Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children is hosting an inaugural international conference titled “Genomic Approaches to Understanding and Treating Scoliosis.” The three-day meeting unites two distinct groups who are dedicated to scoliosis genetics research, the International Consortium for Vertebral Anomalies and Scoliosis (ICVAS) and the International Consortium for Scoliosis Genetics (ICSG). A primary goal of the conference is to promote interdisciplinary research to solve the underlying basis of scoliosis, a complex and poorly understood disorder that is common in children. The conference has attracted basic science researchers and clinicians at the faculty level, as well as fellows, graduate students and other trainees who are focused on scoliosis and genomics. Funding for the meeting is provided by grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health, the Scoliosis Research Society, Fondation Yves Cotrel, and the Globus, Medtronic and Nuvasive companies.

The conference includes paper presentations from various attendees and lectures from seven international keynote speakers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia. These presenters represent distinct specialties including developmental biology, orthopedic surgery, clinical genetics and human genetics. The topics will provide the audience with a diverse and insightful program.

Carol Wise, Ph.D., Director of Molecular Genetics and Basic Research at Scottish Rite Hospital, is an organizer of the conference. She views this meeting as an exciting opportunity to encourage collaborations and to bring new ideas to the treatment of the various complex forms of scoliosis. “It is a privilege to host specialists in scoliosis and scoliosis genetics from around the world here at the hospital,” says Wise. “This conference will generate a roadmap for collaborative research that will create future scientific breakthroughs. Importantly, this meeting also provides a forum for mentoring the next generation of researchers in the field.”

Continuing education for professionals and trainees is a cornerstone of the Scottish Rite Hospital mission. It is an honor to host this and other conferences to promote groundbreaking research and better care for our patients.