Reed E. Pyeritz

Reed Pyeritz is the William Smilow Professor of Medicine and Genetics, Emeritus, at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his B.S. in chemistry from the University of Delaware, a Ph.D. in biological chemistry from Harvard University, and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He is board certified in internal medicine and medical genetics. He was one of the founders of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics in 1991, its second president, and the recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1981 he established the Marfan Foundation, dedicated to supporting patients and their families with this serious, multi-system condition. His clinical practice focused on adults with hereditary disorders, especially those of the cardiovascular system. His many studies contributed to the average lifespan of people with Marfan syndrome improving from the mid-40’s to the 70’s. Long interested in medical economics and ethics, he has studied the professional obligations of providers of genetics services and the financial influences that limit access. He has published over 700 research studies, reviews and chapters. He has co-edited the 3rd through the current 7th editions of Emery and Rimoin’s Principles and Practice of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the standard reference work in the field. He has been recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, the American College of Medical Genetics, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Sigma Xi, and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps. He is a “retired” marathon runner and nationally ranked masters triathlete.