Genetic Counseling Program
The Genetic Counseling Program of the Genomic Medicine Institute is a rapidly growing enterprise within the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Directed by Cheryl Scacheri, MS, CGC, the clinical mission of the Genetic Counseling Program is to provide excellent services to traditional genetics patients, deliver genetic counseling to patients being seen by non-genetics physicians, and develop a program for individuals whose family histories put them at moderate to high risk for developing a common, polygenic condition. Our research mission is two-fold, focusing on coordinating human genetics studies in order to more quickly bring advances in research to patients and also conducting original research to measure the quality and effectiveness of genetic counseling. Lastly, our education mission is to help physicians, allied health professionals, patients and the public to appreciate how genetics applies to their own lives and the lives of their patients or family members.
Clinical Genetic Counseling
Research
Education
What Sets Us Apart?
Professional Achievements of GMI Genetic Counselors
Clinical Genetic Counseling
Through the Center for Personalized Genetic Healthcare (CPGH), genetic counselors are providing services in the following traditional settings: cancer, pediatrics, prenatal and adult-onset disorders. We are also involved in a growing number of multispeciality clinics, including Marfan syndrome, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, von Hippel Lindau, and others. Genetic counselors are given the opportunity to specialize and concentrate on specific types of diseases. We have begun working with the Preventive Medicine Department of the Cleveland Clinic to provide genetics services to individuals who may be at moderate to high risk for developing heritable conditions. This is an exciting collaboration for us, as it enables us to think beyond rare Mendelian disorders to the more common concerns that many people in the public are asking about. Lastly, genetic counselors are providing services within the larger Cleveland Clinic, at this time primarily with the Director of the Center for Genetic Eye Disease, Dr. Elias Traboulsi, and Director of Ophthalmic Oncology, Dr. Arun Singh. We have focused on seeing patients with retinoblastoma, retinal dystrophies, and developmental eye disorders and have been able to provide genetic counseling services to families that may not otherwise receive them. According to US News & World Report, for the last 12 years The Cleveland Clinic has been listed as the #1 Heart Center in the US, and we also have plans to expand our services beyond syndromic etiologies for cardiac abnormalities to include cardiovascular genetic counseling.
The GMI Director and Director of the CPGH, Charis Eng, MD, PhD, has unique training in clinical cancer genetics and is a leader in the genetics community. Genetic counselors who specialize in cancer or who have not yet chosen their specialties work closely with Dr. Eng in a variety of roles, including providing cancer genetic counseling to patients in her Thursday clinic and serving as research study coordinators.
The GMI Vice-Chair, Marvin Natowicz, MD, PhD, has expertise in several areas and has board-certification in clinical genetics, clinical biochemical and molecular genetics, clinical cytogenetics, and clinical pathology. Dr. Natowicz's clinic focuses on children and adults with neurological or developmental disabilities that are caused by or potentially due to an underlying genetic or metabolic process. It is a patient/family centered clinic that is concerned with the multiplicity of impacts of genetic and metabolic conditions on the affected individual and his/her family and their integration in the community. The clinic draws new and established patients from around the world and the work relating to these patients has resulted in considerable clinical research including the identification of new disorders and new diagnostic testing.
Dr. Rocio Moran is a pediatric geneticist with clinical interests in inborn errors of metabolism and cardiovascular disease. She is on the GMI's working group to develop a clinical and research program to bring genetics to patients seen in the Cleveland Clinic's Preventive Medicine Department.
Research
Several of the genetic counselors within the GMI coordinate research studies, including several on which Dr. Charis Eng is the Principal Investigator. These studies include: PTEN gene and protein analysis for Cowden syndrome, possible CS and breast cancer; SDHx gene studies for paraganglioma and pheochromocytoma; a gene identification study of familial barrett esophagous (in which Dr. Eng is the Chair of a large multi-institutional consortium and Brandie Heald is the Consortium Coordinator); and an unexplained hamartomatous/hyperplastic polyp study.
Other research with genetic counselors in the study coordinator role include several in the laboratory of Micheala Aldred, PhD. Dr. Aldred conducts a variety of genetic studies on Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy, patients with 2q37 deletions, and pulmonary hypertension. Marvin Natowicz also has several fascinating and diverse studies for which genetic counselor coordinators are being sought, including studies on common disorders such as young stroke and multiple sclerosis, and more rare disorders involving abnormalities or unusual ratios of amino acids in patients with cognitive and developmental delays.
Original research on genetic counseling and behavioral changes in response to genetic testing and counseling are also being considered and are receiving enthusiastic support from the GMI administration.
Education
Education and outreach are critical to our mission of providing outstanding patient care and are the first steps to making genetics services accessible to all who may benefit. Pediatric and prenatal education is provided to Cleveland Clinic Staff and employees primarily by Amy Shealy, MS, CGC and Diane Clements, MS, CGC. We will gladly provide in-services to any department who would like a presentation about genetic healthcare that emphasizes its relevance to the practice of medicine today. Kate Lynch, MS, CGC provides cancer genetics education and in-services to physicians, allied health professionals and nurses on our Main Campus and at our satellite clinics.
We also provide education to residents and students through the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and serve as a formal clinical training site for the Northwestern University and University of Cincinnati Genetic Counseling Training Programs.