Victor McKusick is lovingly called the “Father of Medical Genetics” by the human genetics community for his seminal work founding and defining the field. He founded the Division of Medical Genetics at Johns Hopkins University and wrote Mendelian Inheritance in Man, a comprehensive catalogue of genetic conditions...Read more, and post a comment here.

Jonathan Weiss was the motivating force for the formation of the Alliance of Genetic Support Groups (now Genetic Alliance) by his mother, Joan O. Weiss, who recognized the value of a support organization; she did not have one when Jonathan was born with a congenital heart defect...Read more.

Nelson Freed experienced both the promise and challenge of genetics. He lived with Gaucher disease, but benefited from treatments that improved the quality of life. As a member of the Genetic Alliance Board, interactions with concerned parents, patients, physicians, and researchers compelled him to strive for expanded resources and services so people can continue living, loving and advocating for others. Read more.