The National Dialogue on Genetics : Congress, College Park, Md., March 1998. Special Topic Issue: Community Genetics 1998, Vol. 1, No. 3

The `National Dialogue on Genetics' was a 2-day event held in the spring of 1998, whose chief aim it was to establish a dialogue between ethnically diverse communities and genetic policy makers, encouraging America' s diverse communities to take an integral and active role in the development and implementation of genetic services.

Reporting the proceedings of this conference, this special issue of `Community Genetics' features fifteen unique contributions which vividly illustrate the perspectives of genetic service consumers, members of diverse communities and grass root organizations, genetic professionals and policy makers in genetics.

Topics discussed include disability issues, problems facing ethnic and racial minorities in genetic testing, research and services, innovative community-based efforts in genetic education, genetic careers, and basic and behavioral research in genetics.

The proceedings conclude with a summary of the conference discussions, which provides practical recommendations for policy makers and genetic professionals on the issue of involving diverse communities in the various aspects of the new genetics.

This publication is a must for genetic providers such as medical geneticists, genetic counselors, and genetic nurses.

It will also be of great benefit to genetic policy makers, agencies governing the distribution of funds to health initiatives and genetic studies, grant section review boards, investigators in basic and behavioral research, as well as to individuals who recruit and train persons for careers in human genetics and genetic counseling.