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Thank you for your interesting in the Support the Stephen T. Warren Memorial Fund Momentum project. This campaign has ended, but you can still support the Stephen Warren Memorial Fund by making a gift here, today!
Join us in supporting the Dr. Stephen T. Warren Memorial Fund, honoring Dr. Stephen T. Warren and accelerating the support of Fragile X-related research and the Department of Human Genetics at Emory University School of Medicine.
Born in East Detroit on November 30th, 1953, Dr. Stephen T. Warren developed a strong interest in human genetics when he was an undergraduate student at Michigan State University. At that time, he began his involvement in medical genetics by volunteering in the Genetics Diagnostic Laboratory within MSU’s medical school and completed his Ph.D. in Human Genetics at Michigan State in 1981.
In 1985, Dr. Warren joined the Emory University School of Medicine as an assistant professor in the Departments of Biochemistry and Pediatrics. He was promoted to associate professor in 1991 and then quickly to full professor in 1993. While at Emory, Dr. Warren held a prestigious ten-year appointment as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, which helped fund his far-reaching research goals.
Dr. Warren was able to achieve one of his most important goals by founding the Department of Human Genetics within Emory School of Medicine. His department is notable in that it has both clinical and scientific faculty. Dr. Warren believed strongly in collaboration and the free flow of knowledge within his department and the medical school.
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited form of intellectual disability. A majority of patients diagnosed with FXS also have autism or autism spectrum disorders. While at Emory, Dr. Warren led an international group that isolated the FMR1 gene that is responsible for FXS. This fragile X mutation was recognized as the discovery of an entirely new type of genetic abnormality. Now, we know that this same type of gene mutation discovered by Dr. Warren is also seen in over 50 genetic disorders, including Huntington’s disease. This discovery enabled the establishment of an accurate diagnostic test for FXS.
Dr. Warren was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2011 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2015. He served on several editorial boards including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Journal of Human Genetics. In 2003, Dr. Warren was an inaugural inductee to the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development Hall of Honor. For over a decade, he served on the March of Dimes annual grant review committee. He received the Champion for Babies Award from the March of Dimes Foundation in 2008.
Dr. Warren was not only a pillar in the field of human genetics; he was also an inspirational mentor to many. He was always helping to develop the careers of his trainees and other colleagues not only at Emory but also in the broader fragile X research world. His research and generous spirit made a fundamental difference for people and families living with fragile X syndrome. Dr. Warren’s passing is an end of an era. He will be dearly missed by all of us at Emory, our fragile X research colleagues, his many friends, and the entire scientific community.
Along with his research contributions, Dr. Stephen T. Warren was known for his generosity and commitment to nurturing the next generation of scientists. Your donation to the Stephen T. Warren Memorial Fund will allow the department to:
With your support, Emory can honor Dr. Warren’s legacy, continue its life-changing research into fragile X, expand the growth and impact of the Department of Human Genetics, and make a difference for countless families and patients.
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Alternative donation options: please make checks payable to Emory University School of Medicine and include Dr. Stephen T. Warren Memorial Fund in the notes/for line. Send checks to Emory University, 1440 Clifton Road, Suite 170, Atlanta, GA 30322.
For questions, contact: Shawn Stern, Director of Development, Biomedical Engineering and Discovery Programs, shawn.stern@emory.edu, cell 202-236-2317.