Epigenetics is a rapidly expanding field, which plays a key role in a wide range of biological processes. These include, for example, embryonic development, ageing and the adaptation of organisms to their environments. Moreover, epigenetics impacts a broad spectrum of disease processes. Epigenetic mechanisms have, for instance, been shown to contribute significantly to a number of major pathologies, including metabolic disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, cardiovascular disease, mental illness, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the epigenetic control of gene expression is therefore crucial to addressing some of the most fundamental open questions in biology and medicine.
Epigenetics is a rapidly growing area of investigation in biomedicine and may be key to developing novel therapies for some of the most important and intractable diseases. This symposium aims to explore some of these areas of investigation, promote discussion and potentially forge partnerships for future research.