John M. Opitz

John M. Opitz
Opitz in 2017
Born
John Marius Opitz

August 15, 1935 (1935-08-15)
Hamburg, Germany
DiedAugust 31, 2023 (2023-09-01) (aged 88)
Salt Lake City, Utah
NationalityGerman-American
CitizenshipNaturalized Citizen
EducationBA - University of Iowa MD - University of Iowa
OccupationPediatrics
Known forFG Syndrome

Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS)

American Journal of Medical Genetics
Medical career
ProfessionMedical Geneticist
InstitutionsUniversity of Wisconsin

Montana State University

Shodair Hospital

University of Utah
ResearchGenetics

Pathology

Developmental Biology
AwardsWilliam Allan Award of ASHG

Medal of Honor of the DGofH (German Society of Hum Genet)

German Academy of Science Leopoldina

John M. Opitz (August 15, 1935 – August 31, 2023) was a German-American medical geneticist and professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He is best known for rediscovering the concept of the developmental field in humans (first enunciated by Hans Spemann in amphibians) and for his detection and delineation of many genetic syndromes, several now known as the "Opitz syndromes" including Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome (SLOS), Opitz–Kaveggia syndrome (FGS1), Opitz G/BBB syndrome, Bohring–Opitz syndrome, and other autosomal and X-linked conditions. He is founder of the Wisconsin Clinical Genetics Center, the American Journal of Medical Genetics, and was a cofounder of the American College and American Board of Medical Genetics.