Biographical note

Tom Strachan is Scientific Director of the Institute of Human Genetics and Professor of Human Molecular Genetics at Newcastle University, UK, and is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Tom's early research interests were in multigene family evolution and interlocus sequence exchange, notably in the HLA and 21-hydroxylase gene clusters. While pursuing the latter, he became interested in medical genetics and disorders of development. His most recent research has focused on developmental control of the vertebrate cohesion regulators Nipbl and Mau-2. Andrew Read is Emeritus Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Manchester, UK and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Andrew has been particularly concerned with making the benefits of DNA technology available to people with genetic problems. He established one of the first DNA diagnostic laboratories in the UK over 20 years ago (it is now one of two National Genetics Reference Laboratories), and was founder chairman of the British Society for Human Genetics, the main professional body in this area. His own research is on the molecular pathology of various hereditary syndromes, especially hereditary hearing loss. Drs. Strachan and Read were recipients of the European Society of Human Genetics Education Award.