American Society of Human Genetics annual meeting to occur Nov. 6-10 in San Francisco

Research advances in heart disease genetics, prenatal diagnosis, gene regulation and telomeres and mortality will be reported at ASHG 2012

At ASHG 2012, scientists will present data revealing that:

A significant relationship was found between human mortality and telomere length.
An extensive and previously unknown layer of circuitry pervades the human genome and helps control gene functions.
Genetic causes of unexplained intellectual disability can be identified by state-of-the-art genetic analysis.
DNA variants responsible for over 10% of inherited genetic risk for heart disease now known.
Whole genome sequencing is a potential standard of care in prenatal diagnosis.
Humans, chimpanzees and monkeys share DNA but not gene regulatory mechanisms.
Translational differences between mRNAs that differ only slightly from one another can be detected at a transcriptome-wide scale, providing an important tool in evaluating genetic loci associated with complex disorders.

In addition, the winner of CLARITY Challenge, the first international competition to accelerate development of lab-to-clinic standards for DNA sequencing of patients will be announced at ASHG 2012.

Mary-Claire King, Ph.D., ASHG president and professor of genome sciences and medicine at University of Washington, Seattle, will open ASHG 2012 on Tuesday, Nov. 6, with an address on, "The Scientist as a Citizen of the World."

A panel discussion on "Human Genetics 2012 and Beyond: Present Progress and Future Frontiers," will conclude the meeting on Saturday, Nov. 10.

The ASHG 2012 pressroom will spotlight the closing plenary session topic and the research presentations listed above through news releases, press briefings and press availabilities.

ASHG's news releases will be posted on EurekAlert! and the following password-protected ASHG site http://www.ashg.org/2012meeting/newsrls.shtml, which journalists can access by contacting press@ashg.org. Details about the press conferences & press availabilities will be posted on the ASHG site.

Over 6,000 scientists, medical geneticists and genetic counselors are expected to attend the ASHG 2012 meeting, the world's largest scientific conference on human genetics.

To register as press, journalists should visit: http://www.ashg.org/2012meeting/pages/press.shtml

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