Yury Verlinsky Scientist
Yury Verlinsky (1 September 1943 – 16 July 2009) was a Russian-American medical researcher specializing in embryo and cellular genetics (genetic cytology). He is best known as a pioneer in prenatal diagnosis for detecting genetic and chromosomal disorders six weeks earlier than standard amniocentesis. The founding father of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) and embryo analysis prior to in-vitro fertilization (IVF), Verlinsky used his polar body biopsy technique to detect potential birth defects in offspring. It is now accepted worldwide as the standard for the most efficient and effective means of analyzing the chromosomal status of an embryo.With the help of his research, P.G.D. can be used to prevent more than 200 different genetic disorders and diseases, including hemophilia, sickle cell anemia, Fanconi anemia, Alzheimer's disease, Cystic fibrosis, thalassemia, Down syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease, and Muscular dystrophy, and Huntington's disease.