Eng to Serve on Health and Human Services Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health and Society

CLEVELAND, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Charis Eng, M.D., Ph.D., Chair and Director of Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute's Genomic Medicine Institute, has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health and Society (SACGHS) to serve a three-and-a-half year term.

The committee advises HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the medical, ethical, legal, and social implications of integrating genetic technologies into clinical and public health practice.

"At Cleveland Clinic, we believe that genomics and the proper use of genetic information - which includes family history and validated genetic testing - are crucial tools in improving health and wellness," Dr. Eng said. "The field of genetics is a rapidly evolving discipline. Furthering our understanding and identification of genes will ultimately improve healthcare. I am honored to be selected to serve on this committee."

In addition to being the Sondra J. & Stephen R. Hardis Chair and Founding Director of the Genomic Medicine Institute (GMI) at Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute, Eng is also the Founding Director of the Center for Personalized Genetic Healthcare, GMI's integrated clinical component.

Dr. Eng has been a pioneer in the field of cancer genetics, publishing more than 300 peer-reviewed original papers in such journals as the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Lancet, Nature Genetics, Nature and Molecular Cell. She has unique expertise in building programs that cross multiple medical specialties - from cancer to heart disease to rare genetic conditions - resulting in personalized healthcare that's based on each patient's individual genetic makeup.

The study topics of the 17-member SACGHS committee include: coverage and reimbursement of genetic technologies; direct-to-consumer marketing of genetic technologies; genetic discrimination; oversight of genetic technologies; and patents, among others. More information about the committee can be found at: http://oba.od.nih.gov/SACGHS/sacghs_home.html

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. Approximately 1,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers at Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 2008, there were 3.3 million visits to Cleveland Clinic and 50,465 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 80 countries. Cleveland Clinic's Web address is www.clevelandclinic.org.

SOURCE Cleveland Clinic

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