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The Genetics Society of America is pleased to announce the 2021 recipients of its annual awards for distinguished service in the field of genetics. The five scientists honored are recognized by their peers for their outstanding contributions to research and education. Awardees will present their work in a lecture series to be held online during 2021, dates to be announced.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce the 2020 recipients of its annual awards for distinguished service in the field of genetics. The awardees were nominated and selected by their colleagues and will be recognized with presentations at The Allied Genetics Conference (TAGC), held April 22–26, 2020, in the metro Washington, DC area.

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Reporters are invited to attend The Allied Genetics Conference (TAGC), to be held April 22-26, 2020 in National Harbor, Maryland, just 30 minutes from downtown Washington DC. TAGC 2020 will feature the latest discoveries from researchers at the leading edge of what is possible in the biological and biomedical sciences.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) and The Gruber Foundation are pleased to announce Molly Schumer, PhD, of Stanford University; and Bérénice Benayoun, PhD, of the University of Southern California as the 2019 recipients of the Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Anne Villeneuve, PhD, of Stanford University is the recipient of the 2019 Genetics Society of America Medal. Villeneuve is recognized for her research on the mechanisms governing chromosome inheritance during sexual reproduction.

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Michael Snyder, PhD, of Stanford University is the recipient of the 2019 Genetics Society of America (GSA) George W. Beadle Award for developing and disseminating widely-used technology for the simultaneous analysis of thousands of genes, RNA molecules, and proteins. The Beadle Award recognizes significant, sustained service to the genetics community that goes beyond an exemplary individual research career.

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Daniel Hartl, PhD, of Harvard University is the recipient of the 2019 Genetics Society of America (GSA) Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal for his influential contributions to experimental and theoretical genetics research.

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Bruce Weir, PhD, of the University of Washington in Seattle is the recipient of the 2019 Genetics Society of America (GSA) Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education, in recognition of his work training thousands of researchers in the rigorous use of statistical analysis methods for genetic and genomic data. The Jones Award recognizes individuals or groups that have had a significant, sustained impact on genetics education at any level.

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Around 40-60% of healthy adults carry around the fungus Candida albicans in their mouth or guts; in immunocompromised people, however, this normally harmless cohabitant becomes a deadly pathogen. A report in the journal GENETICS describes the genomes of three Candida albicans strains isolated from the barks of oak trees in an ancient wood pasture, providing genetic evidence that this yeast can live on plants for extended periods of time.

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Genetics has far less influence on life span than previously thought, according to a new analysis of more than 400 million people. The results suggest the heritability of life span is well below past estimates, which didn’t account for our tendency to select partners with similar traits to our own.

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Newly uncovered newspaper articles shed light on Mendel’s motivations.

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To promote the public awareness and recognition of recent achievements in the field of genetics, the Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce a new collaboration with The Gruber Foundation to award the Gruber Genetics Prize.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Barbara Meyer is the recipient of the 2018 Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal, which is awarded for lifetime achievement in genetics. This honor is given in recognition of her groundbreaking work on chromosome behaviors that govern gene expression, development, and heredity.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Philip Hieter is the recipient of the 2018 George W. Beadle Award, bestowed in honor of his outstanding contributions to the genetics research community. Hieter is Professor of Medical Genetics in the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Steven Farber and Jamie Shuda are the recipients of the 2018 Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education for their extraordinary contributions to genetics education. Farber is a principal investigator at the Carnegie Institution for Science, and Shuda is Director of Life Science Outreach at the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Professor Mariana Wolfner of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Cornell University is the recipient of the 2018 Genetics Society of America Medal for her work on reproduction. Wolfner and her colleagues have identified proteins in the seminal fluid of fruit flies that are transmitted to female flies during mating, manipulating the females’ physiology and behavior.

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When you catch a nasty cold, curling up in bed to sleep may be the only activity you can manage. Sleeping in response to stress isn’t a uniquely human behavior: many other animals have the same reaction, and it’s not clear why. While the circadian sleep that follows the pattern of the clock has been studied extensively, sleep that’s triggered by stress is far less understood.

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At first glance, the yeast Candida krusei seems as innocuous as microbes come: it’s used for fermenting cocoa beans and gives chocolate its pleasant aroma. But it’s increasingly being found as a pathogen in immunocompromised patients—and C. krusei infections aren’t always easy to cure.

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This year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young for their studies of the circadian clock in fruit flies. But their discoveries weren’t just insect idiosyncrasies—they held true across much of the living world, from animals to plants and even some bacteria. And, as many researchers building on their work have found, circadian rhythms have immense importance in human health.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Richard C. Lewontin, PhD is the 2017 recipient of the Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal for lifetime achievement in the field of genetics. This award recognizes Lewontin’s extensive impact on our understanding of evolution, a broad and deep influence that has shaped the field. An unprecedented 160 distinguished biologists co-signed a letter of support to nominate Lewontin for the Morgan Medal. Lewontin is the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Emeritus and a Professor of Biology Emeritus in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Jonathan Hodgkin, PhD (Oxford University) is the 2017 recipient of the Edward Novitski Prize in recognition of his extraordinary creativity and intellectual ingenuity in solving significant problems in genetics research. Hodgkin uncovered the sex determination pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans, an important and widely used model for animal development and genetics. His innovations and contributions to genetic analysis, including the use of suppressor screens and epistasis analyses, helped advance the field in many ways. Hodgkin is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Sally G. Hoskins, PhD is the 2017 recipient of the Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education. This award recognizes her role in developing and promoting the transformative CREATE (Consider, Read, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze and interpret data, and Think of the next Experiment) method. This innovative approach uses primary literature to engage students and help them understand the collaborative problem-solving process that is real science. Hoskins is a Professor in the Department of Biology at City College of the City University of New York.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Susan A. Gerbi, PhD is the 2017 recipient of the George W. Beadle Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the genetics community. In the course of her research on DNA replication and amplification, Gerbi has helped develop techniques for mapping replication origins, genome sequencing, and whole organism transformations. She also helped to establish the fly Sciara coprophila as an important model for studying chromosomes and DNA replication and has served as a prominent leader in the research community. Gerbi is the George Eggleston Professor of Biochemistry in the Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry at Brown University.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that David Kingsley, PhD is the 2017 recipient of the GSA Medal for outstanding contributions to the field of genetics in the past 15 years. His experimental work has shifted paradigms about how the physical traits of vertebrate organisms evolve. Kingsley is a Professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator in the Department of Developmental Biology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

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People from Denmark are remarkably genetically similar to each other, report researchers in the journal GENETICS, a publication of the Genetics Society of America. The study revealed that, Denmark has a relatively genetically homogeneous population as people have mixed freely throughout the country.

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A genomic analysis of 28 dog breeds has traced the genetic history of the remarkable Fonni's Dog, a herd guardian endemic to the Mediterranean island of Sardinia. The results, published in the journal GENETICS, reveal that the regional variety has developed into a true breed through unregulated selection for its distinctive behavior, and that its ancestors came from the very same geographic areas as Sardinia's human migrants. Just as Sardinian people have long provided a wealth of genetic insights to scientists, the canine natives are an example of an isolated population that could prove a powerful resource for finding genes that influence health and behavior.

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Geography and ecology are key factors that have influenced the genetic makeup of human groups in southern Africa, according to new research discussed in the journal GENETICS, a publication of the Genetics Society of America. By investigating the ancestries of twenty-two KhoeSan groups, including new samples from the Nama and the ≠Khomani, researchers conclude that the genetic clustering of southern African populations is closely tied to the ecogeography of the Kalahari Desert region.

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The detonation of atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 resulted in horrific casualties and devastation. The long-term effects of radiation exposure also increased cancer rates in the survivors. But public perception of the rates of cancer and birth defects among survivors and their children is in fact greatly exaggerated when compared to the reality revealed by comprehensive follow-up studies. The reasons for this mismatch and its implications are discussed in a Perspectives review of the Hiroshima/Nagasaki survivor studies published in the August issue of the journal GENETICS, a publication of the Genetics Society of America.

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Precise predictions of whether a tumor is likely to spread would help clinicians and patients choose the best course of treatment. But such forecasts are not yet possible. New research reveals that profiling primary tumor samples using genomic technologies can improve the accuracy of breast cancer survival predictions compared to clinical information alone. The study was published in the journal GENETICS, a publication of the Genetics Society of America.

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The Neanderthal genome included harmful mutations that made the hominids around 40% less reproductively fit than modern humans, according to estimates published in the latest issue of the journal GENETICS. Non-African humans inherited some of this genetic burden when they interbred with Neanderthals, though much of it has been lost. The results suggest that these harmful gene variants continue to reduce the fitness of some populations today. The study also has implications for management of endangered species.

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Bethesda, Md. – May 5, 2016 – The Genetics Society of America (GSA) invites members of the media to attend The Allied Genetics Conference (TAGC) 2016 and learn about the latest advances in the field of genetics. Complimentary registration packages are available for contacts from qualified print, online and broadcast news media outlets.

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The sex of many reptile species is set by temperature. New research reported in the journal GENETICS identifies the first gene associated with temperature-dependent sex determination in any reptile. Variation at this gene in snapping turtles contributes to geographic differences in the way sex ratio is influenced by temperature. Understanding the genetics of sex determination could help predict how reptiles will evolve in response to climate change.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) and the Editorial Board of the journal GENETICS are pleased to announce the winners of the first Centennial Award for outstanding articles published in GENETICS in 2015. The awards were inaugurated just this year in celebration of the 100th anniversary of GENETICS. Three exceptional articles are recognized from three categories: quantitative genetics, molecular genetics, and population and evolutionary genetics. Prizes for the lead authors of each article include subsidized attendance at The Allied Genetics Conference, an integrated GSA meeting that brings together researchers from the C. elegans, ciliate, Drosophila, mouse, yeast, zebrafish, and population, evolutionary, & quantitative genetics communities.

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Sequencing the genomes of hundreds of strains of the wine yeast S. cerevisiae has revealed little genetic diversity and high levels of inbreeding. In many cases, yeast strains sold by different companies were almost genetically identical. The results, published in the April issue of G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, a publication of the Genetics Society of America, suggest that winemakers attempting to develop improved wine yeasts will need to look to creating hybrids with more exotic strains.

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The Genetics Society of America takes an active and collaborative role in the Promoting Active Learning & Mentoring (PALM) Network, along with our partners: the American Society for Cell Biology and the American Society of Plant Biologists.PALM Fellows work with mentors to develop, use and evaluate evidence-based active learning strategies in their own classroom.

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Sometimes, a nematode worm just needs to take a nap. In fact, its life may depend on it. New research has identified a protein that promotes a sleep-like state in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Without the snooze-inducing molecule, worms are more likely to die when confronted with stressful conditions, report researchers in the March 7, 2016 issue of the journal GENETICS.

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BETHESDA, MD – The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Detlef Weigel (Max Plank Institute for Developmental Biology, Tuebingen) has been awarded the GSA Medal for his outstanding contributions to the field of genetics in the last 15 years.

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On November 11, 1954, Syuiti Mori turned out the lights on a small group of fruit flies. More than sixty years later, the descendents of those flies have adapted to life without light. These flies—a variety now known as “Dark-fly”—outcompete their light-loving cousins when they live together in constant darkness, according to research reported in the February issue of G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics. This competitive difference allowed the researchers to re-play the evolution of Dark-fly and identify the genomic regions that contribute to its success in the dark.

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BETHESDA, MD – The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that William “Bill” Wood (University of Colorado Boulder) has been awarded the Society’s Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education in recognition of his significant and sustained impact in genetics education.

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BETHESDA, MD – The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Nancy Kleckner, PhD (Harvard University), has been awarded the Society's Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal for lifetime achievement in the field of genetics.

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In 1916, in the very first issue of the journal GENETICS, Calvin Bridges published his proof that genes are carried on chromosomes. One hundred years later, genetics is again at the brink of a major transformation, as efficient genome engineering becomes a reality. During this century of incredible advances, GENETICS, published by the Genetics Society of America, has remained an authoritative record of the field and a crucial forum for scholarly debate, publishing more than 18,000 articles of high-quality, original research on genetics and genomics. Throughout 2016 GENETICS will celebrate this anniversary by examining how our remarkable past has created modern genetics and by starting a conversation about the next century of the field.

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Chickens that chicken out in unfamiliar surroundings may shed light on anxiety in humans, according to research published in the January issue of the journal GENETICS, a publication of the Genetics Society of America.

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Trainee representatives were selected through a competitive application process based on demonstrated leadership roles, volunteer service, and letters of recommendation. These new representatives will hold two-year terms beginning January 1, 2016.

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A new report from Unckless et al. recently published in the journal GENETICS builds on recent experimental work being carried out in the field of gene drive by using mathematical models to estimate how quickly such gene replacement can spread through a population.

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Genetics Society of America announces results of election for new Board members Lynn Cooley will serve as 2016 Vice-President, 2017 President

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce the inaugural group of GSA Trainee-Organized Symposia, which are organized by student and postdoctoral members of the Society. These outstanding workshops will receive up to $2,000 in funding to cover direct meeting costs, such as speaker travel, facility rental, and promotion supplies.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to be a founding member of the Plant Science Research Network (PSRN), which was launched this week. This effort, supported by a Research Coordination Network award from the National Science Foundation (NSF), will seek to unite the plant science community and to harness its collective vision and broad expertise to support agricultural sustainability and the growth of the bioeconomy.

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The Genetics Society of America (GSA) and the C. elegans research community are pleased to announce the recipients of the GSA poster awards at the 20th International C. elegans Meeting, which took place at the University of California, Los Angeles, June 24-28, 2015. The awards were made to undergraduate and graduate students in recognition of the research they presented at the conference.