Education Program
Make plans to join us July 8-12 in Pittsburgh, PA!
2024 Joint Annual Meeting
- Schedule Overview
- Concurrent Sessions (ALL)
- Concurrent Sessions (CMB topics only)
- Pre-Conference Opportunities
SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE
Tentative Schedule – Subject to change. All times EDT.
Monday, July 8
7:30 am – 5:30 pm | Molecular Biology Board Certification Preparation Course (additional fee required) |
Tuesday, July 9
8:00 am – 11:00 am | AGT Sponsored Pre-Conference Workshops (additional fee required) |
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm | Welcome & Opening Keynote |
1:30 pm – 5:00 pm | Concurrent Sessions, Industry Partner Engagement, Posters, Networking Events |
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm | AGT Oral Presenation Competition |
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm | Reception & Social Activities |
Wednesday, July 10
8:00 am – 10:00 pm | Concurrent Sessions, Industry Partner Engagement, Posters, Networking Events |
10:00 am – 11:00 am | Gordon Dewald Plenarry Session |
11:00 am – 5:00 pm | Concurrent Sessions, Industry Partner Engagement, Posters, Networking Events |
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm | AGT Business Meeting & AGT Award Ceremony |
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm | AGT Night Out |
Thursday, July 11
7:00 am – 8:00 am | Genetic Educators and Mentors (GEMs) Meet-up |
8:00 am – 4:00 pm | Concurrent Sessions, Industry Partner Engagement, Posters, Networking Events |
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm | Closing Remarks & Keynote |
CONCURRENT SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS 2024
Tuesday, July 9
1:45 pm – 6:15 pm | Concurrent Sessions |
Wednesday, July 10
8:00 am – 5:00 pm | Concurrent Sessions |
Tursda, July 11
8:00 am – 4:00 pm | Concurrent Sessions |
There will be multiple topics offered during each concurrent session block (1 hour each). The topics will be on various topics related to Laboratory Science. All sessions are open to AGT, ASCLS, and SAFMILS members.
CONCURRENT SCIENTIFIC SESSION TITLES
Here are some of the exciting Cytogenetic, Molecular, and Biochemical Genetics (CMB) presentations planned for 2024!
*Specific session titles may be adjusted.
Gordon Dewald Plenary Session
Pursuit of Scientific Achievement: Journey of a Farm Boy—A Story of Perseverance
» Sen Pathak, PhD, FNASc, MD Anderson Cancer Center
It is crucial to embrace change and challenges in the field of
biological science, as they pave the way for new discoveries
and advancements. By sharing personal experiences of
perseverance, persistence, and humility, this presentation
will inspire the audience to approach obstacles with an
evidence-based mindset and be willing to challenge existing
beliefs when necessary. The journey through overcoming
hurdles in scientific research will undoubtedly provide valuable
insights and lessons for those in attendance. The AGT Gordon
Dewald Lecture was established to honor Dr. Gordon Dewald
for his contributions to AGT and to cytogenetics. This lecture is
presented by the 2024 award recipient.
Program Area: GEN Level: Basic
Clinical Applications of ctDNA Testing: Present and Future
» Liam Lee, PhD, MB(ASCP), MD Anderson Cancer Center
This session will provide an overview of the rapidly evolving
clinical landscape of ctDNA testing in oncology. The biology
and history of ctDNA, featuring its clinical applications
including screening, minimal residual disease (MRD), and
biomarker treatment selection will be discussed.
Program Area: CMB Level: Basic
Clinical Utilities of Optical Genomic Mapping at Clinical Cytogenetic Labs
» Ying Zou, MD, PhD, FACMG, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Optical genome mapping (OGM) is an emerging technology.
It reveals genome-wide structural and copy number variants,
some of which are important to classify cancer risk. Given
a simple workflow and analysis pipeline, it is adopting into
clinical labs.
Program Area: CMB Level: Basic
An Integrated Cytogenomic Approach to Evaluate Hemato-Oncology Cases in the
New Era
» Carlos Tirado, PhD, FACMGG, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook
This session will provide an opportunity to learn how to
evaluate hematological malignancies cases in a new era of
testing approaches.
Program Area: CMB, HEM Level: Intermediate
An Introduction to Epilepsy-associated Variant Interpretation
» Rachel Lewis, MS, MB(ASCP), Invitae
This session includes a review of some of the medical terms
commonly encountered when reviewing epilepsy cases.
We will also discuss genes that have high positive rates on
next-generation sequencing diagnostic panels and describe
important considerations when evaluating variants.
Program Area: CMB Level: Advanced
Setting up Optical Genome Mapping in your Cytogenetic Laboratory: Points for Consideration in Analysis and Test
Validation
» Wahab Khan, PhD, FACMG, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Chromosomal rearrangements are well-known hallmarks of
cancer and constitutional cytogenetics. Learn how to set up an
optical genome mapping (OGM) workflow and validate it for
cancer cytogenetic applications.
Program Area: CMB Level: Intermediate
Introduction to Health/Healthcare Equity: How Laboratorians Can Play a Vital Role in Eliminating Disparities
» Juli-Anne Gardner, MD, CG(ASCP)CM, University of Vermont Medical Center
» Pamela Gibson, MD, University of Vermont Health Network/Larner College of Medicine at the University of
Vermont
» Alicia Hill, MLS(ASCP)CM, Charge Medical Lab Scientist
Laboratory medicine is more than a test result; our discipline
can play a vital role in reducing health/healthcare disparities
and improving the quality of life for patients. We will discuss
ways laboratorians can help reduce disparities.
Program Area: ETH Level: Basic
OFFERING 2024
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP
Pre-Conference Workshops – in-person only (JAM registration required; additional fee required)
Revolutionizing Hematological Disease: Unraveling Genomic Mysteries with Optical
Genome Mapping
Tuesday, July 9th 8:00 am – 11:00 am
» Su Yang, CG(ASCP), MD Anderson Cancer Center
This workshop will discuss how optical genome mapping (OGM) can be used as a companion tool to detect chromosomal
abnormalities at a much higher resolution, especially for structural variants in hematological malignancies. OGM has shown to be
a powerful new technology that can lead to higher detection rates of abnormalities in cancer cytogenetics when correlated with
traditional cytogenetic tests, including FISH and G-banded chromosome studies. Participants will learn from cancer case studies
presented at the workshop as well as advantages and limitations using this platform.
Program Area: CMB Level: Advanced
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Introduction to Real-Time PCR
Tuesday, July 9th 9:00 am – 11:00 am
» Katie Bennett, PhD, MB(ASCP)CM, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
» Ericka Hendrix, PhD, MB(ASCP)CM, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
This workshop is an introduction to real-time PCR chemistry, how to set-up reactions, and how to interpret results. There will be
activities for real-time PCR to help illustrate the concepts involved with this technique.
Program Area: CMB Level: Basic
BOARD CERTIFICATION PREPARATION COURSE
Pre-Conference Course – in-person or virtual (JAM registration NOT required; additional fee required)
Molecular Biology Board Certification Preparation Course
Monday, July 8th 7:30am – 5:30pm
Full day course designed for individuals interested in sitting for the Molecular Biology Exam offered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (BOC), MB(ASCP). The comprehensive review course covers topics specified in the current ASCP BOC exam content outline. During the program you will attend eight (8) hours of lectures and receive study content including, an outline of each subject area, illustrations, practice problems, and other materials that promote effective and efficient study. Upon completion of this course you will be able to discuss basic concepts of molecular genetics, describe integral concepts of molecular testing and identify the applications of molecular testing for detecting genetic related diseases.
More details can be found on the AGT website at https://agt-info.org/mb_prepcourse-2024-2/.