Dr. Wonkam is a Professor of Genetic Medicine and the Director of the McKusick-Nathans Institute and Department of Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, USA. He also serves as the Director of GeneMAP (Genetic Medicine of African Populations). He is the immediate past Deputy Dean for Research at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Dr. Wonkam completed his MD training at the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I (Cameroon). He pursued a thesis in Medical Sciences (Cell Biology) at the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and earned a PhD in Human Genetics from the University of Cape Town (South Africa). He also received advanced training as a medical geneticist at the University of Geneva, one of the most reputable centers for genetic medicine. He has practiced genetic medicine in European, African, and American contexts. With over 250 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Wonkam’s research focuses on genetic and genomic variation in African populations, particularly in three areas: Genomic Modifiers of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), Genetics of Hearing Impairment, and Ethical and Educational Issues in Human Genetics. Over the past decade, he has successfully led numerous NIH- and Wellcome Trust-funded projects, conducting research in several African countries, including Tanzania, Cameroon, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Mali, Sudan, Rwanda, and Ghana. Dr. Wonkam has received numerous prestigious awards, including the 2003 Denber-Pinard Prize for the best thesis from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland; The 2014 Clinical Genetics Society International Award from the British Society of Genetic Medicine, UK; The 2021 Alan Pifer Award from the University of Cape Town, South Africa; The 2021 MRC South Africa Gold Scientific Merit Award for research excellence; The 2023 Human Genome Organization (HUGO) Africa Prize. He is a member of the South African Academy of Science and was elected as a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (UNESCO) for 2024. Dr. Wonkam has served as an Associate Editor for leading journals, including the American Journal of Human Genetics, the American Journal of Medical Genetics, and the Journal of Community Genetics, as well as an Academic Editor for PLOS ONE. Additionally, he has been on the editorial boards of Genetics In Medicine, Human Genetics, and npj Genomic Medicine. Currently, Prof. Wonkam serves as the President of the African