MIT Hacking Medicine – Hack for RARE 2021

Event description courtesy of Captial Area BioSpace:
https://www.meetup.com/CapitalAreaBioSpace/events/278485410/

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER ONLINE GO HERE: https://www.synapse.org/#!Synapse:syn25551331/wiki/609587

Hackathon Tracks:
Challenge Track 1: Neurofibromatosis
Challenge Track 2: PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome
Challenge Track 3: RASopathies
Collaborative Track: Desmoid Tumors Patient Case

REGISTER HERE ASAP: https://www.synapse.org/#!Synapse:syn25551331/wiki/610160

Then you can register for the Webinar:
https://www.synapse.org/#!Synapse:syn25551331/wiki/609856

Description

Hack for RARE 2021 is a virtual hackathon event organized by the Children’s Tumor Foundation and MIT Hacking Medicine.
For the first time, we are inviting rare disease organizations to join us and create challenges that will advance the research fields around a distinct group of rare genetic conditions:

* Neurofibromatosis (NF1, NF2, schwannomatosis), a family of three conditions that cause tumors to grow on nerve terminations and other morbidities,
* RASopathies (Cardio-facio cutaneous CFC, Costello CS, Noonan NS), a group of rare genetic conditions caused by mutations in genes of the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway (of which NF1 is one).
* PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome (PHTS), a rare genetic condition that causes increased risk for certain cancers, benign growths, and neurodevelopmental conditions.
* Desmoid Tumor, a very rare neoplasm that develops from fibroblasts. These tumors do not have the ability to metastasize, but they can cause significant morbidity and mortality by local invasion and they are prone to local recurrence.

In addition to their specific natures and unique set of challenges, most of these syndromes are classified as ‘Tumor Predisposition Syndromes’, meaning patients have a genetic variant identified with increased risk for tumors to develop. Tumors, initially benign, could transform into malignant causing cancer. In this hackathon, you will be provided with access to research data sets, patient data, literature collections, and other resources to explore. You will have access to mentors (both discipline and disease experts), including researchers and clinicians. You will also have access to patients to learn first-person experiences and needs so you can develop applicable, real-world solutions!