Protaras, Cyprus - The Clinical & Translational Omics Symposium 2023 was held in the beautiful coastal town of Protaras on November 4-5th. It brought together researchers from the fields of Omics: proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics, along with experts in bioinformatics and the application of artificial intelligence, crucial in translating omics findings into clinical research and practice.
Recently, there has been massive interest within biopharma in Omics. These disciplines provide a deeper understanding and insights into individual variations in genes, proteins, and metabolites. This enables more personalized and effective approaches to healthcare. Omics technologies have significantly impacted drug development, personalized medicine, and disease prevention strategies. They are key to precision medicine, early diagnostics, and even more - preventing diseases.
The symposium, supported by the Cypriot government, began with a Welcome Address by Carolina Stylianou, Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Health, and Marios Philippou, advisor to Deputy Minister of Tourism Mr. Koumis, highlighting the government's recognition of the critical role of omics research in the future of precision medicine and its dedication to support scientific advancement in this field.
40 esteemed speakers from 17 countries presented their pioneering research and insights at the symposium: David Fenyo, New York University School of Medicine; Stephan Rauschenbach, University of Oxford; Christopher Gerner, University of Vienna; Wendy Heywood, University College London; Jesper Olsen, University of Copenhagen; Timothy S Collier, Quest Diagnostics - Cleveland HeartLab, among others.
As the Clinical & Translational Omics Symposium wrapped up, co-founder Aliona Chernaya provided her perspective on how the event started and evolved:
'This was our inaugural Clinical & Translational Omics Symposium in Cyprus that started by chance - a year ago, I met Christoph Borchers, Jennifer Van Eyk, and John Yates at the HUPO conference in Cancun. These pioneers were at the beginning of proteomics, shaping the field from its early days. We were sitting there at a gala dinner, and Jennifer asked, 'Why don’t we have an Omics symposium in Europe anymore? It is so much needed.' This is how the symposium was conceived; a year later, we brought it to life. The field is new, as Jennifer Van Eyk said, 25 years ago, no one even knew the word 'proteomics,' but it's absolutely crucial for the future of medicine.'
'Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become a challenge to get people to travel for an in-person event, particularly internationally. We were thrilled to host almost 100 participants from both the scientific and business sides. The speakers' agenda was full of stars and rising stars, shining with brilliance. And, of course, having John Yates and Jennifer Van Eyk themselves as Keynote speakers was a highlight.'
Reflecting on the local impact, she added, 'We were also happy to discover such innovative work in Cyprus. We had insightful presentations by two Cypriot speakers: Konstaninos Makris, University of Technology, and George Spyrou, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics. With attendees from local academia and biotech, we're hopeful for even more engagement in the future.'"
Christoph Borchers, Professor of Oncology at McGill University and co-founder of the symposium, commented, 'Eighty scientists from North America, Europe, and the Middle East were brought together at the symposium. Although they all come from different backgrounds and have diverse expertise, they share a common goal: to improve precision medicine through modern omics approaches and technologies. The symposium, with stimulating presentations and interactions among the scientists in the beautiful scenery of Protaras, brought us one step closer to achieving this goal, which will change both our understanding of health and disease therapies.’
The symposium was hosted at the family-run, modern, and high-tech Flamingo Paradise Hotel, whose exceptional hospitality won over every attendee. The abundance of delicious food and flowing wine provided a perfect backdrop for both formal and informal interactions. The warm November sunshine and inviting sea enticed attendees to take a dip in the water during breaks, with a few even sneaking out of sessions for a swim - a detail keenly noted by our observant organizers!
As we bask in the success of this symposium, it's evident how important the collaboration between academia and biotech professionals is for advancing precision medicine and diagnostics. The Clinical & Translational Omics Symposium 2023 stands out as a clear testament to the crucial impact Omics has in shaping the future of healthcare.
Materials are presented by the Organizing Committee of the Clinical & Translational Omics Symposium.
