Dear Colleagues and Friends,

May I, on behalf of the Organizing Committee, extend to you a warm welcome to the ESHG/LSHG courses for laboratory medical geneticists: Translating genomics into the clinics, to be held in Vilnius, Lithuania, 29 May – 1 June, 2009.

These courses are organized by the European Society of Human Genetics together with the Lithuanian Society of Human Genetics. They will be devoted to all aspects of laboratory testing in clinical genetics (biochemical genetics, cytogenetics and molecular genetics) including lectures on basic knowledge as well as recent advances and practical training (32 hours in total). The participants will get certificates for their continuing education unit credits. The Courses are made with a great and committed effort of our Scientific Committee consisting of most outstanding lecturers and specialists from Europe and outside. We hope you will be able not only to gain important knowledge but also to have enough time for direct communication and sharing of practical problems you are encountering in your every day work.

We hope you will enjoy your stay in Vilnius – the most beautiful Eastern European city and European Capital of Culture in 2009. With gentle early summer‘s weather you will be able to discover our cosy and historically rich Vilnius Old City during your afternoon excursions. The venue of the Courses is Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University – one of the oldest Eastern European Universities having it‘s traces back to the 16th century.

We look forward to welcoming you in Vilnius and hope these Courses will be a memorable experience as well as a great opportunity to gain knowledge and make contacts for all of you.

Yours sincerely,

Prof.Vaidutis Kučinskas,
President of the Organizing Committee,
President of the Lithuanian Society of Human Genetics,
Board Member of the European Society of Human Genetics