By October 2005, data and analysis from Phase I of the HapMap Project will be published in Nature, and genotypes from Phase II are expected to be complete. Catalyzed by these accomplishments and other data, methods for statistical genetic analysis are rapidly evolving, resulting in new and improved methods for disease research in the human population. While the creation of the HapMap resource is well advanced and publicly available, the methods and insights from analysis of such data are at a more immature stage. Moreover, sparked by new tools for collecting genotype data genome-wide in patient samples, whole genome association studies have become a reality, with the first large and well-powered such studies being performed in 2005. Open discussion and evaluation of data and methods are critical to ensure scientific rigor and development of high standards across this research community. Such discussions need to involve both people involved in creation of the HapMap resource (who can provide insights into its creation), population genetic and statistical analysts (expert in its computational analysis), and a large number of disease researchers who are applying it to patient samples. To facilitate these interactions, we propose a scientific meeting (""""""""Mining the HapMap"""""""") organized by leaders of the HapMap Project's analysis group (David Altshuler, Aravinda Chakravarti, Mark Daly, and Peter Donnelly) that follows on two highly successful meetings in 2004 and 2005.
The aims of the proposed meeting will be to review data from HapMap and discuss what other data is required, to stimulate evaluation and development of new computational methods, and to discuss what has been learned from intensive analysis of disease samples. The meeting will consist of invited presentations as well as talks and posters based on abstract submissions. ? ? ? ?
