On Monday, February 12, 2024, the Faculty of Medicine at President University (Presuniv) organized a hybrid seminar titled Advancing Precision Medicine through Genome Mapping: Pros and Cons for Society. The event took place with dozens of participants, including both healthcare practitioners and media personnel attending offline at the President Lounge, Menara Batavia, Jakarta, while hundreds joined online through the Zoom application.
The seminar was facilitated by Prof. Dr. Budi Setiabuawan, dr. Sp.A.(K), M. Kes., the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Presuniv, who also spoke about the ethical considerations. The guest speakers included Prof. Dr. Amin Soebandrio W. Kusumo, Ph.D., Sp.MK (K), a Professor of Clinical Microbiology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, and Dr. dr. Ivan Rizal Sini, FRANZCOG, GDRM, MMIS, Sp.OG, who is also the Chairman of the Indonesian Genomics Association. The seminar was graced by the presence of DR SD Darmono, Chairman of Jababeka and founder of President University.
During his presentation, Prof. Amin discussed the significance of genetic information in the therapy and treatment of cancer. “With genetic information, doctors can identify specific genes or gene mutations that may increase the risk of cancer,” explained Prof. Amin. Meanwhile, Ivan Rizal Gini highlighted the genomic market potential, which was valued at US$46,2 billion in 2023 and is projected to soar to US$83,1 billion by 2028. In addition to market potential, Ivan addressed several issues regarding the importance of genetic information. For instance, he emphasized the significance of Polygenic Risk Scoring, and genetic testing to address prenatal diseases and reproductive health, including the prospect of extending human lifespan. (JB Susetiyo, PR team. Photo: JB Susetiyo).