BETHESDA, Md., March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Louanne Hudgins, MD, FACMG, of Palo Alto, Calif., is the new president of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the national professional organization for clinical and laboratory genetics professionals.
Dr. Hudgins assumes the responsibility from Gerald L. Feldman, MD, PhD, FACMG, of Detroit, Mich., who completed his two-year term at the 2017 Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting in Phoenix, Ariz., in March.
“This is an amazing time for the diagnosis and treatment of genetic conditions,” said Dr. Hudgins. “A great opportunity now and in the future comes from the improved ability to identify the underlying molecular causes for genetic disorders.”
During her previous two years as president elect, Dr. Hudgins has chaired ACMG committees on governance, conflicts of interest and committee chairs, and she has served on committees that address finance and personnel issues. Her earlier involvement with ACMG included serving on the Board of Directors from 20022009, as co-chair of Professional Practice and Guidelines from 20032007, and as a member of the Maintenance of Certification Committee from 20052012. She has also been involved in numerous national and international professional activities, working with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Board of Genetic Counseling, the National Board of Medical Examiners, the NIH/NHGRI Special Emphasis Review Panel, the American Society of Human Genetics, the International Congress of Human Genetics, and the NIH ClinGen project’s Consent and Disclosure Recommendations Workgroup, which explores ethical, legal, and social issues relating to reporting particular genes or variants and their actionability during the clinical care process.
At the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, Dr. Hudgins is Medical Director of the Clinical Genomics Service and serves as Director of Perinatal Genetics. She is also a Professor in Pediatrics, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, by courtesy, at the Stanford University School of Medicine, where she has been the Mosbacher Family Distinguished Packard Fellow since 2008.
Dr. Hudgins’ current principal research interests are primarily related to prenatal genetic screening and diagnosis. She has published more than 100 research articles during the course of her career. She also serves as a member of the Kabuki Syndrome Network Professional Advisory Group, and she has worked as a member of the organizing committee for the annual David Smith Workshop on Malformations and Morphogenesis, both positions she has held since 2000.
Dr. Hudgins studied microbiology as an undergraduate at the University of Kansas and earned her MD at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She completed her residency in pediatrics and her fellowship in human genetics at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, Connecticut.
“Dr. Hudgins has a long history serving ACMG as a member of our Board of Directors and through her participation on numerous committees, helping us navigate medical, science and policy advances during the last 20 years,” said Michael S. Watson, PhD, FACMG, executive director of the ACMG. “Her institutional knowledge of the ACMG, clinical experience and work with other national groups will be a boon for the College as we move forward.”
About the ACMG and ACMG Foundation
Founded in 1991, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (www.acmg.net) advances the practice of medical genetics and genomics by providing education, resources and a voice for nearly 2000 biochemical, clinical, cytogenetic, medical and molecular geneticists, genetic counselors and other healthcare professionals, nearly 80% of whom are board certified in the medical genetics specialties. ACMG is the only nationally recognized medical organization dedicated to improving health through the practice of medical genetics and genomics. The College’s mission includes the following goals: 1) to define and promote excellence in the practice of medical genetics and genomics and to facilitate the integration of new research discoveries into medical practice; 2) to provide medical genetics and genomics education to fellow professionals, other healthcare providers, and the public; 3) to improve access to medical genetics and genomics services and to promote their integration into all of medicine; and 4) to serve as advocates for providers of medical genetics and genomics services and their patients. Genetics in Medicine, published monthly, is the official ACMG peer-reviewed journal. ACMG’s website (www.acmg.net) offers a variety of resources including Policy Statements, Practice Guidelines, Educational Resources, and a Find a Geneticist tool. The educational and public health programs of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics are dependent upon charitable gifts from corporations, foundations, and individuals through the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine (www.acmgfoundation.org).
Kathy Beal, MBA
kbeal@acmg.net
301-238-4582
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SOURCE American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics
