History of Research Centre of Medical Genetics

Research Centre of Medical Genetics (RCMG) was founded on the basis of Institute of Medical Genetics of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS), which was founded in its turn as a response to activity of earlier generation of Russian human geneticists: E.F. Davidenkova, V.P. Efroimson, N.N. Medvedev, S.A. Neifakh, E.E. Pogosyants, A.A. Prokofyeva-Belgovskaya and other survivors of “Lysenkoism” in the USSR. Being disciples of the best genetic centers in the country (N.I. Vavilov, S.N. Davidenkoff, N.K. Koltsoff, Yu.A. Philipchenko, A.S. Serebrovsky and others) named geneticists by early 1960thsheaded genetic departments in medical research institutes. Due to their active position, formerly suppressed in “Lysenko-Lepeshinskaya” period medical genetic studies in the USSR started to revive. In 1965 a scientific council on the problems of “General and Medical Genetics” (Сhair – V.D. Timakov) was organized in the USSR AMS and on March 30, 1967 an Order (No. 261) was issued by the USSR Ministry of Health to organ