Major developments and scientific innovations have revolutionized the field of clinical genetics from Charles Darwin’s day in the mid nineteenth century to the delivery of personalized medicine in patient care in the twenty-first. In this lecture clinical genetecist Dr. José-Mario Capo-Chichi will lead us through this story: the origin of species, Mendelian genetics, the double-helix structure of DNA, DNA sequencing, animal models and the latest in personalized medicine – ie., using an individual’s unique genetic profile, lifestyle, and environment to tailor disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. There will be many other stops along the way. Buckle up and enjoy the ride. BIOGRAPHY José-Mario Capo-Chichi is a clinical geneticist at the Genome Diagnostics Laboratory at University Health Network in Toronto/Canada, an assistant professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto and a clinician investigator at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Research Institute. His clinical and research interests are centered on the use of novel genomic tools to improve the clinical diagnosis and management of patients with acquired and inherited genetic disorders. He helped identify and characterize novel disease causing genes in neurodevelopmental disorders using animal models.