Molecular Medicine and Genetics Division established within the Department of Internal Medicine in 1991 to coordinate aspects of University of Michigan research as part of the Human Genome Project, an international effort to identify and map the genetic structure of the human chromosomes. Planning records from the University of Michigan Internal Medicine Molecular Medicine and Genetics Division relating to the unit's participation in human gene therapy; include minutes, development and feasibility studies, and a copy of the program proposal, "Experimental Models of Gene Therapy."
The records of the University of Michigan Department of Internal Medicine Molecular Medicine and Genetics Division, dating from 1988 to 1992, document some of the earliest gene therapy endeavors, centering on successful efforts to establish a Human Genome Center at the university. The bulk of the records focus on the development of the program project grant, "Experimental Models of Gene Therapy." The collection, organized in four series, includes Human Gene Therapy Initiative (an early effort to establish a Human Genome Center at the University of Michigan), Scientific Basis for Gene Therapy, Experimental Models of Gene Therapy, and Center for Excellence in Gene Therapy files. The organization of the series reflects the general chronology of the development of gene therapy research at the University of Michigan