Business programme

The development of gene therapy technologies in medicine is undergoing a rapid surge, and the widespread clinical use of cell and gene technologies in modern medicine has opened up unprecedented possibilities in the battle against diseases once thought to be incurable. Meanwhile, issues surrounding the acceptability of altering the human genome have struck a nerve, raising social and ethical questions regarding interference in human evolution. The development of gene technologies is undoubtedly a matter of national security, and represents great medical progress. However, the need for government mechanisms to protect the rights and freedoms of human beings is clear. Which achievements in the realm of health diagnostic systems, innovative treatment algorithms, and medicines have been driven by the development of gene technologies? What real and prospective applications do gene technologies have in clinical practice? What innovative genetic studies are being conducted in Russia? What diseases could they help prevent in the near future, and what is the future of their development in the healthcare system? What are the possibilities and risks of research in the realm of editing the human genome? What are the prospects for their practical application in medicine?

Moderator
Sergey Kutsev, Director, Research Centre for Medical Genetics; Chief External Expert in Medical Genetics of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Sergey Kutsev

Director, Research Centre for Medical Genetics; Chief External Expert in Medical Genetics of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

In 1988, he graduated from the Medical Faculty of the Rostov Order of Peoples' Friendship Medical Institute (RODNMI). Upon graduation from the institute in 1988, he was left for postgraduate studies. In his main position from 1991 to 2000. - Assistant, from 2000 to 2006 - Associate Professor, and from 2006 to August 2011 - Head of the Laboratory of Medical Genetics at the Rostov State Medical University (RostSMU). From 2006, he was concurrently an associate professor and then professor of the course in genetics and laboratory genetics at the Faculty of Advanced Medical Education of the Rostov State Medical University.
After moving to Moscow in 2011 - as the head of the department at the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University. From 2012 to 2015 - Deputy Head of the Mutagenesis Laboratory (part-time) at the Medical Genetics Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. From 2012 to 2015 - Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Moscow Research Center". From May 20, 2015 - Acting Director and then Director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Medical Genetics Research Center" (since 2019 - Federal State Budgetary Institution "Academician N.P. Bochkov Medical Genetics Research Center").
His scientific interests include clinic, diagnosis and treatment of inherited diseases, genetics of oncohematological diseases, the role of viruses in carcinogenesis, neonatal screening, and organization of medical genetic services. He is the author of more than 300 publications, 17 manuals and guidelines.

Panellists
Dmitry Artyukhov, Governor of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region
Vladislav Baranov, General Director, Group of clinics "SOGAZ MEDICINA"
Lina Basel Salmon, Director, The Raphael Recanati Genetic Institute - Beilinson (online)
Dmitry Koloda, Medical Director, Takeda Russia
Mark Kurtser, General Director, Mother and Child Group of Companies (online)
Ning Li, Vice President, BGI Group (online)
Alexey Repik, Chairman, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia); Chairman of the Board, Group R-Pharm
Tatyana Semenova, Deputy Minister of Health of the Russian Federation
Veronika Skvortsova, Head, Federal Medical-Biological Agency of the Russian Federation
Mike Fraser, General Manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Novartis Gene Therapies (online)

Dmitry Artyukhov

Governor of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region

Vladislav Baranov

General Director, Group of clinics "SOGAZ MEDICINA"

Dmitry Koloda

Medical Director, Takeda Russia

Dmitry Koloda has been Executive Director of Medical Affairs at Takeda Russia since 2016. He is responsible for medical strategy, research, diagnostics services, and digital medical projects at the company. He has over 15 years of experience working successfully with leading international and Russian pharmaceutical companies in the realm of specialized medicine, oncology, and orphan diseases. Koloda graduated from Sechenov University (Russia), received an Executive MBA from INSEAD (France/Singapore), and completed a certified course on Drug Development at the University of Basel (Switzerland).

Mark Kurtser

General Director, Mother and Child Group of Companies

Mark Kurtser is the founder of the Mother and Child Group of Companies, Chairman of the Group’s Board of Directors, a correspondent member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a doctor of medicine and a professor.
He began his career at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Pirogov Second Moscow State Medical Institute, where he worked his way up from assistant to associate professor of the department.
From 1994 to 2012, Kurtser was head of the Family Planning and Reproduction Centre of the Moscow Healthcare Department, the largest obstetrics and gynaecology institution in Moscow.
In 2011, he defended his doctoral dissertation. From 2003 to 2013, he was the chief obstetrician and gynaecologist within the Moscow Healthcare Department. The Mother and Child Welfare programme was prepared with his involvement as part of the Municipal Targeted Programme for Healthcare Development for 2006–2007 and guidelines were developed for health and demographic indicators. The level of maternal and perinatal mortality declined in the city.
Kurtser is the author of 45 scientific works, more than eleven textbooks and practical guidelines in obstetrics and gynaecology. PhD dissertations are held under his guidance. Kurtser is actively involved in holding conventions and symposiums and also lectures for practicing physicians and residents. He introduces innovative medical technologies to the work of obstetrics and gynaecology in-patient clinics.
Kurtser remains actively involved in the activities of the Mother and Child Group both as an executive and as regular medical practitioner.

Alexey Repik

Chairman, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia); Chairman of the Board, Group R-Pharm

Born in Moscow, Russia on 27 August 1979.Graduated from the State University “Higher School of Economics”, Diploma in Economy and Business Administration.Since 1995 in Healthcare and Pharmaceutics.R-Pharm Founder. President of All-Russia Business Association “Delovaya Rossiya” (“Business Russia”), actively participating in the improvement of investment climate in the Russian Federation and the establishment of the regional investment standard.Member of the Economic Council under the President of the Russian Federation.Member of the Presidential Council for Priority National Projects and Demographic Policy.Member of the Expert Council under the Government of the Russian Federation. Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, Head of Commission on Investment Climate.Representative (public ombudsman) of the Commissioner of the Presidential Council on the protection of the rights of entrepreneurs on issues related to the protection of the rights of foreign investors.Board-member and Co-chairman of Committee of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs on pharmaceutical and medical industry.Co-Chairman of the National Rating CommitteeMember of the Public Council under the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation (pharmaceutical, medical equipment and technologies).Member of the Supervisory Board of the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization "Agency for Strategic Initiatives".

Veronika Skvortsova

Head, Federal Medical-Biological Agency of the Russian Federation

Veronika Skvortsova was born in Moscow on November 1, 1960.
She graduated from the 2nd Pirogov Moscow State Medical Institute in 1983 and completed a Postgraduate Clinical Residency Programme and an Advanced Postgraduate Programme specializing in neuropathology. In 1994, she qualified as a higher category neurologist.
After graduating, she worked for the 2nd Moscow State Medical Institute (the Russian State Medical University since 1991) for 25 years.
Veronika Skvortsova became head of one of Russia’s first neurology emergency services at Moscow’s 1st municipal hospital established on the basis of the neurology clinic of the 2nd Moscow State Medical Institute in 1989.
In 1989–1995, she served as assistant and, in 1995–1997, as assistant professor at the Neuropathology Department of the Russian State Medical University.
She became Head of the Fundamental and Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery Department in 1997.
Veronika Skvortsova was appointed Director of the Russian Stroke Research Institute in 2005.
She was Deputy Minister of Healthcare and Social Development from 2008 to 2012.
Veronika Skvortsova was appointed Minister of Healthcare by Presidential Executive Order No. 650 of May 21, 2012.
She is vice-president and co-founder of the National Stroke Association, director of the World Stroke Organization and secretary general of the European Stroke Council.
She is a Doctor of Medicine, Professor, and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.
Veronika Skvortsova is an Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation.
She has been awarded an Order of Honour and won the Pirogov Prize and Moscow Government Prize in Medicine.
She is the author of more than 400 research papers and holds seven patents for her inventions.

Front row participants
Pavel Volchkov, Director, Institute of Personalized Medicine, National Medical Research Center for Endocrinology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation
Elena Zhidkova, Head, Central Healthcare Directorate, Russian Railways
Irina Zabolotnaya, Deputy Director of the Department of Social Policy, Norilsk Nickel
Olesya Sagaidak, Deputy Medical Director, EVOGEN; Researcher, Federal State Budgetary Institution "National Medical Research Center of Cardiology" of the Ministry of Health of Russia
Q.Annie Hasan, Consultant & HOD, Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Kamineni Hospital, Hyderabad (online)

Pavel Volchkov

Director, Institute of Personalized Medicine, National Medical Research Center for Endocrinology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Candidate of Biological Sciences

- Director, Institute of Personalized Medicine, National Medical Research Centre for Endocrinology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation
- Executive Director, Center for Living Systems and Biopharmaceutical Engineering; Head, Genome Engineering Lab, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT)

World-class geneticist, Moscow State University alumnus, worked at the University of Chicago and Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on applied projects in the realm of genetics and bioinformatics for agro- and biomedicine.

___________________________________________________________________

Education:
In 2004, he graduated with honours from Moscow State University with a degree in biochemistry, specializing in plant, animal, and human viruses.
In 2008, he successfully defended his Candidate’s dissertation on genetics and stem cells at the Institute of Gene Biology and the Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
From 2006 to 2015, he held postdoc fellowships with the University of Chicago and the Boston Children's Hospital (Harvard University).

Professional experience:

Biomedical scientist specializing in molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, and stem cell biology, with experience in flow cytometry, especially of hematopoietic stem cells and immune cells. Over 10 years of experience in creating genetically modified animals, experience working with animal models, including the organization and management of gnotobiotic vivarium facilities at the University of Chicago.

● From 2020 — Executive Director, Center for Living Systems and Biopharmaceutical Engineering, MIPT
An MIPT scientific and educational centre, an extension of the Genome Engineering and Orphan Diseases Therapy laboratories, focused on conducting basic and applied research in the realm of genome engineering, gene therapy development, bioinformatics, and related fields
● 2019–2020 — Director, Centre for Genomic Technology and Bioinformatics, MIPT. A scientific and educational centre created through the Science National Project, part of the Kurchatov Genome Centre, in the domains of ‘Genetic Technologies for Agricultural Development’ and ‘Gene Technologies for Industrial Microbiology’.
● From 2016 — Head, Genome Engineering Lab, MIPT. Research: editing human stem and somatic cells to create therapies for oncological, autoimmune, and infectious diseases, developing technological platforms for editing animal and plant genomes, e.g., creating animals and plants that are resistant to viral and bacterial pathogens, translating gene editing technologies (CRISPR-based technologies) to applied research projects.
● 2015 — Gene editing laboratory with a focus on creating genetic animal models in the fields of virology and immunology, regenerative medicine, stem cell biology, at the Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Centre of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, at the MIPT Laboratory of Pre-clinical Research. Research: creating new animal models for studying the biology of hematopoietic stem cells, the interactions of innate and acquired immunity with microflora and pathogenic bacteria and viruses, gene editing of hematopoietic stem cells using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to create therapies for diseases previously thought to be incurable such as HIV and even inherited blood disorders (sickle-cell anemia).
● 2015 — Visiting Scholar, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University. Organizing scientific and educational activities, developing a laboratory complex, teaching by way of mentoring undergrad students, graduate students, and staff.
● 2011–2015 — Postdoctoral Fellow, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard University, USA. Research: identifying combinations of transcription factors for reprogramming differentiated blood cells into hematopoietic stem cells to develop clinical protocols for creating hematopoietic blood stem cells during transplantation, applying CRISPR/Cas9 technology to edit genomes, creating animal models for studying the biology of hematopoietic stem cells, the role of miR-142 in hematopoiesis.
● 2006–2011 — Postgraduate/Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA. Research: the role of intestinal microflora in the development of type 1 diabetes, the creation of animal models for studying the role of PAMPs (DAMPs) in the development of autoimmunity, the role of intestinal microflora and regulatory T cells in suppressing the development of an autoimmune response.
● 2005–2008 — Postgraduate, Institute of Gene Biology and Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. Research: epigenetic regulation of key transcription factors regulating the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells and tissue-specific differentiation.

Research Interests:
Biochemistry; genetics; molecular biology; medicine; immunology; pharmacology, toxicology, and pharmaceutics; regenerative medicine; stem cells; bioinformatics; engineering

Elena Zhidkova

Head, Central Healthcare Directorate, Russian Railways

In 2009 Elena Zhidkova graduated from the I.M.Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy. In 2011 Ms.Zhidkova completed a residency training at the Department of Healthcare Management on the Faculty of Economics and Healthcare Management of the I.M.Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University. In 2011 Elena Zhidkova graduated from the Marketing Faculty of the Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Information Technology.
In 2011-2015 Ms.Zhidkova was on postgraduate study at the Department of Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management of the I.M.Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University. Elena Zhidkova is an author of numerous articles and publications.
Since 2011 – Deputy Head of Division of Medical Services at the Morozov City Clinical Hospital for Children, since 2013 – head of consultative and diagnostics centre, in 2014 – became head of the ambulatory and polyclinic center of this organization. In 2016, Ms.Zhidkova was appointed Head of the Healthcare Department of JSC Russian Railways. Since May 2016, she is the Head of Central Healthcare Directorate – a branch of JSC Russian Railways. Since January 2017 – Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Stock Company RZD Health.