This issue represents a new approach for Genetics in Medicine. A meeting on the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome was held on June 22–25, 2000, and our editorial board felt that this was an important topic that should be presented in the Journal. As a result, we have organized our first theme issue and have devoted it to this topic. Most of the papers come from participants at this meeting, representing the national and international leaders involved in research on 22q11.2 deletion.

The mission of Genetics in Medicine is to publish papers that demonstrate the broad application of genetics to all areas of medicine and health care. This is accomplished with the breadth of papers in this issue, dealing with topics as broad as prenatal diagnosis to speech and intellectual development. As with many things in medical genetics, much of the data address the various changes that are found in this syndrome (i.e., descriptive), but some of the papers are beginning to look at the basic biology of this deletion. This approach should only accelerate in the future with the availability of genome information and the development of new technologies for its application. I would predict that, in 2010, an issue of this Journal devoted to a deletion syndrome would present completely different topics and approaches, and it would all be exciting to our membership.

I would also like to take this opportunity to invite college members to suggest other topics that could be addressed in the theme format. We want to make Genetics in Medicine an exciting clinical genetics journal, and the editorial board is open to new suggestions and ideas for future issues.