About the GfH
The German Society of Human Genetics, formerly the "Society of Anthropology and Human Genetics", was founded in 1987. Its principal objective is the promotion of research, education and practitioning in all areas of human genetics. The society organizes scientific meetings, conferences and workshops to share and discuss scientific progress. In addition, the society encourages and integrates different scientific and clinical specialties of human genetics.
The GfH closely cooperates with other German, European or international scientific societies. The society publishes the journal medizinischegenetik in collaboration with the Austrian Society of Human Genetics (www.oegh.at) and the Swiss Society of Medical Genetics (www.sgmg.ch), and the German Association of Clinical Genetics (www.bvdh.de)
Both, the executive board and its committees work on public relations by the development of position statements on a variety of clinical, ethical, social and legal issues. The Academy of Human Genetics as a permanent institution of the GfH offers continuous medical education (CME) for physicians and scientists in the field of human genetics. An important activity of the GfH is the establishment of standards for good human genetic laboratory practice as well as good genetic counseling practice and to publish guidelines for quality assessment in clinical genetic services. The GfH established a special educational program that allows scientists (e.g. biologists, biochemists) certified as "Fachhumangenetiker/in (GfH)" - clinical genetic laboratory specialist (GfH) - to work as professionals in clinical genetics and patients care.
Our tasks and goals
- Elaboration of guidelines and statements for the establishment of harmonized quality standards for human genetics
- Public relation
- Representation of the subject in scientific, political and legal / ethical committees
- Support in the implementation of new concepts for further education regulations for specialist in human genetics in cooperation with the German Professional Association of Clinical Geneticists (BVDH).
- Providing qualified education for scientific colleagues in the field of human genetics through the specially created job description "specialist human geneticist (GfH)"
- Cooperation in the reforming of curricula
- Nationwide offers for quality assurance in the field of cyto- and molecular genetics in close cooperation with the BVDH
- Close cooperation with European and international specialist societies of human genetics
- Promotion of patient concerns and close cooperation with self-help groups in genetic diseases
- Cooperation in the construction of internet databases on rare diseases and quality assurance measures in human genetics
- The GfH is the publisher of the magazine medizinischegenetik, a professional communication forum for human geneticists in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
In all areas of human genetics the Society is the central institution to address questions on basic science, research, and clinical genetics.
The Academy of Human Genetics of the GfH offers advanced education courses for doctors and scientists in the field of human genetics. The annual Syndrome Day since 2013 and Annual Tumor Genetics Meeting conference since 2015 has been organized by the GfH.