Announcements

Employment Opportunities

Staff Scientist at SEGEN/DEB, NICHD.—A staff scientist position is available in the Section on Genetics and Endocrinology, Developmental Endocrinology Branch (SEGEN/DEB), of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to study the molecular consequences of protein kinase A signaling–system abnormalities in adrenal, pituitary, and other endocrine and nonendocrine tumors, by use of human-genetics approaches and transgenic models of PKA and related enzymes (i.e., PDEs) that will elucidate this system's interactions with other major tumorigenic and developmental signaling pathways (see also Nat Genet 26:89–92 [2000] and 38:794–800 [2006]). A strong background in molecular biology and genetics is required. Applicants must have at least a Ph.D. and should have >5 years of postdoctoral experience in animal and endocrinology research, gene therapy, or a related field. Candidates should send a curriculum vitae, a bibliography, and contact details (including phone numbers and e-mail addresses) of at least two referees to Constantine Stratakis, M.D., Sc.D., Chief, SEGEN/DEB, NICHD, NIH, Building 10 (CRC), Room 1-3330 (East Labs), 10 Center Drive, MSC 1103, Bethesda, MD 20892; e-mail: stratakc@mail.nih.gov. The position will be available after October 1, 2006, and applications will be accepted until September 30, 2006. The Department of Health of Human Services and the National Institutes of Health are equal opportunity employers.

Clinical Cytogeneticist.—The Cytogenetics Department of the Nichols Institute at Quest Diagnostics, Inc., seeks an experienced clinical cytogeneticist to join the team-oriented management team of their expanding full-service laboratory. The candidate should hold a Ph.D. or M.D. degree and should be board certified (or board eligible) in clinical cytogenetics by the American Board of Medical Genetics. Clinical responsibilities will include interpreting, reporting, and consulting on a diverse spectrum of prenatal, postnatal, and oncology cytogenetics and molecular cytogenetics tests. Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute is located in Chantilly, VA, near metropolitan Washington, DC. Full benefits offered by Quest Diagnostics include medical and dental insurance, 401(k) (matching 6%), an employee stock program, and other incentives, such as on-site cafeteria and child-care facilities. Quest Diagnostics offers a competitive salary and rank commensurate with experience and qualifications. Please apply online (http://www.questdiagnostics.com/) and attach your resume and cover letter. If you have any questions or would like more information about this announcement, please contact Philip Mowrey, Ph.D., FACMG, Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute, 14225 Newbrook Drive, Chantilly, VA 20153-0841; telephone: (800) 336-3718 x7094; fax: (703) 802-7103; e-mail: Philip.n.mowrey@questdiagnostics.com. Quest Diagnostics is an equal opportunity employer.

Research Associate Professor.—The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine seeks candidates for an associate professor position in the nontenure research track. The successful applicant will be accomplished in genetics and/or molecular biology. Applicants must have an M.D. and/or Ph.D. degree and must be able to demonstrate excellent qualifications in research. We are looking for candidates with at least 5 years experience in large-scale microsatellite/SNP genotyping and human genetics research to manage the operational activities at the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The successful candidate will work closely with the Center Director and will provide day-to-day supervision and management of the Center's activities, including DNA isolation and SNP-chip processing workflows, together with data mining and data analysis. Key emphases will be on automation, throughput, and quality-control measures at all levels of data processing, together with effective data-mining procedures. The successful candidate will be expected to apply for independent research support and to establish and grow his or her own career. The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women and minority candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Please submit a curriculum vitae and a letter of interest to Beverly Emanuel, Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Chief, Division of Human Genetics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3615 Civic Center Boulevard, Room 1002, ARC Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Clinical Cytogeneticist Position.—The Permanente Medical Group of Kaiser Northern California is seeking a clinical cytogeneticist assistant/codirector for our laboratory management team. Kaiser Permanente is one of the largest HMO health care systems in the U.S. The Northern California program provides integrated, comprehensive genetics services through five genetics centers and a regional cytogenetics/molecular genetics laboratory. Located in San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley, 50 miles from San Francisco and the Pacific coast, our full-service diagnostic cytogenetics lab processes >12,000 prenatal, constitutional, and oncology cases annually, with a significant molecular cytogenetics component. An M.D. or Ph.D. in a field related to genetics, completion of a 2-year ABMG-approved training program, ABMG certification in clinical cytogenetics, and eligibility for California state licensure are required. To apply, please send a curriculum vitae and a letter of interest to Leigh Conley, Senior Staff Assistant, Genetics Department, 5755 Cottle Road, Building One, San Jose, CA 95123; telephone: (408) 972-3342; fax: (408) 972-3298; e-mail: Leigh.Conley@KP.org. We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Postdoctoral Position in Statistical Genetic Analysis and Genetic Epidemiology.—The Genetics of Complex Disorders (GCD) training program in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University provides pre- and postdoctoral training in the genetic epidemiology and statistical genetic analysis of complex diseases, including psychiatric disorders. Our mission is to train scientists who will be aware of all aspects of genetic studies, including study design, clinical aspects, phenotype definition, molecular laboratory issues, and statistical analysis. Training includes both didactic (i.e., coursework and lab rotations) and research components. We currently have one postdoctoral opening. We seek an applicant with a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in the genetic analysis of complex disorders, preferably also with training in statistics, medicine, epidemiology, and/or genetics. Applicants must have a Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent degree. Further information can be obtained at our Web site (http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/sph/epi/gcd/) or from Susan E. Hodge, D.Sc, NYSPI, Unit 24, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032. Columbia University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens.

Clinical Geneticist.—The Department of Medical Genetics at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN is seeking a full-time board-certified/board-eligible clinical geneticist with special expertise or interest in patients with inborn errors of metabolism. Board eligibility in biochemical genetics is desired but not necessary. The successful candidate will join our department of six clinical geneticists, 15 laboratory geneticists, 11 genetics counselors, and allied health support staff. The focus of practice will be patients with metabolic conditions, as well as general genetics conditions. Mayo Clinic's Department of Medical Genetics has several multidisciplinary clinics, strong working connections with the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, and genetics laboratories which provide state-of-the-art diagnostics and clinical care to patients with a variety of genetic conditions. The successful candidate will coordinate and further develop the already established Mayo Clinic Metabolic Program. The Department of Medical Genetics is integrated with the >50 clinical departments and divisions, providing care to an interesting, challenging, and diverse group of patients from our region and around the world. Practice opportunities range from developing a community-based practice to international consultation. The successful candidate will enjoy close clinical collaboration with pediatricians, neurologists, endocrinologists, surgeons, and practitioners from multiple other disciplines. Opportunities to conduct research and to teach medical students, residents, fellows, visiting clinicians, and allied health professionals are essential components of the position. Candidates should be clinicians committed to an academic career with a focus in metabolic errors, as well as embracing Mayo Clinic's values of teamwork and collaboration. The faculty member will have an academic appointment commensurate with prior background in The Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Please send your letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and two references to Dusica Babovic-Vuksanovic, M.D., Chair, Department of Medical Genetics, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905; e-mail: dbabovic@mayo.edu

Fellowship in Medical Genetics and Pediatric Endocrinology.—A combined medical genetics and pediatric endocrinology fellowship that will lead to certification by both the American Board of Medical Genetics and the American Board of Pediatrics Sub-Board on Pediatric Endocrinology after 5–6 years of training (after approval by each Board) is being sponsored by the Heritable Disorders Branch of the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD). Clinical training will take place within the context of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-approved Pediatric Endocrinology and Medical Genetics fellowship programs of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and sponsored by the NICHD and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Graduates of a pediatrics or a combined pediatrics/internal medicine ACGME-approved residency program in the United States are eligible. We encourage both applicants with previous Ph.D. training and graduates of an M.D./Ph.D. program to apply for this unique fellowship, which aims at bridging two very relevant subspecialties of pediatric medicine: genetics and endocrinology. This is an exciting opportunity for a physician-scientist in training who wants to take advantage of the exciting opportunities offered by the NIH Clinical Center, the hundreds of state-of-the-art research laboratories at the NIH campus, and the commitment of NIH leadership in training initiatives on translational research. Interested candidates should send a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, and the names of at least three references to Constantine A. Stratakis, M.D., D.Med.Sci., Chief, Heritable Disorders Branch, NICHD, NIH, and Director, Pediatric Endocrinology Training Program, NICHD, NIH, 10 Center Drive, Building 10, Room 9D42, MSC 1830, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: (301) 496-6683; fax: (301) 480-0378; e-mail: stratakc@mail.nih.gov. For more information, visit the Pediatric Endocrinology Training Program Web site (http://www.pediatricendocrinology.nichd.nih.gov/index.html) or call Janet Krasnican at (301) 496-6683.

Research Fellow.—A postdoctoral position studying inherited genetic variation in cancer is available in the Cancer Biology and Genetics program at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. We use genomewide association studies as a primary tool to identify genetic variants that influence cancer phenotypes. We take an integrated approach, combining statistical genetics, bioinformatics and computational genomics, and molecular biology in the design, performance, and analysis of such studies. This position mainly involves computer-based statistical genetics and bioinformatics analysis, though the opportunity for some hands-on experimental work exists as well. Therefore, the ideal candidate will have a demonstrated interest and aptitude in quantitative methods, as well as a background in genetics or a related field. Further information about the lab can be found at its Web site (http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/68781.cfm). Questions or a curriculum vitae can be sent to kleinr@mskcc.org

Meetings

12th and 13th Annual International Scientific Meetings of the Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome Educational Foundation.—The Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome Educational Foundation, Inc., will be holding its second meeting for this year in Brisbane, Australia, on November 2–4, 2006. The meeting will be cosponsored and hosted by The VCFS Foundation (Qld), Inc. The international and interdisciplinary faculty at the meeting is being assembled and will include eminent researchers and clinicians covering the latest research in genetics and genomics, speech and feeding disorders, surgical outcomes, psychiatric illness, neural imaging, development, and education, among other topics. Details will follow in the coming months and will be available at the Web sites of the Educational Foundation (http://www.vcfsef.org) and The VCFS Foundation (Qld), Inc. (http://www.vcfs.com.au). The meeting is open to all professionals and laypeople with an interest in the disorder. The Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome Educational Foundation, Inc., is an international alliance of professionals and laypeople whose mission is to spread information about VCFS (also known as “DiGeorge syndrome” and “deletion 22q11 syndrome”) and to advocate for people with the disorder. The annual meetings of the Educational Foundation have reached >3,000 professionals and laypeople since the first meeting in 1995.

Conferences

WORLD (We're Organizing Research on Lysosomal Diseases) Symposium 2006.—The 3rd annual conference will be presented by the Lysosomal Disease Network in partnership with Dr. Chet Whitley, a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, on December 7–9, 2006, at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando, FL. The goal of the annual symposium is to provide an interdisciplinary forum to explore and discuss specific areas of interest related to lysosomal diseases. The symposium is appropriate for clinicians, geneticists and genetic counselors, neurologists and neuropsychologists, researchers, nurses, and other health care professionals, as well as patients and families, patient/family support organizations, and industry professionals. Disease focuses will include mucopolysaccharidosis, mucolipidosis, oligosaccharidosis, Fabry disease, Batten disease, Gaucher disease, Pompe disease, and sphingolipidoses. The deadline for abstracts is July 1, 2006; for abstract submission, use the Lysosomal Disease Network Web site (http://www.lysosomaldiseasenetwork.org). To register, visit the University of Minnesota's Continuing Medical Education Web site (http://www.cme.umn.edu), click “Course Calendar,” and scroll to “WORLD Symposium,” or else contact the University of Minnesota by telephone, at (612) 626-7600 or (800) 776-8636. To make hotel reservations, call (407) 824-3869, and be sure to mention the WORLD symposium to receive a discounted room rate. For more information, contact the Office of Continuing Medical Education at the URL or telephone numbers above or by e-mail (cmereg@umn.edu). A complete brochure with a detailed agenda will be available this summer. The University of Minnesota is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education to physicians.

Cerebellar Development: Bench to Bedside 2006 International Conference.—This conference will be held at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington D.C. on November 9–12, 2006. The conference will address human disorders and animal models, focusing mainly on mouse and zebrafish. Session topics will include but are not limited to delineation of syndromes, gene identification, molecular analysis, prenatal diagnosis, cerebellar patterning, cell specification, neuronal migration, and genetic pathways. We will also host a poster session and provide a printed program, with a review of the conference to be published in a basic-science journal. The conference is funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, as well as private foundations and patient advocacy groups, with the goal of advancing knowledge of disorders of cerebellar development. The conference is being organized by Joseph G. Gleeson, William B. Dobyns, and Enza-Maria Valente. We anticipate 100 attendees for our inaugural conference. For more information, please see the conference Web site (http://cerebellardevelopment.ucsd.edu/).

DNA Samples Available

DNA Samples with Multiply Verified Mutations Available from NIGMS Cell Repository.—The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Human Genetic Cell Repository at the Coriell Institute for Medical Research is collaborating with the Genetic Testing Quality Control Materials Program (GTQC) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to distribute quality control (QC) materials to the genetics community. These QC materials contain mutations of clinical importance that have been confirmed by multiple volunteer laboratories by use of different testing platforms. Samples currently available include: Huntington disease; Bloom syndrome; Canavan disease; Fanconi anemia, group C; familial dysautonomia; Gaucher disease; glycogen storage disease; mucolipidosis type IV; Niemann-Pick disease, types A and B; and Tay-Sachs disease. Results of the analyses from the different laboratories that confirmed the mutations, as well as the methods used by those laboratories, are available at the Coriell Cell Repositories Web site (http://ccr.coriell.org/nigms/special/qc_material.html) and the CDC Web site (http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/dls/genetics/qcmaterials/). The collaboration between the NIGMS Repository and the GTQC program to develop QC materials is an ongoing project, and development of additional disorders is being planned. Disorders for which QC materials are currently being developed include fragile X syndrome. DNA samples are available from the NIGMS Repository. Information about ordering materials is available at the NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository Web site (http://ccr.coriell.org/nigms/). See the NIGMS assurance form (http://ccr.coriell.org/nigms/comm/order/assurance.pdf) for an explanation of the appropriate use of the material.

Colloquium

Genomewide Association Studies: Design and Analysis.—The Yale School of Public Health's Department of Epidemiology will be holding an international colloquium on genomewide association studies in New Haven, CT, on October 26–27, 2006. Genomewide association studies are increasingly utilized but with little consensus on optimal research design and analysis strategies. These studies include large arrays of candidate genes, as well as hypothesis-free strategies involving several hundred thousand polymorphisms. Critical and sometimes controversial issues in designing and analyzing both types of study will be examined. The conference also explores novel technological developments that make genomewide studies possible and population genetics that must be considered for proper interpretation. These issues will be discussed in the context of ongoing genomewide association studies. Participants will learn the latest methods for designing and analyzing genomewide studies for associating genetic polymorphisms with risk of complex disease. The course directors are Michael B. Bracken, Ph.D., Yale University, and Hongyu Zhao, Ph.D., Yale University. The faculty will include Goncalo Abecasis, Ph.D., University of Michigan; David Altshuler, Ph.D., Harvard University; Michael Boehnke, Ph.D., University of Michigan; Aravinda Chakravarti, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University; Andrew Clark, Ph.D., Cornell University; David Clayton, Ph.D., Cambridge University; David Cox, M.D., Ph.D., Perlegen Sciences; Nancy Cox, Ph.D., University of Chicago; Peter Donnelly, Ph.D., Oxford University; Robert Elston, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University; Josephine Hoh, Ph.D., Yale University; Ted Holford, Ph.D., Yale University; Kenneth K. Kidd, Ph.D., Yale University; Richard Lifton, M.D., Ph.D., Yale University; Perry Miller, M.D., Yale University; Newton Morton, Ph.D., University of Southampton; Jurg Ott, Ph.D., Rockefeller University; Jonathan Pritchard, Ph.D., University of Chicago; Harvey Risch, Ph.D., M.D., Yale University; Jonathan Rothberg, Ph.D., 454 Life Sciences; Eric Schadt, Ph.D., Rosetta Inpharmatics; and Pak Sham, Ph.D., University of Hong Kong. For more information or to register for the conference, please visit our Web site (http://cme.yale.edu/). You can also contact Yale CME at cme@yale.edu or (203) 785-4578.

ISCN Committee Formed

ISCN Committee Members, 2007–2011.—The newly elected committee for the International System for Human Cytogenetic Nomenclature (ISCN) has been formed. The committee consists of 11 elected members from six geographical locations. The following individuals will serve on the ISCN committee for 2007–2011: Myriam Chaabouni (Africa/Middle East); Yoshimitsu Fukushima and Prochi Madon (Asia); Lynda Campbell (Australia), Christine Harrison, Nils Mandahl, and Albert Schinzel (Europe); Kathleen Rao, Marilyn Slovak, and Lisa Shaffer (North America); and Carla Rosenberg (Latin America).