Life Science and Medical News from Around the Globe
American Society of Human Genetics Describes Epstein Trainee Awards (18 Finalists & 42 Semi-Finalists) for Excellence in Human Genetics Research at ASHG 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting (October 27-30); 6 Winners to Be Announced
The American Society of Human Genetics annually honors excellence in research conducted by predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees (including genetic counseling trainees) through merit-based awards that recognize highly competitive abstracts submitted and presented at the ASHG Annual Meeting. These awards were renamed in 2012 to honor the late Dr. Charles Epstein, who was a past president of ASHG, former editor of AJHG, and winner of both the William Allan Award and the McKusick Leadership Award. Currently, the total value of ASHG’s Trainee Awards is approximately $70,000 annually. Abstract scoring is completed by the ASHG Program Committee, and 60 top-ranking trainee-authored abstracts (semifinalists who received $750 plus complimentary Annual Meeting registration) were submitted to the Awards Committee, which then selected 18 finalists (who receive an additional $250) prior to the Annual Meeting. Finalists’ presentations are judged by Awards Committee members at the ASHG 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting (https://www.ashg.org/meetings/2020meeting/)and six winners are selected to receive an additional $1,000 each. A list of this year’s finalists and semifinalists is provided here (https://www.ashg.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ASHG20_Epstein_WebListingUpdated.pdf).