Acclaimed Geneticist Dr. Mira B. Irons of Boston Children's Hospital Begins Presidency with the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG)

, /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Mira B. Irons, FACMG is the new president of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the national professional organization for clinical and laboratory genetics professionals. Dr. Irons assumes this responsibility from Susan D. Klugman, MD, FACMG, FACOG, who completes her two-year term at the culmination of the 2025 Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting in Los Angeles this March.

"I am honored, humbled and thrilled to assume the presidency of the ACMG at this remarkable time in the history of our specialty, one that we have been anxiously anticipating," said Dr. Irons. "A time when rapid advancements in genomic testing increasingly informs not only the daily care of our patients, but also the development of therapies for conditions that were previously untreatable. We now increasingly have the ability to use the knowledge and tools of genetics and genomics to impact larger populations by working with our colleagues across all specialties, educating our patients and the public, and most importantly, advocating for the resources necessary to do so responsibly with a focus on equity, access, and improving disparities in healthcare."

Dr. Irons has held a number of positions within the ACMG ("the College") including as a member of the Finance Committee, the Board of Directors and the Nominations Committee. For the last two years, she served the College as president-elect. She has been a member of the ACMG Foundation Development Committee and the Task Force on Medical Genetics Education. She chaired the Conflict of Interest Subcommittee, the Education Committee and the Maintenance of Certification Committee and served as a member of the Professional Practices and Guidelines Committee, along with many more volunteer roles within the ACMG.

Recognized as a leading expert in medical genetics, Dr. Irons is Associate Chief of the Division of Genetics and Genomics at Boston Children's Hospital. She holds the Park Gerald Chair in Genetics in the Department of Pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital. She also serves as the Program Director for the Medical Genetics Residency and Fellowship Programs at Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School. She is a member of the Board of Directors of St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. She is also a member of the Roundtable on Genomics and Precision Health at the National Academy of Medicine and she is a Member of the Faculty at Harvard Medical School.

From 2013-2019 she served as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the American Board of Medical Specialties. She was later Group Vice President and Chief Health and Science Officer at the American Medical Association from 2019-2021 and President and CEO and the Thomas W. Langfitt Chair at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia from 2021-2023.

Dr. Irons divides her time between clinical practice, teaching, research and administrative duties. She has participated in multiple local and national clinical trials and co-authored many peer-reviewed publications. Her research has focused on integrating new forms of genetic and genomic testing into clinical practice, identification of new biochemical genetic disorders and Neurofibromatosis, type 1. Dr. Irons speaks extensively at regional, national and international medical conferences including more than 45 invited presentations in the last 10 years.

Dr. Irons studied Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She completed a residency in Pediatrics at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, a fellowship in Pediatrics (Genetics) at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and a second fellowship in Clinical and Biochemical Genetics at Children's Hospital in Boston.

"The College is thrilled to welcome Dr. Irons as our next Board President," said Melanie J. Wells, MPH, CAE, chief executive officer of The ACMG. "Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Irons has been a consistent supporter of the ACMG and its initiatives. Her business acumen and genetics expertise will enhance our ability to respond to the needs of members and constituents."

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

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 2,600 clinical and laboratory geneticists, genetic counselors and other healthcare professionals. ACMG's mission is to improve health through the 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 the new Genetics in Medicine Open, a gold open access journal, are the official ACMG journals. ACMG's website, www.acmg.net, offers resources including policy statements, practice guidelines, and educational programs.

Barry Eisenberg
[email protected]

SOURCE American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics