Dr David Fitzpatrick

The CdLS Foundation has a new medical advisor. He is Dr David Fitzpatrick who is Senior Clinical Scientist, MRC Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh and Honorary Consultant Clinical Geneticist, for the Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust.

After qualifying in 1984 David worked at the Royal Hospitals for Sick Children in both Edinburgh and Glasgow before going to the Duncan Guthrie Institute of medical Genetics

From July 1, 1992 - June 30, 1994 David was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Associate at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the laboratory of Professor David Valle where he worked alongside the now CdLS Foundation USA, medical director, Tonie Kline. He met children with CdLS and with Tonie attended sessions with SAC Chairman, Professor Laird Jackson.

Acquaintance

Back in the UK at Edinburgh as Consultant in clinical genetics and a part-time senior lecturer in human genetics, David met Dr Maggie Ireland, who was then medical advisor to the UK Foundation and renewed his acquaintance with CdLS.

Since Maggie left her post at Newcastle, where she was working with Tom Strachan’s team, the Foundation has been relying on Dr Kline and the US-based SAC members for vital information.

“Then when we had a query from a family in Scotland, Dr Kline passed it on to David. He expressed a willingness to help us and we grabbed him as quickly as we could.”

David came to the Essex meeting and helped consult with the families there who were all full of praise for his knowledge and help.

“I am delighted to help with the Foundation and look forward to meeting more families,” David said.