Molecular Pathology Essentials: Principles and Practice
May 12-14, 2008, Baltimore, MD

Program

Monday, May 12

Registration
11:30 – 1:00 pm

Session I: Introductory Concepts in Molecular Pathology -
Moderator: Barbara A. Zehnbauer, PhD FACMG, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

1:00 – 1:15 pm
Welcome and Introduction

1:15 - 2:30 pm 
Overview of the Utility of Molecular Pathology 
Gregory J. Tsongalis, PhD, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH

2:30 - 3:30 pm
Basics of Nucleic Acid Biochemistry
Kathleen M. Murphy, PhD, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 

Coffee Break

Session II: Genetic Principles
Moderator: Linda Sabatini, PhD HCLD, ACL Illinois Central Laboratory, Rosemont, IL

Genetic Principles
3:30 - 4:45 pm
Types of Mutations and Modes of Inheritance

4:45 – 5:30 pm
Prenatal Testing, Risk Assessment, Genetic Counseling
Iris Schrijver, MD, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA 

Session IIB: Genetic Clinical Applications
Genetic Clinical Applications

7:00 – 7:40 pm
Carrier Screening, Cystic Fibrosis
Iris Schrijver, MD, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA

7:40 - 8:20 pm
Carrier Screening:  Fragile X and FXTAS
Barbara A. Zehnbauer, PhD FACMG, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

8:20 - 9:00 pm
Imprinting Disorders and Mitochondrial Diseases
Barbara A. Zehnbauer, PhD FACMG, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

Tuesday, May 13

Continental Breakfast (included in registration fee)
7:30 – 8:00 am

Session III: Hematopathology
Moderator: Linda Sabatini, PhD HCLD, ACL Illinois Central Laboratory, Rosemont, IL

8:00 am – 8:40 am
Leukemia
Karen Mann, MD PhD, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

8:40 - 8:55 am
Myeloproliferative Disorders
Karen Mann, MD PhD, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

8:55 - 9:30 am
Lymphoma
Karen Mann, MD PhD, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

9:30 - 10:00 am
Monitoring Engraftment in Hemotopoietic Cell Transplantation
Barbara Zehnbauer, PhD, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

10:00 - 10:45 am
Molecular HLA Typing in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Susana Marino, MD, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

10:45 - 11:40 am
Thrombophilia and Coagulopathies
Daniel Bellissimo, PhD, Blood Center of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI

11:40 am - 12:10 pm
Red Cell Antigen Testing
Daniel Bellissimo, PhD, Blood Center of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI

Lunch 
12:15 – 1:30 pm

Session IV: Solid Tumors
Moderator: Barbara A. Zehnbauer, PhD FACMG, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

1:35 – 2:35 pm
Sporadic Cancer Molecular Pathology
Kevin C. Halling, MD PhD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

2:35 - 3:35 pm
Familial Cancer Syndromes
Jennifer L. Hunt, MD, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH

Coffee Break
3:35 - 3:50 pm

3:50 - 4:50 pm
Breast Cancer and Sarcomas
John D. Pfeifer, MD PhD, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

Session V: Panel discussion – Regulations, Certification, Reimbursement, Laboratory Management Basics

6:35 – 7:15 pm
Andrea Ferreira-Gonzalez, PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA

  How is molecular testing regulated?
  How are molecular labs certified?
  How does a lab select which tests and which platforms to offer?

7:15 - 7:55 pm
Jeffrey A. Kant, MD PhD, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA

  How are molecular tests billed and reimbursed?
  How do molecular labs find qualified technical staff?
  What are the challenges for molecular pathology testing?

7:55 - 9:00 pm
Group discussion, Q&A

Wednesday, May 14

Continental Breakfast
7:30 – 8:00 am

Session VI: Infectious Diseases
Moderator: Alexandra Valsamakis, MD PhD, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

8:00 – 9:00 am
Molecular Diagnostic Testing for the Diagnosis and Management of Hepatitis C and B Infections

9:00 - 10:00 am
Molecular Testing for the Detection of Antibiotic Resistance and Hospital Acquired Bacterial Infections
Karen C. Carroll, MD, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Coffee Break
10:00 - 10:20 am

10:20 - 11:20 am
Molecular Diagnostic Testing for Respiratory Infections
Karen C. Carroll, MD and Alexandra Valsamakis, MD PhD, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

11:20 am - 12:20 pm
Molecular Diagnostic Testing for Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Ted Schutzbank, PhD, Covance Central Laboratory Services, Indianapolis, Indiana

Lunch
12:30 – 1:30 pm

Session VII: Pharmacogenetics and Future Trends
Moderator:  Jerry Yeo, PhD, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

1:30 – 2:25 pm
Overview of Pharmacogenetics in Clinical Practice

2:25 - 3:20 pm
Warfarin Pharmacogenetics
Kristen Reynolds, PhD, PGX Laboratories, Louisville, KY

Coffee Break
3:20 - 3:35 pm

3:35 - 4:30 pm
Future Clinical Diagnostics
John D. Pfeifer, MD PhD, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

Course Adjourned
4:30 pm