June 10, 1975

Dr. M. Mohammadian @ an
Seraye Faredanesh

Teheran, Iran
patitateibnnid Seve

Dear Dr. Mohammad tian,

yy AE O wy YH”

I have your interesting letter of June 4th with respect to the
prospects of an institute for biological research and genetic
counselling in Teheran. I am delighted to know of the emphasis that
you plan to give on family planning and genetic counselling and would,
of course, be eager to provide whatever help I can to such humanitarian
ends. I do not know exactly what you can expect from me; and it will
not be possible for me to travel so far during the next few months, but
there is perhaps a fair bit that I can do by mail.

One of my first questions is whether you have already developed
any general guidelines for the research institute, for example, whether
it will be more or less confined to studies with an immediate clinical
bearing, or whether you are planning to go moee broadly into basic
research in cellular and molecular genetics. Depending on the period
of time during which you expect to have practically important results,
one might find either policy to be preferable.

Insofar as you do ask me for advice, I will venture to make a few
comments in all candor.

We have found from experience in this country that genetic
counselling is an area that ts quite capable of generating a great deal
of misunderstanding and controversy. It inevitably touchea on such
issues as abortion on the one hand and fears about statdést intervention
into private family matters, and even genocide on the other. I am sure
that you are aware that there has been substantial expression of
opposition to relationships between American universities and the
Government of Iran on the part of a variety of dissident groups and
their sympathizers. I do not wish to enter into an unrequested political
commentary, but it seems important to point out that the combination of
gameral sensitivity to some practical applications of human genetics and
this political mood need to be given very careful thought in the planning
of programs and particularly in any public statements about them. It is
remarkably easy for the most innocent intentions or remarks to be
exaggerated and distorted, and this could do great harm in a variety
of ways.

over
Dr, M. Mohammadtan -~2- 6/10/75

I am for myself proceeding on the assumption that the plans that
you have in mind fall strictly within the ethical aims of the medical
profession in the alleviation of congenital disease. Since questions will
be raised incessantly about the possible application of new genetic
technologies, and their potential abuse, I am taking the liberty of
including some of my own writings in that general area.

The most energetic activity, particularly of a coordinating kind,
that we have in this country in the field of genetic counselling, is under~
taken by the National Foundation (Birth Defects), and if you have not
already done so, I sufgest that you contact Dr. Daniel Bergsma, Vice
President for Professional Education, The National Foundation-March of
Dimes, White Plains, New York 10605, and Dr. Samuel Ajl, Vice President
for Research, The National Foundation-March of Dimes, 1275 Mamaroneck
Avenue, White Plains, New York 10605, In addition, the National Institute
for General Medical Sciences, of which Dr. Ruth Kirschstein is the Director,
has a focussed program for the support of research in this general area,
and you may wish to direct further inquiries there as well.

As informational resource in this field, I would direct your attention
to the weekly ASCATOPICS service of which I énclude a sample. Although the
computer generated reports are diluted by perhaps 10% or 20% of
irrelevant articles, this is an absolutely invaluable means of obtaining
most up-to-date information on progress in this field.

The National Foundation can send you a directory of essentially all
of the active workers in the field of genetic counselling, but I would also
particularly direct your attention to the program at Johns Hopkins Medical
School with both Dr. Victor McKusick and Dr. Barton Childs as leaders.
Dr. McKusick's encyclopedia "Mendelian Inheritance in Man" is one of the
most valuable reference sources for the genetic basis of a very wide
variety of disease-states.

With respect to other research and clinical service centers, I have
been deeply impressed by the quality of work in clinical genetics that is
proceeding in Israel, and I hope that you will find it possible to take
advantage of the evident merits of scientific cooperation in that arena.
I am enclosing a page that I have copied out of the National Foundation
International Directory and have checked a few of the places that from my
own knowledge I believe to be of particularly high quality. This merit
perhaps also belongs to others but I am not informed about all of them.

While scanning this directory, I noticed that there was also an entry
from Iran which I also attach for your information.

I realize that much of the information that I have fdrnished you may
be redundant but it seemed to me to be the better course to furnish all of
it and rely upon your tolerance for a restatement of some otherwise well
known material.

Sincerely yours,