The ACMG Foundation 2026 Early Career Travel Award is presented to Bianca Seminotti, Ph.D.

The ACMG Foundation selected Dr. Seminotti for her abstract on mitochondrial function in congenital NAD deficiency due to biallelic NADSYN1 variants, to be presented as a platform presentation at the 2026 ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting.

2026-02-11

(Press-News.org) BETHESDA, MD – February 11, 2026 | Bianca Seminotti, PhD is the 2026 recipient of the ACMG Foundation Early Career Travel Award. The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine selected Dr. Seminotti based on her abstract “Mitochondrial Function in Fibroblasts from a Patient with Congenital NAD Deficiency due to Biallelic NADSYN1 Variants,” which will be delivered as a platform presentation at the 2026 ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting.

Dr. Bianca Seminotti earned her bachelor’s degree in Biomedicine and her master’s and doctoral degrees in Biochemistry from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Her research focuses on inherited metabolic disorders, including aminoacidopathies and organic acidurias, using both experimental and translational approaches. Following completion of her PhD, Dr. Seminotti pursued postdoctoral training at UFRGS and later at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh under the mentorship of Jerry Vockley, MD, PhD, where she advanced her work on the pathomechanisms of metabolic diseases and the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Also a recipient of the 2024 ACMG Foundation Next Generation Fellowship Award, she is currently a Clinical Biochemical Genetics fellow at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and remains actively engaged in research, education, and mentorship.

Dr. Seminotti said upon receiving the award, “I am delighted and honored to receive the 2026 ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Early Career Travel Award. I would like to thank ACMG Foundation and sponsors for this wonderful opportunity. My genuine appreciation to mentors and colleagues for the support and encouragement. I am looking forward to participating in the ACMG annual meeting in Baltimore and presenting my work to the genetics community.”

The ACMG Foundation Early Career Travel Award helps promising young genetics professionals to cover the costs associated with attending the ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting. Since 2008, more than a dozen early-career thought leaders in genetic and genomic medicine were granted this honor. The ACMG Program Committee selects the final Travel Award recipient based on scientific merit from those abstracts selected for platform presentations.

“Dr. Seminotti’s work exemplifies the innovation, dedication, and scientific rigor that the ACMG Foundation Early Career Travel Award was created to support,” said Nancy J. Mendelsohn, MD, FACMG, president of the ACMG Foundation. “By investing in early-career scientists like Dr. Seminotti, the Foundation is helping to advance translational research that has meaningful impact for patients and families affected by genetic and genomic conditions.”

About the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and ACMG Foundation

Founded in 1991, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) is a prominent authority in the field of medical genetics and genomics and the only nationally recognized medical professional organization solely dedicated to improving health through the practice of medical genetics and genomics. The only medical specialty society in the US that represents the full spectrum of medical genetics disciplines in a single organization, the ACMG provides education, resources and a voice for more than 2,500 clinical and laboratory practice of medical genetics as well as through advocacy, education and clinical research, and to guide the safe and effective integration of genetics and genomics into all of medicine and healthcare, resulting in improved personal and public health.

Genetics in Medicine and Genetics in Medicine Open, a gold open access journal, are the official ACMG journals. ACMG’s website, acmg.net, offers resources including policy statements, practice guidelines, and educational programs.

The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine works to advance ACMG educational and public health programs through philanthropic gifts from corporations, foundations, and individuals.

Note to editors: To arrange interviews with experts in medical genetics, contact ACMG Communications Director, Judy Froehlich, MBA at jfroehlich@acmg.net.

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