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ACMG 2026

2026 ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting — Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD · March 10 – 14, 2026. ~3,500 attendees — the largest US clinical-genetics meeting, hosted by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. Meeting theme: Where Genetics Meets Innovation. Presidential Plenary theme: The Future of Expanded Newborn Genomic Screening.

Status: Scaffold (post-meeting) — ready for retrospective bulk extraction. Meeting concluded ~8 weeks ago (March 10–14, 2026) as of today (May 11, 2026). The structure lands now so the platform-presentation slate, ACMG/AMP variant-classification updates, and the genomic-oncology / hereditary-cancer subset can be pulled from the abstract supplement (Genetics in Medicine / GIM Open) and the on-demand digital edition. Anything in this vault tagged *per pre-meeting press / not yet reconciled with abstract supplement* is sourced from the ACMG meeting site and ACMG Foundation press releases; titles and assignments will be reconciled when per-abstract DOIs land.

Why this is in the vault

ACMG is the clinical-genetics decision-rules venue. Where ASHG runs the methods and population-genetics framing, ACMG runs the clinical-laboratory implementation: who orders the test, how is the variant classified, what does the report say, what does the clinician do with it. The overlap with the AACR / ASCO oncology cycle is concentrated but high-value:

  1. Hereditary-cancer panels and germline-somatic integration. ACMG runs the ACMG Secondary Findings list (most recent: v3.3, with continued debate over scope and implementation). Panel-classification accuracy, universal-testing thresholds, and pediatric-cancer-predisposition screening all live here. Same investigators show up at AACR with somatic-overlay analyses 4–6 weeks later.
  2. ACMG/AMP variant-classification standards. The ACMG/AMP 2015 standards and their successor SVI / ClinGen recalibrations (PS3/BS3 functional evidence, BA1 / BS1 allele-frequency thresholds, AlphaMissense-as-PP3 controversy) are debated and updated here. Every clinical-genetics laboratory in the US uses this framework. Cancer-variant classification rests on it.
  3. Clonal hematopoiesis and somatic mosaicism in cancer testing. ACMG 2026 ran a dedicated session "Clonal Hematopoiesis, Somatic and Post-Zygotic Mosaicism in Multigene Cancer Testing for Geneticists" — the clinical-lab translation of the population-scale CHIP findings that anchor ASHG / ASH talks.
  4. AI in clinical genomics. ACMG 2026 platform presentations included "Demystifying Base Large Language Model Reproducibility and Accuracy in ACMG/AMP Variant Classification" and AI-assisted genome interpretation in lab workflows. This is the clinical-lab-validation venue for foundation-model variant-effect predictors (AlphaMissense, ESM, EVO follow-ons) that debut at ISMB / ASHG.
  5. Newborn screening expansion to genomic sequencing. Presidential Plenary theme. Cross-cuts cancer predisposition (RB1, TP53, RET, APC, BRCA, Lynch) via the secondary-findings debate — should pediatric cancer-predisposition variants be reported from newborn WGS?

Hybrid template (and the design decision behind this vault): ACMG is neither pure-clinical-readout (ASCO / SABCS) nor pure-methods (ISMB / RECOMB) — most platform slots are "clinical-lab investigator anchored on a cohort + classification framework + lab implementation," with a substantial AI/ML methods overlay and a strong case-based-session thread. The closest sibling shape in the vault is ASHG 2026, which collapses to a single talks/ directory with a per-talk hybrid template; we apply the same shape here, with the clinical-lab / cancer-genetics / variant-classification subset prioritized.

What we have / will have to work with

Source Coverage Notes
ACMG Meeting site program-at-a-glance, plenary slate, satellite symposia acmgmeeting.net — primary
ACMG main site award announcements, society news, ACMG Statements / Position Papers acmg.net
ACMG Education / Digital Edition on-demand recordings post-meeting (~30 days lag) acmgeducation.net
Genetics in Medicine (GIM) flagship ACMG journal — abstract supplement, ACMG Statements, ClinGen recommendations gimjournal.org (Elsevier)
GIM Open open-access companion journal gimopen.org
ACMG Foundation named-award announcements (Rimoin Lifetime Achievement, Watson Genomic Medicine, Richard King Trainee, Dr. Michael Watson Genomic Medicine), Day of Caring acmgfoundation.org
ACMG/AMP standards documents variant-classification framework, secondary-findings list (SF v3.3 as of 2025) published in GIM
ClinGen Resource gene-disease validity, variant-curation expert panels (VCEPs) — many ClinGen WG updates at ACMG clinicalgenome.org
Trade press GenomeWeb, 360Dx, Bio-IT World, Lab Pulse GenomeWeb / 360Dx have the deepest clinical-lab coverage; sub-required
Industry briefings Illumina, Baylor Genetics, Ambry, Invitae successor labs, GeneDx, Natera, Myriad, PreventionGenetics press programs aligned to ACMG; not primary
Social #ACMG26 on X / Bluesky useful for room reactions; clinical-lab Twitter is more guarded than methods Twitter

The Genetics in Medicine abstract supplement is the load-bearing primary source — every accepted abstract gets a citable DOI. Per-talk pages should cite the GIM abstract DOI, not the trade-press recap or sponsor press release.

Program shape (verified post-meeting)

ACMG 2026 ran Tuesday March 10 – Saturday March 14, five days, Baltimore Convention Center. Structure (per the released program):

  • Tue Mar 10: Pre-Meeting Satellite Symposia + Short Courses. Industry-supported satellite symposia (Illumina, Baylor Genetics, GeneDx, Natera, others) plus ACMG Short Courses (laboratory-genetics deep-dives, genetic-counseling primers). Opening Reception evening.
  • Wed Mar 11 – Sat Mar 14: Annual Meeting proper. Presidential Plenary + parallel platform sessions + concurrent symposia + poster halls + case-based sessions + TED-style talks.
  • Presidential Plenary (Wed morning): "The Future of Expanded Newborn Genomic Screening." Combined with the ACMG Foundation Awards ceremony.
  • Named Awards (recipients verified where announced):
  • David L. Rimoin Lifetime Achievement Award — John C. Carey, MD, MPH, FACMG, FAAP (Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, University of Utah; >40-year career in clinical genetics; founding professional/medical advisor to SOFT). The Foundation's highest honor.
  • Dr. Michael S. Watson Genomic Medicine Award — recipient TBC, to be confirmed from on-demand program
  • Richard King Trainee Awards — recipients TBC, awarded across multiple training-stage tiers
  • ACMG Foundation Day of Caring — partnered with Kennedy Krieger Institute, presenting custom bicycles to local children with genetic conditions.
  • Featured platform / symposia sessions (verified from pre-meeting press + program):
  • Non-Invasive Fetal Sequencing (NIFS) Is Coming: Are You Ready? — prenatal screening expansion beyond NIPT.
  • Clonal Hematopoiesis, Somatic and Post-Zygotic Mosaicism in Multigene Cancer Testing for Geneticists — clinical-lab translation of CHIP / mosaicism findings.
  • Beyond The List — Scope and Implementation of ACMG Secondary Findings — SF list debate (v3.3 implementation + future scope, including pediatric-cancer-predisposition reporting).
  • Demystifying Base Large Language Model Reproducibility and Accuracy in ACMG/AMP Variant Classification — platform presentation; LLM validation in clinical-lab variant interpretation.
  • Diagnostic challenges from the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) — rare-disease diagnostic odyssey case readouts.
  • Genomic Oncology track — hereditary cancer, germline-somatic integration, pharmacogenomics in oncology.
  • Gene Therapy implementation — clinical-lab perspective on AAV / CRISPR / antisense-oligonucleotide therapeutic deployment.
  • Washington policy — payer / FDA / LDT-final-rule implications for clinical-lab genetics.
  • Platform Presentations: organized by track. Platform 1 was Hereditary Cancer and Adult Genetics. Additional tracks per the program: prenatal/perinatal, biochemical/metabolic, cancer genetics, AI / informatics, clinical genetics, ELSI, therapeutics, education.
  • Abstract scale: ~1,500+ accepted abstracts (per recent-year ACMG pattern; 2026 exact count to be confirmed); ~150+ platform / featured slots; ~1,200+ posters across multiple sessions.
  • Tracks (verified or expected):
  • Cancer Genetics (primary-overlap track) — hereditary cancer panels, germline-somatic integration, ACMG Secondary Findings cancer subset, CHIP / mosaicism in cancer testing.
  • Prenatal / Perinatal / Reproductive Genetics — NIFS, expanded NIPT, expanded carrier screening, fetal exome / genome.
  • Cardiovascular Genetics — cardiomyopathy / arrhythmia gene panels, ClinGen Cardio VCEP updates.
  • Rare-Disease Diagnostics — WGS-first clinical programs, UDN, RNA-seq for variant interpretation, long-read clinical sequencing.
  • ACMG/AMP Variant Classification Updates — standards revisions, evidence-recalibration, AlphaMissense / LLM integration debates.
  • AI in Clinical Genomics — LLM-assisted variant interpretation, foundation-model variant-effect predictors in lab workflows, AI-assisted report drafting.
  • Biochemical / Metabolic Genetics — newborn-screening biochemistry, inborn errors, treatment.
  • Therapeutics / Gene Therapy — clinical-lab implementation of AAV / CRISPR / ASO therapies.
  • Health Services / Implementation / ELSI — return of results, payer coverage, LDT regulation, equity / access.
  • Education, Training, Workforce — genetic-counseling workforce, residency curricula, fellowship.

Organization

conferences/acmg-2026/
├── index.md             # this page
├── program-notes.md     # post-meeting prep: verified dates, venue, tracks, named awards, featured sessions, key dates
└── talks/               # PRIMARY artifact — one entry per talk (platform / symposium / case-based / TED-style)
    └── index.md         # template + master talk index table

Because the meeting has already happened, the populated talks/ shortlist below is retrospective: pulled from the ACMG meeting site, the pre-meeting press release, and the ACMG Foundation award announcement. Day-by-day digest (digest/day-N-*.md) and cross-day themes.md are deferred until the GIM abstract supplement publishes and the Digital Edition on-demand recordings are accessible (~April–May 2026, partially live now).

What's different from sibling meetings

  • Clinical-lab orientation. Unlike ASHG (population genetics + methods) or AACR (cancer biology + trials), ACMG is the meeting where the clinical laboratory directors (FACMG-certified) and clinical geneticists (board-certified medical geneticists) meet. The questions are: is this variant pathogenic, what does the report say, what does the clinician do with it.
  • Standards-document venue. ACMG and ClinGen working groups release updates at this meeting — variant-classification standards, secondary-findings list revisions, gene-disease validity curations, prenatal sequencing position statements. These are practice-defining documents.
  • Smaller and more focused than ASHG. ~3,500 attendees vs ASHG's ~7,500; tighter program (~1,500 abstracts vs ASHG's ~3,000); deeper clinical-lab content density.
  • Hybrid clinical + research format. Many talks are clinical case readouts, not research presentations. The case-based session is a load-bearing slot type. CME / P.A.C.E. / NSGC credit programming dominates a meaningful fraction of session-hours.
  • Industry-press density. Higher than ASHG because every major clinical-genetics-lab vendor (Illumina, Baylor Genetics, GeneDx, Natera, Ambry, Myriad, Quest, LabCorp Diagnostics, Tempus, Caris) presents data and runs sponsor symposia.
  • March timing. ACMG is the first big genomics meeting of the year after JPM — clinical-lab pipelines that get pitched at JPM (January) often have their first peer-reviewed-style readout at ACMG (March), then a methods-paper at ASHG (October).
  • Open-access disposition. GIM is hybrid (most content paywalled, growing open-access); GIM Open is fully OA. Citability is moderate; trade-press recaps (GenomeWeb / 360Dx) often the most accessible source pre-publication.
  • ASHG 2026 — the methods + population-genetics sibling. Many ACMG investigators have ASHG talks in October with the research-methods framing of the clinical-lab work shown at ACMG.
  • AACR 2026 — cancer-biology / hereditary-cancer overlap. ACMG cancer-genetics platform sessions feed forward to AACR hereditary-cancer / germline-somatic posters 4–6 weeks later.
  • ASCO 2026 — clinical translation. Cancer-predisposition testing, germline-informed PARP / PD-1 trial eligibility, Lynch-syndrome surveillance — methods that mature at ACMG arrive at ASCO with patient outcomes.
  • ASH 2026 — clonal hematopoiesis bridge. CHIP / CCUS / germline-MN-predisposition is a shared topic; ACMG runs the clinical-lab classification framing, ASH runs the clinical sequelae.
  • ISMB 2026 / RECOMB 2026 — methods overlap. AlphaMissense, ESM-genomic, EVO, and DNA-language-model variant-effect predictors that debut at ISMB get clinical-lab-validation discussion at ACMG.
  • AGBT 2026 — platform-launch overlap. Long-read clinical sequencing (PacBio HiFi, ONT R10) clinical implementation discussion at ACMG follows AGBT February platform talks.
  • ESHG 2026 — European clinical-genetics sibling meeting; many overlapping speakers and topics, six weeks later (May/June).
  • JPM 2026 — financing layer for the clinical-lab vendors who show data at ACMG.
  • Conferences timeline — ACMG's position in the year's genomics cycle (JPM Jan → AGBT Feb → ACMG Mar → AACR Apr → ASCO May/Jun → ESHG Jun → ISMB Jul → ESMO/ASHG Oct → SITC Nov → ASH Dec → SABCS Dec).

Next steps (retrospective)

  • Now (post-meeting, 8 weeks out): populate program-notes.md with the verified plenary slate, named-award recipients, featured-session list, and ACMG/AMP / ClinGen standards updates announced at the meeting.
  • Digital Edition on-demand availability (April–May 2026): stub the talks/ shortlist against the actual session recordings as they appear. Prioritize the cancer-genetics, ACMG/AMP variant-classification, AI-in-clinical-genomics, and CHIP / mosaicism subsets.
  • GIM abstract supplement (typically published ~April–May post-meeting): fill in DOIs per stub. Add the ACMG Statements / Position Papers released during or alongside the meeting.
  • Post-AACR cross-reference (April–May 2026): identify ACMG 2026 hereditary-cancer investigators whose follow-up posters appear at AACR 2026 (April 17–22, Chicago); cross-link.
  • Themes synthesis (June 2026): finalize a themes.md if the corpus supports it. Expected threads: LLM / foundation-model entry into ACMG/AMP classification workflows; newborn-genomic-screening expansion debate; secondary-findings cancer subset growth; NIFS clinical readiness; UDN diagnostic-yield maturation.

Sources