ASHG’s Commitment to Serve All People
As both a community and scientific society advancing human genetics and genomics research, ASHG welcomes and celebrates people with breadth of experiences, backgrounds, and expertise. Our sincere message for geneticists is that everyone belongs and is respected in ASHG. Our community is strengthened by our collective voice, which is vital to achieving ASHG’s vision that people everywhere realize the benefits of human genetics and genomics research.
Building a community where everyone belongs is attainable. ASHG encourages members to explore how each of us can contribute to these larger shared goals through our own research and professional lives. We can and will do it together.
To achieve our vision, ASHG will:
- Celebrate genetic variation, one of humanity’s greatest strengths, as a foundation for scientific discovery that benefits health and society. Embracing natural human genetic variation and its interactions with multiple environments is central to the science of genetics and genomics and its applications to human wellbeing.
- Work to ensure our leadership and broader membership reflects and appreciates all communities and promotes fairness, collaboration, and inclusion in our scientific events and forums.
- Cultivate a genetics and genomics research workforce where all individuals are encouraged to share their varied perspectives and experiences which enrich and benefit scientific knowledge.
- Advocate for broader participation and inclusion in research to enable scientific discoveries that benefit all communities and to ensure that therapies are effective for all people. We will focus attention on the consequences of relying on data sets that are not reflective of our global society and demonstrate how heterogeneous research cohorts can improve health care for all.
- Help researchers improve public engagement skills to enhance the public dialogue about the benefits of broad research participation.
As ASHG pursues these goals, we commit to be a welcoming community. In our community, we invite people to bring their full selves and engage and develop as scientific leaders free from discrimination or unprofessional conduct. We aim to provide opportunities for all people to improve self-awareness and become more skilled at supporting actions that foster an environment that is welcoming to all. ASHG will pursue these goals across the organization and pledge to work in ways that reflect our values.
Approved by the ASHG Board of Directors
May 1, 2025