July 31, 2007, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Sponsor/Co-Sponsor(s): Prevention Research and International Programs (PRIP), NICHD Office of the Director (OD), NICHD

Location: Lawton Chiles International Center (Stone House)/Building 16, NIH main campus, Bethesda, Maryland

Purpose: This seminar will highlight the efforts of Dr Abdelaziz Sefiani, clinician, researcher, and Director of the Medical Genetics Department at the Moroccan National Institute of Health (Institute National d’Hygiene). Dr Sefiani will present results of his studies identifying rare genetic disorders in the Moroccan population. He is particularly interested in establishing collaborations with U.S. investigators, and this presentation will provide an excellent opportunity for NIH community to learn about research opportunities in Morocco and develop collaborations.

Dr Sefiani is a member of the ORPHANET network on rare disease and serves as director for the recently established Moroccan Human Mutation Database, which enables clinicians and scientists to access a central genetic database of the Moroccan population. This July, Dr. Sefiani’s laboratory will become the first INSERM international associated laboratory, in partnership with Dr. Stanislas Lyonnet, Professor of Genetics at the Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades in Paris. This collaborative INSERM Unit will become the Laboratory for Research on the Genetics of Developmental Disabilities in Children.

Abdelaziz Sefiani, earned a doctorate in medicine at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat in 1984, and a doctorate in genetics at the Paris VII University in 1989. Following his training in genetics at U12 INSERM in Paris, he joined the Moroccan National Institute of Health. Since 1990, he has established and directs the Department of Medical Genetics at the Faculty of Medicine of Rabat. He has published several articles in leading international genetic and clinical journals and he contributed to the discovery of several new genes.In 2006, he became an associate member of Hassan II Academy of Science.

Contact: Sorrel Namast, PRIP, NICHD OD, NICHD
E-mail: namastes@mail.nih.gov