Genetics

Genetics is the study of genes and heredity. Heredity is the passing of genetic information and traits (such as eye color and an increased chance of getting a certain disease) from parents to offspring.

How Do Genetic Mutations Cause Disease?

Mutations in genes can lead to genetic disorders, impacting health. Understand the types, causes, and implications of genetic mutations and disease.

Genetics and Gene Expression

The Role of Alternative Splicing in Disease

Genetic Risk Associated with Social Anxiety

The Importance of Genetic Counseling In Healthcare And Medicine

Applications of the Expanded Genetic Code

What is the Expanded Genetic Code?

History of Genetics

Genotype Versus Phenotype

Genetic Inheritance

START and STOP Codons

What is Genetic Anticipation?

See more featured articles »

Genetic Change

Genetics Research and Technology

Genetic Regulation of Fingers and Toes Development

What is Cytogenetics?

Von Recklinghausen Disease Expressivity

Genetics of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Latest Genetics News and Research

Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor researcher joins ARIA IMPACT Network to advance autism therapies

Dr. Jimmy Holder, associate professor in pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Principal investigator at the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, and his team have received a grant for up to $17.25 million from Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA) to become a part of the Innovative Medicine and Precision Approaches to Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Network.

11 Jun 2026

Review uses evolutionary lens to examine modern human aging rates

A review article now published in "Nature Reviews Genetics" brings together evolutionary theory, comparative genomics and large-scale human genetics to explain why we age and why aging rates differ among individuals and species.

11 Jun 2026

Experts propose unified framework to advance the future of high-altitude medicine

As increasing numbers of people live, work, and travel at high altitudes, experts are calling for a major shift in how altitude-related health conditions are understood, diagnosed, and treated.

11 Jun 2026

First-in-the-world gene therapy delivers missing gene directly to infant’s brain, marking historic milestone in precision medicine

An eight-month-old baby from Israel has become the first human ever to receive an experimental gene therapy designed to replace a missing gene responsible for a devastating neurological disease that until now offered no hope of survival.

11 Jun 2026

Researchers identify genetic cause of severe childhood lung disease

A new report in the American Journal of Human Genetics describes a novel disorder caused by biallelic loss-of-function variants in the TMEM63B gene, which results in severe lung disease.

10 Jun 2026

Study identifies an important driver of inflammatory bowel disease

Researchers at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, together with Newcastle University's Translational and Clinical Research Institute and the Department of Immunology at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, have identified an important driver of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

10 Jun 2026

New study maps early genetic disruptions in Rett syndrome

To better understand what drives the emergence of symptoms in Rett syndrome, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital took a closer look at brain cells in mice modeling Rett syndrome before symptoms appeared.

10 Jun 2026

NIH awards $1 million five-year grant to study the genetics of cataracts in children

Jennifer Rossen, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, recently received a $1 million five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Eye Institute (NIH/NEI) to study the genetics of cataracts in children.

10 Jun 2026

Philanthropic investment expands collaborative network for autoimmune research

NYU Langone Health today announced a new philanthropic investment from longtime supporters Judy and Stewart Colton as part of a $15 million gift shared across three Colton Consortium institutions: NYU Langone, Yale University, and Tel Aviv University.

10 Jun 2026

New meningioma atlas uncovers clues to tumor aggressiveness

One of the most detailed maps to date of meningioma - the most common brain tumor in adults - reveals how the tumor's surrounding environment helps drive disease behavior and patient outcomes, according to new research from Mayo Clinic.

9 Jun 2026

New geroscience initiative aims to accelerate anti‑aging therapies

Albert Einstein College of Medicine has launched the Batia and Idan Ofer program for Validation of Interventions Targeting Aging and Longevity (BIO-VITAL), a new initiative designed to help biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies advance therapies that target the biology of aging.

9 Jun 2026

Uninherited parental genes leave lasting imprint on children's lives

Our parents' genes, even the ones we didn't inherit, leave a measurable lasting imprint on our lives. An international team led by researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health developed a new approach to analyze genetic data from tens of thousands of families.

9 Jun 2026

Massive genetic study uncovers new insights into anxiety risk

A study led by researchers at King’s College London and QIMR Berghofer medical research institute analysed genetic data on anxiety symptoms in 693,869 people of European ancestry, revealing new insight into the genetic pathways involved in the condition.

9 Jun 2026

Moderate alcohol consumption linked to premature death and chronic illness

Even what many Americans consider moderate drinking is linked to an increased risk of death, disability, and chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

9 Jun 2026

Brazil launches genetic screening project for prospective parents

In the coming weeks, the Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center (HUG-CELL) will begin recruiting participants for the "Our Genes" project.

8 Jun 2026

New genetic disorder linked to severe childhood lung disease

A new report in the American Journal of Human Genetics describes a novel disorder caused by biallelic loss-of-function variants in the TMEM63B gene, which results in severe lung disease.

8 Jun 2026

Popular supplement creatine supercharges critical immune cells fighting cancer

Creatine, the organic acid that is popularly taken as a supplement by athletes and bodybuilders, supercharges a critical class of immune cells that activate and prepare the body's key cancer-fighters, according to new UCLA research.

5 Jun 2026

Favorable lifestyle factors reduce dementia risk across key genetic profiles

With dementia cases expected to nearly triple worldwide by 2050, researchers are increasingly focused on identifying ways to prevent or delay the disease.

5 Jun 2026

Hidden junk DNA could play decisive role in cancer

Many repetitive regions of the genome have been considered "junk DNA" because the technologies available did not allow them to be studied at sufficient resolution.

5 Jun 2026

Senior Care Authority kicks off Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month with six science-backed habits that may help reduce dementia risk

An estimated 7.4 million Americans aged 65 and older are now living with Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association's 2026 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report, and that number is projected to climb to nearly 13 million by 2050.

5 Jun 2026