Ilana Solomon, ScM, MA,  is a Manager of the Precision Medicine Program and a licensed board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics. She received her Master’s degree Genetic Counseling from the Johns Hopkins/National Human Genome Research Institute.  Ilana joined the City of Hope Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics in 2013, where she has provided cancer genetics services for patients and families suspected to have a hereditary predisposition to cancer. Since 2019 she also manages and develops City of Hope’s Precision Medicine Program, with the goal of providing all City of Hope patients with genomic-driven care.  She has research interests in healthcare communication and implementation, genetic literacy, and ELSI in genomics. She helped co-develop Helping Oncology Patients Explore (HOPE) Genomics:  a patient-directed IT platform for cancer genome sequencing education and return of results. She is faculty for the City of Hope Intensive Course in Genetic Cancer Risk Assessment. She is an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and Southern California Genetic Counselors.

Current research projects include understanding cancer risk, penetrance, prevalence, and clinical outcomes for individuals with TP53 pathogenic variants 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. She also serves on the genetic counseling advisory committee for the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association and is a member of the ClinGen TP53 Variant Curation Expert Panel. 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. She is faculty for the City of Hope Intensive Course in Genetic Cancer Risk Assessment. She is an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, Southern California Genetic Counselors, and the American Society of Human Genetics.

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.

Jeffrey N. Weitzel, MD, is board Certified in Medical Oncology and Clinical Genetics, and founded the Clinical Cancer Genomics Community Research Network. He co-founded the Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice with Dr. Blazer. A Breast Cancer Research Foundation Scholar and an honorary Professor of Oncology for the Latin American School of 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 experience 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. Dr. Weitzel received the American Society of Human Genetics Arno Motulsky-Barton Childs Award for Excellence in Human Genetics Education.

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 the development, administration and assessment of the NCI-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. The outcomes and theoretical framework her education 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 and enduring patient-centered support across the U.S. and internationally.

Co-PIs Dr. Blazer and Dr. Jeffrey Weitzel were 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.

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 Bachelor’s 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 has served as the chair of the NSGC Cultural Competency Sub-committee and as a member of the ASCO Genetics Sub-committee.  She was the 2019 recipient of the NSGC’s Leader in Cultural Advocacy Award. 

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 and Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential. Current research projects include understanding cancer risk, penetrance, prevalence, and clinical outcomes for individuals with TP53 pathogenic variants 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. She also serves on the genetic counseling advisory committee for the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association and is a member of the ClinGen TP53 Variant Curation Expert Panel. 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. She is an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, Southern California Genetic Counselors, and the American Society of Human Genetics. 

Dr. Pritchard is an Assistant Professor of Laboratory Medicine, as well as the associate director of the genetics and solid tumors laboratory at the University of Washington Medical Center that services the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) that includes Seattle Children’s hospital. Dr. Pritchard undertook his undergraduate and graduate training at the University of Washington in Seattle in the United States. He completed his medical training at the University of Washington School of Medicine. The Pritchard laboratory focuses on oncology molecular diagnostics, particularly the source and utility of cell-free nucleic acid biomarkers in blood, and the development of innovative molecular diagnostics for the identification of mutations that can guide therapeutic decision-making. His clinical work focuses on applications of next-generation sequencing gene panels for cancer risk assessment and precision treatment. He has led the development and implementation of the ColoSeq™ Lynch and Polyposis Syndrome Panel and UW-OncoPlex™ Cancer Gene Panel in current clinical use for cancer patients and their families.

Danielle Castillo, BS, is a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Clinical Cancer Genetics Molecular Laboratory at the City of Hope, where she assists Mr. Herzog in the maintenance of the Breast Cancer Registry, Hispanic Mutation Project, LiFTUP Project and other research endeavors. After spending a good part of her senior year working on water conservation at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa Mrs. Castillo graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Whittier College in 2008 Mrs. Castillo worked as a biologist for Irvine Scientific before coming to the City of Hope in early 2009.

Jeffrey N. Weitzel, MD, is board Certified in Medical Oncology and Clinical Genetics, and founded the Clinical Cancer Genomics Community Research Network. He co-founded the Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice with Dr. Blazer. A Breast Cancer Research Foundation Scholar and an honorary Professor of Oncology for the Latin American School of 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 experience 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. Dr. Weitzel received the American Society of Human Genetics Arno Motulsky-Barton Childs Award for Excellence in Human Genetics Education.

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.

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 and Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential. Current research projects include understanding cancer risk, penetrance, prevalence, and clinical outcomes for individuals with TP53 pathogenic variants 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. She also serves on the genetic counseling advisory committee for the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association and is a member of the ClinGen TP53 Variant Curation Expert Panel. 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. She is an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, Southern California Genetic Counselors, and the American Society of Human Genetics. 

Rachelle Manookian is a licensed board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics with a special interest in prostate and genitourinary cancers. She received her M.S. in genetic counseling from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She has been at City of Hope since April 2019, and prior to City of Hope was a general genetic counselor at the VA Medical Center with Dr. Maren Scheuner, serving 6 VA hospitals via telehealth. She is adjunct faculty for the Keck Graduate Institute Genetic Counseling and Genomic Data Analytics masters’ programs. She is actively engaged in the Fanconi Anemia community and has been a volunteer at Camp Sunshine Fanconi Anemia week since 2016. She is a two-time nominee of the Heart of Genetic Counseling Award.

Dr. Garber is the Director of the Cancer Genetics and Prevention Disease Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Garber conducts research in clinical cancer genetics, with a special focus in the genetics of breast cancer. She has played a major role in the development of national guidelines in cancer genetics. She is also a leader in research into the characteristics and treatment of triple negative or basal-like breast cancer, the most common form in women with BRCA1 mutations. Her translational research focuses on the evaluation of novel agents targeting DNA repair defects in breast cancer, including PARP inhibitors for treatment and prevention of breast cancer and other BRCA-associated cancers.

 In 2011-2012, Dr. Garber was the President of American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the largest organization of cancer researchers in the world. She is a member of the National Cancer Advisory Board and was recently elected to the Institute of Medicine.

Dr. Carol Fabian is a breast medical oncologist, University Distinguished Professor, and holds the Morris Endowed Chair in Cancer Prevention at the University of Kansas Medical Center.  She received her medical degree from the University of Kansas in 1972, and fellowship in Medical Oncology at the University of Kansas in 1977.  She is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology.  She  has been on the faculty in the Division of Medical Oncology since 1977 and has served in multiple capacities including Medical Director of the Cancer Center, Founder and Director of the Breast Cancer Prevention and Survivorship Research Center, Leader or co-Leader of the Cancer Prevention Program, and Associate Director of Clinical Research in the NCI Designated Cancer Center.

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.

Sonia S. Kupfer is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Section of Gastroenterology at the University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. She is the Director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk and Prevention Clinic and co-Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Risk and Prevention clinic at the University of Chicago. She is funded by a K08 career development award from the NIH/NCI to study colorectal cancer genetic susceptibility variants in African Americans. Dr. Kupfer is also currently investigating genetics related to chemopreventive agents for colorectal cancer, notably vitamin D. In addition to her translational research, Dr. Kupfer is actively engaged in clinical studies in high-risk colorectal cancer primarily Lynch syndrome. Her clinical work focuses on hereditary GI cancer evaluation, testing and management. She also has served as co-Director of two CME conferences on genomics. Dr. Kupfer received her undergraduate degree from Yale University and then completed medical school, residency, chief residency and gastroenterology fellowship training at the University of Chicago. She is originally from a northern suburb of Chicago and currently resides in the Hyde Park area with her husband, an art dealer, and her two children.

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.

Heather Hampel completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Genetics at the Ohio State University in 1993.  She attained her Master’s degree in Human Genetics from Sarah Lawrence College in 1995.  She received certification from the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 1996.  She worked as a cancer genetic counselor at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 1995-1997 and at The Ohio State University from 1997-2021. She is now at City of Hope National Medical Center where she is a Professor in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research and Associate Director of the Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics.  Her research areas of interest include Lynch syndrome and universal screening for Lynch syndrome.  She has over 90 publications; including first author publications in the New England Journal of Medicine, Cancer Research, and the Journal of Clinical Oncology.  Heather is a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (Region IV Representative in 2003-4) and of the American Board of Genetic Counseling  (2007-2011) where she served as President in 2009 and 2010.  She received the Region IV Leadership Award from NSGC in 2006. She was on the Steering Committee of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable from 2016-2020. She was on the Council for the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancers from 2015-2018 and served as president from 2017-2018. She was Secretary/Treasurer Elect of NSGC in 2021 and will be Secretary/Treasurer in 2022.

Dr. Patrick Lynch is a gastroenterologist and scientist with specific expertise in cancer risk for mismatch repair gene mutation carriers. He is a Professor of Medicine in the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at UT-MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Dr. Lynch received his Law degree and degree in Medicine from Creighton University. His internship and residency were at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He completed his Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Lynch provides surveillance for patients and families with hereditary colorectal cancers, and is actively involved in the counseling and management of these patients and families. He has led or collaborated on multiple NIH- and industry-funded studies in hereditary colorectal cancers, including basic science, clinical, chemoprevention and behavioral studies. He is a member of Council for and past President of the International Society for Gastrointestinal Hereditary Tumors (INSIGHT) and is past President of the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer. He was recently awarded a grant under the UTMDACC “Moonshot” program for further development of a web-based registry for familial cancer families.

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.

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.

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.