ESHG Award for Professor Martina Cornel
“DO…What We Know.”
SECTION: COMMUNITY GENETICS AND PUBLIC HEALTH GENOMICS
‘2022, A Great Year’
The year 2022 has been a great one for the Section Community Genetics and Public Health Genomics. The section successfully relocated from location VUmc to AMC, published several impactful articles, and received many awards and prizes.
A major highlight was the Ethical, Legal and Psychosocial Aspects of Genetics (ELPAG) Award for Prof. Martina Cornel from the European Society of Human Genetics.
The annual ELPAG award honors an outstanding member of the European Genetics Community. Prof. Cornel received the award in recognition of her scientific, educational, clinical, and leadership roles in fostering a responsible implementation of genetic testing and screening, while inspiring and enthusing colleagues and students from all over the world.
She gave her award lecture at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics in Vienna in June 2022. The following are a few highlights from her lecture.
From Bench to Society
Highlights from the ELPAG award lecture
If Prof. Martina Cornel had to choose one sentence to summarize her work and life, it would be: ‘DO…what we know’.
“The main reason we study science is to put the knowledge we gain to use – to help people who need it.” Martina Cornel, Professor of Community Genetics and Public Health Genomics.
Acknowledging the help of many colleagues, an inherited interest in medicine from her mother and the ability to calculate sums from her father, Prof. Cornel gave a broad overview of her career, from training as an epidemiologist at the University of Groningen in 1994 with an interest in congenital anomalies, to work in more recent years exploring ethical questions surrounding issues such as heritable gene editing.
Appointed Professor of Community Genetics and Public Health Genomics at the VUmc in 2001, Martina has been instrumental in shaping and guiding responsible “From Science to Practice” policies for over 22 years. Quoting Professor Ten Kate, founder of the Section Community Genetics, Prof. Cornel defined community genetics as “the art and science of the responsible and realistic application” of genetic knowledge for the benefit of individuals within a community.
“We must maximize the benefits while minimizing the risk of harm, while at the same time respecting the autonomy of individuals and ensuring equity,” Prof. Cornel stated. “This is what it means to bridge the gap between science and the application of genetics.”
New Section Head
On December 31, Prof. Martina Cornel handed over her tasks as section head to Prof. Lidewij Henneman, who will be the new section leader starting the 1st of January 2023. The Section Community Genetics is immensely proud of Martina and grateful for her leadership over the past years.
Watch the ELPAG award lecture here.
Read an interview here.
More information and news from the Section Community Genetics and Public Health Genomics is now available on their recently launched website: communitygenetics.nl.
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