Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center Clinical Geneticist and Laboratory Director Dr. Jerry Feldman Elected President of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG)

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American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics

Mar 30, 2015, 07:00 ET

BETHESDA, Md., March 30, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Gerald L. (Jerry) Feldman, MD, PhD, FACMG, of Detroit, Mich., 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. Feldman assumes the responsibility from Gail E. Herman, MD, PhD, FACMG, of Columbus, Ohio, who completed her two-year term at the 2015 Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, in March.

"The era of the genetic and genomic revolution is here," said Dr. Feldman. "New technologies, new treatments and identification of new genetic disorders will improve patient care in ways we could not have even envisioned a few years ago. I look forward to serving as president of the organization that is leading these efforts."

In his two years as president elect, Dr. Feldman has worked with the ACMG committees that provide national guidance on issues like organizational structure and identifying conflicts of interest, which are critical as the scope of medical genetics continues to expand. He also chaired a taskforce, which developed an updated scope of practice for board-certified medical genetics professionals. His broad background in medical education, clinical care, scientific research, and laboratory management have been particularly valuable in these roles, making him ideally suited to represent the interests of all ACMG members, from clinicians and laboratory directors to researchers and policy makers.

He has also participated since 2011 in the ACMG Task Force on Medical Genetics Education and Training, which aims to promote clinical genetics training in the United States.

Dr. Feldman is a professor of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Pathology, and Pediatrics at Wayne State University School of Medicine. He directs the Medical Genetics residency and fellowship programs and serves as medical director of the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program.

Michigan-area magazines have repeatedly recognized Dr. Feldman as one of the top physicians in the state. He directs clinical genetic services in the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics at Wayne State University School of Medicine, a responsibility that includes patient consultations and coordinating training and education efforts between four hospital clinics. He is also the Medical Director of the Division of Laboratory Genetics and Molecular Pathology within the Detroit Medical Center-University Laboratories, which include the molecular, cytogenetic and biochemical genetics laboratories.

Dr. Feldman's principal research interests are tied to the diagnosis and management of patients with genetic disorders. He is a co-investigator of the nationwide Inborn Errors of Metabolism Collaborative, a program supported by the National Institutes of Health to collect data and share best practices for the benefit of children who are born with rare genetic disorders in which the body cannot naturally metabolize certain fats, proteins and sugars in food.

He is also program director and lead investigator for a statewide program awarded to the Children's Hospital of Michigan by the Michigan Department of Community Health: the Newborn Screening Management Program. He has been part of a collaborative effort between Wayne State University, Children's Hospital of Michigan, the Detroit Medical Center, and Al-Quds University, to develop newborn screening programs in Palestine.

Dr. Feldman studied biology as an undergraduate at Indiana University and earned his MD and PhD at the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University. He completed his residency in Pediatrics and his fellowship in Clinical Genetics and Molecular/Biochemical Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas. His active board certification is through the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (PhD Medical Geneticist, MD Medical Geneticist, and Clinical Molecular/Biochemical Geneticist).

"Dr. Feldman has a long history with ACMG, and through his extensive committee work, he's taken an active role in steering us to where we are today," said Michael S. Watson, PhD, FACMG, executive director of the ACMG. "His institutional knowledge and experience working across the full spectrum of clinical genetics services and education will help our organization going forward, in an era when genomic information promises to play a bigger role in medicine than it ever has before."

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 more than 1750 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 are dependent upon charitable gifts from corporations, foundations, and individuals through the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine (www.acmgfoundation.org.)

Contact Kathy Beal, MBA
ACMG Media Relations
301-238-4582
[email protected]

SOURCE American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics