TOPIC: "Ancestry and Rare Variants: Implications for Precision Medicine in Airways Disease" 
SPEAKER: Dr. Victor Ortega
LOCATION: UAHS 5403 (LIVE) and Banner-UMC-SC 3030 (Video Conferenced)
Watch It LIVE!
(or archived here for later viewing)
About the Speaker
Victor E. Ortega, MD, PhD, ATSF is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Center for Precision Medicine at the Wake Forest School of Medicine. He is a co-investigator in the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)-sponsored AsthmaNet, Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP1-3), Precision Interventions for Severe and/or Exacerbation Prone Asthma (PrecISE) Network, the Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS), and the TopMed Consortium for whole-genome sequencing. He leads rare variant and ancestry-based genetic studies aimed at addressing inter-ethnic differences in beta agonist response and disease severity recently funded by an R01 through the NIH NHLBI. His study of rare genetic variants within the beta2-adrenergic receptor gene was the first demonstrating major rare variant pharmacogenetics effects in asthma as it relates to responses to long-acting beta agonist therapy in different ethnic groups (Ortega, et al. Lancet Respir Med 2014). He recently collaborated with MESA investigators to demonstrate that a genetic risk score for COPD mediates its effects through alterations in lung structure based on CT scan measures in MESA and SPIROMICS (Oelsner, Ortega, et al. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2019).
Dr. Ortega led the pharmacogenetics section of the American Thoracic Society (ATS)/NHLBI Workshop for Addressing Health Equality in the United States from 2015 to 2017 (Celedon, et al. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2017) and participated in the ATS/ERS International Guidelines on Definition, Evaluation and Treatment of Severe Asthma from 2017 to 2019. He has authored multiple editorials and reviews outlining the significance of key genomic studies to general clinical and scientific audiences. In 2019, he was elected co-chair of the ATS Section on Genetics and Genomics, the largest International, Society-based respiratory genomics interest group with over 1,000 members. His current and future genetic studies as well as his national leadership role will emphasize integrative approaches in racially diverse populations to facilitate the development of a panel of genetic variation for personalized approaches for airways disease in individuals from different racial and ethnic groups
Medicine Grand Rounds
Accreditation Statement: The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Disclosure Statement: All Faculty, CME Planning Committee Members, and CME Office Reviewers have disclosed that they have no financial relationships with commercial interests that would constitute a conflict of interest concerning this CME activity.
Learning Objectives:
- Diagnose a variety of internal medicine illnesses
- Understand more clearly advances in therapy
- Become truly professional physicians
Parking update: The parking garage at 1501 N. Campbell is now the University of Arizona Health Sciences Garage. This is an un-staffed parking facility and all payments are made by mobile phone or at a stand-alone parking machine. Courtesy parking passes are no longer available. Information and how-to tips can be found by scrolling down to the "Parking Pay Stations" section here: https://parking.arizona.edu/faq/index.php#sec1subSec1
University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Room 5403
1501 N. Campbell Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85724
OR
Banner-University Medical Center South, Conference Room 3030
2800 E. Ajo Way
Tucson, AZ 85713
