Alan Eglin Heathcote Emery (born 1928) is a British medical

geneticist A geneticist is a biologist or physician who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a scientist or a lecturer. Geneticists may perform general research on genetic processes ...

, known for his study of muscular dystrophy. Emery began his working life in the King's Hussars, and graduated in biological sciences from

University of Manchester , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univ ...

. In 1960 he obtained his medical degree there. His PhD in

human genetics Human genetics is the study of inheritance as it occurs in human beings. Human genetics encompasses a variety of overlapping fields including: classical genetics, cytogenetics, molecular genetics, biochemical genetics, genomics, population gene ...

was earned at

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

. In 1968 he became a foundation professor of human genetics at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. Having established the European Neuromuscular Centre, he was its chief scientific advisor from 1999. He was the first president of the Royal Society of Medicine’s Section of Medical Genetics, which he established, from 2001 to 2004. He was a research fellow and subsequently an honorary fellow of

Green Templeton College Green Templeton College (GTC) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The college is located on the previous Green College site on Woodstock Road next to the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter in North Oxford and ...

from 1985. He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...

(FRCP),

Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) is a medical royal college in Scotland. It is one of three organisations that sets the specialty training standards for physicians in the United Kingdom. It was established by Royal charter ...

(FRCPE), a Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics (FACMG), a

Fellow of the Linnean Society The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...

(FLS), a

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

(FRSA) and a

Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This socie ...

(FRSE). Both

Emery–Dreifuss muscular dystrophy Emery–Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) is a type of muscular dystrophy, a group of heritable diseases that cause progressive impairment of muscles. EDMD affects muscles used for movement (skeletal muscles), causing atrophy, weakness and contra ...

and its defective protein product,

emerin Emerin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''EMD'' gene, also known as the ''STA'' gene. Emerin, together with LEMD3, is a LEM domain-containing Transmembrane protein, integral protein of the Inner nuclear membrane proteins, inner Cell ...

, are named after him (the former jointly with Fritz E. Dreifuss)).

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* 1928 births Place of birth missing (living people) Living people British geneticists Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Fellows of the American College of Medical Genetics Fellows of the Linnean Society of London Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh {{UK-biologist-stub