Margaret Pericak-Vance

Margaret Ann Pericak-Vance (born June 28, 1951)[1] is an American human geneticist who is the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Professor of Human Genetics and director of the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami. She is known for her research on the genetics of common human diseases. This research has led to a number of findings of genes that increase the risk of certain diseases, such as apolipoprotein E and Alzheimer's disease, IL7R and multiple sclerosis, and complement factor H and macular degeneration.[2]

Margaret A. Pericak-Vance
Born
Margaret Ann Pericak

(1951-06-28) June 28, 1951
NationalityUnited States
EducationWells College
Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Biostatistics
Known forResearch on the genetics of Alzheimer's disease
Spouse(s)Jeffery Marvin Vance
Children3
AwardsGrand Prix scientifique de la Fondation Louis D. (2001)
National Academy of Medicine (2003)
Alzheimer's Association's Bengt Winblad Lifetime Achievement Award (2011)
Ming Tsuang Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics (2014)
Scientific career
FieldsMedical genetics
InstitutionsDuke University Medical Center
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
ThesisGenetic linkage studies in Huntington's disease (1978)
Doctoral advisorP. Michael Conneally

Post Doctoral Advisor: Robert C. Elston

Education and career

A native of Buffalo, NY, Pericak-Vance attended Wells College, graduating in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in biology.[3] She went to earn her Ph.D. in 1978 from Indiana University School of Medicine: Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, where she studied under P. Michael Conneally.[4][5] She did a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill under Robert C. Elston. She subsequently served on the faculty of Duke University, where she eventually became director of the Center for Human Genetics, James B. Duke Professor of Medicine, and Chief of the Section of Medical Genetics at Duke University Medical Center. In January 2007, she left Duke to help launch the Miami Institute for Human Genomics now the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine.[6][7]

Honors and awards

Pericak-Vance is a founding fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics.[2] She was recognized in 1997 by Popular Science Magazine for The Best of What's New in Science and Technology for the Gene Identified for Alzheimer's Disease and by Newsweek Magazine as part of the "The Century Club".[8] In 2001, she received the Grand Prix scientifique de la Fondation Louis D. from the Institut de France for her research on Alzheimer's disease.[9] She was inducted into the Western New York Women's Hall of Fame (2002)[10] and received Wells College Distinguished Alumnae Award (2003)[11] She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2003. She received the Hauptman-Woodward pioneer of Science award in 2004. Dr. Pericak-Vance received the Alzheimer’s Association's Bengt Winblad lifetime achievement award in 2011, and was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2012.[2] In 2014, she received the Ming Tsuang Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics.[12] She was Awarded the Plaza Health Network Foundation's Women of Distinction & Caring Award in 2019.

Personal life

Pericak-Vance is married to Jeffery M Vance, whom she met when they were both students at Indiana University School of Medicine. Vance was the founding chair of the Dr. John T Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. They had a son, Jeffery Joseph Vance, who died in 1998 from thrombotic storm,[13] their daughter, Danica Davies Vance, is an orthopedic surgeon and their son, Richard L Belton, is a basketball coach.

References
  1. "Pericak-Vance, Margaret Ann". Library of Congress Name Authority File. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  2. "Margaret Pericak-Vance, Ph.D." University of Miami Health System. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  3. "Renowned Geneticist Margaret Pericak-Vance to Speak at Commencement". Wells College (Press release). 2013-05-03. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  4. "Margaret Ann Pericak-Vance, PhD". Duke University. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  5. Pierce, Charlie (2000). Hard to Forget: An Alzheimer's Story. Random House. ISBN 0-679-45291-5. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  6. "Two of the World's Top Geneticists Are Coming to Miami". www.businesswire.com (Press release). 2006-10-31. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  7. Walker, Blair S. (Fall 2007). "Gene Hunt". University of Miami Medicine. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  8. "The Century Club". Newsweek. Newsweek staff. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  9. "Alzheimer's Research Nets Award for Pericak-Vance". corporate.dukehealth.org (Press release). Duke Health. 2001-08-03. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  10. Buckman, Thomas (2002). "SCIENTIFIC PIONEERS TO BE HONORED FOR WORKS". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  11. "Association of Alumnae and Alumni Award". Wells. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  12. "ISPG Honorific Awards". International Society of Psychiatric Genetics. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  13. "About Thrombotic Storm". HIHG. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
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