A geneticist is a scientist who studies genetics, the science of heredity and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be a physician, but not always. A geneticist can also be employed as a teacher or researcher. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of traits.

Training

Most geneticists complete at least a Bachelor’s degree and many continue on to a more advanced degree. Geneticists participate in courses from many areas, such as biology, chemistry, physics, microbiology, cell biology, English, and mathematics. They also participate in more specific genetics courses such as molecular genetics, transmission genetics, population genetics, quantitative genetics, ecological genetics, and genomics.

Geneticists can work in many different fields, doing a variety of jobs. There are many careers for geneticists in medicine, agriculture, wildlife, general sciences or many other fields. Listed below are a few examples of careers a geneticist may pursue.

See also

• Genetic counselor
• Genetic testing
• Medical genetics
• Genomics
• Biotechnology