2024 Edward Novitski Prize recipient Elaine Ostrander, a pioneer of the domestic dog model, discovered numerous genes affecting dog size, morphology, behavior, and disease susceptibility—many of which have relevance in humans. “How genes control physical, behavioral, and disease traits?” is a perennial question for geneticist Elaine Ostrander, Chief and Distinguished Senior Investigator of the Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch at the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health and Section Head of Comparative Genetics. Ostrander, who is known for ..read more

2024 Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education recipient Jef Boeke considers himself a geneticist turned engineer. He transformed his landmark synthetic yeast genome project into a research-heavy teaching course, revolutionizing molecular biology and genetics education. Professors in colleges and universities strive to promptly bring new techniques to undergraduate classrooms. While the theory and concepts readily become part of the curriculum, the practical laboratory classes do not get much focus beyond a few protocol-based exercises. Only undergraduate students who are lucky enou ..read more

A new associate editor is joining GENETICS in the Genetics of Complex Traits section. We’re excited to welcome Yao-Wu Yuan to the editorial team. Yao-Wu Yuan Associate Editor Yao-Wu Yuan is an Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. He is interested in understanding how and why organisms evolve so many beautiful forms in nature. His lab primarily studies floral trait diversification in the wildflower genus Mimulus (monkeyflowers) and aims to uncover the genes, pathways, and principles that explain the tremendous diversity of flowers by inte ..read more

A new senior editor is joining GENETICS in the Statistical Genetics and Genomics section. We’re excited to welcome Hongyu Zhao to the editorial team. Hongyu Zhao Senior Editor Hongyu Zhao is the Ira V. Hiscock Professor of Biostatistics, Professor of Genetics, and Professor of Statistics and Data Science at Yale University. He received his BS in Probability and Statistics from Peking University in 1990 and PhD in Statistics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1995. His research interests are the development and application of statistical methods in molecular biology, genetics, the ..read more

Pears are big business in the United States’ Pacific Northwest. But did you know that traditional pear breeding has remained largely unchanged for centuries? This slow process is difficult and costly, requiring the long-term commitment of labor, materials, and land-space resources. However, traditional pear breeding might get some help from genomics, thanks to a unique collaboration between students, scientists, and the pear industry fostered through an initiative called the American Campus Tree Genomes (ACTG) Project. ACTG was born from two professors’ desire to memorialize Auburn University ..read more

We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Jessie MacAlpine Communication and Outreach Subcommittee University of Toronto Research Interest I am passionate about using molecular genetics to understand fundamental biology. During my undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, I completed a specialist program in the Department of Molecular Genetics and decided to stay for my graduate training. I was fortunate to join the laboratory of Leah Cowen, where I was introduce ..read more

We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Daniela C. Soto Outreach & Communication Subcommittee University of California, Los Angeles Research Interest What genetic changes underlie our uniquely human traits and behaviors? In the last couple million years of evolution, some fascinating changes took place that make us who we are. My quest as a scientist is to uncover the genes responsible for these phenotypic changes, including their functions, their regulation, and the ..read more

The Presidential Membership Initiative was launched in 2020 as a way for the Genetics Society of America to invite talented and creative individuals from diverse backgrounds into our community. We are pleased to introduce the next cohort of Presidential Members. Throughout 2024, they will network with one another and with other Society and Board members, participate in GSA Conferences, and be valued additions to our community. Welcome, Presidential Members! We are introducing Presidential Members this week, so be sure to check back and meet your new colleagues. K ..read more

The Presidential Membership Initiative was launched in 2020 as a way for the Genetics Society of America to invite talented and creative individuals from diverse backgrounds into our community. We are pleased to introduce the next cohort of Presidential Members. Throughout 2024, they will network with one another and with other Society and Board members, participate in GSA Conferences, and be valued additions to our community. Welcome, Presidential Members! We are introducing Presidential Members this week, so be sure to check back and meet your new colleagues. A ..read more

GSA is pleased to announce the winners of the early career awards presented at The Allied Genetics Conference 2024. These awards are specific to particular TAGC communities and recognize early career scientists’ outstanding work on their respective research organisms. The awardees will present their talks in keynote sessions at TAGC 2024.  Don’t miss the opportunity to hear these outstanding scientists discuss their work. Access the full conference schedule online. C. elegans  Sydney Brenner Award Sneha Ray  Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center   The Sydney Brenner ..read more