Michael M. Kaback is an American geneticist, physician, and Professor of Pediatrics and Reproductive Medicine, and chief of the Division of Medical Genetics,[citation needed] at the University of California–San Diego.
[1][2] He is best known for his role in the discovery and development of an enzyme assay method of screening for Tay–Sachs disease, a rare and fatal genetic disorder.
In 1979, Kaback served on the first National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel to recommend antenatal diagnosis in cases where a couple might be at risk for conceiving a child with a hereditary disease or congenital defect.
The panel brought together physicians, scientists, consumers, and others in order to develop a consensus statement for use by healthcare providers.
In the NIH Consensus Development Program, panel members are selected for their expertise to serve as judges of evidence, and must have no prior conflicts of interest.