A Commemorative Issue in Honor of Professor Merlin G. Butler's Retirement: Unlocking Genetic Mysteries

Dear Colleagues, 

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences is dedicated to Professor Merlin G. Butler, in recognition of his retirement and to commemorate his substantial contributions to the field of genetics and genomics-driven medical care. Dr. Butler has been a pioneer in the expansion of our understanding of how genetics can help inform healthcare professionals regarding individuals with neurodevelopmental syndromes and conditions. For more than four decades, throughout his career as a physician scientist and laboratory and medical geneticist, he has cared for thousands of patients seeking genetic services in the clinical setting, also having performed extensive research, specifically, regarding Prader–Willi, Angelman, Burnside–Butler and fragile X syndromes, the genetics of autism and obesity, and the characterization, delineation and natural history of rare genetic disorders using advanced genomic and pharmacogenetic methods. Rapid advancements in genomic technologies are continuing to improve the diagnosis, disease surveillance, counseling, research and treatment of rare genetic diseases, chromosomal and neurodevelopmental disorders, autism, and congenital abnormalities. This commemorative Special Issue focuses on original research and review articles evaluating innovative molecular and computational approaches for studying the mechanisms underlying the expression and development of both common and rare genetic conditions.

Dr. David E. Godler
Dr. Olivia J. Veatch
Guest Editors

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