6th International Conference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics September 12-14, 2016 Berlin, Germany

Dr. Nikolaos Drakoulis, MD, PhD Born in Piraeus Greece he studied Biochemistry at the University of Tubingen and Medicine at the Freie Universirät Berlin, Germany. He received his PhD at the University of Berlin and specialized in Clinical and Molecular Genetics, in Human Pharmacoepidemiology, in Clinical Pharmacology and Clinical Chemistry and worked at the Institutes of Clinical Pharmacology and Human Genetics, University of Berlin. Since 2001 Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Athens, he teaches Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics. Member of numerous scientific committees, boards and societies, president of the Hellenic Society of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Therapy and Diagnosis. Head of Research Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, University of Athens.

Recently, a publication by Marinos et al. showed no statistically significant genetic differences of intelligence and decision making characteristics between genders. Most study-volunteers were characterized by prudence and temperance of thought, with only a small proportion being genetically spontaneous and adventurous. Regarding intelligence, the population was around average and a little above it. The edges of the scale suggested that only a small number of volunteers, although assumed “smartest”, somehow lack prudence, concluding that intelligence and decision-making may be less linked to each other than expected. In this study, human personality characteristics (i.e. intelligence and decision making) were correlated with specific genetic polymorphisms in over 1000 Greek volunteers. Initially, the frequency distribution of rs324420, rs1800497, rs363050, rs6265 and rs1328674 polymorphisms, known to be involved in individual personality characteristics, were determined. Subsequently, IQ scores were determined in 103 members of the Hellenic MENSA. Demographic data of both groups were obtained including, gender, age and gene frequencies and the Minor Allele Frequency (MAF) was calculated. All volunteers were anonymized after signing an informed consent. Intelligence and decision making scores were assigned following a simple algorithm, where volunteers receive +1 or -1 for each genotype, which theoretically is associated with an enhanced or relegated intelligence or decision-making, respectively. Indeed, preliminary data show that personality characteristics, derived genetically by genotype determination of rs324420, rs1800497, rs363050, rs6265 and rs1328674 polymorphisms, have a close relationship to data derived from established IQ tests. These findings may be useful in targeted and personalized therapies of relevant disorders.