Dr. Maria Descartes has 26 years of experience as a clinical geneticist, excelling in the care of complex patients that require long term management and a multidisciplinary approach care of patients with genetic disorders. Dr. Descartes admits patients to Children’s Hospital Alabama and the University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital.  She is board certified in Pediatrics, Clinical Genetics, and Medical Biochemical Genetics. Her areas of interest and expertise are in dysmorphology and syndrome identification/delineations, skeletal dysplasias, disorders of metabolism, and lysosomal storage disorders. She is a member of the Undiagnosed Disease Program at UAB.  She also participates in medical education of residents, medical students, and physicians. Dr. Descartes also teaches non-physician students, graduate students (pre- and postdoctoral) and students in allied health professions. She has a passion for delivering excellence in care to all the populations she serves.