#135 NSGC 2020 Recap

DNA Today: A Genetics Podcast

The National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) hosted its annual conference virtually this past weekend with a new record for attendance. In this special extended installment of DNA Today we are recapping and reflecting on a few sessions from the conference.

Thanks to our sponsor for this episode, PhenoTips. Imagine a health record system designed specifically for genomics. Cause let’s be honest, electronic health records are not built for genetics. Now you can stop imagining and start using, because PhenoTips is just this! PhenoTips is the world’s first complete Genomic Health record system with pedigree drawing, standardized symptom capture, diagnostic insights and more, all in one place. Check them out at PhenoTips.com.

Timestamps

Aishwarya Arjunan 1:30-24:20

Rebekah Hutchins 25:17-38:50

Courtney Studwell 38:50-53:05

Ashlyn Enokian 53:05-56:05

Presentations Recapped/Recommended

Drawing the line with ECS: When does expanded carrier screening turn into excessive carrier screening?

Live Tweet Threads by DNA Today and Aishwarya Arjunan

More Than Just Raising Our Voices: Confronting Injustices in Patient Care

Beyond common aneuploidies: Expanding existing chromosome testing technologies and subsequent prenatal care

Live Tweet Thread by DNA Today

Transfer of Mosaic Embryos following PGT-A: Updates, Ethics, and Implications

Live Tweets by DNA Today (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

2020 Janus Lecture: Ovarian Cancer: A Model for Progress in Genetics

Pariah or Pioneer? Stories of Expansion Into New and Emerging Genetic Counselor Roles

Mastering the Art of Advocacy through Media Relations

The Panel

Aishwarya Arjunan, MS, MPH, CGC, CPH graduated with degrees in genetic counseling and public health genetics from the University of Pittsburgh in 2013 and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2014. She currently works at Myriad Women's Health (formerly Counsyl), a women's health genetic testing and genetic counseling company, as the Clinical Product Manager for the Foresight Carrier Screen. Prior to joining Counsyl/Myriad, Aishwarya was a clinical genetic counselor at the Sarnoff Center for Jewish Genetics and Ann & Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital in the Department of Genetics, Birth Defects, and Metabolism. Within the Northwestern Genetic Counseling Program, Aishwarya is a core faculty member and serves as a thesis advisor/committee member and has participated in the Admissions Committee and Internet Resources Task Force. Aishwarya is actively involved with the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) as the 2019 co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and incoming Director At Large for the NSGC Board of Directors. She is also involved locally with the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals (ISGP) and is a past-president of ISGP. At NSGC 2020 she was honored with the Leader in Cultural Advocacy Award. You can follow Aishwarya on Twitter.

Rebekah Hutchins, MS, GC is a perinatal genetic counselor. Currently, she practices at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia and previously in Hawaii Pacific Health in Honolulu, Hawaii. She received her M.S. in Human Genetics from Sarah Lawrence College’s Joan H. Marks Program. Rebekah has always been passionate about social justice and identifying, dissecting and combating health disparities in marginalized communities. Now as a healthcare professional she identifies innovative ways to bridge those gaps in her work. During her time at Sarah Lawrence College, she developed a cultural competency course for genetic counselors which she has presented twice. You can follow Rebekah on Twitter.

Courtney Studwell, MS, CGC, MB(ASCP)CM is a licensed certified genetic counselor at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston and is also certified as a Technologist in Molecular Biology through the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). She counsels patients in the CFMRG and participates in the development and management of genetic testing platforms in the CAMD. She earned her master's degree in Genetic Counseling from Boston University School of Medicine and undergraduate degree in Diagnostic Genetic Sciences from University of Connecticut. You can follow Courtney on Twitter.

Ashlyn Enokian, MS, GC is a prenatal genetic counselor at High Risk Pregnancy Center in Las Vegas, NV. Her journey into the field of genetic counseling began with advocacy work through Crisis Text Line and Help Pregnancy Crisis Aid. She worked as a genetic counseling assistant in cancer genetics at Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital, pediatric genetics at the University of Michigan, and laboratory genetics at Progenity, Inc. Ashlyn was previously a genetics graphic design intern at My Gene Counsel. Her professional interests include prenatal, ART/fertility, education, and strategies to increase diversity in the field. She earned her B.S. in Biology and a minor in Criminal Justice from Grand Valley State University in 2017. Followed by her M.S. in Human Genetics from Sarah Lawrence College’s Joan H. Marks Program. You can follow Ashlyn on Twitter.

Kira Dineen, MS, LCGC, CG(ASCP)CM is a certified prenatal genetic counselor at Maternal Fetal Care, PC in Stamford, CT. Kira also has 10 years of online media experience in digital marketing and podcasting/radio including 5 podcasts. She started her main show “DNA Today: A Genetics Podcast” in 2012 which became a radio show in 2014. The podcast has since produced over 130 episodes interviewing experts in the field. “DNA Today” recently won the People’s Choice Podcast Awards for the Best 2020 Science and Medicine Podcast. Kira is also the host of the PhenoTips Speaker Series, a live webinar interviewing genetic experts attend by over 700 genetic counselors around the globe. She writes a monthly blog series, “Explained By A Genetic Counsellor” for Sano Genetics. Kira was selected and currently serves as a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors’ Digital Ambassador program (#NSGCGenePool). She received her Diagnostic Genetic Bachelor’s of Science degree at the University of Connecticut and is a certified Cytogenetic Technologist. Kira received her Master’s of Science in Human Genetics at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. You can follow Kira on Twitter.

Poster
Presentations Conference Tips (Virtual & In-Person)

Exhibit hall for networking, free genetics apparel, job board, professional and fun photos.

Wear layers because lecture halls are freezing.

Lunch sessions are free and sponsored by labs.

Prioritize select sessions to attend live, there is too much to do everything and you can watch later on demand until it expires January 15th.

Attend a Special Interest Group (SIG), you don’t have to be a member.

Follow and join conversations on Twitter (#NSGC20 and #gcchat)

Students, job hunt utilizing the job board (in the middle of the exhibit hall) and hand out your resume. If there is a meet up with a specific company/hospital you are interested in working with/at, then go check it out!

Resources

Be sure to check out all these resources mentioned during the episode.

JGC Task Force Report

All the special issues

Sign up for the Focus Groups

Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on December 4th. New episodes are released on the first and third Friday of the month (except this week, thanks for waiting!). In the meantime, you can binge over 130 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”.

See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNApodcast.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to [e-mail].