The U-M Medical School Department of Human Genetics offers a variety of lectureships named in recognition of outstanding scientists, from honoring our founding father, James Van Gundia Neel, MD, PhD in the Spring to honoring our superior educator, Thomas D. Gelehrter, MD in the Fall.
Our lectureships bring in experts from leading institutions across America, creating a collaborative environment for knowledge sharing. Past lectures include representatives from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Berkeley, MIT and more.
Lectureships offer an opportunity to meet and interact with former trainees and dedicated scientists who have successful careers in Human Genetics, and to allow the invitees a chance to connect with our developing scientists.
Our seminars are open to the basic science community and are made possible by impactful donations. Funds for the below Lectureships and Graduate Student Fellowship Awards come from donations from current and former DHG faculty, alumni, postdoctoral fellows, staff, friends of the Department. Please consider donating to these lectureships to support Human Genetics graduate education.
Diane Baker Alumni Lecture in Genetic Counseling & Award
In 1979, Diane Baker established the Master's Program in Genetic Counseling at the UM Medical School which is now one of the most well-established and distinguished training programs in the country.
The Diane Baker Alumni Lecture in Genetic Counseling & Award has been established in honor of Diane’s contributions to the profession.
Diane Baker became the director of the Michigan Genetic Counseling Graduate Program three years after it was founded in 1979. In the intervening 30-plus years, the profession has grown to almost 3,000 members who are trained in 31 graduate programs in the Americas. The success of the University of Michigan graduate programs and the growth of the genetic counseling profession within the University of Michigan Health System, the state of Michigan, and nationally, is a direct result of her work and skills as a clinician, educator, and innovator.
Students in the Human Genetics Counseling Program have an enormous impact on the practice of genetic counseling, including alumni who served as presidents of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, educators, those who developed innovative models of clinical services at nationally recognized hospitals across the Americas, as well as published over 50 peer-reviewed publications between 2007-2010 and authored two editions of the premiere introductory textbook about genetic counseling.
The Diane Baker Alumni Lecture Award was created to honor graduate students who embody the ambition and ideals of the University of Michigan’s Genetic Counseling Program. This annual event provides a unique opportunity for genetic counseling trainees to learn from University of Michigan alumni who are national leaders in genetic counseling.
2023 Lecture - Diane Koeller, MS, MPH, LCGC; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
2022 Lecture - "Clinical and Psychological Impact of Genetic Testing Among Individuals and Families of Diverse Ethnic Backgrounds" by Julie Culver, MS, LCGC, CCRP; USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, CA
2021 Lecture - "From Guthrie to Genomes: The Evolution and Future of Newborn Screening" by Amy Gaviglio, MS, CGC; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, St. Paul, MN
2019 Lecture - "Navigating the Genomic Era: Adaptation and Innovation" by Sarah Scollon, MS, CGC; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics - Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
2018 Lecture - "Genetics Odyssey: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Genetic Services" by Elizabeth Kearney, MS, LCGC, MBA
2017 Lecture -"Reflections on a 40-year Journey: From Genetic Counseling to Public Health Genomics" by Janice V. Bach, MS, CGC; Manager, Genomics & Genetics Disorders Section, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services
Thomas D. Gelehrter, MD Lectureship in Medical Genetics
This annual lectureship honors Dr. Thomas D. Gelehrter, an internationally recognized expert in human genetics and leader within the community. By fostering the expansion of clinical, educational, and research programs in medical genetics, we recognize Dr. Gelehrter’s life-long career dedicated to promoting excellence in this field.
A prominent scientist in the field of medical genetics who embodies the principles that inspired Dr. Gelehrter's outstanding contributions to human genetic research, teaching, and patient care is invited to deliver a keynote address at the annual lectureship. It is with this lectureship that we endure a legacy that continues to raise awareness about the importance of medical genetics and improve the field of human genetics.
In 1974, Dr. Gelehrter joined the University of Michigan Medical School faculty and served as chair of the Department of Human Genetics for 17 years, from 1987 to 2004. He is currently an active Professor Emeritus in the department.
A graduate of Oberlin College and Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford, and after earning his medical degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard Medical School, and residency and fellowship training at Massachusetts General Hospital, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of Washington, Gelehrter began his career as an assistant professor in the Yale University School of Medicine.
After four years, during which time he was promoted to associate professor of human genetics, medicine and pediatrics, he joined the faculty at the University of Michigan in 1974 and holds appointments in Human Genetics and Internal Medicine. From 1987-2004, he was Chair of U-M's Department of Human Genetics. He has been recognized by the National Cancer Institute, NIH for outstanding research, and the Permanente Award for Excellence in Preclinical Teaching. He continues to teach and see patients as an Emeritus faculty member.
In the fall of 2009, Dr. Gelehrter received the University of Michigan Dean’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in Medical Education and the prestigious Award for Excellence in Human Genetics Education from the American Society of Human Genetics. Medical students and residents have benefited from his knowledge and skill, as well as numerous grateful patients.
During a career of almost 40 years of service to the Medical School, Thomas D. Gelehrter, M.D., has proven an outstanding scholar, physician, and scientist and an exemplary teacher.
“Dr. Gelehrter truly exemplifies the ideal of the ‘Michigan Difference’… his outstanding teaching, popular medical genetics textbook, NIH-funded research, dedicated patient care, and service as department chair… [We] are indebted to him for his service.” - James O. Woolliscroft, MD, Dean, U-M Medical School, 2006-2015
2024 - 13th Annual Thomas D. Gelehrter Lecture in Medical Genetics featuring “How GWAS and Functional Genomics Provide Insight into Molecular Pathways of Human Trait Biology” Presented by Jonathan Pritchard, PhD, Bing Professor of Population Studies, Departments of Biology and Genetics, Stanford University, Thursday, November 21, 2024, 2:00 - 4:30 PM, Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB). View Jonathan Pritchard, PhD's lecture
2023 - 12th Annual Thomas D. Gelehrter Lecture in Medical Genetics featuring “Rett Syndrome from the Clinic to Genomes, Epigenomes, and Neural Circuits” Presented by Huda Yahya Zoghbi, M.D., Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Pediatrics, Neurology, and Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Founding Director, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Tuesday, October 24, 2023, 2:00 - 4:30 PM, Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB).
2022 - 11th Annual Thomas D. Gelehrter Lecture in Medical Genetics featuring "Gene Discovery and the Promise of Precision Medicine in Epilepsy" by Heather C. Mefford, M.D., Ph.D, Center for Pediatric Neurological Disease Research, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Friday, November 11, 2022, Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB). View Heather C. Mefford, MD, PhD's lecture
2021 - 10th Annual Thomas D. Gelehrter Lecture in Medical Genetics featuring “Towards population screening for genetic disease” Presented by Leslie G. Biesecker, M.D., Distinguished Investigator; Director, Center for Precision Health Research National Human Genome Research Institute, Friday, November 5, 2021, 2:00PM - 3:00PM, Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB).
James V. Neel, MD, PhD Lecture in Human Genetics & Award
The James V. Neel Lecture in Human Genetics honors a pioneer in the study of human genetics as one of the first to foresee its importance in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. In 1956, Dr. Neel established the first academic department of human genetics in the United States at the University of Michigan Medical School, which he chaired for 25 years.
This annual lectureship honors the legacy of James Neel through lectures by prominent genetic researchers and recognizing outstanding graduate education students. An international leader in research is invited to deliver a keynote address about their experiences and underscores the importance of human genetics research. Graduate Students in the PhD Program in Genetics & Genomics and the Master's Program in Genetic Counseling are awarded fellowships and asked to present their outstanding academic and research achievements.
A pioneer human and medical geneticist, Dr. James Van Gundia Neel always kept foremost the perspective of the physician and a keen sensitivity to the societal implications of the new knowledge he discovered. Trained in Drosophila genetics with Curt Stern and in medicine at the University of Rochester, he became the founder of the field of medical population genetics.
Neel joined the University of Michigan faculty in 1946 as an assistant geneticist in the Laboratory of Vertebrate Biology. From late 1946 to 1947, he served in the Army Medical Corps and directed field studies for the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission of the National Research Council. In 1948, he returned to the University of Michigan to direct the Institute of Human Biology's Heredity Clinic. Dr. Neel was President of the American Society of Human Genetics in 1954. He established the nation’s first Department of Human Genetics at Michigan in 1956 as well as one of the first clinics to evaluate and counsel people with hereditary diseases and was its chair for 25 years. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1971. He was named the Lee R. Dice University Professor of Human Genetics in 1966 – a position he held until his retirement on June 30, 1985. He died February 1, 2000 at age 84.
During a distinguished career spanning more than 60 years, Dr. Neel made major contributions to our understanding of the genetics of several human diseases including diabetes mellitus, neurofibromatosis, and sickle cell anemia, of the effects of atomic radiation on humans, and of the genetic structure of Amerindian populations. Dr. Neel published over 500 papers and several books, including his autobiographical memoir, Physician to the Gene Pool. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and its Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the Association of American Physicians, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Science, the Lasker Award of the American Public Health Association, the Allan Award of the American Society of Human Genetics, and the Colonel Harlan Sanders March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Award for lifetime achievement in clinical genetics.
The James V. Neel, MD, Fellowship Award is presented to a graduate student who embodies Dr. Neel’s ideals. The selection of recipients will be made by the Education Committee of the Human Genetics Department based on quality, and secondly, on need – to put these funds where they will do the most good for the students and the Department. Students are awarded a fellowship and present their research at the annual lectureship.
Funds for the J.V. Neel Lectureship and Graduate Student Fellowship come from come from generous donations from the Neel family, current and former DHG faculty, alumni, postdoctoral fellows, staff, friends of the Department, and the Neel family, in supporting Human Genetics graduate education.
The James V. Neel Doctoral Fellowship awards graduate students in their 4th or 5th year of PhD training. Foreign students are eligible for this award. This award may be provided to more than one student in a given year.
The James V. Neel Genetic Counseling Fellowship awards a 2nd year genetic counseling student financial support towards tuition.
Funds for the J.V. Neel Lectureship and Graduate Student Fellowship come from come from generous donations from the Neel family, current and former DHG faculty, alumni, postdoctoral fellows, staff, friends of the Department, and the Neel family, in supporting Human Genetics graduate education.
2025 - 24th Annual James V. Neel Lectureship featuring Matthew Hurles, Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB), May 12, 2025.
2024 - 23rd Annual James V. Neel Lectureship featuring "A Proper Study for Mankind: Understanding the Human Condition Through the Lens of Other Primates" Presented by Jenny Tung, PhD, Director, Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Professor, Evolutionary Anthropology and Biology, Duke University, Monday April 29, 2024, 1:00-4:00PM, Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB).
2023 - 22nd Annual James V. Neel Lectureship featuring "Creating the Fourth Chapter of Human Genomics" Presented by Eric Green, MD, PhD, Director, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, 12:00PM - 3:00PM, Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB).
2022 - 21st Annual James V. Neel Lectureship featuring "A tail of tales: genetics and development of evolutionary change (in wild mice)" Presented by Hopi E. Hoekstra, PhD, Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Curator of Mammalogy in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, 3:00PM - 6:00PM, Fourth Floor Palmer Commons.
2021 - 20th Annual James V. Neel Lectureship featuring "Remembrance of Things Past: Reactivation of Fetal Hemoglobin for Therapy" Presented by Stuart H. Orkin, MD, David G. Nathan Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Friday, May 7, 2021, 12:00PM - 3:00PM, zoom.
Human Genetics Research Seminar Series
The Human Genetics Research Seminar Series is held on the Ann Arbor medical school campus each Monday at 11am EST. Each seminar showcases cutting-edge research on genetics and genomics by internal and external experts. These seminars are held in person and are not live-streamed or recorded. Seminars are open to the University Community. Seminars are hosted by HG faculty members.
Interested in more information? Please contact DHG Administration [email protected].
Postdoctoral Symposium
Half-day event where postdoctoral fellows from the department coordinate seminars and posters to showcase research in the department.
Most recent speaker
2024 - 3rd Annual Postdoctoral Symposium in Human Genetics featuring “Genetic Variation in Yeast Protein Degradation and Human Milk” presented by Frank W. Albert, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Genetics, Cell Biology, & Development, University of Minnesota, Thursday, September 12, 2024, 12:00-5:00PM, West Lecture Hall, MedSci II.
2023 - 2nd Annual Postdoctoral Symposium in Human Genetics featuring “High elevation adaptation, reproductive health, and the placenta” presented by Kate Wilsterman, Ph.D., Colorado State University, Tuesday, March 28, 2023, 1:30-5:30PM, Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB).
2022 - Inaugural Postdoctoral Symposium in Human Genetics featuring “Genetic approaches enable reclassification of RAD51 paralog breast and ovarian cancer variants of unknown significance” presented by Kara Anne Bernstein, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Monday, May 16, 2022, 12:30 - 4:00PM, Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB).
Genetics Training Program Seminars
In this short course, GTP and CMB students invite outstanding internal and external scientists to give a seminar and to formally and informally interact with students.
This program is Co-sponsored by the Genetics Training Program (GTP) and the Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB). Please visit HUMGEN 630 for more information. Available Fall and Winter terms, 1 credit each.
The topic of the Winter 2024 Short Course, sponsored by Human Genetics, is “As the Ribonucleotide Turns: How Cells Exert Control, Ride Out Genomic Instability, and Gain Immunity."
