The EJHG publishes short announcements (free of charge for ESHG members) regarding meetings in Europe, positions available and other announcements of interest to the Human Genetics community in Europe

British Society for Human Genetics

As from 1st January 1996, human genetics in Britain has a new voice and a new face: the British Society for Human Genetics. Membership is open to everybody professionally involved in human genetics in the UK. The BSHG will focus on communicating genetics research to professionals and addressing genetics issues of public interest. The annual scientific conference, to be held this year on September 15–18 in York, will be the main meeting place for British human geneticists, whether in universities, research institutes or NHS genetics service centres. An initial membership of 1,250 has come from the Clinical Genetics Society, Clinical Molecular Genetics Society, Association of Clinical Cytogeneticists and Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors. These bodies will continue to represent their respective professional interests, while the BSHG will take on the broader role of representing, communicating and furthering human genetics in the UK. The founding chairman is Professor Andrew Read, Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Manchester. Professor Read says: ‘Human genetics is never out of the news, and it needs a powerful voice. I hope the BSHG will be the voice for human genetics as a whole, and I encourage all human geneticists in the UK, both practitioners and researchers, to make sure that it is’.

For further details contact

Mrs Ruth Cole

at the BSHG office, Clinical Genetics Unit,

Birmingham Women’s Hospital

(Phone/Fax 0121 627 2634),

Birmingham B15 2TG (UK)

Call for Patients

Synpolydactyly (syndactyly type II): Our group is studying dominant synpolydactyly (OMIM No. 186000), which has been mapped to chromosome 2q31. We are keen to hear of further patients (with syndactyly of 3rd/4th fingers and 4th/5th toes, and extra digit in syndactylous web), who would be willing to provide blood samples to assist us in our project to find and analyse mutations in the synpolydactyly gene. Please contact:

Dr. F.R. Goodman (Molecular Medicine Unit) or

Prof. R.M. Winter (Clinical Genetics Unit)

Institute of Child Health

30 Guilford Street

London WC1N 1EH (UK)

Tel: 0171 242 9789 Ext 2432

Fax: 0171 831 0488

E-mail: rwinter@ich.bpmf.ac.uk

European Society of Human Genetics

  • Albert Schinzel President

  • Marcus Pembrey Vice-president

  • Ségolène Aymé President-elect

  • Jean-Jacques Cassiman Secretary-general

  • Center for Human Genetics University of Leuven Leuven, Belgium e-mail: Jean-Jacques.Cassiman@med.kufeuven.ac.be

Center for Human Genetics/ESHG University of Leuven

Campus Gasthuisbarg Harestreat 49

B-3000 Leuven. BELGIUM Phone : 432 1 6 34.58.60 Fax : 432 16 34.59 97

March 1996

Dear Colleague,

The European Society for Human Genetics, Boehringer Mannheim, Pharmacia Biotech, Roche Diagnostic Systems and Beckman in Europe are proud to announce that they have created a partnership to further the successful development of all facets of human genetic services and research in Europe.

The partnership aims at creating a climate of mutual understanding between all partners concerned, and an active collaboration towards the creation of services and research in human genetics of the highest technical, moral and ethical quality in Europe.

In the near future specific initiatives to cement this partnership will be announced.

We are convinced that our initiative will play an Important role in creating a momentum which will be unique in the world, while typical for Europe, with regards to its creativity, diversity and unique historical past.

The ESHG executive board,

A. Schinzel

President

M. Pembrey

Vice-President

S. Aymé

President-elect

J.J. Cassiman

Secretary-general

ESHG is partner with Boehringer Mannheim, Beckman, Pharmacia Biotech, Roche Diagnostic Systems