About HUGO
The Human Genome Organization (HUGO) is an international organization of scientists involved in various aspects of human genetics. HUGO was conceived in 1988 at the first meeting on Genome Mapping and Sequencing at Cold Spring Harbor, New York. From an initial group of 42 scientists from 17 countries, HUGO increased its membership to over 2,000 members, from across 92 countries in a period of two decades. Over the years, HUGO has played an essential role behind the scenes for the human genome project. With its mission to promote international collaborative efforts to study the human genome and the myriad of issues raised by our increasing knowledge of the structure and function of the human genome, HUGO has had many noteworthy successes in bringing together scholars in the field.
The main purpose of HUGO was “international and interdisciplinary collaboration” in order to maximize collaboration and avoid duplication of effort in human genome research; and to coordinate parallel studies in models organisms. A secondary objective of HUGOS was to facilitate the exchange of data and biomaterials, as well as promote the spread of related technologies. Additionally, HUGO’s purpose was to serve as a platform for public debate and to provide information and advice on the scientific, ethical, social, legal, and commercial implications of the human genome project.
As a truly international organization, and currently in its 36th year, HUGO has refocused its efforts and included the medical implications of genomic knowledge. Looking forward, HUGO is also working to enhance the genomic capabilities of the low and middle income countries of the world. The excitement and interest in genomic sciences in Asia, the Middle East, South America and Africa are all now palpable and our hope is that the latest technologies can be applied to aid national development and worldwide health.
