Eric Hoffman, Ph.D., Center Director:
Dr. Hoffman earned his PhD in Genetics at Johns Hopkins University in Drosophila genetics (1986), and then pursued post-doctoral training with Louis Kunkel at Boston Children’s Hospital working on Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene and protein identification (1986-90). In 1990, he established an independent laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh where he worked on muscular dystrophies, ion channel disorders, and other neurological conditions. In 1999, he moved to Washington DC to establish the Research Center for Genetic Medicine Research at Children’s National Medical Center. Dr. Hoffman holds the James A. Clark Chair for Genetic Medicine and is Professor of Pediatrics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at George Washington University. He is experienced in most aspects of human molecular genetics, with NIH funding in SNP association studies, microarrays in human disease, and management of large public access databases. Dr. Hoffman's goals are to conduct research on inherited conditions, with equal emphasis on gene identification (positional cloning and candidate gene analyses), pathophysiological studies, molecular diagnostics, and rational "post-gene" therapeutics. His recent research support has included NIH RO1/PO1 grants on muscular dystrophy, laser capture microdissection for myotendinous junction plasticity in muscular dystrophies, upper motor neuron disorders, proteomics of muscle atrophy, and gene delivery to muscle. The Research Center for Genetic Medicine has a strong focus on microarrays, and Dr. Hoffman has extensive experience in applications of mRNA expression profiling to muscle disease and muscle pathophysiology.
Dr. Hoffman is board-certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics in Clinical Molecular Genetics and ran the University of Pittsburgh Clinical Molecular Genetic training program. Since moving to Washington, he has secured numerous NIH intramural contracts for services provided, including training of Medical Genetics fellows enrolled in the NIH/NHGRI training program, automated sequence analysis of multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN1) patients from NIH/NIDDK, profiling of neural stem cells, and microarray laboratory design and integrated databases (NCI). He has a strong commitment and track record as a molecular biologist and a teacher that will be important functions of the proposed Wellstone Center.
Dr. Hoffman has extensive experience in administering large and complex research teams. These include directing numerous Genetics Core functions (NICHD MRDDRC, NCRR CRC, NICHD CHCDA, NHLBI PGA), and multi-site RO1 projects (8 institution SNP association study in muscle QTLs; see Project 1). He is well-versed in translational and clinical research, and his laboratory is a heavy user of the NCRR CRC housed at CNMC.
Dr. Hoffman is among the most highly cited scientists, as tracked by ISI Inc, Philadelphia PA. Specifically, the ISI reported that as of 9/7/2003, he has had 10,923 citations of his 302 papers. Out of 766,726 author names with 100 or more citations, he among the top 1/3 of 1% of this top group (100 or more cites). Seven of his manuscripts qualified as High Impact Papers, meaning they rank within the top 200 cited papers for their year of publication.