(American Society of Human Genetics) The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) has named Kári Stefánsson, M.D., founder of deCODE Genetics, the 2017 recipient of the annual William Allan Award. In 1996, Dr. Stefánsson founded deCODE Genetics with the vision of a large-scale population study in Iceland, a country with a relatively small, isolated, and homogenous population; a high-quality healthcare system; and extensive genealogical records.