Human Genome Organisation


The Human Genome Organisation is a non-profit organization founded at the first meeting on genome mapping and sequencing at Cold Spring Harbor in 1988. In response to initiatives like the Human Genome Project, delegates suggested the need for an international coordinating scientific body, and to foster collaboration between genome scientists around the world. HUGO has four active committees, including the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee, sometimes referred to as "HUGO", and the .

History

HUGO was established in late April 1988. The idea of starting the organization stemmed from a South African biologist by the name of Sydney Brenner, who is known for his significant contributions to work on the genetic code and other areas of molecular biology, as well as winning the Nobel prize in Physiology of Medicine in 2002. A Founding Council was elected at the meeting with a total of 42 scientists from 17 different countries. is currently located at the EWHA Womans University in Seoul, South Korea. HUGO has convened a Human Genome Meeting every year since 1996.
In partnership with Professor Yuan-Tsong Chen and Mrs. Alice Der-Shan Chen, who started the Chen Foundation, HUGO presents the Chen Award to those with research accomplishments in human genetics and genomics in Asia Pacific.