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 and her primary research interest is in hereditary GI cancer syndromes. Ms. Gima is a faculty member of the City of Hope Intensive Course and Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice, and an adjunct faculty member for the Keck Graduate Institute Genetic Counseling and Genomic Data Analytics masters’ programs. She serves as a clinical rotation supervisor for genetic counseling students and as a 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, the Minority Genetics Professionals Network, and the Alliance for Genomic Justice.

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.

Ms. Shehayeb's clinical role has centered on widening patient access to genetic counseling and testing throughout the City of Hope clinical network and on genetics representation and expertise in the setting of gynecologic oncology. She co-leads the curriculum development for educational initiatives within the City of Hope Clinical Division of Cancer Genomics. Her research work and special interests focus on hereditary breast and ovarian cancers, hereditary genodermatoses, precision medicine in hereditary cancer care, and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) in cancer genetics training. She is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and the Southern California Genetic Counselors.

RACHELLE MANOOKIAN, MS, CGC is a licensed and board-certified cancer genetic counselor specializing in pediatric oncology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). She was previously with the Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics at City of Hope, and before that, a general genetic counselor at the West VA Medical Center. She brings her growing expertise in medical education to her role as an adjunct faculty member for the Keck Graduate Institute Genetic Counseling and Genomic Data Analytics master’s programs. She serves as a faculty mentor, graduate capstone supervisor, and rotation supervisor for current genetic counseling students. She is actively engaged in the Fanconi anemia community and has been a volunteer at Fanconi Anemia Family Week since 2016, and she is a two-time nominee of the Heart of Genetic Counseling Award from the National Society of Genetic Counselors.

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. As a Senior Genetic Counselor 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 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.

SANDRA DREIKE, MS, CGC is a licensed board-certified genetic counselor who specializes in cancer genetics. Sandra joined the City of Hope Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics in 2019, where she provides genetic counseling and cancer genetic risk assessments as a Senior Genetic Counselor. 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. She previously practiced as a genetic counselor in Honolulu, HI where she specialized in cancer genetics and general pediatric and adult genetics. In addition to patient care she is a faculty member of the City of Hope Intensive Course and Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice, and research. Sandra is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and Southern California Genetic Counselors (SCGC).

KATHLEEN R. BLAZER, EdD, MS, CGC, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Sciences and Director of the Cancer Genomics Education Program, a multifaceted cancer genetics education and training program for physicians, allied health care professionals and post-doctoral researchers, with the Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics at City of Hope National Medical Center. Dr. Blazer has played an integral role in the development, administration and assessment of the NCI-funded initiatives of the CGEP 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. She is recipient 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 the education initiatives of the CGEP since its inception in 1997. She is a member of the American Society of Human Genetics, the National Society of Genetic Counselors, American Society of Clinical Oncology, 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 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.

COLIN PRITCHARD, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Washington and Program Director for Cancer Precision Diagnostics for the Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine. He also serves as the Co-Director of the Genetics and Solid Tumors Laboratory that services the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. 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 DNA repair gene 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 the UW-OncoPlex™ Cancer Gene Panel in current clinical use for cancer patients and their families. He is a longstanding distinguished faculty member of the City of Hope Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice. In 2021 Dr. Pritchard was awarded the C2 Catalyst for Precision Medicine Award from Scientific American.

ELYSSA ZUKIN, MS, CGC is a licensed, board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics at City of Hope National Medical Center. She has a Master of Science degree in genetic counseling from the University of California, Irvine, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Zukin joined City of Hope in 2020 as part of the Center for Precision Medicine. Her past research investigated the implications on clinical care when patients are found to carry genetic variants in genes associated with hereditary cancer syndromes that have conflicting interpretations by different genetics laboratories. She is a faculty member of the City of Hope Intensive Course and Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice, and a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and the Southern California Genetic Counselors.

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. As a Senior Genetic Counselor 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 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.

ALLISON W. KURIAN, M.D., M.Sc., is a Professor of Medicine and of Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford University. She is Associate Chief of the Division of Oncology, Director of the Stanford Women’s Clinical Cancer Genetics Program, and Co-Leader of the Stanford Cancer Institute Population Sciences Program. Dr. Kurian’s research is designed to understand cancer burden and improve cancer treatment quality at the population level, with a focus on identifying women with elevated breast and gynecologic cancer risk, and on the development and evaluation of novel techniques for early cancer detection and risk reduction. She leads epidemiologic studies of cancer risk factors, clinical trials of novel approaches to cancer risk reduction, and decision analyses of strategies to improve cancer outcomes. Her research has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, California Breast Cancer Research Program, Komen for the Cure Foundation, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and others. Dr. Kurian’s work has been honored by Impact Awards of the National Consortium of Breast Centers and the BRCA Foundation, selection as a Komen Scholar and election to the American Society of Clinical Investigation. Dr. Kurian also contributes her extensive expertise to the City of Hope Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice as a distinguished faculty member.

Lisa Madlensky, PhD, is a board-certified genetic counselor who provides cancer risk assessment and genetic counseling for patients and their families. She helps people investigate their family health history, navigate the genetic testing process, and understand and adapt to the medical or psychological implications of genetic diseases.

As director of the Family Cancer Genetics Program at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health, Dr. Madlensky helps ensure that patients and families with an increased risk of cancer receive outstanding care, with a focus on cancer prevention and early detection.

In addition to her clinical activities, Dr. Madlensky is a researcher at Moores Cancer Center. Her work centers on cancer prevention in those at increased risk of disease because of their family history or genetic predisposition. Her research themes include clinical genetic testing and follow-up for families with Lynch Syndrome and BRCA1/2 mutations; the public health implications of cancer genetic testing; quality of life in those at increased risk of cancer; the integration of cancer risk assessment into family practice; and family-level cancer prevention.

Dr. Madlensky earned her doctoral degree from the University of Toronto Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. She obtained a Master of Science in genetic counseling from McGill University in Montreal Canada.

Julie Culver, MS, CGC, CCRP is Director of Cancer Genetic Counseling and Assistant Professor at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. She received her Master’s degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1994. Ms. Culver then worked on research pertaining to breast cancer risk assessment and the public health impact of BRCA testing 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 she worked for 8 years and served as the Assistant Director of the Cancer Screening & Prevention Program Network. She continued her 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 high risk screening for breast cancer, 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. As a Senior Genetic Counselor 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 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.

Ms. Shehayeb's clinical role has centered on widening patient access to genetic counseling and testing throughout the City of Hope clinical network and on genetics representation and expertise in the setting of gynecologic oncology. She co-leads the curriculum development for educational initiatives within the City of Hope Clinical Division of Cancer Genomics. Her research work and special interests focus on hereditary breast and ovarian cancers, hereditary genodermatoses, precision medicine in hereditary cancer care, and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) in cancer genetics training. She is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and the Southern California Genetic Counselors.

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.

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.

HEATHER HAMPEL, MS, CGC, is a Professor in the Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research and Associate Director of the Division of Cancer Genomics at City of Hope National Cancer Center. She co-leads the administration of more than 20 genetic counselors, 6 GCAs, and additional support staff who provide genetic cancer risk assessment through the City of Hope enterprise and more than 20 CRAs, LVNs and CRNs on the Precision Medicine consent team. Her research focuses on Lynch syndrome and universal tumor screening for Lynch syndrome. She has >190 publications on the prevalence of Lynch syndrome among colorectal and endometrial cancer patients, the best testing protocols, cost-effectiveness, and referral guidelines for cancer genetics. She was on the Board of Directors for the American Board of Genetic Counseling from 2006-2011, serving as President in 2009 and 2010. She has been on the Steering Committee of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable since 2016. She was on the Council of the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer from 2016-2019, serving as president in 2017-2018. She served as the Secretary/Treasurer of the National Society of Genetic Counselors in 2022. She was awarded the Natalie Weissberger Paul National Achievement Award from the National Society of Genetic Counselors in 2023.

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.

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. Kamihara received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and her PhD in genetics from MIT. She completed her pediatric residency training at Boston Children’s Hospital/Boston Medical Center and her fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital. She is currently an attending physician in the Jimmy Fund Clinic. Her research and clinical interests focus on pediatric cancer predisposition syndromes.

Dr. Kamihara serves as an expert for the Department of Hematology-Oncology for Boston Children's Hospital Precision Medicine Service. For more information about the Precision Medicine Service please visit bostonchildrens.org/precisionmed.

SANDRA DREIKE, MS, CGC is a licensed board-certified genetic counselor who specializes in cancer genetics. Sandra joined the City of Hope Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics in 2019, where she provides genetic counseling and cancer genetic risk assessments as a Senior Genetic Counselor. 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. She previously practiced as a genetic counselor in Honolulu, HI where she specialized in cancer genetics and general pediatric and adult genetics. In addition to patient care she is a faculty member of the City of Hope Intensive Course and Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice, and research. Sandra is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and Southern California Genetic Counselors (SCGC).

JANE CHURPEK, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care within the Department of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She is a board-certified hematologist and oncologist who focuses on the care of adults with low blood counts due to acquired and inherited causes, including clonal hematopoiesis, myelodysplastic syndrome, and inherited bone marrow failure syndromes. She also specializes in the diagnosis and management of patients and their families with hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes. Dr. Churpek’s research focuses on identifying inherited genetic factors that cause increased risk of cancer and bone marrow disorders, especially among understudied tumors and blood disorders. Her goal is to understand who is at increased risk and how specific exposures increase or decrease risk. She aims to utilize this information to optimize early detection, treatment, and, ultimately, prevention of cancer and bone marrow disorders. Dr. Churpek has contributed to the understanding of several novel hereditary blood cancer predisposition syndromes and the role of inherited predisposition in exposure-associated cancers such as therapy-related leukemia and mesothelioma. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, and the American Society of Human Genetics, and she is the recipient of an American Society for Clinical Investigation Young Physician-Scientist Award.