Mendelian randomization: In the age of large-scale accessible data

An international conference th th organised by the Medical 11 to 13 July 2017 Research Council Integrative Colston Hall, Bristol, BS1 5AR, UK Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol

General Information Local organisation committee Professor George Davey Smith -University of Bristol Dr Jack Bowden - University of Bristol Dr Tom Gaunt - University of Bristol Dr Sarah Lewis - University of Bristol Dr Lindsey Gaunt - University of Bristol Dr Doretta Caramaschi - University of Bristol Dr Andrew Crawford - University of Bristol Dr Neil Davies - University of Bristol Dr Philip Haycock - University of Bristol Dr Diana Santos Ferreira - University of Bristol Dr Kaitlin Wade - University of Bristol Dr Michelle Taylor - University of Bristol Sally John - Biogen Idec, USA Dr Lon Cardon - GlaxoSmithKline, USA Dr Brian Ference - Wayne State University, USA Professor Vanessa Didelez - Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology, Bremen Dr Daniel Benjamin - University of Southern California, USA Dr Sekar Kathiresan - Broad Institute, USA Dr Paul Brennan - International Agency for Research on Cancer Ryan Langdon - University of Bristol James Yarmolinsky - University of Bristol Audrey Hayes - University of Bristol

Registration Registration desk opens at 8:00am on Tuesday 11th July, and will remain open until 13:30. The registration desk will be open between 8:30am and 9:30am on Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th July. Scientific Session Plenary sessions are held in Hall 1. Parallel sessions are held in the Hall 1, The Lantern and The Terrace Bar, as advertised in the schedule. All talks are 10 minutes long, followed by questions. Posters Posters can be displayed and viewed in the Stalls Bar during the scheduled poster sessions from 17:00 to 18:00 Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th July. Posters presented by early career researchers will be judged by the judging panel during both sessions. Prize winners will be announced at the closing address on Thursday 13th July. Lunch and Refreshments During morning and afternoon breaks, refreshments are served in both the Stalls Bar and Foyer. Lunch will be served in the Stalls Bar. No food or drink to be taken into the Auditorium or The Lantern. Lunches and refreshments are included in the registration fee. Conference Dinner The Conference Dinner is held at Bambalan, located adjacent to the conference venue.

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To attend the conference dinner you should have reserved your place during registration. You will be issued with an event ticket during registration. Guests are advised to bring a warm layer of clothing, so they can enjoy the open-air roof terrace, which provided stunning views of Bristol City Centre. Seating is also provided indoors. Guests are advised to arrive by 18:30. Internet Access Internet access at Colston Hall is available via either the ‘Colston Hall’ or ‘delegate’ wireless provision. For the ‘delegate’ service please use ‘chdelegate’ as the password. Twitter Throughout the conference we will be using Twitter to connect delegates through their experience using @mrc_ieu #mrconf17. Left Luggage There is limited space available at the conference venue for left luggage. Please enquire at the Registration Desk. The organisers cannot accept liability for left luggage. Parking No parking is available at the conference venue, and delegates are encouraged to use public transport wherever possible. Sponsors Our thanks go to our generous sponsor: Metabolon.

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Short course on Mendelian randomization Monday 10th July, Canynge Hall, Room LG-09, Whatley Road, Bristol, BS8 2PS Course tutors Sarah Lewis (course organiser), Neil Davies, Rebecca Richmond, Michelle Taylor, Philip Haycock, Jack Bowden

Course aims and objectives Mendelian randomization is a study that uses genetic variants as instrumental variables (proxies) to test the causal effect of a (non-genetic) risk factor. Since its first pro