UCLA appoints professor to head precision medicine efforts
By Chelsea Nivison
Feb. 26, 2016 2:17 a.m.
UCLA appointed a psychiatry and neurology professor to serve as the new senior associate dean of the UCLA Health System and associate vice chancellor of precision medicine at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.
Daniel Geschwind, a Gordon and Virginia MacDonald distinguished chair in human genetics, will assume his new roles on March 1.
As senior associate dean and associate vice chancellor, Geschwind will coordinate all UCLA Health System precision medicine efforts and develop and direct the medical school’s institute for precision medicine. Precision medicine involves using individuals’ genetic information to guide diagnoses.
“This area of precision medicine represents a true paradigm shift in medicine and a true revolution, because of its ability to use genetic information to individualize therapy and avoid adverse reactions,” he said.
Geschwind has served on many scientific advisory boards, such as the executive council of the American Neurological Association, a society of academic neurologists and neuroscientists. He has also provided scientific oversight for the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange, a bank of genetic information dedicated to accelerating autism research.
“The opportunities at UCLA are extraordinary – we’re in a unique position to lead the world in precision medicine.” Geschwind said.
