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2008
Awards Committee
David Valle, MD,
Chair
Anne M. Bowcock,
PhD
J. M. Friedman,
MD, PhD
Rick A. Kittles,
PhD
John V. Moran,
PhD
Susan A.
Slaugenhaupt, PhD
ex officio
Aravinda
Chakravarti, PhD
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2008 Social Issues Committee
Sharon Terry, MA, Chair
Timothy A. Caulfield, LLM
Mildred K. Cho, PhD
S. Malia Fullerton, DPhil
Kathy Hudson, PhD,
Miriam Kuppermann, PhD, MPH
Mark E. Nunes, MD
Bradley Popovich, PhD, MSc
Charmaine D. Royal, PhD
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2008
Program Committee
Michael Lovett,
PhD Chair
Hans C. Andersson, MD
Allison Ashley-Koch, PhD
Leslie G. Biesecker, MD
Vivian Cheung, MD
Katrina M. Dipple, MD, PhD
David B. Goldstein, PhD
Susanne M. Gollin, PhD,
Karen W. Gripp, MD
Joel N. Hirschhorn, MD PhD
Deborah Krakow, MD
Albert R. La Spada, MD PhD
Charles Lee, PhD
Miriam Meisler, PhD
Joan A. Scott, MS, CGC
Mark D. Shriver, PhD
Hongyu Zhao, PhD
Ex officio:
Aravinda Chakravarti, PhD
Edward R. B. McCabe, MD, PhD
David L. Nelson, PhD
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 GINA
Update: A Message from the Coalition for
Genetic Fairness
We almost got it accomplished…again!
The Coalition for Genetic Fairness came
very close to having GINA added to the
omnibus spending bill that was passed by
Congress just before their holiday break,
and then signed by the president on December
27.
Many thanks for the groundswell to include
the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination
Act (GINA) in the omnibus appropriations
legislation. High-profile offices reported
receiving over 200 calls! Unfortunately,
Congress did not act to include this vital
legislation in the measure. We are eager for
the Senate to consider GINA early in 2008
and will work with stakeholders across the
board to secure success for GINA.
We close 2007 with a bittersweet chronicle:
lack of progress in the Senate and a
victorious record in the House. We are more
than half way to getting GINA passed in
Congress, and working together, 2008 will be
the year!
Each one of our members is a valuable asset.
Please continue consideration of this
legislation as a member of the Coalition in
2008. Now is the time to reach out to others
in our networks and invite them to join the
effort. Consider other stakeholders and
encourage them to add their name to the list
of Coalition members. Individuals as well as
organizations can become members by
registering online at:
www.geneticfairness.org/registration.html
Thank you again for your membership and
support. Best wishes for a bright 2008 – and
victory for GINA!
Sincerely,
Sharon F.
Terry, Chair
Genetic Alliance |
Joann A. Boughman,
Executive Committee Member The
American Society of Human Genetics |
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ASHG/NHGRI Genetics and Public Policy Fellows Aim to
Have an Impact on Human Genetics Legislation: Q&A
with Current and Past Fellows
- Kristen Long, Communications Manager
We had a chance to catch up with the two most
recent Genetics and Public Policy Fellows, Pam
Bradley (2007) and Ed Ramos (2006), to
discuss their fellowship experiences and their
recent career developments.
ASHG and NHGRI partnered to develop the
Genetics and Public Policy Fellowship Program
for professionals with an advanced degree in
genetics who also have an interest in science policy
and wish to pursue a career that involves the
development and implementation of genetics health
and research policies at the national level. In this
16-month program, fellows have the opportunity to
participate in policy analysis at the NHGRI and the
ASHG and to work directly with the U.S. Congress.
|
Pam Bradley (2007 Fellow)
What office on the Hill are you working
for during your fellowship, and what role
will you play in your position as a Public
Policy Fellow there?
I am currently working for the Senate HELP
Subcommittee on Children and Families, in
the
Office of U.S. Senator Christopher J. Dodd.
I am the most recent genetics fellow to join
the group, since I began my tenure only this
past month (in January 2008). I expect to
work on health issues in my fellowship
position with Senator Dodd’s Office.
What do you see yourself doing in the
future? What career goals would you like to
achieve in the next 5 to 10 years?
Right now I’m focused on soaking up as much
as possible during this fellowship. It's an
exciting time, and I haven't ruled out any
options for my career path over the next
5-10 years. I hope that this fellowship will
provide me with opportunities and
experiences that help me choose my future
career path and goals.
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Ed Ramos (2006 Fellow)
What office on the Hill did you work for during
your fellowship, and what role did you play in your
position as a Public Policy Fellow there?
During my fellowship, I worked in the
Office of U.S. Senator, Barack Obama, as a
legislative assistant. My role included providing
summary information and making recommendations to
Senator Obama on a variety of health-related policy
issues. I also held meetings with constituents,
advocacy organizations, and professional societies
to hear their concerns and requests regarding
current health and science policy. My involvement in
the law-making process included crafting legislative
language that focused on improving the public health
of our country.
What organization are you working for now? What
is your role in policy?
I am currently still working with Senator Obama as a
legislative assistant for health policy, continuing
many of the projects I started as a fellow. I
continue to monitor current legislative activity and
assist the Senator in identifying and drafting new
legislation surrounding health policy issues.
What was your most interesting/rewarding
experience as a public policy fellow?
It is empowering to play any role in the legislative
process, a process that could potentially affect
thousands, if not millions, of people in a very
positive way. However, I felt most rewarded when I
could help at the individual level since many
constituents feel they do not have a voice in
government.
What was the most important piece of legislation
you worked on?
The Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act
reintroduced by Senator Obama in 2007 was especially
important to me because I was able to apply my
specific training in genomics. It was also
gratifying being able to involve my peers within the
scientific community to help produce a thoughtful
piece of legislation focused on expanding and
accelerating genomics research and initiatives to
improve the accuracy of disease diagnosis, increase
the safety of drugs, and identify novel treatments.
What is the biggest issue for your organization
right now, and what actions are you taking to deal
with this issue?
The Senator is a co-sponsor of the Minority Health
and Health Disparities (MHHD) Act, which is slated
to be marked up by the Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions Committee this year. MHHD addresses health
disparities through education and training,
healthcare quality and access, research, data
collection, and leadership and collaboration. We are
currently undergoing bipartisan negotiations and
holding informational briefings for relevant
stakeholders.
What do you see yourself doing in the future?
What career goals would you like to achieve in the
next 5 to 10 years?
My main goal for my career is to continue to focus
on the three areas that are extremely important to
me: minority outreach, basic science, and public
policy. Over the next few years, I hope to continue
developing my skills in each of these areas through
positions that provide a proper forum to address
issues such as health disparities, science
education, and the intersection of public policy.
Such opportunities may present themselves in
non-profit organizations, government, or university
settings.
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|
 DNA
DAY is April 25, 2008
April 25, 2008, marks the 6th annual
celebration of National DNA Day. Each year
ASHG collaborates with The Genetics
Society of America (GSA) and the National
Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) to
coordinate a series of speakers in K-12
classrooms across the country to educate
students about genetics.
Members of the ASHG Mentor Network are
contacted in the early spring when teachers
in their area request a geneticist to come
speak to their classrooms. ASHG and NHGRI
have developed a series of resources to
assist speakers design their own
presentations to fit the specific grade
level and state standards that they might
need to address. If you are interested in
becoming a part of the ASHG Mentor Network
and would like to add your name to our
growing list of potential speakers, please
visit the
GenEdNet
website or contact Katie Van Horne at
kvhorne@ashg.org.
Becoming a mentor for the essay contest
is a great way to become involved in ASHG
and your community. We are already looking
forward to April 25th and hope you are too! |
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|
 GENA
Project Update
GENA Project Profile: Abram
Gabriel and Kristi Chazan
Abram Gabriel, Associate Professor in the
Department of Molecular Biology and
Biochemistry at Rutgers University, is among
the 13 geneticists that were selected to
serve in the first cohort for the
Geneticist-Educator Network of Alliances (GENA)
Project. The GENA Project is an
NSF-sponsored grant that facilitates the
development of long term partnerships
between ASHG/GSA member geneticists with a
high school teacher in their area. Over
three years the geneticist-educator
partnerships, or alliances, will form a
national network of scholars that will
develop, disseminate and evaluate
high-quality interventions that address
misconceptions in genetics among high school
and undergraduate students.
Abram is partnered with Pemberton High
School biology teacher, Kristi Chazan.
Together they have developed an innovative
model for using a genetics-based concept to
teach multiple subject areas in a high
school genetics classroom. Their work has so
inspired Dr. Gabriel that he proposed and
received University approval to teach an
extension of his and Miss Chazan's work at
the undergraduate level via an
interdisciplinary Honors Seminar entitled:
Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA)—The Intersection of
Genetics, Biochemistry, Medicine, History,
Evolution and Politics. A paradigm for a
single-gene disorder, SCA can also be used
as a thread to teach the biochemistry of
protein folding, the physiology of oxygen
binding and red blood cells, the
epidemiology and population genetics of
disease, the concept of heterozygote
advantage, and the implications of genetic
testing and counseling.
Dr. Gabriel is just one example of our
geneticist colleagues who is using his
expertise to make a difference in his
community and to bring the rigor of
scientific research to the educational
sphere.
If you would like to expand your impact by
working with a local high school teacher,
please visit the
GENA Project Web site and apply to be a
part of this education effort in 2009. |
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|
REMINDER:
Mandatory Policy for Enhancing Public Access
to Publications Resulting from NIH-Funded
Research Effective Beginning on April 7,
2008
The
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 and
the NIH Voluntary Public Access Policy (NOT-OD-05-022)
are effective beginning on April 7, 2008.
The law requires that all investigators
funded by the NIH submit to the National
Library of Medicine’s
PubMed Central (PMC)
an electronic version of their final,
peer-reviewed manuscripts upon acceptance
for publication, to be made publicly
available no later than 12 months after the
official publication date, in a manner
consistent with copyright law.
|
Release Date:
January 11, 2008 |
Effective Date:
April 7, 2008 |
|
The NIH Public Access Policy applies to all
peer-reviewed articles that arise, in whole
or in part, from direct costs identified
with a particular project or activity funded
by NIH, or from NIH staff, that are accepted
for publication on or after April 7, 2008.
Beginning May 25, 2008, anyone submitting an
application, proposal or progress report to
the NIH must include the PMC or NIH
Manuscript Submission reference number when
citing applicable articles that arise from
their NIH funded research. This policy
includes applications submitted to NIH for
the May 25, 2008, due date and subsequent
due dates.
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QUIZ: The Chromosome
Count Matching Game
Can you match each of the
different animal species in the table below
to its corresponding chromosome count (e.g.:
1A, 2B, etc.)? The first three individuals
who send in the correct answers by February
22, 2008, will each receive one volume of
Conversations in Genetics.
|
Animal Species
Classification (Name) |
Number of Chromosomes |
| 1) Gallus
gallus (chicken) |
A.) 20 |
| 2) Rattus
norvegicus (rat) |
B.) 42 |
| 3.) Oryza
sativa (rice) |
C.) 32 |
| 4.)
Macropus rufus (kangaroo) |
D.) 24 |
| 5.)
Culicidae family (mosquito) |
E.) 78 |
| 6.)
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(yeast) |
F.) 6 |
Please send your entry to
Katie Van
Horne by 5:00 p.m. EST on February 22,
2008.
Along with your numbered list of species
name/chromosome count matches, please be
certain to include your name and mailing
address with your entry. Good luck!
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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
Kristen Long, Communications Manager, at
klong@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 |
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