President’s Circle Member Profile: Wayne Grody, MD, PhD

“I like how Population Connection isn’t afraid to assert that population growth is an environmental issue. Population growth is the root cause of so many issues we face, and it’s rarely discussed, even by other prominent environmental groups. I also appreciate your pro-choice advocacy work. I see the impacts in real time when women are denied essential reproductive health care. In my specialty of medical genetics, half of what we do involves prenatal testing. There are cases where fetal abnormalities occur due to genetic disorders, and they are not always obvious or well-defined in early pregnancy. It’s imperative that these patients have options, including to terminate an affected pregnancy.”

Dr. Wayne Grody has been a steadfast member of Population Connection since the early 1970s, when the organization was known by its founding name, Zero Population Growth (ZPG). His interest in environmentalism and population challenges began in early adulthood, after taking a population-oriented course at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. It was in this course that he read The Population Bomb by Paul Ehrlich. His copy of the book included a call to action to join ZPG. He joined that day and has been a member ever since!

Dr. Grody was born and raised in Syracuse, New York. He earned a BS in Pre-Medical Biology at Johns Hopkins University and then continued his education at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, where he obtained both an MD and a PhD. In 1982, Dr. Grody moved to Los Angeles where he completed his residency and a fellowship in medical genetics, before being appointed to the medical faculty at UCLA. He describes his career as the “triple threat of academic medicine” — teaching courses, seeing patients, and conducting research. He is the founding director of UCLA’s DNA diagnostic lab, which utilizes cutting-edge molecular biology techniques to diagnose cancers and genetic disorders. He is also an attending physician in the Department of Pediatrics.

In addition to Dr. Grody’s academic and patient-oriented work, he works (for low or no pay, he jokes) as a medical consultant to the film and television industry. He says, “It’s fun. I get to work with a lot of creative people, and most of the screenwriters and directors I work with want to be as medically accurate as possible.” He reads scripts and gives feedback on jargon to ensure that it sounds realistic and shows actors how to hold and interact with lab equipment. Sometimes, he’s asked to identify a genetic disease that fits a narrative, based on parameters the writers give him. Other times, he’s asked to “dress a set” to make it look more realistic. He’s even contributed his own office and laboratory materials to scenes! He’s worked on projects such as CSI, Law & Order, Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago Med, Virgin River, and both of the Nutty Professor movies. He got involved in this work through a side job he held as the film critic for MD Magazine for a dozen or so years.

Asked why he supports Population Connection, Dr. Grody shares:

“I like how Population Connection isn’t afraid to assert that population growth is an environmental issue. Population growth is the root cause of so many issues we face, and it’s rarely discussed, even by other prominent environmental groups. I also appreciate your pro-choice advocacy work. I see the impacts in real time when women are denied essential reproductive health care. In my specialty of medical genetics, half of what we do involves prenatal testing. There are cases where fetal abnormalities occur due to genetic disorders, and they are not always obvious or well-defined in early pregnancy. It’s imperative that these patients have options, including to terminate an affected pregnancy.”

When Dr. Grody isn’t working in his lab, attending to patients, teaching classes, presenting at medical conferences around the world, or advising on a TV or film project, he enjoys listening to classical music and attending orchestral concerts by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Due to the technical nature of his career, he likes to prioritize music and film as creative outlets.

We are so appreciative of Dr. Grody’s dedication to making our world a better place! His investment in our programs, through his President’s Circle support, expands our reach and contributes to a more sustainable future. If you would like to learn more about our giving societies, contact our Development team at giving@popconnect.org.