Internationally Renowned Clinical Geneticist Dr. John C. Carey to Receive the 2026 David L. Rimoin Lifetime Achievement Award from the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine

BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine (ACMGF) has announced that John C. Carey, MD, MPH, FACMG, FAAP, a globally respected clinical geneticist, educator, editor, and advocate, has been named the recipient of the 2026 David L. Rimoin Lifetime Achievement Award in Medical Genetics. The award is the Foundation's highest honor, recognizing professionals who have made lasting, career-defining contributions to the field.

Dr. Carey's distinguished career spans more than four decades at the University of Utah School of Medicine, where he served as Division Chief of Medical Genetics, Vice Chair of Academic Affairs, creator and long-time Program Director of the Medical Genetics Training Program, and now Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics. His work has shaped modern dysmorphology, medical genetics education, patient advocacy, and the care of children with complex congenital conditions.

A Transformative Leader in Genetics, Education, and Patient Care
An internationally recognized expert in birth defect syndromes, dysmorphology, and trisomy conditions, Dr. Carey has authored over 400 peer-reviewed articles, chapters, and books, including the widely used medical school textbook Medical Genetics (now Medical Genetics and Genomics), co-authored with Drs. Lynn Jorde and Mike Bamshad, now in its 6^th edition, with a forthcoming 7th edition, and translated into multiple languages.

He also served as Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Medical Genetics from 2001–2016, guiding the journal through significant growth and influence and becoming only the second Editor-in-Chief after founder Dr. John Opitz. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief Emeritus.

"I had the honor of serving as Deputy to Dr. Carey's term as Editor in Chief of the American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A. The field of clinical genetics and dysmorphology could not have had a more enthusiastic and committed AJMG editor than John Carey. He tirelessly worked to highlight the good work of the numerous practitioners of this discipline in the journal. His commitment to them, and to their patients, was an inspiration to the entire field." – Leslie Biesecker, MD, FACMG

Dr. Carey's contributions extend to seminal reference works, including co-editing Cassidy & Allanson's Management of Genetic Syndromes (4th edition) and editing Softly Written, Softly Spoken, a unique collection of poems written by families of children with trisomy 13 and 18.

A Mentor to Generations and a Founder of Key Institutions
In 1985, Dr. Carey founded the University of Utah's Medical Genetics Training Program, which has trained and mentored dozens of geneticists, many of whom now lead programs throughout the United States and internationally.

He is also the Founding Professional and long-standing medical advisor to the Support Organization for Trisomy 18, 13, and Related Disorders (SOFT), the oldest parent advocacy group for these conditions.

"John has been an inspiring mentor to many genetics' trainees. His ongoing care of vulnerable patients and their families with Trisomies 18 and 13 is remarkable.  This well-deserved award celebrates a career that is a reflection of the principles espoused by Dr Rimoin." – Cynthia Curry, MD, FACMG

"Despite all his achievements, I think John's legacy is best defined by his humanism, empathy, support, and compassionate advocacy of families with genetic conditions. For more than four decades, he has set the standard for family-centered, respectful, and evidence-based care for children with complex genetic conditions. Dr. Carey's career stands as a model for the enduring value of careful phenotypic observation, compassionate care, and thoughtful integration of genomics into clinical medicine." – Mike Bamshad, MD, FACMG

"John has always been astutely aware of the mood and needs of the parents, patients, and families that he interacts with. He has always made time to talk to families for as long as they need, despite many demands on his time. Once the door closed behind him in the patient's room, those other demands became secondary. It is no wonder that families adore him. I took this idea that 'the patient/family is always first' throughout my career, always keeping in mind that our role is to help individuals and families to better understand and navigate the intricacies and shifting knowledge that is genetics and genomics." – Stephen Braddock, MD, FACMG

His service includes leadership within the American Society of Human Genetics, American Board of Medical Genetics, National Neurofibromatosis Foundation, Mountain States Regional Genetics Network, the trisomy Collaborative, teratology and birth defects committees, state newborn screening advisory work, and speaking at various named visiting professorships and numerous international symposia.

In 2025, the University of Utah recognized Dr. Carey's extraordinary legacy by establishing the John C. Carey Endowed Chair of Medical Genetics, a capstone honor reflecting his decades of leadership in clinical genetics, education, and academic medicine.

Across his career, Dr. Carey has received numerous prestigious awards acknowledging his impact on the field:

• 2008 – American Society of Human Genetics Excellence in Education Award
  Recognizing his national leadership in genetics education, this award highlights his deep commitment to teaching, curriculum development, and mentorship—including his influential role in co-authoring the widely used textbook Medical Genetics and Genomics.
  
  
• 2013 – AAP Section on Genetics and Birth Defects David Smith Award for Excellence in Genetics and Birth Defects Education
  This honor celebrates Dr. Carey's foundational contributions to dysmorphology and birth defects research, as well as his compassionate, patient-centered approach to caring for children with genetic conditions.
  
  
• 2015 and 2022 – SOFT Lifetime Achievement Awards
  Presented by the Support Organization for Trisomy 18, 13, and Related Disorders, where Dr. Carey has served as founding professional, long-standing medical advisor, and champion for families. These awards are among the most meaningful of his career. They recognize more than four decades of advocacy, scientific leadership, and his unwavering dedication to improving care for children with trisomy syndromes.

These honors reflect Dr. Carey's enduring influence as a clinician, scientist, educator, mentor, editor, and advocate, impacting the field of medical genetics in ways that will resonate for generations.

"The Rimoin family is honored to recognize Dr. John Carey, whose career exemplifies the values David L. Rimoin believed were central to medicine: scientific rigor, compassionate care, and an enduring commitment to patients, families, and trainees. Through decades of leadership in medical genetics, Dr. Carey has advanced the understanding of congenital malformations and genetic syndromes, shaped generations of clinicians through mentorship and education, and upheld the highest standards of ethical, patient-centered care. His scholarship, clinical insight, and humanity have left an indelible mark on the field and on the many lives he has touched. For these reasons—and with deep admiration and gratitude—he is a most deserving recipient of the David L. Rimoin Lifetime Achievement Award," said Dr. Ann Garber-Rimoin, Dr. Rimoin's widow.

"Congratulations to Dr. John Carey on this profoundly well-deserved honor. Dr. Carey's extraordinary career embodies every ideal of the Rimoin Award. His lifelong dedication to children with genetic conditions, his influential leadership as an educator and editor, and his remarkable generosity as a mentor have shaped the field of medical genetics for generations. His work has elevated our profession and enriched the lives of countless families. We are deeply honored to recognize his legacy," said Nancy J. Mendelsohn, MD, FACMG, President of the ACMG Foundation.

A Career Guided by Curiosity, Compassion, and Service
Dr. Carey reflects his lifelong dedication to children with genetic conditions:

"I am very humbled, honored, and moved beyond words by receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award named for someone who influenced my career and for whom I had great admiration," said Dr. Carey. "I also join a community of colleagues-fellow awardees- who have impacted our field as it transformed medicine over the last decades."

About the David L. Rimoin Lifetime Achievement Award

The David L. Rimoin Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor bestowed by the ACMG Foundation. It recognizes individuals who have made a sustained and significant impact on medical genetics through research, clinical practice, education, mentoring, and advocacy. The award honors the legacy of Dr. David L. Rimoin, a pioneer whose work transformed the understanding of skeletal dysplasias and inherited diseases.

About the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine

Founded in 1991, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) is a prominent authority in the field of medical genetics and genomics and the only nationally recognized medical professional organization solely dedicated to improving health through the practice of medical genetics and genomics. The only medical specialty society in the US that represents the full spectrum of medical genetics disciplines in a single organization, the ACMG provides education, resources and a voice for more than 2,500 clinical and laboratory practice of medical genetics as well as through advocacy, education and clinical research, and to guide the safe and effective integration of genetics and genomics into all of medicine and healthcare, resulting in improved personal and public health.

Genetics in Medicine and Genetics in Medicine Open, a gold open access journal, are the official ACMG journals. ACMG's website, acmg.net, offers resources including policy statements, practice guidelines, and educational programs.

The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine works to advance ACMG educational and public health programs through philanthropic gifts from corporations, foundations, and individuals.

Note to editors: To arrange interviews with experts in medical genetics, contact ACMG Communications Director, Judy Froehlich, MBA at [email protected].

SOURCE American College of Medical Genetics Foundation