David E. Comings (born March 8, 1935) is an American medical geneticist and former chief of genetics at the

City of Hope National Medical Center City of Hope is a private, non-profit clinical research center, hospital and graduate school located in Duarte, California, United States. The center's main campus resides on of land adjacent to the boundaries of Duarte and Irwindale, California ...

Duarte, California Duarte () is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 21,727. It is bounded to the north by the San Gabriel Mountains, to the north and west by the cities ...

, a position he held from 1966 until his 2002 retirement. He has served as the president of the

American Society of Human Genetics The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG), founded in 1948, is a professional membership organization for specialists in human genetics. As of 2009, the organization had approximately 8,000 members. The society's members include researchers, ...

(1988) and the

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...

of ''

The American Journal of Human Genetics The ''American Journal of Human Genetics'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of human genetics. It was established in 1948 by the American Society of Human Genetics and covers all aspects of heredity in humans, including t ...

'' (1979–86). He has been a fellow of the

American Society for Clinical Investigation The American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), established in 1908, is one of the oldest and most respected medical honor societies in the United States. Organization and purpose The ASCI is an honorary society to which more than 2,800 p ...

since 1968. He is known for his research on the genetics of

Tourette's syndrome Tourette syndrome (TS), or simply Tourette's, is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood or adolescence. It is characterized by multiple movement (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic. Common tics are blinki ...

, which he began studying in 1980 with his wife, Brenda Comings. He has also studied the role of genetics in

nicotine addiction Nicotine is a naturally produced alkaloid in the nightshade family of plants (most predominantly in tobacco and '' Duboisia hopwoodii'') and is widely used recreationally as a stimulant and anxiolytic. As a pharmaceutical drug, it is used fo ...

and

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

. Although Dr. Comings retired in 2002 (and closed his laboratory at the end of 2003), he remained active in the field through 2016. He currently directs 'The Comings Foundation': a private foundation (www.TheComingsFoundation.org) devoted to combatting climate change and advancing the Medical Sciences.

Books

*'' Tourette Syndrome and Human Behavior'' (Hope Press, 1990) *'' Search for the Tourette Syndrome and Human Behavior Genes'' (Hope Press, 1996) *'' Did Man Create God?: is Your Spiritual Brain at Peace with Your Thinking Brain?'' (Hope Press, 2008)

References

1935 births Living people American geneticists American academic journal editors People from Beacon, New York Human geneticists Scientists from New York (state) American Journal of Human Genetics editors City of Hope National Medical Center {{Geneticist-stub