Speakers

Professor of Genetic Medicine and the Director of the McKusick-Nathans Institute and Department of Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He also as the Director of GeneMAP

Positions

• Dr. Wonkam completed his MD training at the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I (Cameroon).
• He pursued a thesis in Medical Sciences (Cell Biology) at the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and earned a PhD in Human Genetics from the University of Cape Town (South Africa).
• He also received advanced training as a medical geneticist at the University of Geneva, one of the most reputable centers for genetic medicine, and has practiced genetic medicine in European, African and American contexts.
• With over 250 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Wonkam’s research focuses on genetic and genomic variation in African populations, particularly in three areas: Genomic Modifiers of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), Genetics of Hearing Impairment, and Ethical and Educational Issues in Human Genetics.
• Over the past decade, he has successfully led numerous NIH- and Wellcome Trust-funded projects conducting research in several African countries, including Tanzania, Cameroon, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Mali, Sudan, Rwanda, and Ghana.

Areas of special interest

• Genetic and genomic variation in African populations
• Genomic Modifiers of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)
• Genetics of Hearing Impairment
• Ethical and Educational Issues in Human Genetics