The Adult Hereditary Cancer Genetics and Prevention Clinic provides personalized care and precision medicine to individuals and families with inherited or familial risk for cancer and tumors.
Our genetic counselors provide risk assessment, genetic counseling and genetic testing to individuals affected with cancer and their at-risk relatives. Our genetic counselors work with other UCLA experts as a team. This helps us streamline your medical care and gives you access to high-caliber monitoring, prevention and treatment at UCLA. Our program helps individuals and families understand their cancer risk and helps them navigate surveillance, prevention and treatment options, as well as other cancer prevention strategies. Identifying individuals at increased risk allows us to reduce the chance that a person would develop cancer, or increases the chance that a cancer would be detected at an earlier stage when available treatments provide a better outcome.
Wendy Conlon, MS, CGC, is a genetic counselor board certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling and licensed in California. She received her MS in genetics from the University of Arizona’s genetic counseling program in 2000, and received her BA from the University of Vermont in 1988. Before attending graduate school, she worked in a laboratory at the University of Vermont Cancer Center and performed genetic testing for hereditary cancer predisposition for Lynch syndrome, retinoblastoma, Li-Fraumeni syndrome and others. Prior to coming to UCLA, her career as a genetic counselor has included over 12 years in the biotechnology industry working with physicians, scientists and patients in the development and provision of genetic testing, focusing on hereditary cancer and endocrinology. She has also worked as a clinical genetic counselor in varied settings, including adult cancer genetics, assisted reproductive technology and prenatal and preconception genetics. Read more >
Rachel Shapira, ScM, LCGC, is a genetic counselor certified by the American Board or Genetic Counseling and licensed in California. She received her BA from Wesleyan University in 2000, with majors in Theater and Science in Society. She received her Master of Science degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health/National Human Genome Research Institute Genetic Counseling Program in 2014. Prior to her genetic counseling career, Rachel worked in myriad roles and settings, from nonprofit to high tech. Before joining the UCLA team, she was a genetic counselor in the St. Joseph Hospital Cancer Genetics Program and at GeneTestNow, a non-profit initiative providing education about Jewish genetic diseases and carrier screening. In addition to her current clinical work, she volunteers with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer organizations including FORCE and Sharsheret. She enjoys presenting to patient and community groups, from high school seniors to rabbinical students, on the topics of hereditary cancer and Jewish genetic diseases. Read more >
For more information or to make an appointment with a cancer genetic counselor contact us at:
Bowyer Oncology Clinic
200 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite 120
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Phone: 310-825-5287
Email: cancergenetics@mednet.ucla.edu
