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 Welcome to the Virginia Commonwealth University Department
of Human Genetics. This Web site is designed to orient you
to the Department of Human Genetics degree programs, courses,
faculty, staff, facilities, research and clinical activities.
Our 24 faculty members conduct research, clinical and educational
activities at the VCU Medical Center and the Virginia Institute
for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics.
Our genetic counselors and medical genetics faculty conduct
their outpatient counseling and medical genetics practice,
and inpatient pediatrics service, at the VCU Medical Center,
and affiliated outpatient clinics.
Our research focuses in six major areas of medical and basic
research molecular genetics, quantitative genetics, developmental
genetics, cancer genetics, genetic epidemiology and genetic
counseling/medical genetics.
We are one of only 24 accredited medical genetics training
programs in the U.S., and are recognized internationally for
our research dissecting the genetic and environmental components
of behavioral and psychiatric disorders, our National DNA Repository
for studies of hereditary deafness, and our cytogenetics repository
of patients with mosaic Down syndrome and other chromosomal
disorders. Recent faculty recruitment has augmented our expertise
in cancer genetics, animal models and developmental genetics,
adding new strengths within our research program.
We are in an exciting time for human genetics, as a rapid
and sustained pace of discovery has characterized the field
over the past decade. Training scientists and clinicians to
assimilate and contribute to the pace of genetic discovery,
and to apply these discoveries to medical practice, are our
primary objectives.
As you tour our Web site, I am sure you will appreciate the
Department of Human Genetics’ multifaceted training opportunities.
We look forward to discussing these opportunities with prospective
students, and encourage patients, and the community at large,
to use our site to learn more about this exciting field.
Sincerely,
Peter O'Connell, Ph.D.
Chair, VCU Department of Human Genetics
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