Background
There has been a rapid evolution in the technology and level of genetic analysis in recent years. Developments in molecular biology have allowed researchers, not only to determine the genetic etiology of common diseases, but also the spatial and temporal variation of gene frequencies. Genetic epidemiology, whereby knowledge is acquired about the environmental and genetic factors involved in predisposition and resistance to disease, has become an important scientific discipline. At the community level, this genetic information could be utilised for the improvement of local community health. In many lesser-developed Asian countries, where consanguineous marriage is a long-standing tradition and virtually all marriages are contracted within local ethnic communities, there are major opportunities for genetic epidemiological research. Consanguinity and large family size are important in population genetic investigations, but studies of endogamy and consanguineous marriages have the potential to raise numerous ethical and social issues, which need to be urgently addressed. In this context the workshop has a number of important goals that will have a significant impact on regional development. These include the creation of education and counselling programmes as well as community involvement in the prevention of genetic disease. These initiatives would be aided by the establishment of disease registers/screening programmes for diseases of high local/regional/community prevalence, supported by the development of local and regional laboratories where genetic samples will be collected and analysed.

Aim and Objectives
This workshop aims to teach the participants both the theory and applications of human genetic methods with the goal of stimulating basic research in this field in developing Asian countries that incorporates clinical/diagnostic/prognostic potential. The workshop also aims to encourage the development of local and regional laboratories where genetic samples will be collected and analysed. The workshop has been planned as an international forum for scientific exchange on all major areas of human genetics, with an opportunity for each of the participants to exchange views on the present state of knowledge, the emergence of new concepts and the development of innovative techniques relevant to problems of the region. The workshop will include a series of lectures, a range of tutorials and a practical course embodying cutting-edge technology. The workshop is for students and researchers from less developed Asian nations with limited experience in using different types of genetic analysis.