Unzip Your Genes: Jewish Genetic Awareness April 28, 2011

Because Ashkenazi Jews (Jews of Eastern European & Russian origin) have a significantly higher incidence for many genetic disorders than the general population, it's important for all Jews who intend to have children to understand the genetic implications.

The Jewish community did a phenomenal job in educating themselves about Tay-Sachs and the advent of carrier testing in the 1970s and 80s. But somewhere along the way they forgot to continue that educational process as the list of "Jewish disorders" increased beyond previous understanding.

Unzip Your Genes will combine a biology lesson, a genetics primer and a review of Jewish migration over the past 2000 years. The panel will explore the diagnosis, management and treatment of Ashkenazi Jewish genetic conditions with a focus on the most common disorder - Goucher Disease. Though lesser known than Tay-Sachs disease, Gaucher disease is two and half times more prevalent within the Ashkenazi population.

PANELISTS

Seymour Packman, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics at the UCSF School of Medicine. He directs the American Board of Medical Genetics Training Program at UCSF and is Director of the Biochemical Genetics Service of that Medical Center. Dr. Packman also serves as Director of the UCSF-Stanford Lysosomal Disease Center and the UCSF Neurometabolic Program and Clinics.

Gary S. Frohlich, MS, a Certified Genetics Counselor & Patient Education Liaison for Genzyme Corporation. He lectures widely and has authored numerous articles on Goucher disease research, testing and prevention. In addition to understanding the medical aspects of Gaucher disease, Mr. Frohlich is an expert on how that disease and other disorders came to affect the Ashkenazi Jewish community.

Rabbi David Booth
Congregation Kol Emeth, Palo Alto
Has a 14 year old son living with Gaucher's Disease

Rachel Koff
Genetic Counseling Student, CSU/UCSF Genetic Counseling Program

Dessert, coffee and tea will be served.

Official Website: http://www.paloaltojcc.org/arts