Genome-wide association studies: understanding the genetics of common disease

In October 2008, the Academy's FORUM held a one-day symposium to showcase the latest findings from genome-wide association (GWA) studies.

The meeting was attended by around 50 invited researchers, industry representatives, clinicians, medical funders and policymakers, enabling perspectives to be shared on a range of topics.

The symposium aimed to:

• Highlight the latest research findings from GWA studies.
• Consider methodological issues relating to GWA studies.
• Identify barriers to translating GWA findings.
• Identify areas where further action may be needed to more fully understand the genetic aetiology of common disease.

Speakers’ presentations drew on examples from across a number of disease areas to illustrate the significance of GWA studies to date and the potential they offer for the future. 

A report of the symposium was published in July 2009 to coincide with a report of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee on Genomic Medicine.