Dr. Eric Lander Visits Mexico Once Again

As part of the 10th edition of Carlos Slim Health Awards, Dr. Eric Lander, Director of the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, and partner of Carlos Slim Foundation in the Slim Initiative in Genomic Medicine (SIGMA), was invited to give a lecture. Dr. Lande is one of the most renowned experts in genomics worldwide.

The lecture, called ‘Past, Present and Future of Genomic Medicine’, was presented in the auditorium Raoul Fournier at Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

“It is a great pleasure to visit the UNAM , which represents the leading medicine community in Mexico, because I know the major role that this country plays in the future of genomic medicine in Latin America, ” he said Dr. Lander to begin his presentation.

In his lecture, Dr. Lander presented the recent advances in the development of genomic medicine at the Broad Institute, in front of a community of specialists and UNAM students.

Later that night, at the delivery ceremony of the Health Awards, held at the Soumaya Museum, Dr. Eric Lander received, along with other important partners of the Carlos Slim Foundation, a Special Recognition for his support and collaboration in the development of the different stages of SIGMA.

In 2010, Carlos Slim Foundation and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard launched SIGMA, an unprecedented partnership that also includes the National Institute of Genomic Medicine and 15 other health and research institutions across the country. SIGMA was established with the aim of benefiting the populations of Mexico and Latin America from genomic research through:

  • Investigating the genetic causes of major diseases afflicting the population: diabetes mellitus type 2 and cancer.
  • Promoting a genomic research platform in Mexico by training researchers and encouraging the development of diagnostic tools and treatment using genomic technology.

To date, SIGMA has generated 21 scientific publications in the most prestigious journals on the world, including Nature, Science, PNAS and JAMA. Additionally, 32 scholarships for the Board Institute have been granted to Mexican researchers.