Huntington Willard Named Director Of Duke Genomics Institute

DURHAM, NC -- Huntington Willard, Ph.D., a leader in emerging fields of genomics, who is current director and president of the research institute of University Hospitals of Cleveland, has been named director of the Duke University Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy (IGSP).

The $200 million Genomics Institute, launched in 2000, represents Duke's comprehensive response to the broad challenges of the Genomic Revolution. Because advances in genome science and its applications raise a broad spectrum of ethical, legal and policy issues, the IGSP comprises -- in addition to scientists, engineers and physicians -- scholars in law, business, economics, public policy, ethics, religion, environmental studies and other humanities and social sciences.

Said Duke Provost Peter Lange: "Hunt Willard is a superb appointment to lead this unprecedented university-wide initiative. What most pleases me, beyond his excellent record of accomplishments, is the speed with which he has grasped and embraced the unique interdisciplinary qualities of the IGSP.

"We have from the beginning recognized that the IGSP must engage the profound ethical, legal and policy issues that are raised by the Genomic Revolution, even as the institute fosters Duke's research on fundamental questions of genomics and their transforming application to the clinical sciences," said Lange.

"Hunt Willard is one of America's premier geneticists, and his record for leadership at a local and national level is superb," said R. Sanders Williams, M.D., dean of the Duke University School of Medicine and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Duke University Medical Center.

"He is a perfect fit to lead the IGSP, and he brings the requisite stature, energy and vision to the task. We propose to tackle some of the most important and difficult scientific and medical problems of our time within a unique multidisciplinary environment, and Hunt is the right person to realize the full potential of this venture," Williams said.

Duke's Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy includes five research centers

-- the Center for Human Genetics

-- the Center for Human Disease Models

-- the Center for Genome Technology

-- the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

-- the Center for Genome Ethics, Law and Policy.

Researchers at the centers are carrying out studies on the genetic basis of diseases ranging from Alzheimer's to cancer, as well as developing new computational research techniques and organizing forums that explore the societal impact of genomic advances.

Willard, 49, who received his A.B. in biology from Harvard University and his Ph.D. from Yale University, will oversee all of these activities. He has held research and academic posts at Stanford University and the University of Toronto. He joined the faculty of Case Western Reserve University in 1992 as the Henry Willson Payne Professor and chairman of the Department of Genetics. In 1992, he also became director of the Center for Human Genetics at Case Western Reserve and University of Hospitals of Cleveland. He assumed his current position as head of the Research Institute in 1999.

Willard has been active in applying new genetic and genomic techniques that combine the insights of molecular biology with high-powered computing to reveal the genetic secrets of human health and disease. He has authored or co-authored more than 250 scientific papers, primarily on topics involving the molecular structure and function of chromosomes, the structures that carry and organize the estimated 40,000 human genes, and on the sequence and organization of the human genome more generally.

His team has focused on the mechanisms by which the body inactivates genes on the X chromosome. As female embryos develop, they must inactivate most of the genes on one of the two X chromosomes inherited from their parents. This inactivation is necessary for normal development, and malfunction of the process can cause genetic disorders. Willard's research team has been actively studying this process, as well as the broader mechanisms by which chromosomes function and organize their genes.

Another major research effort in Willard's laboratory has been to create new kinds of tools for studying the structure of human chromosomes and for potential use in gene therapy. His group gained worldwide attention in 1997 for construction of the world's first human artificial chromosome.

"I am truly honored to be asked to take on the leadership of the IGSP at Duke," said Willard. "This represents a spectacular opportunity to shape how the knowledge of the human genome impacts our society at all levels. Duke's response to this challenge is unique, and Duke is one of very few institutions in this country that can assume a leadership role in this area," he said.

Willard has served as president of the American Society of Human Genetics, and currently serves on the society's board of directors. His awards include the 1999 Pruzansky Lectureship of the American College of Medical Genetics and March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, as well as the Basil O'Connor Award of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. He has also served as a member of the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Understanding the Biology of Sex and Gender Differences.

He also serves as a consultant or adviser to corporations and institutions including OncorMed, Athersys, Biomec, the Edison Biotechnology Center, the Ohio Life Science Partnership, Nine Sigma, the Cleveland BioEnterprise Corporation and the Great Lakes Science Center.

Willard's appointment is subject to final review by Duke's Advisory Committee on Appointment, Promotion and Tenure, and approval by Lange and the Board of Trustees.