Haig Kazazian, Professor of Human Genetics at the Institute of Genetic Medicine in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, will give the 15th Annual James V. Neel Lecture in Human Genetics at the University of Michigan Medical School on Tuesday, May 19, at 2:30 p.m. Dr. Kazazian’s lecture is titled, "A Potential Role for ‘Jumping Genes’ in Cancer". Dr. Kazazian has published nearly 400 papers and a book entitled, “Mobile DNA: Finding Treasures in Junk.” He is a member of a number of national organizations, including the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Kazazian also has received a number of honors for his research, most notably the 2008 William Allan Award, the top honor of the American Society of Human Genetics.

This annual lectureship honors James V. Neel, M.D., Ph.D., a pioneer in the study of human genetics and one of the first to foresee its importance in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. In 1956, Neel established the first academic department of human genetics in the United States at the University of Michigan Medical School, which he chaired for 25 years. He received the Lasker Award, the National Medal of Science, and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. This annual event includes the presentation of the James V. Neel Fellowship Awards, which recognize outstanding academic and research achievements of human genetics graduate students pursuing Ph.D. degrees and M.S. degrees in genetic counseling. For more information, call 734-647-3149