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Office of the Clinical Director
Established in 1994, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) Office of the Clinical Director (OCD) is committed to supporting world-class clinical research and enhancing the education of young genetics investigators at all levels.
At the heart of the OCD mission is the challenge of finding new and better ways to help patients affected by genetic disorders. To that end, the office provides oversight and guidance to NHGRI scientists working to develop better diagnostic methods, innovative therapeutic approaches and improved medical management strategies for genetic disorders.
To achieve its goals, the OCD focuses on the following areas:
- Providing expert clinical and administrative infrastructure for all NHGRI clinical research protocols, as well as basic science studies involving clinical specimens.
- Assuming an active role in the development and implementation of individual clinical research protocols and clinical research initiatives, such as NHGRI's new "Therapeutics in Genetics and Molecular Medicine" initiative.
- Establishing a presence for NHGRI within the leadership of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, and helping to integrate the goals of NHGRI's clinical staff with those of the NIH Clinical Center.
- Supporting NHGRI's training programs in Medical Genetics and Genetic Counseling.
Another important function of OCD is assisting NHGRI's Institutional Review Board (IRB) in its task of ensuring the protection of participants in NHGRI clinical protocols or in basic science studies involving human specimens.
To promote a spirit of collegiality and help maintain standards of excellence in clinical care, OCD holds a weekly conference to review the clinical history of each patient participating in NHGRI protocols. Each week, OCD also hosts a formal Clinical Genetics Conference to discuss extraordinary clinical cases or issues among clinical staff, faculty and medical genetics fellows.
As part of its directive, OCD is responsible for coordinating requests for genetic consults from physicians at the NIH Clinical Center and addressing public inquiries that NHGRI investigators receive regarding clinical issues. OCD's Office of Clinical Liaison, which orchestrates these two activities, handles hundreds of public inquiries annually, referring people to resources such as genetic counselors, support groups, medical experts and patient information centers established by the NIH and other groups.
Clinical Director
William A. Gahl, M.D., Ph.D.
Senior Investigator, Medical Genetics Branch
Head, Human Biochemical Genetics Section
Deputy Director
Donna Krasnewich, M.D., Ph. D.
Head, Medical Genetics Clinic
Address
Office of the Clinical Director
National Human Genome Research Institute
National Institutes of Health
Building 10, Room 10C101
10 Center Drive, MSC-1852
Bethesda, MD 20892-1852
Phone: (301) 402-8255
Fax: (301) 496-7157
Last Updated: July 2004
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