Speed Mentoring Sessions

Harry Ostrer, M.D., F.A.C.M.G. is Professor of Pathology and Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. For 21 years, he was the director of the Human Genetics Program at New York University School of Medicine and for 5 years, he was the director of genetic and genomic testing at Montefiore Medical Center. At Einstein, Dr. Ostrer studies the genetic basis for common and rare disorders and develops new genomic technologies.  He is also a long-time investigator of the genetics of the Jewish people and Hispanic and Latino people. In 2007, he organized the Jewish HapMap Project, a remarkable international effort to understand origins, migration, and disease predispositions by mapping and sequencing the genomes of Jewish people. At Morgan and Mendel Genomics, his start-up, he advises about translating the findings of novel functional genomic discoveries into tests that can be used to identify people’s risks for having cancer prior to its occurrence or for predicting its response to therapy, once it has occurred. He has also served as a scientific advisor to the start-ups, eMedgene and iGentify.

In 2013, Dr. Ostrer was the successful plaintiff with standing in the landmark lawsuit, Association of Molecular Pathology versus Myriad Genetics. As a grantee from the National Human Genome Research Institute, he explored the impact of genetic testing on health, life and disability insurance. These studies led to his efforts as a member of the New York State Bar Association to pass and implement legislation that would prevent genetic discrimination in insurance, employment, and public accommodations as well as promoting informed consent for genetic testing in New York State.  He is the incoming President-Elect of the American College of Medical Genetics Foundation, a member of the Government and Public Advocacy Committee of the American Society of Human Genetics, and a member of the New York State Rare Disease Advisory Council.