(Press-News.org) Alexander M. Holtz, MD, PhD is the recipient of the 2023 Richard King Trainee Award. This award was instituted by the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine to encourage American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG), international equivalents, or genetic counseling trainees in their careers and to foster the publication of the highest quality research in Genetics in Medicine (GIM), an official journal of the ACMG.
Each year the editorial board reviews all articles published in GIM by eligible trainees who were either a first or corresponding author during that year. The manuscript considered to have the most merit is selected by a committee of editorial board members.
Dr. Holtz received the award for his published article, “Heterozygous variants in MYH10 associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and congenital anomalies with evidence for primary cilia-dependent defects in Hedgehog signaling,” which was published online in GIM in October 2022.
“We are once again delighted with the outstanding quality of articles submitted by trainees for publication to Genetics in Medicine in 2022. The article by Alexander Matthew Holtz stood out even amongst the several other excellent eligible articles and was chosen by the awards committee as the best article by a trainee in 2022. Congratulations to Alexander and his co-authors and mentors for this meritorious achievement,” said Robert D. Steiner, MD, FAAP, FACMG, editor-in-chief of GIM.
Dr. Holtz received his undergraduate degree in biological sciences from Cornell University in 2008. He then completed a one-year post-baccalaureate fellowship at the National Institutes of Health with before matriculating to the medical scientist training program at the University of Michigan, where he graduated in 2017 with an MD and PhD in cellular and molecular biology. He completed the combined pediatrics and medical genetics fellowship training program at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. His fellowship work with Dr. Benjamin Raby defined a novel autosomal dominant condition associated with the MYH10 gene that presents with a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders and multiple congenital anomalies, work which eventually led to the award-winning article in GIM. Currently an attending physician in the Genetics and Genomics division at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Holtz is also performing additional post-doctoral work with Dr. Darrell Kotton.
“I am extremely thrilled and grateful to receive the Richard King Trainee Award for our work related to the MYH10-related disorder. I would like to acknowledge the patients, families, and other researchers who contributed to this important work. I am hopeful that this study will spread awareness of this disorder and will provide a strong foundation for additional studies to better understand the underlying mechanism of disease to help these amazing families,” said Dr. Holtz.
The award is given by the ACMG Foundation and is named for Dr. Richard King in recognition of his instrumental role in creating Genetics in Medicine and serving as the first and founding editor-in-chief of the journal.
About the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine
The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is a community of supporters and contributors who understand the importance of medical genetics and genomics in healthcare. Established in 1992, the ACMG Foundation supports the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) mission to “translate genes into health.” Through its work, the ACMG Foundation fosters charitable giving, promotes training opportunities to attract future medical geneticists and genetic counselors to the field, shares information about medical genetics and genomics, and sponsors important research. To learn more and support the ACMG Foundation mission to create “Better Health through Genetics” visit www.acmgfoundation.org.
Note to editors: To arrange interviews with experts in medical genetics, contact ACMG Senior Director of Communications and Public Relations, Kathy Moran, MBA at kmoran@acmg.net.
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