Three national centers for genetic medicine were established in August 1987, approved by Ministry of Health of China in Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Shanghai Medical University and Hunan Medical University, respectively. Beijing National Center for Genetic Medicine was established in CAMS to include Department of Medical Genetics in Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and Departments of Pediatrics and Gynecology &

Obstetrics in Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH). Prof. Wilson H. Y. Lo (Hui-Yuan Luo) was appointed the center director, and Profs. Shi-Min Zhao and Nian-Hu Sun the deputy directors. In 2004, the center was renamed McKusick-Zhang Center for Genetic Medicine in honor of the two world renowned physicians-in-chief, Prof. Victor A. McKusick at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Prof. Xiao-Qian Zhang at PUMCH, with Drs. Xue Zhang and Min

Wei were appointed co-directors.

The goals of McKusick-Zhang Center for Genetic Medicine include establishing an interdisciplinary platform for research, clinical service and training in medical genetics, promoting translation of basic genetic discovery into clinic and application of new technologies in medical genetics services, and encouraging collaboration between medical geneticists and clinicians.

The faculty members of the center are Drs. Xue Zhang, Shang-Zhi Huang, Xiu-Li Zhao, Tao Yang and Ya-Ping Liu from Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, and Drs. Min Wei, Jun-Tao Liu, Hong-Mei Song and Zheng-Qing Qiu from PUMCH. Their research is focusing on molecular basis of Mendelian disorders (including monogenic disorders and genomic disorders), translational studies on genetic testing and prenatal diagnosis.

Over the last decade, investigators in the center have made breakthroughs in many genetic disorders. The team led by Dr.Xue Zhang has discovered the causative genes or pathogenic genomicre arrangements underlying a dozen of Mendelian disorders and published papers in high profile journals, including Science, Nature Genetics and American Journal of Human Genetics. In 2000, the team led by Prof. Wilson H. Y. Lo received State Science and Technology Progress Award formutation identification and prenatal diagnosis in phenylketonuria. In2014, the team led by Dr.XueZhang received the State Natura lScience Award for their new findings in Mendelian disorders.

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Director: XueZhang, MinWei