Dr. Jurgen Herrmann

Dr. Jurgen Herrmann completed his medical school training in Germany and received his doctorate, summa cum laude, under the tutelage of the renowned geneticist, Professor Dr. Widukind Lenz, who discovered that thalidomide was the cause of major birth defects. Dr. Herrmann was awarded a fellowship in clinical genetics at the University of Wisconsin in Madison under the well-known geneticist, Professor Dr. John Optiz. Dr. Herrmann completed a pediatric internship and residency program, becoming a board certified pediatrician, as well as becoming board certified in clinical genetics and clinical cytogenetics. Dr. Herrmann was asked to join the faculty of the Medical School in Madison as assistant professor, then associate professor, with tenure. He continued to work closely with Professor Opitz for over 11 years in patient care, teaching and research. During this time, he became the author and coauthor of over 60 original research articles and book chapters on genetic disorders and birth defects. He lectured extensively in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Europe. He established a genetic services program at the Marshfield Clinic.

In 1978 Dr. Herrmann accepted an offer by the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee to join the faculty and to create a Birth Defect Center at what is now Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. He became the Director of the Birth Defect Center and Professor of Pediatrics.

Dr. Herrmann founded Great Lakes Genetics in 1982 to bring efficient academic-level genetic services directly to patients, when this was rarely available anywhere outside of a university setting. While the emphasis has been on patient care, physician teaching and research have continued to be an important activity at GLG. Dr. Herrmann also continues to be active at national and international conferences, particularly on the subject of prenatal diagnosis.