Austrian Society of Human Genetics

The European society of Human Genetics is a non-profit organization. Its aims are to promote research in basic and applied human and medical genetics, to ensure high standards in clinical practice and to facilitate contacts between all persons who share these aims, particularly those working in Europe. The Society will encourage and seek to integrate research and its translation into clinical benefits and professional and public education in all areas of human genetics.

The ESHG was established on March 15, 1967 by a small group of outstanding European Geneticists The decision which led to the founding of the ESHG was taken at an informal meeting of European participants at the IIIrd International Congress of Human Genetics in Chicago in September 1966. The founding chairman was J. Mohr who was secretary-general of the society until 1991

The first symposium of the new society was held in Copenhagen on 18-19 November 1967. The invited lectures were on Genetic polymorphism in man, and there was a session for contributed papers. The society has a partnership with some major diagnostic biotech companies to keep abreast of all the complex issues related to human genetics.

In 1996 the ESHG together with the American  Society of Human Genetics  and the Human Genetics Society of Australasia  founded the International Federation of Human Genetic societies, which represents a growing number of national societies and which will organise its first International meeting in Vienna in 2001.