Speakers: 

Dr. Chad Bousman
Madame Colette Bibeau

Ending the Medication Odyssey with a Pharmacogenomic Compass
Speaker: Dr. Chad Bousman

This plenary will explore and illustrate how pharmacogenomics (PGx) can help end the prolonged trial-and-error process that many patients experience when starting medications, using youth mental health as an exemplar.

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

  • Cite the rationale and evidence for using pharmacogenomic-guided prescribing.
  • Describe pharmacogenomic implementation hurdles & approaches.

Target Audience: Clinical Geneticists, Laboratory Geneticists, Genetic Counsellors, Trainees, Molecular Pathologists, Medical Lab Technologists
CanMEDS Roles: Professional, Scholar

Dr. Bousman is a Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of Calgary, where he leads the Psychiatric Pharmacogenomics Laboratory. His program of research spans pharmacogenomic discovery and clinical implementation, with particular attention given to improving prescribing for mental health conditions across life stages. Dr. Bousman has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers and his research is supported by Canadian, US, and Australian funding bodies. He is a member of the Royal Society of Canada, American College of of Neuropsychopharmacology, Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC), Pharmacogene Variation (PharmVar) Consortium, and the Pharmacogenomics Global Research Network (PGRN). He is also the founder and CEO of Sequence2Script Inc, a software company that assists laboratories with translating pharmacogenomic information into clinical action.

Pharmacogenetic Testing : An Antidote to Russian Roulette in Chemotherapy
Speaker: Madame Colette Bibeau

A patient advocate will describe, from her family’s personal experience, the effects of acute 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) toxicity in the context of unrecognised dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency. The importance of screening for pathogenic variants in the DYPD gene prior to treatment with 5-FU will be highlighted. Recent progress, in the province of Quebec and elsewhere, will be discussed.

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the toxicity of 5-fluorouracil in genetically-susceptible individuals with DPD deficiency.
  • Reflect on the necessity to ensure systematic and effective screening for this condition prior to initiation of chemotherapy using 5-FU.

Target Audience: Clinical Geneticists, Laboratory Geneticists, Genetic Counsellors, Trainees, Molecular Pathologists, Medical Lab Technologists
CanMEDS Roles: Communicator, Collaborator, Health Advocate, Leader

Madame Colette Bibeau received her Bachelor in French Studies with options in writing and research, her Master’s in Éducation for the Université de Montréal (M. Ed). She is a lecturer in oral and writing communication skills at the Université de Sherbrooke.

Event Timeslots (1)

Day 2
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Speakers: Dr. Chad Bousman and Madame Colette Bibeau