Virtual IC 2021 Workshops

Assistant Professor, Director of Cancer Genomics Education Program

Kathleen R. Blazer is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Sciences, Director of the Cancer Genomics Education Program (CGEP), and a bilingual licensed, board-certified cancer risk genetic counselor with the Division of Clinical Cancer Genetics at City of Hope. Dr. Blazer has worked with Co-Principle Investigator Dr. Jeffery Weitzel in the development, administration and assessment of the National Cancer Institute-funded initiatives of the CGEP (a multifaceted cancer genetics education and training program for physicians, allied health care professionals and post-doctoral researchers) since joining the division in 1998. She has first-authored a number of peer-reviewed publications reporting the development and outcomes of the professional education and training research activities conducted by the CGEP. Her doctorate in education research worked within the setting of the CGEP to examine the effectiveness of distance-mediated approaches to cancer genetics training. The outcomes and theoretical framework of her dissertation research serve as the cornerstone of the Intensive Course and Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice (CCGCoP), which brings cancer genetics practitioners from diverse practice settings together for professional learning, enduring patient-centered support and community-based research collaborations across the U.S. and internationally. Drs. Blazer and Weitzel were co-recipients of the 2019 American Society of Human Genetics Arno Motulsky-Barton Childs Award for Excellence in Human Genetics Education in recognition of the scope and reach of their education initiatives. Dr. Blazer is a member of the American Society of Human Genetics, the National Society of Genetic Counselors, the American Association of Cancer Education, and the National Human Genome Research Institute Inter-Society Coordinating Committee for Practitioner Education in Genomics.

Cancer Risk Counselor

Sandra Dreike, MS, CGC is a licensed board-certified genetic counselor who specializes in cancer genetics. She received her Master of Science degree is Genetic Counseling from University of California, Irvine and her bachelor’s degree in Biology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Sandra joined the City of Hope Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics in 2019. She previously practiced as a genetic counselor in Honolulu, HI where she specialized in cancer genetics and general pediatric and adult genetics. Sandra provides genetic counseling and cancer genetic risk assessments at City of Hope. In addition to patient care she assists with the Intensive Course and is involved in research. Sandra is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and Southern California Genetic Counselors (SCGC).

Cancer Risk Counselor

Deanna Erwin MS, CGC, is a licensed, board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics. She has a Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Her primary clinical focus is providing risk assessment and genetic counseling services to individuals concerned about hereditary cancer risks. Ms. Erwin joined the City of Hope Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics in 2019, and previously worked as a genetic counselor at the Baylor College of Medicine Adult Genetics Clinic in Houston, TX. She is an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and is currently serving as Vice-Chair of the Access and Service Delivery Committee. As part of her role in NSGC, she has contributed to multiple resources designed to increase provider efficiency and access to genetic counselors.

Cancer Risk Counselor

Lauren Gima, MS, CGC is a board-certified, licensed genetic counselor at City of Hope in Duarte, CA where she specializes in clinical cancer genomics. She earned her MS degree in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University and BS degree in Human Biology from University of California San Diego. Her primary clinical responsibilities include providing cancer genetic counseling services for City of Hope’s patient population. She is a clinical rotation supervisor for students of the Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) Genetic Counseling program, the University of California Irvine Genetic Counseling program, and the University of California Los Angeles Genetic Counseling program. She also serves as a community mentor for the KGI Genetic Counseling program, providing ongoing support and guidance for new genetic counseling students. Lauren is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancers, the Southern California Genetic Counselors, and the Minority Genetics Professionals Network.

Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Medical Oncology

Dr. Gray received her MD from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine and her fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at The University of Chicago Hospitals. While in fellowship, Dr. Gray obtained a Masters degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago Harris School. After fellowship, Dr. Gray completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in cancer communication at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2008, she joined the faculty of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School where she worked as a medical oncologist and cancer outcomes researcher in the division of Population Sciences and the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology. In the fall of 2016, Dr. Gray moved to The City of Hope Medical Center as an Associate Professor in the Department Medical Oncology, Population Sciences, Division of Clinical Cancer Genetics.

Dr. Gray’s research focuses on understanding the medical and psychosocial outcomes related to the use of genomic technologies in cancer care. One of Dr. Gray’s goals is to understand the relationships between information dissemination, on an individual and population level, and the adoption of personalized cancer technologies. Dr. Gray also studies the clinical implementation of cancer whole-exome sequencing (WES), the "actionability" of sequence data in different populations, the integration of genomic data into the electronic health record and the social and behavioral science methods that can be used to answer emerging questions in cancer dissemination and implementation research. Dr. Gray’s overall goal is to gain a better understanding of how a variety of factors may be working to drive the use of new genomic technologies and design targeted interventions to improve the delivery of personalized cancer care.

A world-renowned cancer geneticist, Stephen Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. focuses his research on precision medicine and the genomics of cancer in order to improve treatment and care for cancer patients and their families. His particular research interests include the genetic epidemiology of cancer, with an emphasis on solid tumors, bringing clinical cancer genetics and translational research to cancer prevention.
Dr. Gruber joins us from USC Norris Cancer Hospital, where he served as the director of the National Cancer Institute-designated USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Keck Hospital of USC, where he held positions as attending physician and board member, professor of medicine and professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Dr. Gruber held the Jane & Kris Popovich Chair of Cancer Research endowed chair at USC. He will be bringing members of his team from USC Norris Cancer Hospital to assist in his efforts to use genetics and genomics to drive preventive medicine, population health, clinical medicine, health outcomes and translational innovation.
Dr. Gruber is both a medical oncologist and epidemiologist, and he earned his master of public health and Ph.D. in epidemiology from Yale University. He earned his medical degree from University of Pennsylvania Medical School and completed fellowships in medical oncology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and in clinical medical genetics at University of Michigan.
Dr. Gruber has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1998 and is an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation.

Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology

Dr. Idos is a board-certified gastroenterologist and trained cancer geneticist, who specializes in the care of patients with Lynch syndrome, FAP (familial adenomatous polyposis) and other inherited syndromes. The goal of his research is to find new ways to prevent cancer and to improve treatment and care for cancer patients.

A UCLA graduate, Dr. Idos has a master’s degree from Keck School of Medicine of USC. He received his medical degree at University of Vermont, continued his residency training at USC and completed his gastroenterology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard. Dr. Idos is an associate clinical professor in Division of Gastroenterology and leads one of the largest multicenter studies examining the benefits and harms of “multiplex” gene panel testing. His research also focuses on the evaluation of novel technologies with the goal of providing new tools for hereditary cancer risk assessment and the development of novel cellular models to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of microsatellite instability and Lynch syndrome.

Senior Manager of Genomic Cancer Risk Counseling

Elisabeth King, RN, FNP, AOCNP, AGN is the Senior Manager of Genomic Cancer Risk Counseling in the Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics at City of Hope. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a focus on genetics and biotechnology from University of Texas at Austin. At Austin Community College, she earned her Associate's degree in Nursing, and at Frontier Nursing University she earned her Master’s degree in Nursing. Elisabeth is triple-board certified and holds national certifications as a Family Nurse Practitioner, an Advanced Oncology Nurse Practitioner and an Advanced Genetics Nurse. Recent publications include articles on hereditary pancreas cancer, germline p53 mutations, next-generation sequencing and cognitive dysfunction in cancer survivors.

Cancer Risk Counselor

Rachelle Manookian, M.S., C.G.C., is a board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics. She has a special interest in prostate and genitourinary cancers. She has an M.S. in genetic counseling from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a B.S. in biological sciences with a focus in neurobiology from University of California Irvine, as well as minors in Spanish literature and cognitive psychology. Manookian joined City of Hope’s Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics in April 2019. Prior to City of Hope, she was a general adult genetic counselor at the Greater Los Angeles VA Medical Center, where she served veterans across four VA hospitals in Southern California. Every summer, Manookian volunteers as a one-on-one counselor at Camp Sunshine during their Fanconi Anemia week. She has previous experience volunteering with victims of domestic violence, and is a California state certified domestic violence advocate. She also has special interests in education and bioethics, and her past research investigated the intersection of disability advocacy groups and prenatal genetic counseling sessions.

Cancer Risk Counselor

Bita Nehoray, MS, CGC, is a licensed board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics. She received her Master’s degree in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling from Stanford University. Ms. Nehoray joined the City of Hope Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics in 2012, where she provides cancer genetics services for patients and families suspected to have a hereditary predisposition to cancer, with a focus in Li-Fraumeni syndrome. She is fluent in Spanish and Farsi, and is committed to advancing the provision of cancer genetics services to medically underserved and culturally diverse populations. Other clinical responsibilities include providing pro-bono cancer genetic counseling services to underserved Latino families through an outreach program established by the Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics and supported through government and foundations grants and compassionate funding. Current research projects include understanding cancer risk, penetrance, prevalence, and clinical outcomes for individuals with TP53 mutations as part of the LiFT Up study, evaluating the spectrum of germline variants in Israeli breast cancer patients, and assessing Community-based provider experiences with polygenic risk scores in genetic cancer risk assessment. Her past research included assessing the influence of pre-consultative interventions in the uptake of genetic counseling services in Latinas. She also serves on the Genetic Counseling Advisory Committee for the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association. She is an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, Southern california genetic counselors, and the American Society of Human Genetics.

Cancer Risk Counselor

Susan Shehayeb, MS, CGC, is a licensed board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics. She has a Master’s of Science degree in genetic counseling from University of California Irvine. Previous to completing her master’s degree, Ms. Shehayeb earned her bachelor’s degree in molecular, cell and developmental biology from University of California Los Angeles. Ms. Shehayeb joined the City of Hope Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics in 2017, having previously undergone clinical training at City of Hope. She is fluent in Arabic and is in the process of achieving fluency in Spanish. She has participated in the training of genetic counseling students from multiple programs, including assuming the role of rotation supervisor. Ms. Shehayeb's clinical role has centered on widening patient access to genetic counseling and testing throughout the City of Hope network as the lead genetic counselor for the City of Hope | South Pasadena site. Her past research investigated lifestyle choices in the context of genetic counseling and genetic testing for cancer risk. She is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and the Southern California Genetic Counselors.

Manager, Precision Medicine Program

Ilana Solomon, ScM, MA, CGC is the Manager of the Precision Medicine Program and a board-certified licensed genetic counselor focusing in cancer risk assessment and precision medicine. She graduated from the Johns Hopkins/ National Human Genome Research Institute Genetic Counseling Training Program in January 2013. As part of the City of Hope Center for Precision Medicine, Ilana focuses on the scaled delivery of somatic and germline sequencing. She also has interests in genomics education, ELSI in genomics, patient-centered care and genomic healthcare implementation. She serves as guest faculty to the Keck Graduate Institute’s Genetic Counseling Program teaching health literacy. She is an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and the Collaborative Groups of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer (GCA-ICC).

Professor of Oncology and Population Sciences

Jeffrey N. Weitzel, MD is Founder of the Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics and the Cancer Screening & Prevention Program at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California.  Board Certified in Clinical Genetics and Medical Oncology, Dr. Weitzel is a Professor of Oncology and Population Sciences at City of Hope, and holder of the Dr. Norman and Melinda Payson Professorship in Medical Oncology.  He is also the ASCO Conquer Cancer Research Professor in Breast Cancer Disparities.  At the vanguard of precision prevention, Dr. Weitzel’s multidisciplinary clinical, research, and training programs emphasize translational research in cancer disparities, genomic cancer risk assessment, chemoprevention, targeted therapy, clinical and psychosocial outcomes, genetic epidemiology and health services research, with a focus on underserved populations. He is member of the NCCN Genetics/Familial Risk Assessment practice guidelines committee. Dr. Weitzel is the principal investigator for the Clinical Cancer Genomics Community Research Network and Medical Director for the Cancer Genomics Education Program, which are funded in part by the National Cancer Institute. Along with Dr. Blazer, he received the 2019 American Society of Human Genetics Arno Motulsky-Barton Childs Award for Excellence in Human Genetics Education.

Genetic Counselor

Institution: USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center 

Julie Culver, MS, LCGC, CCRP is a licensed genetic counselor and Clinical Instructor specializing in cancer genetics. She received her Master’s degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1994. Ms. Culver then worked in Cancer Prevention and Public Health at the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research in Seattle for almost a decade. In 2004, she joined the City of Hope Division of Clinical Cancer Genetics where worked for 8 years and served as the Assistant Director of the Cancer Screening & Prevention Program Network and conducted research pertaining to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and decision-making for woman carrying deleterious BRCA mutations and variants of uncertain significance. In 2012, she moved to the USC Norris Cancer Comprehensive Cancer Center where she currently serves on the faculty of Medical Oncology and is the lead genetic counselor. Her research pertains to hereditary cancer panel testing, cancer risk perception, and medical decision-making following genetic testing. She has served on the faculty for the City of Hope Intensive Course and taught cancer risk assessment to health professionals and students since 2004.

Cancer Genetic Counselor And Genetic Services Coordinator

Institution: University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine

Charité Ricker, MS, LCGC - is a board certified genetic counselor with specialization in hereditary cancer risk assessment with the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine. She has a Bachelors of Science in genetics from Texas A&M University and received her Masters of Science in genetic counseling at California State University, Northridge. Ms. Ricker is fluent in Spanish and is interested in the provision of cancer genetics services in medically underserved and culturally diverse populations. She is actively involved in cancer genetics education to physicians, physician fellows, nurses, other healthcare professionals and patients. Ms. Ricker is a voting member of the Institutional Review Board for the USC Health Science Campus, LAC+USC Medical Center and Health Research Association. Ms. Ricker is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC), the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer (CGA), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM). She currently serves as the co-chair of the NSGC Cultural Competency Sub-committee and is a member of the ASCO Genetics Sub-committee.

Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs for Oncology
Institution: Myriad Genetics

Dr. Slavin is Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs for Oncology at Myriad Genetics. He is a physician-scientist, triple-board-certified in clinical genetics, molecular diagnostics and pediatrics. Most recently, he served as assistant professor in the departments of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research and Population Sciences at City of Hope National Medical Center. Dr. Slavin graduated medical school with Alpha-Omega-Alpha-honors from the University of South Florida. He completed his residency programs at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio; this training included a postdoctoral research year in genetic epidemiology. He has also completed graduate course work towards a Masters degree in clinical research through the University of Southern California. He is an active member of the American Association of Cancer Research, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Society of Human Genetics, the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer, and is a fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. He has served on National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)committees for both the genetics of and screening for colorectal cancer. He has served on three ClinGen expert working group committees for variant classification of breast, gastrointestinal and ovarian cancer predisposition genes. Focused on expanding genetics education for cancer care providers, Dr. Slavin has helped shape both ASCO University as well as City of Hope’s hereditary genomics training program. He is a well-published researcher in the field of medical genetics, including over 60 journal articles, multiple book chapters, and numerous presentations at national and international medical meetings. He has been involved in many national cancer research grants, and was a 2018 National Institutes of Health (NIH) K08-career development grant awardee.

Edie Smith is a doctorally-prepared Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with over 29 years of clinical experience. She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Utah where her doctoral project focused on the identification and management of women at high risk for breast cancer.  She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing from California State University. Dr Smith is triple-board certified and holds national certifications as a Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife, and in Advanced Genetic Nursing. Her expertise is in women’s health, breast cancer risk assessment and cancer genetics. Recent publications include a book chapter on breast disorders and articles on Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome, PALB2, CYP2D6 and Tamoxifen Metabolism, High Risk Breast Cancer Risk Assessment, Breast Cancer Risk Models, and Breast Oncology.