ASHG Board of Directors

Wylie Burke, MD, PhD

President 2007

Aravinda Chakravarti, PhD

President-Elect 2007

David L. Nelson, PhD

Secretary

Daniel L. Van Dyke, PhD

Treasurer

Peter H. Byers, MD

Past President 2005

Stephen T. Warren, PhD

Past President 2006

Joann A. Boughman, PhD

Executive Vice President

Cynthia C. Morton, PhD

Editor, AJHG

Directors

Miriam G. Blitzer, PhD

Michael Boehnke, PhD

Charis Eng, MD, PhD

Muin J. Khoury, MD, PhD

Mary-Claire King, PhD

Roderick R. Mcinnes, MD, PhD

Roberta A. Pagon, MD

Reed E. Pyeritz, MD, PhD

Tony Wynshaw-Boris, MD, PhD

Elaine Strass

ASHG Executive Director

Information and Education Committee

Neil Lamb, PhD, chair

neil.lamb@haib.org

Carl A. Huether, PhD

carl.huether@uc.edu

Elizabeth A. Balkite, MS

ebalkite@nc.rr.com

Howard P. Levy, MD, PhD

hlevy3@jhmi.edu

Yvette P. Conley, PhD

yconley@pitt.edu

Christa Lese Martin

clmartin@genetics.emory
.edu

Siobhan M. Dolan, PhD

siobhanmdolan@yahoo.com

Leta M. Tribble, PhD

lmt@ggc.org

Adam Hott, EdD

hotta2@southernct.edu

Kenna Mills Shaw, PhD

ASHG Director of Education

kshaw@ashg.org

Ad Hoc Postdoctoral Committee

Reid Alisch, PhD

ralisch@genetics.emory.edu

Lawrence Merritt II, MD

Merritt.lawrence@mayo.edu

Katie Rudd, PhD

mrudd@fhcrc.org

Cheryl Thompson, MS

cheryl@darwin.case.edu

You are Invited to Join ASHG Today!

September 6:

2007 ASHG Meeting Abstract Search and Itinerary Planner available online

Come see

Rick Guidotti,

a former fashon photographer, whose exhibit, POSITIVE EXPOSURE, will be displayed at the Annual Meeting's Opening Mixer, Oct. 23, 8:00 PM-10:00 PM, San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina.  His photographs challenge the stigma associated with genetic difference and celebrate the richness of genetic variation.  His powerful stories are told through beautiful images.

DON'T MISS IT.

August 2007 • Print PDF

-Wylie Burke, ASHG President

• The Presidential Symposium, moderated by Dr. Burke, will be presented on Friday, October 26, San Diego Convention Center, Hall H

One of the most striking social consequences of genetic research has been the exoneration of wrongfully convicted prison inmates, some of them on death row, using DNA-based evidence. This evolving history is an indicator of the broad reach of genome science. More profoundly, it demonstrates how the window provided by a new technology can raise serious questions about a basic social structure, in this case the criminal justice system. The successes of the Innocence Project, the nationwide nonprofit program that has spearheaded the use of genetic evidence for exoneration, represent a DNA-based social good. However, a broader exploration of genetics as a source of identity reveals a more complex picture. Within the criminal justice system, access to the benefits of genetic technology are not uniform; and DNA-based identification also poses potential harms, with developments such as large forensic banks and the inclusion of family members in efforts to identify criminals.

The complexity extends to other ways in which genes and identity intersect. Many people have embraced genomic ancestry tests as a means of gaining insights into their genealogical histories and ancestral origins. Yet genetics is only one of many sources of personal identity, and may either complement or conflict with other ways of determining who we are. Can our multifaceted genetic and social identities be reconciled? Will genetics affect the value or change the meaning of other sources of identity? There is a need for sustained public and professional dialogue, and rigorous research, regarding the interface between knowledge of genetic variation and prevailing paradigms of human identity.

This dialogue has particular salience for clinicians when genetic identity becomes the source for clinical decision-making, or a means to identify persons with potentially disabling genetic conditions. Physicians, healthcare researchers, and people with disabilities all work from the standpoint of wanting to do what is in the best interest of disabled individuals, but the notion of what actually is “best” is often understood quite differently among these constituencies. Defining a disabled person by genotype may have the unintended consequence of diminishing the individuality and promise that are also a part of that person’s identity. Genetic information is a potential source of powerful new therapeutic insights and opportunities, but also of questions about how we define and label people.

This year’s Presidential Symposium will explore the growing potential for genetics to influence or assign personal identity, and consider its social implications. Speakers include Frederick R. Bieber, MD, Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Justin Brooks, JD, LLM, Director, California Innocence Project at California Western School of Law, San Diego; Charmaine D. Royal, PhD, Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; and Paul Miller, JD, School of Law, University of Washington, Seattle.

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-Elizabeth R. Hauser, Chair, 2007 Program Committee and Dayna Silberman, Program Coordinator

The ASHG program committee has recently finished its most complex and challenging task: reviewing and scoring the submitted abstracts, selecting presentations, and arranging the invited sessions. The committee hopes that you will learn from and enjoy the meeting, which promises to be very exciting this year. Over 80 ASHG member volunteers reviewed nearly 3000 abstracts. Each abstract is independently scored by three expert reviewers. The highest ranking abstracts are discussed at a meeting of the program committee in mid-July at the FASEB campus, six abstracts are chosen for the plenary session, and 280 abstracts are selected for the 28 contributed platform sessions. It is hard work but reviewers and program committee members are rewarded with a confidential sneak peek at the most exciting research across the spectrum of human genetics.

The program for the Annual Meeting is finalized in mid-July but it represents a year of work beginning at the previous year’s meeting. The ASHG staff work hard to make sure that everything progresses smoothly. The development of the program for the Annual Meeting is a lengthy collaborative process. The chair of the committee assumes responsibility for the overall coordination of the process throughout the year and invites the special symposium speakers.

ASHG members make this program possible. There are many other important roles that members play, including:

• Submitting invited session proposals,

• Submitting high quality abstracts,

• Volunteering to serve as a committee member or an abstract reviewer, and

• Serving as a moderator on-site at the meeting.

We salute the ASHG volunteers who worked so hard throughout the year in all of these roles for the success of this program. We look forward to seeing you in San Diego!
 

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Awards will be presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting

	Award for Excellence in Human Genetics Education Robert Elston, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
	Curt Stern Award Jeffrey Murray, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City
	Leadership Award Walter E. Nance, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
	The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation’s Gruber Prize Maynard V. Olson, University of Washington, Seattle
	William Allan Award Arthur L. Beaudet, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas

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Sessions and Trainee Events

Click here to view

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Presidential Address: Who Is Under the Umbrella – And Why Are We Here?

Wylie Burke, ASHG President, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle

Wednesday, October 24, 1:00 PM–1:30 PM

San Diego Convention Center, Hall H

“Our Society has expanded remarkably over the past decade, with a growing diversity in member interests and disciplinary backgrounds...We need to be sure our umbrella is big enough to make room for everyone who shares our vision….Are we doing enough? Challenges represent the next wave of opportunity for our Society.”

Special Plenary Symposium: Evolution and Medicine
Saturday, October 27, 11:00 AM–12:30 PM

San Diego Convention Center, Hall H

This special symposium, moderated by Drs. Peter Byers and Diddahally Govindaraju, is designed to explore the ways in which human evolution, and the evolution of other organisms such as infectious agents, shapes the present day medical environment. The four talks in the symposium, given by Drs. Michael Bamshad, James Evans, Lynn Jorde, and David Valle, will address the role of evolution in medicine from the perspectives of population biology, ethnic, variation, and individualized medicine, as well as society and law.

Trainee Awards Program

For outstanding trainee research in 2007, The American Society of Human Genetics will present 30 trainee awards at $300 each to semifinalists, based on abstracts scored by members of the Program Committee. Of those 30 trainee awardees, 18 finalists (top scorers reviewed by the Awards Committee) will receive complimentary registration. These 18 finalists’ presentations will be evaluated by three reviewers at the meeting in San Diego. Six winners will be chosen (one in each category). They will each win an additional $200, to be presented on Saturday, October 27, at 2:00 PM in the San Diego Convention Center, Hall H.

Distinguished Speakers’ Symposium: The Bridge Between Research and Practice
Saturday, October 27, 3:15 PM–5:15 PM

San Diego Convention Center, Hall H

Dr. Elizabeth Hauser, chair of the 2007 program committee, will moderate this unique symposium featuring Drs. Priya Kishnani, Andrew Feinberg, and Judith Cho, and focusing on the challenges of drawing connections between research findings and wider application to clinical studies. Their presentations will provide exciting examples of research bridging discovery, translation, and clinical implementation.

Check online for complete information about the 2007 ASHG meeting.

Abstract Search and Itinerary Planner will be available online after September 6.

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ASHG will host Curbstone Consult sessions again this year at the Annual Meeting

San Diego Convention Center, Room 24B
Wednesday, October 24, 11:30–1:00 PM
Friday, October 26, 12:00–1:30 PM

Curbstone Consults provides an opportunity for genetic counselors and clinicians to present cases to a group of expert clinical geneticists. Cases may be diagnostic dilemmas, or consultation may be sought for confirmation of a suspected diagnosis.

The discussion is not limited to the designated experts as each of you has a unique expertise and we welcome suggestions and comments by all participants.

To allow many experts and registrants to participate in the discussion, the presentation format is as follows: Each case will be presented using PowerPoint slides, with a limit of six slides and 3 minutes per presentation. Discussion will follow by the expert panel and the audience. Audience participation is encouraged. Discussion will be limited to 5 minutes, allowing a minimum of 11 cases to be reviewed in each 90 minute session. Please load your case into the computer before the session begins and label each file with the presenter’s name.

Schedule:

Curbstone Consults is organized and moderated by Karen Gripp.

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While we are certain you will find many talks and posters to fill your days at the meeting, if you are a graduate student or a postdoc, there are a number of other events planned throughout the meeting to provide opportunities for networking, career exploration and professional development. Unless otherwise noted, all events are at the San Diego Convention Center.

Networking

Maybe you have heard that, in real estate, it’s all about “location, location, location.” Often in science and other professions, career opportunities (and even your next collaboration) are about networking, networking, networking. With this in mind, the ASHG meeting offers several different opportunities for networking among members at all stages of their careers.

*Opening Mixer: Tuesday, October 23, 7pm-10 pm, San Diego Marriott & Marina: Light food and cash bar available for attendees to mix and mingle before the actual commencement of scientific talks.

*Mentor-Trainee Luncheon: Wednesday, October 24, 11:30 pm-1 pm. This event provides a wonderful opportunity for students in the field of human genetics to sit and chat informally with senior members of the Society about career goals, achievements, training programs, and many other career options within the various disciplines of genetics. Lunch tickets cost $15 and pre-registration is required.

*Career Networking Session: Wednesday, October 24, 8 pm-10pm: Desserts and beverage tickets available for all pre-registrants. If you are thinking about what steps you might take toward your next career goal—be it academic science or patent law—this session will provide opportunities to speak with experts and other trainees interested in similar fields. Check out this site for more information.

*Closing Event: Saturday, October 27, 7 pm-11pm, San Diego Natural History Museum. This special social event will feature a special viewing of the Dead Sea Scrolls. ASHG attendees will have private access to this exhibit, as well as the rest of the museum (including the rooftop deck). This is the perfect opportunity to relax and continue discussions that began earlier in the week with mentors and colleagues. Pre-registration is required and tickets will NOT be available for sale at the meeting.

Career Evaluation

Are you having doubts about your next steps? Are you ready to apply for a post-doc, your first academic position or another career altogether? Plenty of opportunities are available for you and your colleagues struggling with these and similar questions. These resources are available for you to help on your path to the next step in your career.

*FASEB Career Corner: Available throughout the ASHG meeting. Career development experts from FASEB will have a booth in the main lobby of the San Diego Convention Center and will be available throughout the meeting to review résumés and curriculum vitas, complete mock job interviews, and discuss the various steps involved in your job search. Bring a copy of your resume, your career development plan or just a general list of questions for these experts to assist you.

*Job Fair Meet & Greet: Wednesday, October 24, 6 pm-8 pm. Potential employers and job-seekers can meet in this informal setting to hold brief face-to-face interviews. Employers can post advertisements beforehand using the FASEB Web site, or bring an advertisement with them for trainees to view on job boards throughout the meeting.

Professional Development

*Mock Study Section: Saturday, October 27, 12:30 pm-2 pm. Have you ever wondered what happens after you or your advisor drop off your grant at the FedEx box? This is your chance to find out. Grant review experts from the National Institutes of Health will provide an opportunity to participate in a mock study section over lunch. Lunch tickets are $15 and pre-registration is required.

*Career Networking Session: Wednesday, October 24, 8 pm-10 pm. This session will begin with a talk by Dr. Joann Boughman on negotiating skills for graduate students and trainees. Following this keynote speaker, ASHG trainees can hear from a variety of different individuals on a panel discussing different tips on entering a variety of career paths. From 9:00 pm until 10:00 pm, a networking reception will allow all trainees to interact with individuals from a variety of careers over cocktails and dessert. Attendance is limited to 250 individuals. Pre-registration is required. More information including registration is available online.

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For United States citizens or those who have permanent resident status in the United States.

Successful applicants will be reimbursed up to $1450 in meeting-related travel expenses including the meeting registration fee. The travel award recipients will be selected based on need and the quality of scientific abstracts. Awardees will be recognized during the ASHG Awards Presentation in San Diego.

Please visit the ASHG meeting Web site for more information and to complete the application form.

Important: the new deadline for receipt of applications is September 17.

Early Meeting Registration Deadline:  September 7

Housing Deadline: September 14

-Joann Boughman, ASHG Executive Vice President

As we have reported, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) passed the United States House of Representatives 420-3 on April 25, which was DNA Day! The final steps include this version of the bill going back to the Senate that has passed similar bills unanimously in two previous Congressional sessions. We were very hopeful, but ran into a snag in the Senate passage that occurs when the Senate is trying to obtain unanimous consent on a piece of legislation. Any one Senator (or as many as wish) may put a “hold” on a bill to stop the unanimous consent process. While a few Senators put temporary holds on the bill, it is Dr. Tom Coburn, senator from Oklahoma, who has kept the bill from moving for a few weeks now.

On July 26, the Genetic Alliance held its annual “Genetics on the Hill” day and every senator’s office was visited. We spoke at length with Dr. Coburn’s staff, and they articulated a few issues that remain problematic for the senator. In an August 1 public meeting, Dr. Coburn stated that he currently had holds on 87 pieces of legislation. The Coalition for Genetic Fairness continues to speak with the appropriate staff members in the offices of Senators Kennedy, Enzi, and Snowe (leaders in this process on GINA), as well as to continue talking with Dr. Coburn and staff.

We remain hopeful that any remaining issues (that many of us thought had been appropriately managed in previous iterations of the legislation and in the several Committee hearings in the House) can be dealt with expeditiously and the unanimous consent process may resume quickly after the August break. If there are changes, we will go back to the House and get the revised bill passed. THEN, it can be sent to the president, who has indicated by way of an SAP (Statement of Administration Policy) that he wished to receive the bill so he can sign it into law.
 

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Proposed changes to ASHG Bylaws

The ASHG membership survey, along with our more general membership and meeting attendance data, suggested a clear mandate to the ASHG Board of Directors (BOD). At the spring board meeting, the BOD reviewed the membership survey data and the overwhelming suggestion from members that individuals residing outside the Americas provide valuable insight and scientific contributions to the society. Yet, due to their status as “overseas affiliates” or “overseas trainees” these individuals are not eligible for participation in society leadership, including the BOD and ASHG standing committees.

To address these concerns, the BOD presents the following changes to the ASHG By-Laws. These will be discussed and voted on by the ASHG membership at the 2007 Membership/Business Meeting in San Diego. We welcome your commentary at that time (Friday, October 26, 2:30 pm, Convention Center, Hall H). If you are unable to attend the annual meeting, any questions, comments or concerns about these changes can be sent to jboughman@ashg.org or kshaw@ashg.org by October 20, 2007.

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

II. A. TYPES of MEMBERSHIPS
Any person residing in the Americas who is interested in research in human genetics or in issues pertaining to human genetics is eligible for membership in the Society upon election by the Board of Directors.

REGULAR membership shall be open to all eligible persons.

TRAINEE membership shall be open to postdoctoral fellows, residents and bona fide students participating in degree-granting programs at institutions in the Americas. No individual shall remain a Trainee member for longer than five years without documentation of student, resident or postdoctoral fellow status.

EMERITUS membership shall be open to all persons who shall have retired from their position or practice and shall have been a Regular member of the Society for at least five years. Emeritus members shall be entitled to all membership rights and benefits, but shall not be required to pay dues unless they choose to subscribe to the Journal at a reduced rate set by the Board of Directors.

OVERSEAS affiliate membership shall be open to individuals residing outside of the Americas, who upon annual payment of an amount set by the Board of Directors shall be entitled to all membership rights and benefits except to hold elected positions and to vote.

OVERSEAS TRAINEE affiliate membership shall be open to postdoctoral fellows, residents and bona fide students participating in degree-granting programs at institutions outside the Americas. No individual shall remain an Overseas Trainee affiliate for longer than five years without documentation of student, resident or postdoctoral fellow status.

SUSTAINING CORPORATE affiliation shall be open to organizations that support the objectives and activities of the Society upon approval of the Board of Directors.

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SNP-IT continues to help you get to know members of your Board of Directors by sharing their answers to questions both traditional and unexpected.

Roderick R. McInnes, MD, PhD Director, CIHR, Institute of Genetics   A moment from the ASHG Archives: At the 1985 ASHG meeting, Frank Ruddle of Yale University, working with Bill McGinnis also at Yale, reported that they had identified homeobox genes in the human genome that were highly related to the Hox genes in flies that McGinnis had recently discovered. At that time, the idea that a fly developmental gene would have a strongly related counterpart in man (and mouse!), was mind-boggling. To this day, I can picture the DNA blots of Ruddle's on the screen at the meeting, confirming the existence of these fly-related genes. Nowadays, the conservation of developmental genes throughout evolution we take for granted. Then, it was revolutionary. Within a few years, a post-doc in the lab rushed in to tell me that one of the genes she had found in a screen for genes that were likely to be important to the eye (even though we didn't know what they did yet) was related to fly homeobox genes. She asked, "Do you think this is important?" The answer was easy, and our subsequent work showed that this gene, now called Chx10, is a significant regulator of human eye formation."

Michael Boehnke, PhD Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan   Research description: Design and analysis of human gene mapping studies of common multifactorial diseases, association and linkage mapping, applications to type 2 diabetes, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and several eye diseases.   Favorite mentors/people that have shaped your career? Kenneth Lange, my graduate advisor at UCLA. Any nuggets of advice for trainees/young scientists? Ask lots of people for advice, but in the end, do what feels right to you.

-Kenna Mills Shaw, ASHG Director of Education

In October 2006, ASHG was awarded a $1.1M grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to direct a program called the Geneticist-Educator Network of Alliances (GENA) Project. This program is a unique component of the Division of Undergraduate Education at NSF and is specifically part of the Math and Science Partnership program (MSP). The goal of the MSP program is to involve active scientists in K-12 education. While the data from the first several cohorts of MSP programs suggest that the involvement of scientists in professional development experiences for K-12 teachers ultimately has a positive impact on student achievement, a study from the University of Maryland also demonstrated that faculty were being actively discouraged from taking part in MSP-supported programs because participation was not considered an essential part of their required duties as faculty members.

Thus, NSF specifically requested proposals for programs that might help institutions of higher learning better support faculty involvement in such professional development experiences for K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics teachers, particularly for those faculty members who will eventually undergo the review process for promotion and tenure.

The GENA program was the only grant awarded funding to address this issue. The premise: because 1) involvement in a disciplinary society is encouraged (if not required) for faculty in many promotion and tenure guidelines, and 2) participation in a national outreach effort (as opposed to a local effort) is viewed favorably in the promotion or tenure review process, then a systemic program established, coordinated and supported by a large disciplinary society could provide the opportunity and infrastructure to not only enhance MSP-type programs by faculty members’ participation but to assist them in their professional advancement.

The GENA Project, described in detail online, has just completed its first year. From July 31 through August 2, 2007, 13 ASHG and GSA members took part in a 3-day GENA workshop in Bethesda, Maryland, and have begun a year-long partnership with a teacher in their area. During the next year, these 13 individuals will work with their educator partners to develop engaging, inquiry-centered curricula for high school students. These curricula will be reviewed, evaluated and disseminated so that others across the country can utilize the ideas and information.

Over the next 2 years we hope to train 80 more scientists as part of this program. In 2008, we will host summer workshops in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Montclair, New Jersey. In 2009, the workshops will likely be held in San Francisco, California, and Huntsville, Alabama.
 

If you are a tenure track professor who might be interested in this program, please review our materials on the GENA Web site and complete an application. All applications for the 2008 cohorts are due by October 15, 2007. If you have questions about the program, please contact Kenna Shaw, PI: kshaw@ashg.org

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Dear Genie says…

Your search has ended. Send your questions to Dear Genie at genie@ashg.org  and look for answers, advice, insights, and guidance in future issues of SNP-IT.
 

Dear Genie welcomes your questions and will read them all, but even a genie can’t promise to respond to every one. Questions selected for SNP-IT may be edited for length and style.

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Straight from the Membership Survey

-Kenna Mills Shaw, ASHG Director of Education

We hope that you have been keeping up with the changes that have already been implemented directly as a result of your comments from the ASHG membership survey. The presence of this electronic newsletter, expansion of the mission of the Professional Development Committee, and the proposed changes to the ASHG By-Laws regarding international members are all a direct result of member commentary. Another new program that we have begun in response to your comments is the ASHG/GSA Member Forums.

Instead of having members sign up for specific topic-based listserves, we have created a set of electronic forums that members can reach through the ASHG Web site. Not only are older topics archived so messages can be searched later, but members can initiate new forum topics on a variety of issues ranging from job searches to textbook reviews. Recently ASHG members received an e-mail informing them of how to log-in and access these forums. This article serves as both a reminder and encouragement to our members to engage themselves and their colleagues in these forums.

The success of the ASHG forums will be determined and measured by our members. We will do whatever we can to provide guidance and opportunities for use, but only our members can provide the content and interaction needed for this new resource to have traction in our community.

There are many broad categories including professional development, mentoring, education, and policy. If you are specifically interested in one of these areas, click on the appropriate topic. From here, you can post a new topic, read previous postings, or comment on what others have already written. You can even post “polls” to gauge your colleagues interest on a certain topic. If you are interested in moderating a specific topic and being responsible for generating and soliciting content, please contact us.

Visit: http://www.ashg.org/forum/, enter your username and password, and start interacting with your colleagues! If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the ASHG Education Office at kshaw@ashg.org.

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Still wish you could get your hands on an AJHG T-shirt? Here’s the latest opportunity to cash in and be the envy of all your colleagues. The first three individuals to send in their answers to the following “ASHG Forums Quiz” will receive a free AJHG T-shirt. Please fax your answers to 301-634-7079 or e-mail them to Kenna Shaw at kshaw@ashg.org along with your T-shirt size and mailing address.

1. Participation in these forums is limited to members from which two societies?
    

2. Name three different topics that are currently available for discussion.
    

3. We have posted some information on the forums about ASHG and the ASHG 57th Annual Meeting. Can you find the following information by exploring different forums topics?
    

   1. How many abstracts were submitted for the Annual Meeting as of the abstract deadline (June 7, 2007)?
       

   2. What is the new name of the ASHG Mentor Network?
       

   3. What was the topic of the first press release posted on the Forums?
       

4. Please post at least one reply or one question/comment in one of the forums and let us know what topic you have posted to.

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-Sharon F. Terry, President and CEO, The Genetic Alliance

If you are even vaguely familiar with looking up information using the Internet, you have probably heard of or come across a Web site called Wikipedia. This online encyclopedia is different from an electronic version of the encyclopedia you might have on your home bookshelf. Each article can be modified by any user. Users can write, edit, or amend wherever they wish. The result, if done with careful oversight, is an incredibly information rich electronic resource. The open-access nature of Wikipedia has earned it some strong criticism. The lack of peer review has allowed disreputable individuals to erase, change, or otherwise add erroneous information to the electronic compilation. For that reason, many educational institutions have begun policies that prohibit students from using Wikipedia sources for their research papers.

Nonetheless, the Wikipedia format has been highly successful in gaining a large readership. Members of the human genetics community, in this case spearheaded by the Genetic Alliance, want to capitalize on the popularity and collaborative nature of the Wiki format while simultaneously ensuring quality and accuracy. Thus, they are in the initial stages of establishing a wiki devoted to human genetics for the lay public. The first steps were to set up an advisory board and an editorial board, both of which are comprised of experts in a variety of topics areas in human genetics.

While the Genetic Alliance has staff support to accomplish many of the core tasks involved with generation of the wiki itself, we know that many ASHG members are interested in becoming more involved in outreach to the lay public. If you are indeed interested in being a contributor to WikiGenetics (writing a brief article or series of articles) or in editing the articles of others, please contact Sharon Terry at sterry@geneticalliance.org for more information and to join this effort.

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A Note from One of Our “Sister” Societies

-Julie McCarrier, MS

October is a very busy month for meetings in human genetics.  The National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) meeting will be held in Kansas City, October 11–16.  The annual ASHG meeting will be held in San Diego, October 24–27.

The Early Bird registration deadline for the NSGC Annual Education Conference (AEC) was July 20. “Survival Skills for the 21st Century: How to Shape Your Future as a Genetic Counselor” is the topic of the short course, slated for October 11–12. This year’s short course focuses on business skills, leadership development, conflict resolution, negotiation, and the expanding roles of genetic counselors.

The main portion of the AEC takes place from October 12–16, and is comprised of plenary sessions and educational breakout sessions that will meet the educational needs of all genetics professionals.

Goals of the AEC are to ensure that participants understand and incorporate new technologies, genetic testing and research results into practice; to describe recent developments in medical genetics and genetic counseling, including therapeutic options, disease management and diagnosis; and to identify emerging areas of social, legal, and ethical conflicts.

The concurrent paper sessions are categorized into the following topics: genetic testing, professional issues, pre- and perinatal, education, counseling/psychosocial issues, adult cancer, and professional issues.

The AEC is designed to meet the needs of providers of traditional and non-traditional genetic counseling, including those genetic counselors, medical geneticists, and PhDs working in prenatal, pediatric, cancer, public health, research, laboratory and industry niches.

Highlights of the 2007 AEC include a panel with topics including “Our Back Pages: The Origins of Genetic Counseling and Medical Genetics,” and “Domesticating Humans: Technical Solutions and Ethical Problems in Early Medical Genetics.” The 2007 Dr. Beverly Rollnick Memorial Lecture will be given by Kim Peek, who was the inspiration for the movie, “Rainman,” and his father, Fran Peek.

There is sure to be something for everyone in attendance at the 2007 Educational Breakout Sessions. Examples of breakout sessions include:

• (Mis)Understanding Probabilistic Information

• CGH Microarrays: Practical Advice for Clinical Application and Interpretation

• Connective Tissue Disorders: Navigating the Clinical Diagnosis and Counseling Maze

• The Role of the Genetic Counselor in Fetal Therapy/Intervention Clinics

• Common Extra-colonic and Extra-endometrial Cancers in Lynch Syndrome: Incidence, Heterogeneity and Screening

• The Evolution/Creationism Debate: Ways of Thinking and Talking About It

This year a CD-ROM with speaker presentations is available for purchase―a nice option if you cannot come to Kansas City. The NSGC and ASHG have a lot of offer all genetics professionals. We encourage people to support both organizations with membership. For more information about the NSGC meetings, services, and membership information, please visit www.nsgc.org

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-Kenna Mills Shaw, ASHG Director of Education

What does CORN have to do with genetics? If your answer is the work of Barbara McClintock for which she was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1983, most geneticists would agree with you. However, just two years after her theories of genetic control were recognized by the Nobel committee, another CORN became important in human genetics: the Council of Regional Networks (CORN) for Genetic Services. CORN served to coordinate the work of 10 regional networks representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, national sickle cell disease programs and genetic support groups. These networks, funded in part by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Genetic Services Branch, promote education and awareness of genetic disorders, answer inquiries regarding genetics and counseling services, share resources, and facilitate communication between genetics professionals and consumers.

Results from the ASHG membership survey revealed that many members are involved in these regional networks or have participated in regional meetings (through the official regional genetics network in their area) or more informal local meetings. These members suggested that other ASHG members might benefit from the ability to learn more about these and other regional initiatives.

Therefore, we are asking all ASHG members to inform us about regional genetics activities that are ongoing in your area. For example, each year, human geneticists from Vancouver and Seattle have a-one day workshop that allows a collegial, informal interchange of ideas, a nonthreatening environment for trainees to present, and a perfect venue for establishing productive collaborations.

If you are involved in regional activities and see a role for ASHG in those activities, please let us know your ideas. While we are still exploring the full range of possibilities, we hope that learning more about these regional exchanges will better inform future society initiatives.

Links to more information on the Regional Genetics Network in your area:

GeNeS-R-US (Genetic and Newborn Screening Resource Center of the United States).

Heartland Genetics and Newborn Screening Collaborative
Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.

Mid-Atlantic Regional Human Genetics Network
Pennsylvania; New Jersey; Delaware; Maryland; Washington, DC; West Virginia; and Virginia.

Mountain States Genetics Network
MoStGeNe is made up of genetic service providers and consumers from six Rocky Mountain states: Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

NERGG
New England Regional Genetics Group: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

PacNoRGG
Pacific Northwest Regional Genetics Group: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska.

PSRGN
Pacific Southwest Regional Genetics Group: California, Nevada, and Hawaii.

SERGG
Southeastern Regional Genetics Group: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the Virgin Islands.

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-Kenna Mills Shaw, ASHG Director of Education

Each year ASHG receives requests from high school students looking for possible mentors for summer internships. In rare cases we have been able to match students with mentors, but we have not had a systematic way of locating a local research mentor for every student.

Many of us had our first laboratory experience as a high school student. From that moment, we were “hooked.” Now is your opportunity to offer another generation that same experience. If you would be willing to serve as a mentor in the future for a summer research student, please provide your information online.

This does not indicate a commitment to host a student, just a willingness to be contacted if a student in your area comes directly to ASHG requesting assistance finding a local laboratory.

We thank you in advance for your assistance, and we look forward to hearing from our members who already host summer students so we can encourage our colleagues to participate in such an important outreach program for students.

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SNP-IT is published online four times a year, in February, May, August and November. Copyright by The American Society of Human Genetics.

Please direct all SNP-IT inquiries to Kenna Mills Shaw, ASHG Director of Education, at kshaw@ashg.org

For Society information, please contact the ASHG Administrative Office, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3998. Telephone: 301-634-7300; fax: 301-634-7090, society@ashg.org or visit ASHG on the Web: www.ashg.org

Deadline for submitting articles and advertising to Kenna Shaw

For advertising cost and specifications, contact Krista Koziol

SNP-IT Newsletter
August 2007

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