"Same, Same, but Different" My Journey of Drug Metabolism Research in Jordan | Dr. Nancy Hakooz

Webinar Abstract Title: Drug Metabolism and Jordan; Focus on the Circassians and the Chechens Subpopulations 

This webinar is going to extend the discussion initiated in the award lecture that was presented in Seattle in September 2022 in recognition of my sustained contributions to the field of drug metabolism research. I was the recipient of the 2022 ISSX Award for Outstanding Achievement in Xenobiotic Research by a Scientist from an Underrepresented Nation.

The Jordanian population is composed of different ethnicities, the overwhelming majority are Arab (98%) and the remaining non-Arabs are Circassians, Chechens, Armenian, and Kurds. Circassians and Chechens in Jordan are two minority populations with Caucasian ancestry, each is genetically isolated due to endogamous marriage. Our group has studied these subpopulations and compared the similarities and differences between these genetically distinct populations and the Jordanian Arabs. We investigated the variability in the prevalence of certain conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and cancer which could inform our understanding of the cause and etiology of the disease

The webinar is going to discuss some of the pharmacogenetic studies performed in Jordan and highlight their findings. Moreover, pharmacogenetic studies of Circassians and Chechens have also been conducted and could similarly utilize an understanding of medication response leading to personalized therapy.

Our findings emphasize the importance of the inclusion of different populations and diverse ethnic subpopulations in genetic and pharmacogenetic studies to better understand health, aging, and how a disease develops and emphasize the importance of personalized medicine.