Lecture on the Genetic Heritage of Cypriots

On Friday the 18th of May 2012, the Kalaydjian Foundation and the Nicosia Chapter of the Armenian General Benevolent Union organised a lecture on the genetic profile of the people of Cyprus, with a special focus on the hereditary diseases specific to Cypriots. The lecture was delivered by Professor Constantinos Deltas of the Department of Biological Sciences of the University of Cyprus, a renowned expert in genetics.

The event was held in the auditorium of the AGBU Club in Nicosia and was co-sponsored by the Kalaydjian Foundation and the AGBU as part of their joint efforts to promote Cypriots’ awareness of genetically inherited illnesses and an understanding of their biological history.

Professor Deltas was introduced to the audience by Mr. Tigran Kalaydjian, Chairman of the Kalaydjian Foundation, who in his opening remarks pointed to the closeness in the DNA structures of Cypriots and Armenians, as evidenced by the similarities in the genetic defects that cause a range of inheriteddiseases that are common in both populations. Professor Deltas then explained how the many invaders and migrant populations that made Cyprus their home over the centuries left their genetic imprint on the island. He also analysed the various diseases that are found frequently in Cyprus and certain other Mediterranean countries, such as Thalassemia, Cystic Fibrosis and Familial Microscopic Hematuria, and described in detail the
 pathogenesis of such ailments.

Professor Deltas concluded by stressing the importance of the epidemiological studies of the Cypriot population that are currently being conducted as part of a project aimed at constructing and maintaining a genetic map of Cyprus. He also announced that a book he has written on the subject will be published in 2013 (in Greek) and will be available in libraries and universities across the island.

The event, which was under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Varoujan Hergelian of the Armenian Prelature of Cyprus, was attended by 150 members of the Armenian community, as well as the mayors of Strovolos and Aglandjia, and was followed by a complimentary dinner in the gardens of the AGBU Club.