Robert G. Best

Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology Ph.D., 1987, North Carolina State University (Genetics & Toxicology) Clinical Fellowship, Medical University of South Carolina/University of South Carolina SOM in Medical Genetics and Clinical Cytogenetics.

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious birth defects involving the brain and spinal cord, and are unusually common in South Carolina . Dr. Best has been involved in a long-term (1993 to present) federally funded statewide collaborative study to study the use of folic acid, a common water-soluble vitamin, in preventing these birth defects. Without the use of folic acid, NTDs recur in families with a frequency of about 1 in 15 children. Careful study of a group of nearly 300 babies born to women who previously had a child with an NTD, but who took the recommended dose of folic acid has resulted in no recurrences of NTD. In contrast, it is estimated that approximately 10-12 cases would have recurred without vitamin use. Dr. Best works closely with the Genetic Counseling Graduate Training Program, and is involved in research in genetic counseling. His other research interests include the genetics of complex traits, comparative genomics, bioethical issues in nanotechnology, nanomedicine, and the practical application of new research methodologies (technology transfer). He is currently grant funded by the National Science Foundation for studies in nanotechnology and through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for study of the genetics of anencephaly. He is a founding member of the Editorial Board for the upcoming American Journal of Nanomedicine and a Founding Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics.