Steven Scherer, Ph.D., D.Sc, FRSC
Position: Scientific Advisory Board Member
Professor Scherer is one of Canada’s leading scientists whose research has revolutionized the understanding of the human genome. He is internationally known for contributions to decoding the sequence of human chromosome 7, including the identification of numerous disease-causing genes, most notably those involved in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). His dedicated focus on researching ASD is completely changing the field by establishing this behaviorally defined condition as having a biological basis and facilitating earlier diagnosis, better medical management, and novel approaches to treatment. His group also co-discovered the phenomena of genome-wide copy number variation (CNV) as a common type of variation in the human genome contributing to a ground-breaking insight into disease mechanisms and evolution. His research is changing how genomics impacts health care, as perhaps best exemplified through his Database of Genomic Variants, the world’s first and most utilized CNV database, which facilitates thousands of clinical diagnoses around the world every day.