The Science and Technology Sector at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Intergen Genetic and Rare Disease Diagnosis Center in Turkey along with several universities from Pakistan, organized ICESCO’s first international workshop on next-Generation sequencing data analysis. The workshop aimed to reinforce capacities in the field of human genome data analysis, utilizing modern and innovative technology, and developing the skills of healthcare professionals in ICESCO Member States in this area.

The workshop, held today, Thursday 28 September 2023, through video conferencing under the theme “Building Tomorrow’s Global Genomic Workforce,” saw the participation of more than 500 participants, including doctors, laboratory technicians, medical university students, and researchers interested in understanding how to process genomic data.

The workshop aimed to provide participants with a solid understanding of next-Generation sequencing data analysis as it represents the future of the medical field and the key to making genomic data practical and readily accessible for utilization in healthcare. Analyzing big datasets in genomic medicine enables researchers and geneticists to dissect the human genome of patients, not only for diagnosing genetic factors causing diseases but also for researching the best approaches to treat them.

In his remark during the opening session, Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of the Science and Technology Sector at ICESCO, emphasized the importance of supporting “Building Tomorrow’s Global Genomic Workforce” in the era of advanced genomic technologies. Furthermore, he stressed the need to integrate this workforce into precision genomics medicine and scientific research in this field. Dr. Qamar commended the efforts of ICESCO Member States in promoting collaboration in this domain.

On his part, Dr. Serdar Ceylaner from the Intergen Center highlighted the importance of training the workforce in the field of big data analysis for next-Generation sequencing and employing it in healthcare within ICESCO Member States.

Following the opening session, Dr. Haldun Dogan from the Intergen Center led an intensive workshop for the participants, aimed at imparting the knowledge and skills essential for achieving an advanced level of proficiency in next-Generation sequencing data analysis.