Introduction

The Genetics Research Center (GRC) at the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences was founded in 1997. GRC’s objective is identification, diagnosis, and prevention of common genetic diseases in Iran. Its research is focused on 5 areas:

• Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Disorders
• Disabilities (deafness and blindness and mental retardation)
• Hemoglobinopathies
• Neuromuscular diseases
• Other National genetic problems (cancer genetics, population, immune genetics, pharmacogeneticsand cardiogenetics)

GRC was designated as the national referral laboratory for thalassemia and prenatal diagnosis in July 1999 by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Degrees offered by GRC include M.Sc in Human Genetics (since 2003) and PhD in Medical Genetics (since 2008).