Dr. Gonçalo Abecasis serves as the Vice President and Head of Analytical Genomics and Data Sciences at the Regeneron Genetics Center. In this role, Dr. Abecasis oversees statistical genetics and quantitative data sciences, driving novel genomic discovery at the RGC. He and his team conduct discovery research in support of new target discovery, pharmacogenomics, and translational follow up that cuts across all therapeutic areas. At RGC, he is leading innovative data science on some of the largest genomics datasets, including the UK Biobank and Regeneron-Geisinger DiscovEHR study, and developing cutting edge applications and tools to facilitate large scale analysis and mining of discovery results.
Before joining the RGC, Dr. Abecasis was a member of the RGC Scientific Advisory Board since its inception in 2015 and was instrumental in providing scientific and strategic guidance. He previously was the Director of the University’s Genomics Initiative and the Felix Moore Collegiate Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Michigan. He led a group of scientists developing statistical methods, computational algorithms and software that facilitate quick and accurate analysis of genetic studies of human disease. He has made key contributions to many important genomics and data science initiatives including TOPMed, Genes for Good, and other projects involving some of the largest genomic datasets and development of some of the most widely used methods and tools. His studies, and those of other scientists using his tools, are enabling a better understanding of human genetic variation and its role in disease biology.
In 2014, Dr. Abecasis received the Curt Stern Award from the American Society of Human Genetics for his contributions to the analysis and understanding of complex human traits and, in 2013, he won the Overton Prize from the International Society for Computational Biology for the tools and methods he developed for the analysis of increasingly large datasets. Dr. Abecasis has co-authored more than 250 scientific papers and has appeared on the Thompson Reuters listing of the world’s most cited scientists in 2009, 2011 and 2012. Dr. Abecasis received his undergraduate degree in genetics from the University of Leeds and his D.Phil. in Human Genetics from the University of Oxford.
Overview
The 2021 Global Genomics and Health Equity Virtual Symposium provides a forum that brings into focus the importance and challenges of increasing ethnic diversity in human genomics research. Highlights of the symposium include bringing together key players in human genetics with expertise working in ethnically diverse populations. This year’s two-day event is sponsored by the Penn Center for Global Genomics & Health Equity and the Department of Genetics at the University of Pennsylvania.
Day 1: February 24, 2021 (12:00 - 4:00PM US Eastern Time)
Theme: Importance and Value of Increasing Ethnic Diversity in Human Genomics Research
Day 2: February 25, 2021 (12:00 - 4:00PM US Eastern Time)
Theme: Challenges with Conducting Genomic Studies in Minority Populations
Registration for this symposium is FREE.
One registration gets you into the symposium on both days. Forward all questions to PennGGHE@pennmedicine.upenn.edu