Genetics Society of America

The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is a scholarly membership society of more than 5,500 genetics researchers and educators, established in 1931. The Society was formed from the reorganization of the Joint Genetics Sections of the
American Society of Zoologists and the Botanical Society of America.
GSA members conduct fundamental and applied research using a wide variety of model organisms to enhance understanding of living systems. Some of the systems of study include "Drosophila" (fruit flies), "Caenorhabditis elegans" (nematode roundworms), yeasts, zebrafish, humans, mice, bacteria, "Arabidopsis thaliana" (thale cress), maize (corn), "Chlamydomonas" (green algae), "Xenopus" (frogs), and other animals, plants, and fungi.
Mission.
GSA serves an international community of scientists who use genetics to make new discoveries and improve lives. Its mission is to cultivate an inclusive, diverse research community that engages with the public, communicates the excitement and implications of discovery, and serves as an authoritative source of information. Its activities include:
Programs.
Investigation of inheritance and heredity.
The GSA advocates funding of research in genetics, primarily through its membership in the Coalition for the Life Sciences (CLS), Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), Research!America, and American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). These organizations of leading scientists fosters public policies to advance basic biological research and its applications in medicine and other fields. The GSA also strives to inform state and national legislators about advances and issues in genetics.
Interaction among geneticists.
The GSA organizes and sponsors several conferences for researchers (see below). These include the long-running model organism meetings: Yeast (biennial), C. elegans (biennial), Fungal (biennial) and Drosophila (annual meetings), and the new Society-wide Model Organisms to Human Biology meeting (biennial). The Meetings and Membership Committee welcomes opportunities to sponsor other meetings appropriate to its mission. "The GSA Reporter", the Society’s newsletter (published three times a year), keeps members apprised of Society activities.
Communication of discoveries.
The GSA publishes "GENETICS", the leading journal for geneticists since the first issue in 1916, and "", an open-access journal publishing high-quality fundamental research in genetics and genomics.
Education of students and the public.
The GSA’s Education Committee seeks to facilitate the integration of advances in genetics in the K through college curriculum. The GSA communicates to the public advances in genetics and answers to issues by providing expert opinion to the press and others.
Publications.
GSA publishes two peer-edited scientific journals:
The Society also publishes "The GSA Reporter" (formerly "GENEtics"), GSA's member newsletter.
In 2013, the Society announced an editorial partnership with the American Society for Cell Biology to collaborate on the publication of journal "CBE–Life Sciences Education".
GSA conferences.
GSA organizes a number of scientific meetings, including many focused on model organisms of use in genetic studies.
In 2016, the Society co-located several of these meetings for The Allied Genetics Conference (TAGC). Intended to be held every four years, the 2020 TAGC conference was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
GSA awards.
The Genetics Society of America recognizes outstanding geneticists with following awards:
Selected past presidents.
Source: GSA