A Genetic Approach to Blood Disorders, An Answer to Many Unanswered Question

KCGRL

A Genetic Approach to Blood Disorders, An Answer to Many Unanswered Question

Kathmandu Center for Genomics and Research Laboratory (KCGRL), Lalitpur, Nepal magnificently hosted and organized a one day symposium on “A Genetic Approach to Blood Disorders…….. An Answer to Many Unanswered Question” at Woodland Hotel, Kathmandu, Nepal on 15th September, 2018. Regarding the complexity of genetic diseases, especially blood disorders; the main motto of this symposium was to provide educational and informative updates on possibilities, limitation, and opportunities of biological, clinical and medicinal sciences in the context of Nepal. This meeting was overwhelmed by interdisciplinary group of professionals, researcher, scientists, expertise, academician, students and media person working in the field of biological, clinical and medical sciences.

More than 145 participants including scientists, researchers, professors, students, volunteers and expertise attended the symposium. Most of the participants were from Kathmandu while 22 came from outside the valley. Similarly, four of our participants were from Germany. Along with this, a total of 5 speakers united the conference. Unlike Dr. Ravi Shankar Akundi from South Asian University, India, all speakers were from Nepal. The opening ceremony of the conference began with an inauguration by Prof. Dr. RameshworAdhikari, Executive Director of Research Center for appliedScience and Technology (RECAST), and two short talks. In first talk, Dr. Nilam Thakur Kunwar, Incharge of Medical Genetics Unit, NAMS and Laboratory Head, KCGRL delivered the welcome speech. Likewise, Dr. Ajaya Jang Kunwar, Research head of KCGRL deliberated the overview of KCGRL; along with this he included the role of research labs in health care system in Nepal.

The technical session was pursued by five scientific talks and a poster session. The five scientific talks were, a) Pathophysiology of Hemoglobinopathy by Dr. Sunil Dhungel, Department of Clinical Physiology, College of Medicine, NAIHS, b) Scenario of SCA in Nepal by Dr. Nilam Thakur, c) Situation of SCA and Thalassemia patients in Nepal by Mr. Durga Pathak, Founder of Thalassemia Society of Nepal, d) Tackling systemic inflammation through purinergic modulation by Dr. Ravi Shankar Akundi, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, South Asian University, New Delhi, India, and e) Molecular approach for diagnosis of Thalassemia and Hemglobinopathies by Mr. Surendra Koju, Hematologist, Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University. These all talks highlighted the importance of sickle cell anemia and thalassemia disease, its complexity and ways of diagnosis in the setting of Nepal. Interestingly, Dr. Nilam Thakur demonstrated the scenario of SCA in Nepal with some of her experience faced during the research of SCA. Moreover, Mr. Durga Pathak, Founder of Thalassemia Society of Nepal, put rays on the condition of SCA and thalassemia patient, complication and tackling approaches. The attention was grabbed by a short talk delivered by a thalassemia patient belonging to the Thalassemia Society of Nepal, who shared the challenges faced during the disease period.

On the other hand, poster session created a platform for the paper presenters, participants and expertise for exchanging their research experience and findings through discussion. Further, our four participants who were from Philipps University of Marburg, Germany shared their experience of being in the symposium and their few researches to the participants.

The symposium concluded with award distribution and appreciation to various delegates and organization for making it successful. In the same manner, certificates to attendees were also disseminated.

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