Faculty

 

Annie Bao, LMFT

Annie Bao, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Course Facilitator: Process Group

Annie is a licensed marriage and family therapist, educator, mental health and wellness consultant, behavioral health analyst, and writer. With experience in psychosocial education and training of medical scholars, the evolution of her work with clinicians is grounded at the intersection of relational/systemic development and social constructivist pedagogy in provider growth. Evolving from a position of curiosity and cultural humility, Annie's clinical and research interests and publications include mental health and wellness, the use of self in practice, supervision in training, medical provider education, self-care, and mindfulness in healthcare. She is a co-founder of IPADS (Interprogram/Intraprofessional Antiracism Dialogue Series) for the field of genetic counseling.

 

Yakira Begun headshot

Yakira Begun, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Fieldwork Supervisor: General Genetics

Yakira is originally from Toronto, Canada and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. As a genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics, she works with children and families with inherited disorders and is committed to providing high quality care for all patients. Yakira's graduate research focused on genetic counseling education, an area that remains a strong interest and passion of hers. 

 

 

Sara Berger

Sara Berger, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Fieldwork Supervisor: General Genetics

Sara completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics and her clinical work focuses on genetic disorders of childhood. Sara is the lead coordinator of the Variant Reinterpretation Stakeholder Study (VRiSS), developing recommendations and policies about issues surrounding genetic variant reclassification.

 

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Carina Bertolini, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology and Obstetrics & Gynecology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Reproductive Genetics

Carina is originally from Columbus, Ohio and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Columbia University. She is a genetic counselor in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine and provides care for women and their partners in the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics. Carina is a member of the Interdepartmental Genetic Counseling Program, bridging the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the Precision Genomics Laboratory.

 

Kelsie Bogyo, MS, CGC

Kelsie Bogyo, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology and Medicine

Course Facilitator: Clinical Encounters
Fieldwork Supervisor: Nephrogenetics, Laboratory Genetic Counseling

Kelsie is originally from California and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and provides both clinical and research services for the Center for Precision Medicine and Genomics, which aims to integrate precision medicine into medical care for adult constitutional disorders. Kelsie is a member of the Interdepartmental Genetic Counseling Program, bridging the Department of Medicine and the Precision Genomics Laboratory.

 

Amanda Chan headshot

Amanda Chan, MS, CGC

Genetic Counselor, Department of Neurology

Amanda is originally from the Bay Area, California and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Columbia University. She is a genetic counselor in the Division of Aging and Dementia and provides care for people with Alzheimer disease and their families, as well as supporting various research studies in Alzheimer disease genetics. Her graduate research focused on the creation of educational modules intended to teach non-genetics helathcare providers about the process of informed consent for exome sequencing. Amanda is conversant in Spanish.

 

Charlotte Close headshot

Charlotte Close, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Course Co-Director: Professional Formation
Fieldwork Supervisor: General Genetics

Charlotte is originally from Illinois and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics. Charlotte’s graduate research focused on genetic counselors’ attitudes towards cystic fibrosis therapeutics and she continues to be interested in cystic fibrosis care.

 

 

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Daniela Diaz Caro, MS, CGC
Research Genetic Counselor, Department of Neurology

Daniela is originally from Trujillo, Peru and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Stanford University. She is a research genetic counselor with the Información de la Enfermedad de Alzheimer de Latinos (IDEAL) study, investigating the impact of APOE genetic testing in Latinx communities of Northern Manhattan. Daniela is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

 

 

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Michele Disco, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology and Pediatrics

Fieldwork Supervisor: Inpatient Genetic Counseling, Laboratory Genetic Counseling

Research Supervisor

Michele is originally from New Hampshire and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor with expertise in inherited disorders of childhood, specifically dermatologic and craniofacial genetics. Michele is a member of the Interdepartmental Genetic Counseling Program, bridging inpatient consultation and the Precision Genomics Laboratory. She is currently a member of the Community Outreach Committee of the New York State Genetics Task Force.

 

Kris Englestad

Kris Engelstad, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Neurology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Neurogenetics

Kris completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor involved in several areas of research, including natural history studies, clinical trials, a patient contact registry, and biobank for people with mitochondrial disorders. Kris aims to educate individuals and families about disease-specific genetic issues so they can make informed choices about genetic testing and family planning.

 

Molly Fitzpatrick, MS

Molly Fitzpatrick, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Fieldwork Supervisor: General Genetics

Molly is originally from Philadelphia and completed her graduate education at Rutgers University. She is a genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics, working primarily with genetic disorders of childhood. Molly’s graduate research focused on aspects of cancer genetic counseling that are influenced by changes made to testing guidelines and criteria.

 

Katie Foudy

Katie Foudy, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Medicine

Fieldwork Supervisor: Cancer Genetics

Katie is originally from New Jersey and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology and works with adults living with or at risk for familial cancer syndromes. Her research interests include utilization of whole exome sequencing to provide more precise diagnoses for individuals and families. 

 

Headshot of Stephanie Galloway

Stephanie Galloway, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Reproductive Genetics

Stephanie is originally from South Carolina and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the University of South Carolina. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and provides care for women and their partners in the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics. Stephanie also serves as a research coordinator in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine.

 

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Jessica Giordano, MS, CGC
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Course Director: The Human Body: Structure and Function 1 and 2
Course Facilitator: Process Group

Research Supervisor

Jessica is originally from New York and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College with a research focus in public health genomics and newborn screening. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor managing multiple research projects in reproductive genetics, including utilizing exome/genome sequencing for structurally abnormal fetuses with the goal of communicating results to families that can impact their clinical management and reproductive decision-making. 

 

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Jill Goldman, MS, MPhil, CGC
Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Neurology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Neurogenetics

Jill completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the University of California Berkeley. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor at The Taub Institute at Columbia where she specializes in hereditary neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal degeneration, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. Jill created and coordinates “A Friend for Rachel," a companionship program in which people with early to moderate dementia are paired with Columbia students.

 

Edwin Guzman

Edwin Guzman, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Edwin completed his genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College.  He is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics, specializing in genetic disorders of childhood and craniofacial disorders. Edwin is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

 

 

Elizabeth Harrington, MS, CGC

Elizabeth Harrington, MS, CGC
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Neurology

Course Director: Biochemical Genetics
Fieldwork Supervisor: Neurogenetics

Elizabeth completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Stanford University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor working with adults living with neurologic disorders. Elizabeth worked previously as a biochemical genetics research fellow at the National Institutes of Health, her current clinical and research focus is motor neuron diseases.

 

 

Kimberly Hilfrank

Kimberly Hilfrank, MS, MPH, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Medicine

Course Facilitator: Clinical Encounters
Fieldwork Supervisor: Cancer Genetics

Kimberly is originally from Massachusetts and completed both a masters in public health and her genetic counseling graduate education at the University of Michigan. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases and works with adults living with or at risk for familial cancer syndromes. Kimberly is interested in increasing access to genetic medicine for all communities. 

 

Alejandro Iglesias, MD

Alejandro Iglesias, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics

Dr. Iglesias is a clinical and biochemical geneticist primarily interested in inherited metabolic disorders and neurogenetics and dysmorphology. He is an ABMGG board-certified geneticist. In his role as Director of the Inherited Metabolic Program he is deeply involved in all aspects related with the diagnosis, management and overall care of patients and families with these disorders. Dr. Iglesias has been actively involved in all developments associated with newborn screening for Krabbe disease and Pompe disease. He is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

Dhriti Jagannathan headshot

Dhriti Jagannathan, MS, CGC
Genetic Counselor, Irving Institute

Dhriti is originally from South India and grew up in Minnesota. She completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the University of Minnesota. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and works as a program manager for the Precision Medicine Resource in the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research.

 

Arang Kim headshot

 

Arang Kim, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Fieldwork Supervisor: General Genetics

Arang is originally from Seoul, Korea (South) and completed her genetic counseling education at the University of Cincinnati. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics, working primarily with genetic disorders of childhood. Arang has experience in reproductive genetic counseling and has in the industry setting, founding a genetic counseling company to provide services at companies and hospitals in Korea. Arang is interested in genetic counseling education and promoting the use of genetic counseling services internationally. She is bilingual in English and Korean.

 

Carrie Koval-Burt, MS, CGC
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Medicine

Fieldwork Supervisor: Cancer Genetics

Carrie completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Northwestern University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. She provides cancer risk evaluation, genetic counseling, and risk-reduction education for individuals who have cancer or are concerned about their risks of developing cancer. Carrie works with underserved communities and her research interests include newborn screening pilot programs. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

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Elana Levinson, MS, MPH, CGC
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Medicine

Course Director: Genetics, Genomics, and Society
Fieldwork Supervisor: Cancer Genetics

Research Supervisor

Elana completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College and her MPH at King’s College London. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology and works with adults living with or at risk for familial cancer syndromes. Elana currently holds a leadership position in the Collaborative Group of the Americas-Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancers and her research focuses on integrating genetic testing into the care of individuals with cancer.

 

Brynn Levy, MSc (Med), PhD
Professor of Pathology & Cell Biology

Course Facilitator: Lab Weeks

Originally from South Africa and trained as a genetic counselor, Dr. Levy is Medical Director of the Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory at New York Presbyterian Hospital and a Co-Director of the Division of Personalized Genomics in the Department of Pathology & Cell Biology. He is an ABMGG board-certified geneticist. He is an international expert in the clinical utility of genomic technologies in reproductive medicine. His research includes early prenatal screening using fetal cells and cell-free fetal DNA, PGD, and the etiology of recurrent miscarriage. 

 

Headshot of Natalie Lippa

Natalie Lippa, MS, CGC
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Medicine

Fieldwork Supervisor: Cardiogenetics

Research Supervisor

Natalie is originally from Toronto, Canada, and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has experience with lysosomal storage disease clinical research. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Cardiology, where she works with individuals and fmailies with inherited cardiology disorders. 

 

Gustavo H.B. Maegawa, MD, PhD

Gustavo H.B. Maegawa, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Dr. Maegawa is an ABMGG board-certified geneticist in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics. His areas of expertise include clinical genetics and genomics. 

 

Lakshmi Mehta headshot

 

 

 

Lakshmi Mehta, MD, FACMG
Associate in Clinical Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics

Dr. Mehta is an ABMGG board-certified geneticist in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics. Her areas of expertise include clinical genetics and genomics. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Meg Menzel, MS, CGC, HEC-C
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics

Course Director: Clinical Ethics for Genetic Counselors

Meg is originally from the Washington, DC area and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and an ASBH certified Healthcare Ethics Consultant. Meg has extensive experience working in clinical fetal medicine and ethics, and has served as both the associate director of the Ethics program and co-chair of the clinical ethics committee at Children's National Hospital. She is passionate about the integration of ethics in genetic counseling education and practice.

 

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Andrés Morales Corado, MD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics

Dr. Morales Corado is an ABMGG board-certified geneticist in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics. His areas of expertise include clinical genetics and genomics. 

 

Maureen Mulhern, MS, MAT, CGC

 

 

 

 

Maureen Mulhern, MS, MAT, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology and Neurology

Course Director: Neurogenetics
Fieldwork Supervisor: Neurogenetics, Laboratory Genetic Counseling

Research Supervisor

Maureen is originally from New Jersey and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has previous experience working as a research genetic counselor at the Institute for Genomic Medicine, as well as a middle and high school science teacher. Maureen is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and part of the Interdepartmental Genetic Counseling Program at Columbia, bridging the gap between the neurology clinics and the Precision Genomics Laboratory. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

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Nora Nesheiwat, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Fieldwork Supervisor: General Genetics

Nora is originally from Jordan and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics with a clinical interest in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Nora is bilingual in English and Arabic, and proficient in Spanish.

 

Headshot of Elaine Pereira

Elaine Pereira, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics

Dr. Pereira completed her MD at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and her residency at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore. She is an ABMGG board-certified geneticist. Her areas of clinical interest include congenital heart disease, collagenopathies, congenital hearing loss, and dysmorphology. Dr. Pereira is active in medical education.

 

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Josie Pervola, MS, CGC
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Reproductive Genetics

Research Supervisor

Josie completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the University of Cincinnati. She is an ABGC board-certified in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine where she works with clients and their reproductive partners at the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics. Josie is involved in various reproductive genetics research studies, including the utility and validity of prenatal whole genome sequencing with an interest in the ethical considerations involved with returning genomic sequencing results in the setting of pregnancy.

 

Aisha Rekab, MSc, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Course Facilitator: Foundations of Human Genetics
Fieldwork Supervisor: General Genetics

Aisha is originally from Vancouver, Canada. She completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College and received a master’s in pathology and molecular medicine with a focus in cancer genetics from Queen’s University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics. Aisha’s graduate research focused on the implementation of telegenetics during the COVID-19 pandemic and she continues to be interested in increasing access to genetic services for all communities. She is proficient in French.

 

Anya Revah Politi headshot

Anya Revah Politi, MS, CGC
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Neurology

Course Director: Translational Genomics

Research Supervisor

Anya is originally from Mexico City and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Boston University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Department of Neurology as part of a new Precision Neurotherapeutics Program. The goal of this program is to identify patients with neurogenetic conditions who have pathogenic variants that are amenable potential genetic therapy development. Anya is trilingual in English, Spanish, and French.

 

Sophia Rodriguez headshot

Sophia Rodriguez, MS, CGC
Research Genetic Counselor, Department of Neurology

Sophia completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor with the Información de la Enfermedad de Alzheimer de Latinos (IDEAL) study, investigating the impact of APOE genetic testing in Latinx communities of Northern Manhattan. Sophia has a passion for healthcare advocacy and volunteers for the Alzheimer’s Association to support policy changes that help individuals with dementia and their caregivers. She is proficient in Spanish.

 

Megan Soucy, MS, CGC

Megan Soucy, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology and Ophthalmology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Ophthalmologic Genetics, Laboratory Genetic Counseling

Research Supervisor

Megan completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and part of the Interdepartmental Genetic Counseling Program at Columbia, bridging the Ophthalmology Department and the Precision Genomics Laboratory.

 

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Erica Spiegel, MS, CGC
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Course Director: Reproductive Genetics
Fieldwork Supervisor: Reproductive Genetics

Erica completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine and her work is focused on the integration of emerging technologies into clinical care within the field of reproductive genetics. Erica is passionate about providing high-quality care to women and families in the setting of fetal anomalies and suspected genetic diagnoses. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

Leyla Tabanfar

Leyla Tabanfar, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Medicine

Fieldwork Supervisor: Cancer Genetics

Leyla is from Canada and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. Leyla provides care in the genetics clinic at Columbia and the cancer genetics clinic at both Lawrence Hospital and Hudson Valley Hospital. She is bilingual in English and Farsi.

 

 

Alexandra Tinfow

Alexandra Tinfow, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Reproductive Genetics

Alexandra is originally from New Jersey and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Columbia University. She is an ABGC-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine and provides care for women and their partners in the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics, as well as suupporting various research studies in reproductive genetics. Alexandra's graduate research focused on the establishment of evidence-based protocols for the post-test evaluation of high-risk and inconclusive non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) results. 

 

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Joanna Urli, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Course Co-Director: Professional Formation
Fieldwork Supervisor: Reproductive Genetics, Cancer Genetics

Joanna is originally from New York and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Boston University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine and provides care for women and their partners in the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics, as well as within the Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) Program. Joanna's graduate research focused on diversifying the genetic counseling profession, and her clinical interests include increasing access to genetic services. She is currently a member of the Community Outreach Committee of the New York State Genetics Task Force.

 

Natalie Vena, MS, CGC

Natalie Vena, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Medicine

Fieldwork Supervisor: Nephrogenetics

Research Supervisor

Natalie completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Boston University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Institute of Genomic Medicine and the Division of Nephrology. Natalie’s clinical focus is the genetics of adult kidney disease and her research interests include the annotation and curation of genetic variants in the setting of Mendelian diseases, as well as the return of genetic/genomic test results.

 

Ron Wapner headshot

Ronald Wapner, MD
Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Dr. Wapner is an ABMGG and ABOG board-certified OB/GYN. He has participated in or led randomized trials evaluating genetic prenatal diagnostic and screening technologies for several decades. His most recent work evaluated the role of expanded pan-ethnic carrier screening in prenatal care, which presented the largest experience of such testing to date and demonstrated racial and ethnic consequences in the screening recommendations, presently in practice. Dr. Wapner is currently involved in evaluating the use of whole-exome sequencing in structurally abnormal fetuses.

 

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Lisa Weingarten, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Fieldwork Supervisor: General Genetics

Lisa is originally from Toronto, Canada and completed her graduate education at Brandeis University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Molecular Genetics, working with children, adults, and families with a variety of indications. Lisa is also involved in research, focusing on the patient experience of genetic counseling and testing. She is currently evaluating the psychosocial impact of prenatal genome sequencing as part of the PrenatalSEQ study.

 

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Ashley Wilson, MS, CGC

Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Course Director: Foundations of Clinical Genetics

Ashley is originally from Canada and completed her graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and has been involved in the education of medical and dental students at Columbia, as well as teaching and training genetic residents and genetic counseling students. Ashley has worked with the Simons Searchlight study, targeting single-gene causes of neurodevelopmental disorders, and is a consultant for the New York Genome Center.