It was founded by William Bateson and Edith Rebecca Saunders in 1919 and celebrated its centenary year in 2019.

Its membership of over 2000 consists of most of the UK's active professional geneticists, including researchers, teachers and students.

The Sir Kenneth Mather Memorial Prize[4] is awarded jointly by The Genetics Society and The University of Birmingham and rewards a student of any UK University or Research Institution who has shown outstanding performance in the area of quantitative or population genetics.

The recipient is invited to deliver a lecture at a Genetics Society meeting, where the medal will be awarded, in the year following their election.

B. S. Haldane, recognises an individual for outstanding ability to communicate topical subjects in genetics research, widely interpreted, to an interested lay audience.