© FM archiveOn 15 September this year, the first Lithuanian Medical Genetics Forum, which aims to create an environment for sharing activities, work, results, challenges and solutions to problems in the field was held at the National Art Gallery. The idea to organise the Lithuanian Medical Genetics Forum came within the context of the annual cycle of events dedicated to the Medical Genetics Awareness Week, which is already becoming a tradition. As the community of medical geneticists is growing, there is a natural need to bring together specialists in the field, to interact, to discuss professional issues of concern, topical issues and future prospects.
The event was opened with welcoming remarks by Prof. (HP) Algirdas Utkus (the Chairman of the National Health Council, Director of Centre for Medical Genetics at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, Head of the Department of Human and Medical Genetics of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the VU Faculty of Medicine, and the Chairman of the Lithuanian Human Genetics Society) and Anželika Balčiūnienė, Adviser at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania (Specialised Health Care Division). Academician Vaidutis Kučinskas, President of the VU Professors Emeriti Club and the pioneer of medical genetics in Lithuania shared the history of development of medical genetics. Colleagues from Vilnius University, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, National Cancer Institute, the Hospital of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno Klinikos and Klaipėda University Hospital shared their past, present and future work.
The Lithuanian Medical Genetics Forum was organised by the staff of the Lithuanian Human Genetics Society of the VU Faculty of Medicine, Department of Human and Medical Genetics of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the VU Faculty of Medicine and Centre for Medical Genetics at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos. The Sponsor of the event was UAB Linea Libera.