Conference Description
The Quantitative Genetics and Genomics GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.
Almost all biological traits of importance are complex, variation in such traits being controlled by many genes of small effect plus environmental influences. Probing the causes of complex trait variation is critical to our understanding in disciplines as diverse as evolutionary biology, animal and plant breeding, behaviour, genetics of disease and personalised medicine. The advent of high throughput phenotyping, genotyping and sequencing has transformed our ability to dissect these traits and harness findings across all these disciplines, and it is the aim of this meeting to bring all these fields together.
For this meeting we are thinking about how quantitative traits vary in time and space through interactions between genetics and ontogeny or environmental variation. Our overarching themes include a focus on longitudinal studies, which might include disease trajectories, developmental trajectories, environmental change, selection and response and genotype by environment interactions. In particular, we aim to discuss how the hundreds of genetic associations we have found for complex traits in humans, animals and plants may be transformed into biological understanding, an ongoing and challenging endeavour. Applications of these themes include sustainability in agriculture and environmental management, management of infectious disease, and precision medicine.
The conference will consist of nine sessions, on the topics listed below. The conference chair is currently developing their preliminary program, which will include the names of the invited speakers and discussion leaders for each of these sessions. The preliminary program will be available by May 22, 2024. Please check back for updates.