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See STANFORD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
ry STANFORD, CALIFORNIA 94305

 

April 11, 1975

STANFORD UNiversity SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Department of Genetics
(415) 497-5052

VMGIOS

-F nome

Dr. Guillermo Soberon

Universidad Nacional

Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas
Apartado Postal 70228

Cuidad Universitaria 20, D.F.

Mexico

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Dear Dr. Soberon,

I see from my file of correspondence that it has already been
over 4 years since I had the opportunity and pleasure of visiting you
at your institute. At that time you were at a point of major development
and organization and I hope that things have been going well for you
in the development of your program of research.

The reason I am writing to you now is on behalf of a university
student in our Human Biology Program who wishes to do a short period of
supervised special study with me, and I am a little puzzled to know where
best to begin. Mr. Mark Moralis has expressed a particular interest in
learning more about the prevalence of specific genetic diseases in Mexican-
American populations, primarily to use this study as a vehicle for learning
more about the general field of human genetics. As you had told me that
one of the divisions of your institute would be concerned with somewhat
similar studies, I thought that you might be able to direct my request
to one of your associates who might be able to give us some starting
references for inquiry in this field. I am not now aware of literature
on such surveys and particularly if they do not exist,it would be a matter
of some difficulty to reach a well informed conclusion about it by other
means. However, if this is not convenient, there are of course other
approaches that we can readily undertake for such bibliographic information,
If this has not been a subject of actual major development within your own
institute, another possibility would be, if you can make such a suggestion,
to refer my request to one of your colleagues at some of the other institutions
in Mexico City. We are, needless to say, aware of the differences that may
emerge as between indigenous Mexican populations and those resident in
the United States but I would imagine that my request does furnish a useful
starting point for such an inquiry. Please do not construe this as an
initiative for a major research effort in this area but rather to obtain a

clearer picture of what research activities may be going on in this direction
in Mexico at the present time,

To revert to another subject, it has been deeply gratifying to see
that there eventually has been such a useful outcome from the work of the
WHO and the U.N. committees that were concerned with the prohibition of

LT. J. P, KENNEDY, JR. LARORATORIES FOR MOLECULAR MEDICINE, DEDICATED TO RESEARCH IN MENTAL RETARDATION ad 2 -

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY HEREDITY NEUROBIOLOGY DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE
Dr. G. Soberon -2- 4/11/75

biological warfare. I had a message from the State Department just a few
days ago that all of the formalities having been completed, the ceremonial
ratification of the BW Treaty will have been completed at approximately
the present date so that it will shortly be in actual force,

I have not had occasion to revisit Mexico since 1970 but recall that
previous occasion with very great pleasure. I do not know when my own time
would make it possible again but I hope you do not mind if I give you a
call upon such an event; and please let this be an invitation to you to let
me know if there is any reciprocal opportunity.

Yours cordially,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

JL/rr