ASHG honors Elaine Zackai with inaugural Mentorship Award

The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) has named Elaine H. Zackai, MD, Professor of Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP); and Professor of Pediatrics in Human Genetics and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania; as the first-ever recipient of its Mentorship Award.

This award recognizes ASHG members who have significant records of accomplishment as mentors. It is open to individuals at all academic ranks who have shown a sustained pattern of exemplary mentorship at the graduate student, postdoctoral, residency, or fellowship level. The award presentation, which includes a plaque and $10,000 prize, will take place on Friday, October 21, during ASHG's 66th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"Dr. Zackai's nomination included testimonials from 38 former trainees who now occupy research and clinical positions at institutions around the world," said Raju Kucherlapati, PhD, chair of the ASHG Awards Committee. "Their comments credited her dedication to her students, leadership by example, compassion for patients, and rigorous approach to diagnosis with inspiring them to successful careers in human genetics."

After receiving her MD in 1968, Dr. Zackai completed a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in medical genetics. Since then, she has held faculty and hospital appointments at CHOP and the University of Pennsylvania, where she has focused on diagnosis, dysmorphology, and applied clinical research responding to real-world situations.

A longtime member of ASHG, Dr. Zackai served on its Awards and Abstract Review Committees in 1998. She has received many awards over the years, including the Blockley-Osler Award for excellence in teaching medicine in 2002, the Master Clinician Award presented by the CHOP Department of Pediatrics in 2007, and the CHOP Distinguished Alumni Award in 2015. She has authored more than 200 scientific articles in the past 40 years.

Provided by American Society of Human Genetics