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B O R N A N D R AI S E D in China, Heng Wang, MD, PhD, never imagined he would become involved with the health care of an Amish community halfway around the world. After graduating from medi- cal school, he was on track to spend his career in a research laboratory. Had it not been for his love of learning, sparked by his parents who were teach- ers, he might have remained in China. Instead, he pursued advanced training – first in Europe and then in America. Today, Dr. Wang is an internationally By Alex Strauss recognized exper t on ra re genetic d isea ses a nd Med ica l Director of DDC Clinic-Center for Special Needs Children in Middlefield, Ohio. L o c ate d i n t he hea r t of A m ish country, just 30 miles east of metro- politan Cleveland, DDC Clinic is a world-class medical home (as defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics) that offers family-centered specialized health care and education, along with pioneering research to unlock transfor- mational medical information. Areas of research include brain development and seizure control, heart disease, stroke, vision impairments, obesity control, autism and neutropenia. DDC Clinic is also home to a state- of-the-art CLIA-certified molecular diagnostics laboratory, where genetic testing for more than 50 rare genetic diseases is performed. From Anhui, China, to Middlefield, Ohio At the age of 20, Dr. Wang was one of the youngest doctors in China when he graduated from Anhui Medical College in 1983. Soon after, he became involved in laboratory research and, in 1986, obtained an MS in Nutrition followed by a PhD in Biochemistr y from the Universit y of Liege in Belgium six years later. The lure of a postdoctoral fellowship in Nutrition and Gastroenterology at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas drew Dr. Wang to the United States. A f ter wa rds, he decided to pursue residency training in Pediatrics. He was 36 years old. "I was doing a lot of basic science — animal studies, cell cultures, etc.," says Heng Wang, MD, PhD T R A NSL AT ING GENOMIC MEDICINE Heng Wang, MD, PhD, is an internationally recognized expert on rare genetic diseases and Medical Director of DDC Clinic- Center for Special Needs Children in Middlefield, Ohio, where over 700 patients from 32 states and four foreign countries are served. COV ER FE AT UR E PHOTOS COURTESY OF DDC CLINIC 6 | Cleveland/Akron/Canton MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M ■ N OV E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4