Doha to Host Conference on Environmental Mutagens in Humans

Doha, March 15 (QNA) - The Sixth International Conference on Environmental Mutagens in Human Populations (ICEMHP) will be held here from March 26 to 29 at the Qatar National Convention Centre. Qatar Foundation, the Environmental Mutagens Society (EMS) and the International Association of Environmental Mutagen Societies (IAEMS), the organizers of this conference, are presenting a series of conferences aimed at promoting collaborative research in understanding the relationship between environmental factors, DNA mutation, and human disease. Thailand's Her Royal Highness Professor Princess Chulabhorn and Nobel laureate Dr Kirk R Smith will make the keynote presentations. Qatar Foundation Vice President for Research Dr Abdelali Haoudi will do the introduction of the conference and give the keynote address on March 27. The conference workshops and seminars will identify solutions for important human health problems caused by environmental factors. It will bring together over 200 academics, scientists and researchers and aims to build on the success of previous conferences through establishing collaborative research programmes in Qatar, the GCC region and around the world. During the conference, renowned scientists will present within specific symposia on the following topics:- Environmental contamination and health concerns; Basic mechanisms of mutagenesis and carcinogenesis; Specific environmental health concerns in developing countries; Biomarkers for human population studies; DNA repair and signaling in response to insult from environmental mutagens; Epigenetics and gene-environment interactions in human disease; Genomic and proteomic technologies in environmental health; Efficacy and safety of drug use in developing countries; Environmental contamination in adverse reproductive outcomes and non-cancer disease; Application of scientific knowledge for disease prevention and Ethical issues on environmental health. The ICEMHP, which has previously been held in Egypt (1992), Czech Republic (1995), Thailand (1998), Brazil (2003) and Turkey (2007), is devoted to bringing the latest knowledge and expertise to the countries hosting the conference, aiming to develop results that are relevant to the particularly prevalent concerns of their region, and Doha will be no exception. The Qatar edition will focus on the local and regional application of genetic testing, risk assessment, and policy-making to protect both human health and the environment. Outstanding presentations from students and junior investigators will be on display during the conference, with an awards presentation on the last day for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes. (QNA)