Winner of 2010-2011 Luminex/ACMGF Award

The American College of Medical Genetics Foundation (ACMGF) has awarded Dr. Marilyn M. Li, of the Tulane Medical Center and the Tulane University School of Medicine the 2010-2011 Luminex/ACMGF Award at the ACMG 2010 Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting in Albuquerque, NM. The award includes a $100,000 grant and is aimed at the promotion of safe and effective genetic testing and services, including the development of research guidelines.

"Medical geneticists have an integral role in translating genetic research into medical services and in ensuring the safe integration of genetics into healthcare and public health. The Luminex/ACMGF Award recognizes this vital role of medical geneticists by supporting an individual in undertaking activities that promote the uppermost levels of safety and effectiveness in genetic testing and genetic services," said R. Rodney Howell, MD, FACMG, President of the ACMGF.

Dr. Li is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Tulane Medical Center, in New Orleans, Associate Director of the Hayward Genetics Center, Director of the Cytogenetics and Laboratory and Molecular Diagnosis Laboratory at the Tulane University School of Medicine and the Director of the Genetics/Genomics Core Laboratory of the Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium.

In response to the growing interest of applying microarray technology in cancer diagnosis, Dr. Li initiated and organized, along with Dr. Anwar Iqbal of University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and Dr. Charles Lee of Harvard Medical School, the Cancer Cytogenomics Microarray Consortium (CCMC). Dr. Li and her co-PI Dr. Iqbal will study the efficacy of microarray-based testing for detection of genetic aberrations in hematologic malignancies. Their goals are to develop and validate a microarray design specific for cancer diagnosis, to establish a diagnostic algorithm, and to propose practical guidelines. The results of this project will facilitate the development and utilization of microarray-based technology for high quality, reliable cancer genetic testing in CLIA certified diagnostic laboratories..