Human Genome Organisation (HUGO)

Institutional records relating to the organisation and activities of HUGO (Human Genome Organisation). Papers include records relating to the establishment of HUGO, international relations and work, annual reports and accounts, meeting minutes and papers, conference papers, and other documents relating to HUGO's work.

1980s-2010s

4 boxes

This collection is uncatalogued. The following is an interim description which may be altered when detailed cataloguing takes place in future. This information has been collated from the HUGO website www.hugo-international.org and is correct as of Jul 2022.

HUGO (Human Genome Organisation) was founded in 1988 as a coordinating body to integrate research in genomics. Victor McKusick was invited to the be the Founding President of HUGO, and by September 1988, the organisation had a founding council of 42 scientists from 17 countries, the majority of whom met in Montreaux, Switzerland. Walter Bodmer, Jean Dausset and Kenichi Matsubara were elected as the Vice Presidents of HUGO, John Tooze as Secretary, and Walter Gilbert as Treasurer. Charles Cantor, Malcolm Ferguson?Smith, Leroy Hood, Lennart Philipson and Frank Ruddle served as executive committee members. An additional 178 members were chosen, making a total of 220 scientists representing 23 countries in the original HUGO membership. In the words of Norton Zinder, a member of the founding council, HUGO is a "U.N. for the human genome".

The main purpose of HUGO is international, interdisciplinary collaboration, with the aim of maximising collaboration and avoiding duplication of effort in human genome research, as well as coordinating parallel studies in model organisms. A secondary objective of HUGO is to facilitate the exchange of data and biomaterials, as well as promoting the spread of related technologies. HUGO serves as a platform for public debate, providing information and advice on the scientific, ethical, social, legal, and commercial implications of the human genome project.

Transferred to Wellcome.

This collection is currently uncatalogued and cannot be ordered online. Requests to view uncatalogued material are considered on a case by case basis. Please contact collections@wellcomecollection.org for more details.