Alan Guttmacher, MD
Acting Director
National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health

Alan Guttmacher, MD, is the Acting Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and, since 2002, has also served as the Institute’s Deputy Director. In these roles, he oversees the Institute’s efforts to advance genome research; integrate the benefits of genome research into healthcare; and explore the ethical, legal, and social implications of human genomics.

A pediatrician and medical geneticist, Alan came to the NIH in 1999 as the Senior Clinical Advisor to the Director. He has also served as Director of NHGRI’s Office of Policy, Communications, and Education, leading the Institute’s health affairs, public policy, communications, community outreach, and public education functions. He has led the Institute’s involvement in educating both the public and health professionals about genomics and genomic healthcare. Among Alan’s areas of expertise is the development of new approaches for translating the findings of the Human Genome Project into better ways of diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease. He has overseen NIH’s involvement in The U.S. Surgeon General’s Family History Initiative,

Alan came to the NIH from the University of Vermont, where he directed the Vermont Regional Genetics Center and Pregnancy Risk Information Service, the Vermont Cancer Center’s Familial Cancer Program, and the Vermont Newborn Screening Program; founded Vermont’s only pediatric intensive care unit; and was the principal investigator for an NIH-supported initiative that was the nation’s first statewide effort to involve the general public in discussion of the Human Genome Project’s ethical, legal, and social implications. He also had a busy practice in clinical genetics, conducted research, and taught.

A graduate of Harvard College and of Harvard Medical School, Alan completed a residency in Pediatrics and a fellowship in Medical Genetics at Harvard and Children’s Hospital of Boston. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Medical Genetics.