Newswise — Bethesda, MD, April 30, 2014:

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) announced today that Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will give a special address at the AMP 2014 Annual Meeting and 20th Anniversary Celebration. The meeting will be held November 12-15, 2014 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD (just outside of Washington, DC). The theme of the event is “Realizing the Dream of Precision Medicine.” Dr. Collins will address the 2,000+ molecular diagnostic professionals in attendance on the evening of November 12. “We are incredibly honored to have Dr. Collins with us,” said Elaine Lyon, MD, PhD, AMP President, “he pioneered the field of genomics and continues to help create the landscape for precision medicine and the work of AMP members.”

AMP will be celebrating the progress made in genomic medicine over the past two decades with the keen insight of one of the luminaries in the field. “Dr. Collins was the first recipient of the AMP Award for Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics. It’s fitting that Dr. Collins joins AMP for its 20th Anniversary Celebration to commemorate this milestone,” said Charles E. Hill, MD, PhD, Chair, Program Committee. “We look forward to hearing his address and to having him with us as we celebrate 20 years of AMP.”

Registration for the AMP 2014 Annual Meeting and 20th Anniversary Celebration opens in mid-May. The preliminary program is available online now at: http://www.amp.org/meetings/2014/preliminary_program.cfm.

ABOUT AMP:The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) was founded in 1994 to provide structure and leadership to what was, at the time, the newly-emerging field of molecular diagnostics. Through the efforts of its Board of Directors, Committees, Working Groups, and members, AMP has established itself as the primary resource for expertise, education, and collaboration on what is now one of the fastest growing fields in healthcare. AMP members influence policy and regulation on the national and international levels; ultimately serving to advance innovation in the field and protect patient access to high quality, appropriate testing.

AMP's 2,300+ members include individuals from academic and community medical centers, government, and industry; including, basic and translational scientists, pathologist and doctoral scientist laboratory directors, medical technologists, and trainees. AMP members span the globe with members in more than 45 countries and a growing number of AMP International Affiliate Organizations. The number of AMP members is growing rapidly; they are united by the goal of advancing the science and implementation of molecular and genomic laboratory medicine. For more information, please visit www.amp.org.

CONTACT:Catherine Davidge[email protected](301) 634-7400

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