Community. This programme is interested in the use of cell-free circulatory fetal DNA as a screening tool to determine pregnancies at risk for heterozygous Mendelian genetic disorders, such as the haemoglobinopathies prevalent in large proportions of the European population. More details on www.safenoe.org

 

DESCRIPTION

The SAFE workshop will offer:

-          the opportunity to benefit from the training and workshop exercises initiated by the SAFE network;

-          the chance to develop further common training programmes;

-          the dissemination of data generated by training activities inside the SAFE network.

 

The proposed workshop is jointly managed by the University of Bologna and the University of Graz and supported by the European Genetics Foundation (EGF).

This 2-day practical workshop will consist not only of plenary sessions but also of concurrent practical activities carried out in small groups. The workshop will be taught by a faculty of 12 leading international experts and attended by around 30-40 students.

According to a model successfully experienced by the ESGM, faculty giving the lectures will be asked to stay at the venue in Bologna (Italy) beyond the morning and afternoon training sessions for the whole period.  Their constant presence will provide the students with an uninterrupted, informal and stimulating exchange of experiences and information.

The social programme envisages a dinner in a typical restaurant located in Bologna downtown

VenueEuroMediterranean University Centre of Ronzano, via di Gaibola 16, Bologna (Italy)
Directors

The workshop is directed by the SAFE Integration Board, jointly organized by the EGF, the University of Bologna and the University of Graz. The workshop is partially funded by the SAFE Network (fellowships available for PhD students and fellows belonging to the SAFE network). Special thanks to Maj Hultén (University of Warwick) for her contribution in designing the workshop.

www.safenoe.org

Speakers

N.Avent (Bristol, UK), L.Chitty (London, UK), L.Cremonesi (Milan, Italy), E.Dragon (San Diego, USA), W.Holzgreve (Basel, Switzerland), M.HultÈn (Warwick, UK), T.Legler (Goettingen, Germany), N. Manaresi (Bologna, Italy), T.Marteau (London, UK), A. Munna (Bologna, Italy), G.Romeo (Bologna, Italy), K. Spencer (Essex, UK)

Programme

Saturday, February 23rd - Arrival and Welcome Dinner                        

19:00-20:00

 

Arrival at the Ronzano venue in Bologna

20:30-21:30

 

Welcome Dinner

Getting to know each other

 

Sunday, February 24th

 

Morning Session

9:00-9:15

G. Romeo

Welcome and Introduction

9:15-9:30

N. Avent

Special Non-Invasive Advances in Fetal and Neonatal Evaluation - an overview

9:30-10:00

W. Holzgreve

Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnosis - Introductory lecture

10:00-10:30

W. Holzgreve

Fetal material in the maternal circulation for the prediction of preeclampsia

10:30-11:00

 

Coffee Break

11:00-11:30

K. Spencer

Best practice in First Trimester Down Syndrome Screening

11:30-12:00

E. Dragon

Development of NIPD for Common Chromosome Disorders

12:00-12:30

T. Marteau

Fetal sexing: Ethical aspects

12:30-13:00

L. Chitty

Fetal sexing: Implementation and clinical aspects

13:00-14:00

 

Lunch

Afternoon Session

 

14:00-14:30

T. Legler

Setting up a NIPD Biobank of maternal blood samples: Sample collection, Storage and DNA Extraction Protocols

14:30-14:45

M. Hultén

MIPD* in Perspective: Developmental Milestones in Prenatal Diagnosis
(*Minimally Invasive Prenatal Diagnosis)

14:45-15:00

 

QUESTIONS AD ANSWERS

15:00-15:30

 

Coffee Break

15:30-18:00

 

STUDENT PRESENTATIONS AND GROUP WORK:

Each SAFE PhD student and fellow will be invited to give a poster presentation; oral presentations will be selected on basis of submitted Abstracts. Basing on the experience of each PhD student, the faculty will share the audience in small groups (10 units) which will work on specific topics. This part of the programme will be decided dependent on the submitted Abstracts by the students and the possibilities for practical sessions giving hands-on experience in the NIPD technology.

19:30

 

Take a look around

Visit to the downtown and DINNER in a typical restaurant

 

Monday, February 25th

 

Morning Session

9:00-9:30

N. Manaresi

Lab-on-a-chip: Demonstration of a chip for Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnosis

9:30-10:00

L. Cremonesi

Implementation of NIPD using Paternal DNA Markers

10:00-10:30

N. Avent

Proteomics

10:30-11:00

 

Coffee Break

11:00-11:30

A. Munna

The Seventh Framework Programme - Funding opportunities for the Health sector

11:00-12:30

 

Practical sessions: Hands-on experience... Faculty and students work together

Basing on a framework built up during the previous afternoon, small groups keep on working under the supervision of faculty who will lead the interaction and the work carried out

12:30

 

Plenary discussion and conclusion of the workshop

13:00

 

Lunch

 

DEPARTURE



European School of Genetic Medicine