The “10th International Erciyes Medical Genetics Congress”, organized by the ERU Faculty of Medicine, was attended by Rector Prof. Dr. Fatih Altun, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Prof. Dr. İsmail Dursun, academics, and students.

In his opening speech, Rector Prof. Dr. Fatih Altun emphasized that our university is making significant strides toward becoming one of Türkiye’s leading institutions. He said: “We are a higher education institution striving to serve our country, aiming to produce outcomes that benefit humanity. On this path, we have made substantial progress toward being recognized among Türkiye’s top universities. Being ranked 8th among state universities as a research university is not our ultimate goal, but rather a motivating benchmark for us to continue improving.”

He also highlighted the vital role of the Faculty of Medicine in providing healthcare services to the region, noting: “Our faculty not only delivers healthcare services but also plays a prominent role in research. The leadership of our research centers and the impactful studies conducted by our esteemed academics are the driving forces behind the achievements we celebrate today.”

He also provided information on the work being carried out at the Genome and Stem Cell Center (GENKÖK). He continued as follows: “We have reinstated stem cell management at GENKÖK. Particularly in patient treatment processes, we initiated therapies involving stem cells about a month ago. We are now moving from R&D to P&D phases. I would also like to highlight that with our recent focus on the production of live cell exosomes, Erciyes University is taking a significant place in this emerging sector. These efforts not only reflect what is necessary today but also pave the way for ambitious future goals.”

Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Prof. Dr. İsmail Dursun expressed that he was pleased to host the congress.

Congress Chair and Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Munis Dündar thanked all who contributed to organizing the congress and said: “Genetics has developed at an extraordinary pace over the past 30 years. The introduction and application of new technologies have created major opportunities in both diagnostics and treatment.”

Following the opening remarks, the congress continued with its first session on “Omics Technologies in Undiagnosed Rare Genetic Diseases.”