Faculty

Debra Duquette received her Bachelor of Science degree in biological science and secondary education from Michigan State University. She was in the first class of graduates that received a Master of Science degree in genetic counseling from the Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling in the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 1992. She received her board certification from ABGC in 1993.

After graduation, Debra worked in clinical reproductive genetics for 12 years at Michigan health systems (Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Hutzel Hospital/Detroit Medical Center, and Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids). During her time at Hutzel Hospital, she was the clinical facility leaders on a National Institute of Health study that compared early amniocentesis to late chorionic villus sampling. She was also involved in the early pioneering of fetal surgeries/interventions for fetal anomalies and genetic conditions. At Hutzel Hospital and Spectrum Heath, she coordinated and supervised clinical rotations for medical students, residents, fellow and genetic counseling graduate students. She was also an adjunct faculty member of Wayne State University School of Medicine. Debra has co-authored peer-reviewed articles on a variety of reproductive genetics topics.

Debra also worked for 13 years in state public health. From 2004-2017, she led the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Genomics Program. She served as the State Public Health Genomics Coordinator, Director of the Cancer Genomics Program, Coordinator of the Michigan Alliance of Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death of the Young, Chair of the Lynch Syndrome Screening Network, and Facilitator of the Michigan Cancer Genetics Alliance. MDHHS was awarded five Centers for Disease Control & Prevention cooperative agreements to integrate genomics best practices into public health utilizing surveillance data, education, and policy. She managed over $5 million of awarded CDC funding.

She also led development of new MDHHS programs for newborn screening including the Michigan BioTrust for Health and Diet for Life. She was co-editor for Healthcare’s Public Health Genomics supplement, and authored several peer-reviewed articles on cancer genomics, sudden cardiac death of the young, and other public health genomics topics. She has supervised and mentored several public health internships and thesis projects for genetic counseling graduate students, public health graduate students, cardiology residents and fellow, and preventive medicine residents. She also was appointed to multiple state and national committees, including co-chair of the National Academy of Medicine Genomics and Population Health Action Collaborative and member of the National Academy of Medicine Committee on the State of the Science in Ovarian Cancer Research. Debra currently serves as the Executive Director of the Lynch Syndrome Screening Network (LSSN), Advisory Board Member for Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE), Steering Committee Member for the FORCE-CDC Cooperative Agreement eXamining Relevance of Articles for Young Survivors (XRAYS), and a Medical/Scientific Advisory Board Member of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC).

In August 2017, she joined as the associate director of the Center for Genetic Medicine’s Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is interested in bringing together her work in public health genomics and health inequities to increase access to genetic counseling especially for disparate populations. She is also interested in developing new models and metrics for clinical genetic counseling delivery. Her research interests include prevention of sudden cardiac death of the young, universal/routine and cascade screening for hereditary cancers, preventive medicine and genetics, health disparities, and implementation of genomics and to improve health outcomes. As associate director of the program, she works closely with the director, medical director and assistant directors on administration, overall curriculum and clinical development, clinical rotations and thesis development.

Sharon earned her Master of Science degree in Human Genetics from the Sarah Lawrence College Genetic Counseling Program in 1996. She began her career as a prenatal and pediatric genetic counselor, as well as a laboratory genetic counselor, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she worked from 1996 to 2000. Originally from Illinois, Sharon returned to the Chicago area in 2000 to work as a prenatal genetic counselor at Rockford Memorial Hospital’s Hoffman Estates and Elgin satellite clinics until 2002.

Since 2002, Sharon has been at Northwestern University, where she lead recruitment, regulatory compliance, and quality control efforts for the NUgene Project, a DNA biobank. She has also contributed significantly to genomic research as part of the NIH-funded eMERGE Network (Electronic Medical Records and Genomics), helping to design and implement protocols that integrate genomic information into clinical care. Sharon currently collaborates with Dr. Erica Davis at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital on a gene discovery study.

Sharon serves on the Institutional Review Boards for both Northwestern University and Lurie Children’s Hospital, ensuring the ethical conduct of research. She is also deeply engaged with professional organizations, including the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC), where she has held numerous leadership roles. She is a past president of ABGC, a past chair of NSGC’s Research Special Interest Group, and has chaired the NSGC Abstract Workgroup. Sharon currently chairs the Jane Engelberg Memorial Fellowship (JEMF) Advisory Group, supporting innovative research in genetic counseling.

Within the Northwestern Graduate Program, Sharon has been an active contributor since she joined Northwestern. In 2022, she assumed the role of Assistant Director and currently co-teaches the Research Methods and Professional Issues courses. She oversees all aspects of student research, providing mentorship and serving as a thesis advisor or committee member for numerous students each year.

Dr. Josh Baker is the Medical Director of our Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling at Northwestern University and Director of Inborn Errors of Metabolism in the Division of Genetics, Genomics and Metabolism at Lurie Children’s Hospital. He specializes in diagnosis, treatment, and management of IEMs; both small molecule and lysosomal disorders. He is also the Director of Newborn Screening at Lurie Children’s Hospital and Chair of the Illinois Newborn Screening Committee. He is the PI for six industry sponsored clinical trials for novel treatments of IEMs. In terms of investigator led research, he has a special interested in social determinants of health and their impact on metabolic care.

Christin (Christie) Hoell received her Bachelor of Science degree in Genetics and certificates in Women’s Studies and Classics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She received her Master of Science degree in Genetic Counseling from the Northwestern University Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling and her board certification from ABGC in 2011.

She started her career as a prenatal genetic counselor at NorthShore University HealthSystem in the Center for Maternal and Fetal Health. Christie then moved to Northwestern University as the program manager for the third phase of Northwestern’s eMERGE (electronic medical records and genomics) Project, overseeing participant recruitment and the return of genomic sequencing results. She continues her work with eMERGE as it enters into phase four, collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to develop a recruitment and return of results app for Northwestern eMERGE participants.

Christie is an active member of NSGC. She has served as Chair of the Membership Committee, Chair of the Professional Status Survey Subcommittee, Chair of the Leadership Awards Subcommittee, a member of the Board of Directors Nominating Committee, and a member of the Genetic Counselor SARS-CoV2 Impact Survey task force. On a local level, she is involved with the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals, having served on the board as Secretary and President. She is also a member of the Epic, Inc. Genetics and Genomics Steering Board.

Christie has been a faculty member with the Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling since she graduated, serving as a rotation supervisor, and thesis advisor and committee member. She joined the program leadership in 2020 as a Senior Graduate Program Educator.  Christie is the co-coordinator of the Genetic Counseling Skills Practicum and Introduction to Genetic Counseling courses, in addition to serving on multiple program committees, including admissions.

Dr. Jenni Young is an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Social Science with a secondary appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Young is a trained Marriage and Family Therapist and a researcher specializing in the Ethical, Legal, Social Implications (ELSI) of genetics and genomics. Dr. Young received a PhD in Family Science from the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health. She also holds master's degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Maryland and in East Asian Languages and Literature from The Ohio State University. During her PhD program, Dr. Young completed a predoctoral fellowship in Clinical Genetics at the National Cancer Institute where she worked as a clinician and psychosocial researcher. Her dissertation explored coping and resilience in families with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, specifically couples communication strategies in the face of uncertainty and high cancer risk.

Dr. Young recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University’s Center for Biomedical Ethics where her research focused on the experiences of Asian Americans with genetic counseling and genetic testing. Dr. Young is fluent in Mandarin and is an experienced qualitative methods, health equity and family systems researcher. She has been a research mentor to genetic counseling students for numerous years and has lectured on counseling methods and psychosocial issues relevant to genetic counselors at both Stanford and Northwestern.

Dr. Young joined the program leadership in 2022 as a co-coordinator for the Psychosocial I and II courses. In addition to mentoring GPGC students on their thesis projects, Dr. Young has an active program of research in genetic communication across diverse backgrounds, cascade genetic testing, health inequities, intra-family relationships related to genetics and psychosocial outcomes.

Katie Abihider is an ancillary faculty member of the Northwestern Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling. She received her master’s degree in genetic counseling from Northwestern University in 2019 and was certified by the ABGC in 2019. She started her career with the Northwestern Medicine Clinical Genetics Program where she provides both prenatal and preconception genetic counseling for a variety of indications, as well as risk assessment and genetic counseling for hereditary cancer syndromes. Her clinical interests include cytogenetics, the impact of genetic testing on breast cancer screening guidelines, and psychosocial impacts of prenatal diagnosis.

For more, visit Katie's Northwestern Medicine profile. 

Valerie graduated with a Master of Science in Medical and Molecular Genetics from Indiana University Medical School in 2019 and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) in August of 2019. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Michigan State University in 2016. She started her career here at Lurie Children’s in the Division of Genetics, Genomics and Metabolism in 2019. She provides general pediatric genetic counseling, with an interest and focus on ophthalmology genetics.

For more, visit Valerie's Lurie Children's profile. 

For more, visit Elyse's faculty profile. 

Hayley Cassingham is a faculty member at the Northwestern University Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling. Hayley completed her undergraduate degree in genetics and Spanish in 2014 at Ohio Wesleyan University. In 2017, she earned her master’s degree in Genetic Counseling from The Ohio State University as well as a board certification from the American Board of Genetic Counseling. Hayley joined the Northwestern Medicine Cancer Genetics team in 2022.

For more, visit Hayley's Northwestern Medicine profile. 

Lisa graduated from the University of Minnesota graduate program in 2001. She started as a genetic counselor in neuromuscular disorders and cancer. She has been specializing in cardiovascular genetics since 2006 at The University of Chicago and then since 2014 at Northwestern University. During her time at Northwestern University, she helped to build the cardiovascular genetics clinic at the Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. Lisa clinically sees all types of inherited cardiovascular disease including cardiomyopathies, arrhythmias, aortopathies and sudden cardiac death. She also has a strong research focus through the Northwestern University Center for Genetic Medicine, where she is involved in studies to identify new genes in cardiovascular disease through whole-genome sequencing, as well as genomic profiling of sudden cardiac death and development of cardiovascular education modules for cardiology physicians and healthcare professionals.

For more, visit Lisa's faculty profile. 

Sara Cherny graduated with a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genetics from the University of Minnesota in 2007 and obtained certification as a genetic counselor in the state of Illinois in 2009. She has diverse clinical experience, including pediatric, adult, prenatal, neurology and cardiovascular genetics. Sara currently practices in the Cardiovascular Genetics Clinic at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and her research focuses on trends in cardiovascular genetic testing and patient care. Her leadership and advocacy contributions include the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals, the Cardiovascular SIG of the NSGC, and the Pediatric and Congenital Electrophysiological Society (PACES), and she has a special interest in equity and access to genetic counseling services. Sara is an invited reviewer for the Journal of Genetic Counseling and Cardiology in the Young. She is happy to have the opportunity to supervise and educate rotating genetic counseling students, medical students and residents.

Aymara Clarke is an ancillary faculty member at the Northwestern University Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling. She earned her Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University in 2022. Aymara joined the Northwestern Cancer Genetics team later that same year, where she provides comprehensive risk assessment, genetic counseling, and follow-up care to patients and their families affected by a variety of hereditary cancer syndromes. Her clinical interests include the psychosocial impacts of a hereditary cancer syndrome diagnosis, and decision-making surrounding cancer genetics.

For more, visit Aymara's faculty profile. 

Kristin graduated with her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Brandeis University in 1996, and has been the genetic counselor in Hematology at Lurie Children’s since 1998. Her specialty is working with patients who have sickle cell disease, hemophilia, thalassemia, and other inherited blood disorders. She enjoys developing long-term relationships with her patients and their families, and provides education and support regarding their blood disorders through the years. Kristin also teaches and mentors students as part of the Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling at Northwestern University.

For more, visit Kristin's Lurie Children's profile. 

Leighann Dacanay graduated from the genetic counseling program at Indiana University in 2013 and was certified by the ABGC in the same year. She is currently a prenatal genetic counselor at Northwestern Medicine West Region (Central DuPage Hospital and Delnor Hospital). Leighann supervises students in clinical rotations and is a member of the Genetic Task Force of Illinois and National Society for Genetic Counselors.

Melissa Damrongvachiraphan graduated from the Northwestern University Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling and was board certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2014. She currently works as a prenatal genetic counselor at Insight Medical Genetics. Melissa also serves as the genetic counselor for the Norton & Elaine Sarnoff Center for Jewish Genetics, where she helps educate the local Jewish community about the risk of Jewish genetic disorders and counsels patients who participate in the at-home carrier screening program. Additionally, she provides clinical supervision to genetic counseling graduate students during their rotations at Insight Medical Genetics. Melissa is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals (ISGP).

Erica Davis was an aspiring veterinarian starting from early childhood. Halfway through her undergraduate studies in Animal Science, she shifted her career goals to merge a large animal livestock background with another topic that always fascinated her: genetics. This took her to Belgium to study sheep genetics under the mentorship of Michel Georges to investigate the molecular basis of the ovine callipyge locus. After obtaining her PhD, Erica returned stateside to continue as an academic researcher, but to apply her skillset toward understanding the genetic architecture of a different species: humans, particularly those with rare pediatric genetic conditions.

Erica had her first faculty appointment at Duke University (from 2010-2019), bridging clinical and basic science departments with appointments in Pediatrics (Division of Neonatology) and Cell Biology, respectively. Her research program stems from the knowledge and toolkit gained from her postdoctoral work on the ciliopathies and follows research threads in understanding the architecture of rare pediatric disorders impacting development of the brain, face, kidney, and heart using zebrafish, mouse, and cell-based assays. In 2019, she became an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and has a faculty appointment at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

She is a strong advocate for families with rare human genetic disorders; she takes pride in mentorship of students and postdocs; and is an avid proponent for collaborative multidisciplinary research wherein the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts.

For more, visit Erica's faculty profile. 

For more, visit Carlee's Northwestern Medicine profile. 

Brittany DeGreef received her master’s degree from the Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling at Northwestern University in 2016 and was certified by the ABGC in 2017. She currently holds an instructor faculty appointment at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. She has been a cancer genetic counselor at Northwestern Medicine since 2016 and became the lead genetic counselor in 2020. She provides comprehensive clinical genetic counseling services for patients and families impacted by a variety of hereditary cancer indications. In this role, she also supervises genetic counseling students, medical students, and residents and provides lectures to various groups of students and providers. She has served as a committee member and thesis advisor for genetic counseling student thesis projects. Brittany is the past-president of the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals (ISGP) and is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC).

For more, visit Mike's Northwestern Medicine profile. 

Lenika De Simone graduated with a degree in Human Biology at Stanford University in 2012 and a master’s degree in Physical Anthropology at Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 2014. She joined Counsyl, a genetic testing company in South San Francisco, and worked as a genetic test billing specialist for 2 years. Lenika obtained her certification as a genetic counselor at Northwestern University in 2018. She has a diverse experience including pediatric, adult, and neuromuscular genetics, as well lab utilization and billing for genetic testing. She currently practices at Lurie Children's Hospital and contributes to the professional field through the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals and the Neurology SIG of the NSGC. Lenika enjoys supervising and educating prospective and current genetic counseling students.

Andy received his Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University in 2021. He started his career at Lurie Children’s as a genetic counselor in the Center for Genomics within the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. His main role is in the interpretation and reporting of genetic test results. He is also involved with the Northwestern University Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling.

For more information, visit Andy's Lurie Children's profile. 

Jaime received her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2022. She began her career at Lurie Children’s providing pediatric genetic counseling services and as a laboratory genetic counselor at the Center for Genomics.

For more information, visit Jaime's Lurie Children's profile. 

For more information, visit Hailey's Lurie Children's profile. 

For more, visit Haley's Northwestern Medicine profile. 

Madi received her Master of Genetic Counseling Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2020. She started her career at Lurie Children’s Division of Genetics, Genomics and Metabolism where she provides pediatric genetic counseling services.

For more information, visit Madi's Lurie Children's profile. 

Cassie Heald received her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from the University of Cincinnati in 2015 and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) in 2016. She started her career at Lurie Children’s in the Division of Genetics, Genomics and Metabolism where she provides pediatric genetic counseling services with a focus on general genetics and cystic fibrosis newborn screening. Additionally, she is an active member of the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals (ISGP) and provides clinical supervision to genetic counseling graduate students and medical students.

For more, visit Cassie's Lurie Children's profile. 

Rachel graduated with her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in May 2017, and was certified by the ABGC in August 2017. Following graduation, Rachel completed a genetic counseling fellowship in lysosomal storage diseases in the Division of Genetics, Genomics and Metabolism at Lurie Children’s, focusing on diagnosis, management, treatment and newborn screening for this group of complex diseases. She went on to join the team as a pediatric genetic counselor, specializing in lysosomal storage disease and metabolic leukodystrophy, as well as practicing general pediatric genetics. She currently serves as the clinic coordinator for the Leukodystrophy Clinic and the clinic coordinator of the 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome Clinic at Lurie Children’s. Rachel is actively involved with the Leukodystrophy Care Network, Illinois Department of Health Lysosomal Storage Disease Subcommittee, and the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals (ISGP). She also provides clinical supervision to genetic counseling graduate students and medical students rotating through the hospital.

For more information, visit Rachel's Lurie Children's profile. 

Megan Hinton received her master’s degree from the Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling at Northwestern University in 2000, and was certified by the ABGC in 2002. She currently holds assistant professor faculty appointments at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and the Center for Genetic Medicine. Megan serves on several committees of the NUGPGC including the Admission Committee and the Accreditation Application Review Committee. Megan is past-president of the Genetic Task Force of Illinois and is active in the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling serving as a site-visitor. Megan has also been active in the National Society of Genetic Counselors, participating in the Abstract Committee and Regional Conference Planning Committee, and previously as the Illinois State representative. She has been a prenatal genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics at Northwestern Medicine since 2001 where she provides clinical supervision to genetic counseling graduate students, medical students and maternal fetal medicine fellows.

Kelsey received her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University in 2019 and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) in 2019. Kelsey enjoys providing genetic counseling for a wide variety of indications, with an interest in rare neurodevelopmental disorders. She joined Lurie Children’s in 2024 as a clinical genetic counselor who provides pediatric genetic counseling. Before joining the Lurie Children's Genetics team, her clinical experience included pediatric and general adult genetics, lysosomal storage disorders, and newborn screening. She is passionate about education for medical students, residents, genetic counselors, and other allied health professionals.

For more information, visit Kelsey's Lurie Children's profile. 

Alexander Ing graduated from the Boston University Genetic Counseling program in 2015. He previously worked at the Partners HealthCare Laboratory for Molecular Medicine as a laboratory genetic counselor, as well as a pediatric pulmonary genetic counselor at the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children. He is currently a laboratory genetic counselor at the Center for Genomics at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. In addition, he also serves as a clinical genetic counselor at Lurie as part of the Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) Center of Excellence specialty program. He is an active member of the NIH funded ClinGen and ClinVar resources. He serves as the co-coordinator for the Laboratory Course as well as a rotation supervisor and student thesis advisor.

Jelena received her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University in 2021 and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in August of 2021. She began her career at Lurie Children’s in the Neurology Department as one of two genetic counselors who provide counseling for patients and families affected by epilepsy and neurogenetic conditions. Jelena is also an active member of the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals’ Advocacy Committee.  

For more, visit Jelena's Lurie Children's profile. 

Monika received her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2022. She joined Lurie Children’s in 2022 as a Lysosomal Storage Disorder Fellow, where she is involved in both clinical care and research.

For more information, visit Monika's Lurie Children's profile. 

Sarah received her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2020. At Lurie Children’s Hospital she provides pediatric genetic counseling services with a clinical focus on Williams syndrome, aortopathies, cardiovascular genetics, and general genetics. Her rare disease advocacy work includes involvement with the Williams Syndrome Association and the Marfan Foundation. She also serves as the 2024 President of the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals. Sarah is involved with the Northwestern Genetic Counseling Program by providing guest lectures, serving as a clinical supervisor, and participation in program development initiatives

For more information, visit Sarah's Lurie Children's profile. 

Katherine received her Master of Science in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling from the University of Pittsburgh. Since 2001, she has been a genetic counselor with the Division of Genetics, Genomics and Metabolism at Lurie Children’s. While Katherine serves as the manager of the genetic counseling team, she continues her clinical practice in Genetics, specializing in the mucopolysaccharidoses and neurofibromatosis. Katherine also enjoys teaching and mentoring students, participating in clinic research projects and advocating for patients and families with rare genetic conditions.

For more information, visit Katherine's Lurie Children's profile. 

Lisa Kinsley graduated from the genetic counseling program at Northwestern University in 2009 and was certified by the ABGC in 2010. She provides research and clinical support to the Department of Neurology at Northwestern Medicine. As a research counselor, she enrolls patients in studies, coordinates testing, and gathers family histories. She provides clinical counseling for the MDA, ALS, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Women's Neurology/Epilepsy, and Movement Disorders genetic clinics (Huntington's disease, Wilson’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease). She also works with researchers and clinicians in regular case conferences for epilepsy and movement disorders to provide testing and counseling support, and has started a Neurogenetic Counseling clinic. She supervises students in Northwestern's neurology rotation, lectures for the program and advises students’ thesis projects.

Zameena M. Lakhani, MS, CGC, is a preconception genetic counselor in the Northwestern Medicine Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine and an instructor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Division of Clinical Genetics. After she earned her master’s degree in genetic counseling from Northwestern University in 2021, Zameena joined the Northwestern Medicine Clinical Genetics team with a focus on patients with infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss and identified pre-conception risk for genetic disorders.

Zameena is an active member of several genetics professional organizations, and she is part of the leadership for the Assistive Reproductive Technology/Infertility Special Interest Group for the National Society of Genetic Counseling. She is also a faculty member with Northwestern University’s Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling at the Center for Genetic Medicine where she teaches and provides clinical supervision for students in the program.

For more, visit Zameena's Northwestern Medicine profile. 

Erin is one of two genetic counselors in the Neurology Department at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children?s Hospital, transitioning to this role in June 2019. Previous experience at Lurie Children?s includes lab utilization management and neuromuscular genetic counseling. She received her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University and has been a board certified, licensed genetic counselor since 2016. In addition to her clinical responsibilities, she identifies and consents patients for various Lurie Children's and Northwestern epilepsy and neurogenetics research projects and mentors genetic counseling students. Erin is also a member of the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals (ISGP) where she serves as the chair of the Community Outreach Committee.

Shelly Weiss McQuaid graduated from the Northwestern Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling in 2009, and was certified by the ABGC in 2010. She was a clinical genetic counselor at the Center for Medical Genetics at NorthShore University HealthSystem from 2009-2013. She worked as a Regional Medical Specialist at Myriad Genetic Laboratories from 2013-2016. She currently works at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago in pediatric oncology, precision medicine and laboratory utilization management. Shelly is an active member of the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals (ISGP) and is on the Board of Directors for the Norton and Elaine Sarnoff Center for Jewish Genetics. She supervises students during rotations, has contributed to lectures in the realms of hereditary cancer, working in the industry/laboratory setting, and psychosocial issues, and has served as a committee member and thesis advisor for genetic counseling student thesis projects.

Angelique Mercier graduated from the Northwestern University Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling in 2014 and was certified by the ABGC in 2014. She currently works at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, providing pediatric genetic counseling for a wide variety of indications, with a focus on pediatric oncology, precision medicine, connective tissue disorders, cystic fibrosis newborn screening, and general genetics. In this role, she supervises genetic counseling students, medical students, and residents and provides lectures to various groups of students and providers. Angelique is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals (ISGP). Previous clinical experience includes adult oncology, carrier screening program coordination, and educational outreach.

Miguel received his Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2021. His main role is providing genetic counseling services in the pediatric setting. Prior to this, his experience includes working as a genetic counselor in a cytogenetics laboratory.

For more information, visit Miguel's Lurie Children's profile. 

Ari received his Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2023. He began his career at Lurie Children's as a research and clinical genetic counselor, particularly focusing on clinical trials for metabolic conditions.

For more information, visit Ari's Lurie Children's profile. 

Allie graduated with her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in May 2023, and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in Fall 2023. Allie joined Lurie Children’s in 2023 as the Lysosomal Storage Disorder Fellow, where she participates in newborn screening follow-up, patient clinical care, and metabolic research endeavors.

For more information, visit Allie's Lurie Children's profile. 

Andrea Paras received her Master of Science in Medical Genetics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Since 1999, she has been a genetic counselor in the Division of Genetics, Genomics and Metabolism at Lurie Children’s. Andrea has experience in managing patients with mucopolysaccharidoses, PKU and other inborn errors of metabolism as well as evaluating patients for a wide variety of other indications. Prior to becoming a genetic counselor, Andrea worked in social service agencies for adults with intellectual disabilities. She has continued to have a special interest in treating and supporting patients with intellectual disabilities and advocating for patients affected with rare genetic conditions. Andrea enjoys teaching children about their own genetic conditions and supporting their transition to self-care.

For more, visit Andrea's Lurie Children's profile. 

Merlene received her Master in Medical Science in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling from Emory University and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2019. She joined Lurie Children’s in 2020 as a clinical genetic counselor who provides pediatric genetic counseling services. Previously, she completed her fellowship in lysosomal storage disorders at Emory University.

For more, visit Merlene's Lurie Children's profile. 

Allegra graduated with a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC). Allegra joined Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago in 2020 to participate in the Lysosomal Storage Disorder (LSD) Fellowship. As the LSD fellow, she is gaining advanced training in diagnosing, managing, and counseling patients and families with lysosomal storage disorders.

For more, visit Allegra's Lurie Children's profile. 

Carly received her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2022, and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Indiana University in 2020. She joined Lurie Children’s in 2022 to participate in the Lysosomal Storage Disorder (LSD) Fellowship where she works with patients and families affected with LSDs to help navigate their diagnostic, management, and/or treatment journeys.

For more information, visit Carly's Lurie Children's profile. 

Carolyn Raski, MS, CGC, is a licensed, board-certified genetic counselor at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. She completed her genetic counseling training at the University of Michigan. Carolyn, working closely with a team of scientists and clinicians, has dedicated her career to supporting families with rare genetic diseases by meeting them at the intersection of clinical care, research advancements, and advocacy. Carolyn spends much of her time caring for patients with RASopathies, mTORopathies, and metabolic disorders. Her advocacy efforts have included working closely with many family groups and hosting international, virtual and in-person family meetings. Carolyn’s research efforts include implementation of clinical trials, federally funded research, developing a biorepository, and contributing to rare-disease manuscripts. Carolyn is enthusiastic about supporting fellow and future genetic counselors through engagement with genetic counseling training programs as a course coordinator, thesis advisor, and clinical supervisor.

For more, visit Riley's Northwestern Medicine profile. 

For more, visit Theresa's faculty profile. 

Eve graduated from the Northwestern Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling (NUGPGC) in 1999 and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2002. She is a faculty member with the NUGPGC, serving as a clinical supervisor, a member of the Faculty Review Committee, and has served as thesis committee member for numerous students. She is currently a genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and provides clinical supervision to genetic counseling graduate students, medical students and maternal fetal medicine fellows. She is a past-president and a member of the Illinois Society of Genetic Task Professionals (ISGP). Eve is also a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC).

For more, visit Xindi's Northwestern Medicine profile.

Brittany Szymaniak graduated from Northwestern University's Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling in 2018 and received her PhD in Genetics from University of Rochester in 2016. Her primary appointment is in the Department of Urology at Northwestern Medicine as part of the Cancer Genetics Program, where she focuses on prostate/GU and GI related hereditary cancer syndromes, as well as counseling for male infertility. Brittany is part of the core team that has developed Northwestern’s EDGe (Early Detection in Genetics) Program, which provides coordinated follow-up care with patients with inherited cancer predisposition conditions. Under this program, she also serves as the point of contact for Northwestern Medicine's VHL Clinical Care Center. Since 2019, Brittany has also been part of the development of an inherited retinal disorders clinic in Ophthalmology. She also serves as a panel member for the NCCN Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal guidelines.

Rebecca VanDyke graduated with her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from The Ohio State University in May 2017. She began her career as a genetic counselor at Northwestern Medicine West Region Central DuPage Hospital in July of 2017. She spent the past five years providing genetic counseling in multiple specialties including cancer, cardiology, general adult and prenatal genetics. In September 2022, she transitioned into the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern at Central DuPage Hospital and made cardiovascular genetics her sole clinical focus. Rebecca provides clinical supervision to students, has been a journal club mentor and has served on a thesis committee. She is a current member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors.

Dr. Andrew Wagner completed his undergraduate and medical school education at the University of Wisconsin (MD-1999). He then pursued an obstetrics and gynecology residency at Aurora Sinai Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Following clinical interest and undergraduate research experience, he took a fellowship in Clinical Genetics at Magee-Women’s Hospital/University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Wagner then joined the OB/GYN faculty at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center where he was involved in clinical practice, research, and teaching in reproductive genetics to medical students, genetic counseling students, and residents.

In 2016, he joined the faculty at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in the Division of Clinical Genetics in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He serves as Co-Medical Director at Reproductive Genetics Innovations in Northbrook, IL. Dr. Wagner is board certified by both the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

For more, visit Chelsey's Northwestern Medicine profile. 

Allison Goetsch Weisman received her master's degree in genetic counseling from Northwestern University in 2014 and was certified by the ABGC later that year. She is a pediatric genetic counselor in the Division of Genetics, Genomics & Metabolism at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, where she works in the Sex Development Program, Neurofibromatosis Program and the hospital-wide Genomics Network (GeNe). Allison is passionate about patient care, and in 2016, was the "CodeTalker" award winner – a patient-nominated national award for excellence in genetic counseling. In addition to her clinical role, Allison is an assistant professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She enjoys teaching, supervising and serving as thesis advisor to graduate students, as well as conducting her own research. Her research interests include fertility preservation and the healthcare transition process. Allison has several publications in these areas of interest, including co-authorship of “Fertility Preservation and Restoration for Patients with Complex Medical Conditions,” a medical textbook. She is also a rare disease advocate, partnering with multiple advocacy organizations such as the Children’s Tumor Foundation and Global Genes. She previously served as president of the Illinois Society of Genetic Counselors and was appointed by the governor to the Illinois Rare Disease Commission.

Cathy Wicklund received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and a Master of Science degree in genetic counseling from the Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling at the University of Texas Graduate School in Biomedical Sciences at Houston in 1993. Cathy received her board certification from ABGC in 1996.

After graduation, Cathy worked in prenatal and pediatrics at Cooper Hospital in New Jersey. She joined the University of Texas Medical School-Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences in 1996 where she was the director of Prenatal Genetic Counseling Services. In addition, she was the co-director of the Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling at the University of Texas. During her time at the University of Texas she was involved in program administration, designing and coordination of the curriculum, clinical rotations, supervision and was a thesis advisor or committee member on several students’ thesis research projects. After 10 years at the University of Texas she joined the Northwestern Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling as the associate director in 2006 and became director in August of 2007. In addition, she provided prenatal genetic counseling services in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology until 2020.

Cathy is also very active on a national and international level. For the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) she has chaired various educational committees for the Annual Education Conferences (AEC) and co-chaired the 2005 AEC. She served on the Board of Directors, first as Region V Representative, then as Secretary and was President in 2007. As a leader in NSGC she has represented the organization at several national meetings including the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health and Society, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Collaborative Research Meeting and the National Institutes of Health, National Human Genome Research Institute Physician Assistants and Genomic Medicine Meeting. She has also been active in the American Society of Human Genetics, serving on the abstract committee, program committee and represented ASHG on the scientific program committee for the 2016 International Congress of Human Genetics.

She has continued to participate on a national level, contributing to discussions on genomics and precision medicine. She most recently completed her term as an appointed member of the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Hereditable Disorders in Newborns and Children and the Veterans Affairs National Research Advisory Council. She is the NSGC representative on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Roundtable on Genomics and Precision Health and co-chairs the Equity Working Group. She also serves on numerous advisory boards/committees for various initiatives including graduate education and workforce issues, increasing access to genomic services, equity and health disparities, and newborn and early childhood screening. She was involved in the All of Us research initiative including serving on the All of Us Genetic Counseling Resource Advisory Board until 2022.

Cathy’s research interests include issues regarding genomics and precision medicine including implementation, health inequities and education. She works on several grants including assessing the benefits and harms of false positives in newborn screening, utilizing chatbots regarding APOL1 testing in living kidney donors, and provider education in cardiogenomics. She has worked with the Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network, which aims to bring personalized medicine into broader clinical use and has been involved in the All of Us initiative both at Northwestern University and on a national level. In addition, she is interested in psychosocial and counseling issues, outcomes in genetic counseling, and professional issues including access to and delivery of genetic services.

In November of 2022, the associate director, Debra Duquette, joined Cathy as co-director of the program. Cathy and Deb work closely together with the medical directors and the GPGC team in all aspects of the program including administration, strategic planning, overall curriculum and clinical development, fieldwork placements, and thesis development.

Kristen Young received her Master of Science degree in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University in 2019. She started her career as a prenatal genetic counselor at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, where she provided clinical supervision to genetic counseling graduate students. Kristen is currently a genetic counselor in the Chicago Institute for Fetal Health at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. She is an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, serving on the Access and Service Delivery Committee. She is also a member of the Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals.