About The Clinical Genetics Branch
"Saving lives by conquering cancer through research
in clinical cancer genetics."
Founded in 1887, the NIH today is one of
the world's foremost medical research centers. It is the Federal focal point
for medical research in the U.S. The NIH, comprised of 27 separate Institutes
and Centers, is one of eight health agencies of the Public Health Service which,
in turn, is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is
located on a university-like campus in Bethesda, Maryland, just north of Washington,
DC.
Simply described, the goal of NIH research is to acquire new knowledge
to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability,
from the rarest genetic disorder to the common cold. The NIH mission
is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone.
NIH works toward that mission by:
- conducting research in its own laboratories
- supporting the research of non-Federal scientists in universities,
medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout
the country and abroad
- helping in the training of research investigators
- fostering communication of medical and health sciences information.
The NCI is the largest of the institutes
that make up the NIH. As its name suggests, it is responsible for biomedical
research that relates to understanding the causes, treatment and prevention
of cancer. The Clinical Genetics
Branch (CGB) is responsible for research related to the familial or genetic
predisposition to the development of cancer. In particular, its mandate is to
take advantage of the extraordinary new laboratory discoveries in the molecular
biology of cancer, in order to improve the medical care and the lives of persons
who are at increased genetic risk of malignant disease. CGB's motto is: "Saving
lives by conquering cancer, through research in clinical cancer genetics."
CGB is located in the part of NCI known as the Division
of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG).
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