The Herbert and Esther Bennett Brandwein Award in Genetic Research

Awarded to:

Stephen T. Warren, Ph.D.
William Patterson Timmie Professor of Human Genetics
Chairman of the Department of Human Genetics
Professor of Biochemistry and Professor of Pediatrics
Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, GA 30322

Research Description:
Mental retardation (MR) represents a deficiency in cognition, limiting adaptive behavior that is normally reflected in maturation, learning, or social adjustment. Approximately 3 percent of the population are mentally retarded, with IQ levels of less than 68. It has been recognized for almost a century that significantly more males than females are affected. Explanations have varied, but the reason most widely accepted today is genetic. It has been suggested that certain X-linked genes, when mutated, may result in MR and that females are protected by having two X chromosomes, unlike males, who have only one.

Hosted by:
Dr. Marc Lalande, Professor and Chair
Department of Genetics & Developmental Biology