More than 50 years ago, Prof Victor A. McKusick began his research on the genetics of inbred populations beginning with the Amish of Pennsylvania. His encyclopedic book Mendelian Inheritance in Man was published in 12 editions and now exists in an the form of a free internet-based database (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man-OMIM) for all medical geneticists and scientists.

This Special Series to be published in the Selected Studies Section of the Ambassadors Online Magazine intends to fill the void in the literature about the genetics of inbred populations by looking at the father of medical genetics, Prof. McKusick, exploring his significant contribution to research in this area and charting future directions in the study of inbred populations worldwide.

The series will be edited by two of Prof. McKusick's students, Profs. Samia Temtamy and Talaat I. Farag, who have worked intimately in the area of genetics of inbred populations. The Series will tackle the genetics of inbred populations globally from a multitude of perspectives including: clinical, epidemiological, biochemical, and molecular genetics along with approaches to sociological studies, genetic counseling and preventive genetics. The authors of the contributions will be notable scholars whose research has pioneered this area of genetic investigation.

Scientists from different specializations and from varying geographical regions working on inbred populations (Amish, Bedouin, Finnish, French Acadian, Gypsies, Icelandic, Indian, Inuit, Japanese, Mormons, and others) are invited to submit their research for consideration in this forthcoming series.