Successful completion of the GP2 Bioinformatics Training Workshop: Residents deepen their knowledge in Parkinson’s Disease genetics

As part of the international collaboration between the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2) and the South Kazakhstan Academy, the GP2 Bioinformatics Training Workshop was held on 17-18 October 2024, aimed at researchers interested in the genetics of Parkinson’s disease. The seminar took place in Tbilisi, Georgia, at the Tbilisi State Medical Academy. The workshop featured resident neurologist Kalzhan Olzhas, a second-year resident-neurologist actively involved in studying the genetic aspects of Parkinson’s disease.
GP2 is an ambitious project supported by the initiative «Uniting Scientific Efforts to Combat Parkinson’s Disease», implemented in partnership with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The main goals of this project include expanding the understanding of the genetic structure of Parkinson’s disease through large-scale genotyping and sequencing studies involving over 200,000 people worldwide; creating an infrastructure to accelerate the discovery of new mutations that cause the disease; and democratizing efforts with a special focus on education, aiming to create a global generation of scientists and provide opportunities for groups that are traditionally underrepresented in scientific research.
On the first day of the workshop, participants were introduced to the project, its goals and objectives, as well as the latest information on Parkinson’s disease genetics and genomic approaches. In the second half of the session, a practical component on biostatistics began. Participants worked intensively on the Terra platform using laptops, learning how to analyze genetic data and calculate metrics. The seminar was conducted by leading specialists and PhD doctors in the field of genetic research on Parkinson’s disease.
On the second day of the workshop, participants continued their work on the Terra platform, analyzing polygenic risks and the age of disease onset. In the latter half of the session, two patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease were invited to undergo clinical assessment and demonstrate the main examination methods.
We express our sincere gratitude to the head of the Department of Neurology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and neurosurgery, Nazira Asanovna Zharkinbekova and the management of the South Kazakhstan Medical Academy for providing this invaluable opportunity for students to gain experience for their further development in the medical field.