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Epidemiology and Genomics Variation in Hispanic/Latino Populations
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First Workshop on Cancer Epidemiology and Genomics Variation in Hispanic/Latino Populations within the American Continents
May 4-5, 2006, North Bethesda, Maryland
To better understand the possible relationship between genetics
and disease among Latin American populations, researchers should be aware
of the diversity that exists, both genetically and culturally within these
populations. To estimate the amount of diversity in present day admixed populations,
individuals may be classified based on the expression of carefully chosen
ancestry informative markers (AIMs). Ancestry estimates can then be used
to control for heterogeneity in admixed populations.
The different proportions of admixture observed in Latin American populations
are a challenge for genetic studies. However, the presence of admixture also
provides a valuable epidemiologic opportunity to examine how genetic diversity
interfaces with environmental and socioeconomic factors as well as perceptions
of race and ethnicity. Technological advances in genetic studies, together
with an interest in defining the heterogeneity of ethnic and racial populations,
can lead to improved design of integrated studies of cancer within Latin
American populations.
Workshop Objectives:
- Develop an understanding of the genetic variation, or admixture, in Latin
American populations, thus allowing researchers to better identify possible
relationships between genetic and ethnic variations is disease risk.
- Facilitate the development of standard panels of ancestry informative
markers for cancer disease genotype characterization in Hispanic population
studies.
- Develop an admixture mapping resource of Latin American populations
that can be utilized by multiple studies.
- To allow the development and support of a platform to facilitate epidemiologic
research into the effects of population stratification within Latin American
populations.
Accomplishing workshop objectives will allow researchers to develop more
efficient study designs and sample size estimates for future studies which
include admixed populations, and may reduce confounding due to genetic
variability within these populations.
For more information about this meeting, see a list of workshop
participants and presentation summaries.
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