Professional bodies: how best to promote and support individuals working in human genetics and genomics

Professional bodies are dedicated to the advancement of the knowledge and practice of professions through developing, supporting, regulating and promoting professional standards for technical and ethical competence [ 1 ]. They seek to maximise the public benefit of the work undertaken by their members and support the reputation of their professional members. In the UK, the Science Council defines a Professional Body as “ an organisation with individual members, practicing a profession or occupation in which the organisation maintains an oversight of the knowledge, skills, conduct and practice of that profession or occupation .” Some professional bodies are regulated by the executive at a national level to ensure that professional titles are only used by individuals who are registered and entitled to use these e.g. medical doctors. However, most professional bodies are independent membership organisations that coordinate the activities of a particular profession or a group of closely related professions and represent the interests of their members. It is into this latter group that human genetics and genomics professional bodies fall.