Nadir Hackathon II – We’re competing for rare solutions!
Rare diseases are defined as diseases affecting 1 in 2000 people or less. While rare by definition, they represent approximately 7000 different diseases in total. Most of these diseases are genetic in origin, and the majority have no current cure. Affecting 350-400 million people worldwide and over 30 million in Europe, rare diseases place a significant burden on human health and healthcare systems. Rare Diseases Day, observed annually at the end of February, aims to raise awareness about these diseases and improve patients’ access to better diagnosis, treatment, and living conditions.
Some rare diseases cannot be diagnosed through standard medical evaluations, leading to long periods of undiagnosed patients. Today, thanks to advanced diagnostic methods and sophisticated genetic testing, many patients who have remained undiagnosed for a long time can be diagnosed. To improve the recognition of rare diseases, the understanding of the diagnostic process, and the development of diagnostic approach skills, a Rare Diseases Hackathon competition will be held at the Izmir Biomedical and Genome Center on Saturday, February 28th, Rare Diseases Day. This competition, organized by the RareBoost ERA-Chair project, aims to raise awareness among young scientists about rare diseases.
In this competition, participants will be asked to develop accurate, rapid, and evidence-based diagnostic algorithms for rare and undiagnosed cases. The competition, consisting of two sessions, will begin in the morning; in the afternoon, team spokespersons will present their cases, followed by an awards ceremony for the winners.
The target group for this competition consists of medical students studying in the 6th year of medical school, those undergoing medical specialization training in the clinical fields specified below, and those pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees in health and life sciences.
In addition to gaining professional experience, this competition aims to equip participants with teamwork discipline, project development skills, the capacity to develop evidence-based approaches, the ability to manage complex situations, and problem-solving skills.
Participation Requirements
- The following groups of students studying or undergoing specialization training at universities in Turkey can apply:
- Medical Residency Students in the following specialization areas:
- Medical Genetics
- Oncology
- Internal Medicine
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Pediatric Genetics
- Pediatric Metabolism
- Pediatric Neurology
- Intern Doctors (6th year of Medical Faculty)
- Master’s Students (studying in the fields of Health and Life Sciences)
- Doctoral Students (studying in the fields of Health and Life Sciences)
- Medical Residency Students in the following specialization areas:
- Applications must be submitted individually, and each person may only submit one application. Only the first application will be considered in case of multiple applications.
- Competition will be held in Turkish.
- Groups of 5 students will be formed from those whose applications are accepted. (Groups will be determined by the evaluation committee based on the students’ department, class, and experience level).
- Applications must be submitted by completing the application form no later than February 16, 2025. Application form:
- The application form must be sent to rareboostibg@gmail.com before the application deadline.
- Please ensure that all information requested in the application is filled out completely and accurately.
- Incomplete or incorrect applications will not be considered.
- Applicants are responsible for the accuracy of the information provided in their application.
Important Dates:
Application Deadline: February 16, 2025
Application Evaluation: February 18, 2025
Announcement of Participants: February 19, 2025
Rare Hackathon: Saturday, February 28, 2025
Location: Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Balçova/Izmir
Contact Information: You can send your questions about the Rare Hackathon to rareboostibg@gmail.com