James Bartley, MD, PhD; FACMG, Evan Jones, MBA; Matthew Rabinowitz, PhD; and David A.H. Whiteman, MD Elected to ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine Board of Directors

BETHESDA, Md., June 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine (www.acmgfoundation.org) recently announced that four new directors have been elected to join its Board of Directors. The ACMG Foundation is a national nonprofit foundation dedicated to funding educational programs to facilitate the integration of genetics and genomics into medical practice and develop strong partnerships that help to harness the power of all facets of business impacting medical genetics and genomics.

The newly-announced ACMG Foundation directors are:

James A. Bartley, MD, PhD, FACMG.  Dr. Bartley is a board-certified clinical geneticist and Associate Clinical Professor at Loma Linda University Medical Center.  He is Director of the California Children's Services Metabolic Specialty Care Clinic at Miller Children's Hospital in Long Beach.  He also conducts outpatient genetics clinics at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital and at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.  He was formerly Medical Director at Genzyme Genetics.  He earned his PhD at University of Iowa, his MD at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, and was an NIH Postdoctoral Trainee in Medical Genetics at the University of California San Francisco.  Dr. Bartley has previously served on the ACMG Ad Hoc Committee on the Value of a Genetics Diagnosis and the ACMG Quality Improvement Special Interest Group Committee.

Evan Jones, MBA.  Mr. Jones was co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Digene Corporation, a publicly traded biotechnology company focused on women's health and molecular diagnostic testing. Mr. Jones has more than 25 years of operating and investment experience in the life sciences industry. He has founded or helped start a number of successful companies and he is currently Chairman & CEO of Opgen, Inc. Mr. Jones is a Board member of Fluidigm, Inc., Foundation Medicine, Inc. and Veracyte, Inc. He was Executive Chairman of Signature Genomic Laboratories, LLC from 2008 until the company was sold to PerkinElmer Corp. in May 2010. Mr. Jones has an active interest in helping to improve healthcare for children and increasing investment in disease control, prevention and biomedical research. He is Chairman of the Board of the Campaign for Public Health Foundation an organization dedicated to making public health and prevention a higher national priority and he serves on the Board of Directors of Research!America. He is a Board Member of the Children's National Medical Center and the Children's Research Institute. Mr. Jones has a BA degree from the University of Colorado and an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Matthew Rabinowitz, PhD.  Dr. Rabinowitz completed his BA, MSc and PhD degrees at Stanford University and is the Founder and President of Natera. Informed by advances from the human genome project and powered by bioinformatics algorithms, Natera's mission is to offer a comprehensive portfolio of tests and genetic counseling services to change the management of genetic diseases worldwide. Dr. Rabinowitz is a board member, advisor, and investor for multiple technology companies in the fields of biotech, communications, cleantech and healthcare. He has received the Scott Helt Memorial Award from IEEE and was selected by MIT Technology Review magazine as one of the top 35 technology innovators under 35 in the US.

David A H Whiteman, MD, FAAP, FACMG.  Dr. Whiteman is a Senior Medical Director and Global Clinical Sciences Leader at Shire Human Genetics Therapies (HGT).  He brings 30 years' experience in clinical pediatrics and medical genetics. Prior to his current position, Dr. Whiteman served as Principal Medical Director for Global Clinical and Medical Affairs at Shire HGT from 2005 to 2012, and is experienced in the development, commercial launch and management of biologic therapeutics. Dr. Whiteman received his BA in from Oxford University in 1974, and his BM, BCh in Medicine and Surgery from Oxford University Medical School in 1978. He is formally trained in Physiology, Experimental Psychology, as well as in Pediatrics and Medical and Biochemical Genetics. He is board certified in Pediatrics, Clinical Genetics, Cytogenetics and in Biochemical Genetics.

"These experienced leaders bring additional talent to the ACMG Foundation and will help advance the important work of the Foundation to ensure that genetic and genomic discoveries are translated into better health for all," said Bruce R. Korf, MD, PhD, FACMG, president of the ACMG Foundation. "We are indebted to both our existing and new directors for their dedication to medical genetics and genomics and to the public's health. Each board member brings important new perspectives and experience and I look forward to working with them to realize the Foundation's goals."

About the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine

The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine (www.acmgfoundation.org), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is a community of supporters and contributors who understand the importance of medical genetics and genomics and genetic counseling in healthcare. Established in 1992, the ACMG Foundation supports the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics' mission to "translate genes into health" by raising funds to promote the profession of medical genetics and genomics to medical students, to fund the training of future medical geneticists, to support best-practices and tools for practicing physicians and laboratory directors, to promote awareness and understanding of our work in the general public, and much more.

SOURCE American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics