For Immediate Release
Friday, July 14, 2017
12:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
Media Contact:
Nalini Padmanabhan
ASHG Communications Manager
301.634.7346
press@ashg.org
Geneticist to Receive Award at ASHG 2017 Annual Meeting
(courtesy Broad Institute)
BETHESDA, MD – The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) has named Daniel MacArthur, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Co-director of the Medical and Population Genetics Program and Institute Member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, as the recipient of its first-ever Early-Career Award.
This new award recognizes the contributions of genetics and genomics scientists in the first ten years of their careers as independent investigators. ASHG will present the award, which will include a plaque and $10,000 prize, on Friday, October 20, during the organization’s 67th Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.
“I’m delighted and honored by this award, and also incredibly grateful to everyone who made this work possible,” said Dr. MacArthur. “The resources we’ve built could never have existed without an amazing team of scientists and engineers, and a set of collaborators who were willing to share their data for the benefit of the wider research community.”
Dr. MacArthur’s research focuses on the use of large-scale genomic technologies and resources to improve the diagnosis of rare diseases. As part of this effort, he and his colleagues developed the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC) database and website, a resource that has collected and analyzed exome sequences from more than 60,000 individuals, and its successor, the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD). These resources are used widely in the genetics community and have contributed to many collaborative gene discovery projects.
A member of ASHG since 2005, Dr. MacArthur belonged to the Society’s Communications Committee from 2010-13 and its Program Committee from 2014-16. He has received several awards and honors thus far, including the Human Genetics Society of Australasia’s Young Investigator Award in 2005, the Broad Institute Next Generation Fund in 2013, and Harvard Medical School’s Young Mentor Award in 2016. He has published many scientific articles on identifying genes associated with rare diseases, especially in the field of muscular disorders.
About the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG)
Founded in 1948, the American Society of Human Genetics is the primary professional membership organization for human genetics specialists worldwide. Its nearly 8,000 members include researchers, academicians, clinicians, laboratory practice professionals, genetic counselors, nurses, and others with an interest in human genetics. The Society serves scientists, health professionals, and the public by providing forums to: (1) share research results through the ASHG Annual Meeting and in The American Journal of Human Genetics; (2) advance genetic research by advocating for research support; (3) educate current and future genetics professionals, health care providers, advocates, policymakers, educators, students, and the public about all aspects of human genetics; and (4) promote genetic services and support responsible social and scientific policies. For more information, visit: http://www.ashg.org.
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