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The Cutting Edge

UCLA Addresses Increasing Demand with New Master’s in Genetic Counseling

UCLA Addresses Increasing Demand with New Master’s in Genetic Counseling

Illustration: Maja Moden

As the use of genetic testing to diagnose disease increases, so does the demand for counselors trained to interpret results and guide patients facing complex genetic disorders. To meet the increasing need, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is introducing a new master’s of science degree in genetic counseling. Housed within the Department of Human Genetics, the two-year program aims to broaden underserved populations’ access to genomic medicine in Los Angeles, one of the most ethnically and racially diverse cities in the nation. A close alignment with the UCLA Institute for Precision Health and Institute for Society and Genetics will enhance cross-disciplinary training for students in the program.

“Training the next generation of practitioners in this new era of precision health is a critical component of our educational mission,” says Kelsey C. Martin, MD, PhD, dean of the Geffen School of Medicine. “As a leading academic medical center and university, UCLA offers a unique environment for collaboration that prepares students to become innovators in genetic counseling research and clinical medicine.”

Kelsey C. Martin, MD, PhD

Kelsey C. Martin, MD, PhD

Clara Lajonchere, PhD

Clara Lajonchere, PhD

Leonid Kruglyak, PhD

Leonid Kruglyak, PhD

Daniel H. Geschwind, MD

Daniel H. Geschwind, MD

Naghmeh Dorrani, MS, LCGC

Naghmeh Dorrani, MS, LCGC

Genetic counselors play a vital role on health care teams, providing risk assessment, education and support to individuals and families at risk for — or diagnosed with — a wide range of inherited diseases. They also interpret genetic test results, provide counseling and serve as patient advocates during the diagnosis and treatment process. They are “an important part of the precision health ecosystem and play a vital role in the delivery of patient-centered care,” says Clara Lajonchere, PhD, deputy director of the UCLA Institute for Precision Health.

“When we’re talking about translational medicine, this is a beautiful extension from the basic to the clinical, which is an important part of our department’s mission,” says Leonid Kruglyak, PhD, chair of human genetics.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of genetic counselors to grow 27 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. U.S. News & World Report ranks genetic counseling as No. 11 of the top health care support jobs.

According to the American Board of Genetic Counseling, 5,000 genetic counselors are certified in North America. Assuming one counselor per 100,000 people, the demand for genetic counselors in patient care is estimated to exceed supply until 2024. California and 23 other states offer licensure for genetic counselors.

The program aims to train a cadre of counselors that reflects California’s diversity. “As a microcosm of the world, Los Angeles offers a rare setting for advancing what we know about genetic diseases,” says Daniel Geschwind, MD (RES ’95, FEL ’97), PhD, associate vice chancellor for precision health. “Diversity is critical to understanding genetic variations among all populations in order to accurately deliver targeted treatments.”

“I recently gave a diagnosis to a young man who had been our patient for 17 years. Seventeen years with no diagnosis!” says genetic counselor Naghmeh Dorrani, associate program director. “There’s currently no treatment for his condition, but the hope is that there will be. Once you have a name, that’s where things start.”

— Elaine Schmidt

 

For more information about the new genetic counseling master’s program >


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Winter 2020

Winter 2020
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IN THIS ISSUE
  • Lessons from Sherm
  • Father’s X Chromosome May Yield Clues to Higher Rates of Autoimmune Disease in Women
  • Researchers Create Accurate Model of Organ Scarring
  • Biomarker Predicts Which Heart-failure Patients at Higher Risk of Death within One-to-three Years
  • Targeted Therapy Drug Extends Lives of Women with Aggressive Breast Cancer
  • Can a “Battery Leak” Trigger the Onset of Type 2 Diabetes?
  • Molecular Changes in Cells of Eye’s Lens Predict Future Cataracts
  • UCLA Addresses Increasing Demand with New Master’s in Genetic Counseling
  • Truth Seeker
  • Sherm
  • Repairing and Reversing Damage Caused by Huntington’s Disease
  • Cells’ Mitochondria Work Much Like Tesla Battery Packs
  • The Who and Friends Rock Private Show for UCLA Health and Teen Cancer America
  • A Confounding Case
  • Body Image Concerns Are Universal
  • “We Do Better with Diversity”
  • Annual UCLA Health System Board Meeting Turns Its Focus to Cardiac Care
  • UCLA Operation Mend Cheered on at New York City Veterans Day Parade
  • A Decade in Review: 7 Exciting Health Care Breakthroughs
  • MRI May Help Doctors Differentiate Causes of Memory Loss
  • On the Road to Health Care Equality
  • Learning To Listen
  • Photo Synthesis
  • Awards & Honors
  • In Memoriam
  • David Geffen Adds $46 Million to Landmark Medical Scholarships Program
  • Nearly 2,000 Guests Attend Party on the Pier for UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital
  • Golden Visionary Ball Raises More than $1 Million for UCLA Neurosurgery
  • Dr. Hans Gritsch Named Inaugural Chair in Kidney Transplantation
  • Nonprofit Heart of the Brain Fuels the Fight against Brain Cancer
  • UCLA Supporters Raise Money for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
  • Dancing for NED Fundraiser Fights Ovarian Cancer
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