Chicago Center for Jewish Genetics Disorders - About the Center - Who We Are

M. Priscilla Short, MD holds an appointment as clinical associate in neurosurgery at the University of Chicago with specialty training in internal medicine, neurology, clinical genetics and neuropathology. She is a fellow at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics also at the University of Chicago. Prior to coming to the University of Chicago, she was on staff in neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital as director of the Neurofibromatoses and neurogenetics clinics, and as an assistant professor in neurology at Harvard Medical School.

She maintains an active clinical neurogenetics practice at the University of Chicago specializing in familial neurocutaneous syndromes, eg. Neurofibromatoses. She is a recognized national expert on the clinical and neuropathologic aspects of neurofibromatoses and tuberous sclerosis complex. She has served on multiple panels producing current consensus guidelines for standard management of both disorders.

Dr. Short is the former program director for the American Medical Association's programs in genetics. The focus of the programs is to improve the quality of genetics education available for continued professional development in collaboration with the division of medical education. She was associated with the Institute for Ethics at the AMA as a senior clinical consultant, collaborating in the development of a website to provide practical ethics information on genetic testing for the public and physicians. She is a member of the Working Groups for Education and Informed Consent for the Secretary of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Genetic Testing.

Dr. Short received her bachelor’s degree from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. She earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1978 and a diploma in general genetics from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland in 1975. She subsequently pursued internship and residency training in Internal Medicine at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, residency training in neurology at the University of Pittsburgh, fellowship training in medical genetics at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York and neuropathology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She is board certified in internal medicine (ABIM) and neurology (ABNP) and board eligible in genetics and neuropathology.