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.

Kathryn Dang, MS, CGC is a board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics at City of Hope. She earned her Master of Science degree in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling from Stanford University and her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. Prior to joining City of Hope in 2022, Kathryn previously worked as a cancer genetic counselor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. In addition to her role providing patient care, Kathryn has interests in genetic counseling research and education. Her research investigates the psychological effects of undergoing multi-gene panel testing for hereditary cancer susceptibility. She also serves on the Research, Quality and Outcomes Committee of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and previously served as one of the Education Co-Chairs of the Southern California Genetic Counselors group.

KATHLEEN R. BLAZER, EdD, MS, CGC, is a Professor in the Departments of Medical Oncology and Population Sciences, and Director of the Cancer Genomics Education Program (CGEP) at City of Hope National Medical Center. The CGEP is a multifaceted cancer genomics education and training program for physicians, allied health care professionals and post-doctoral researchers. Dr. Blazer has had an integral role in the development, administration and assessment of the NCI-funded initiatives of the CGEP since joining City of Hope 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.

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).

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 use of whole body MRI and liquid biopsy for early cancer detection, chatbot use for disclosure of germline genetic test results, and assessing community-based provider experiences with TP53 results on germline testing. She also serves on the genetic counseling advisory committee for the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association, the ClinGen TP53 Variant Curation Expert Panel, and the California Advisory Council for Sharsheret. 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.

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 of Science degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Zukin joined City of Hope in 2020. Her role in the City of Hope Center for Precision Medicine involves the development and implementation of the return of germline genetic test results, and she has developed processes to improve the program’s efficiency and scalability. As part of the City of Hope Cancer Genomics Education Program, she is involved in the creation, implementation, and ongoing review of recorded learning modules, case-based exercises, and other learning materials. Her research has 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.

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.

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, Co-Leader of the Population Sciences Program and Co-Director of the Data Science Core for the Stanford Cancer Institute. Dr. Kurian graduated from Stanford University, attended Harvard Medical School followed by Internal Medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, and completed Medical Oncology fellowship and a master’s degree in Epidemiology at Stanford University.

Dr. Kurian’s research focuses on the identification of women with elevated breast and gynecologic cancer risk, and on the development and evaluation of novel techniques for early cancer detection and risk reduction. As an oncologist and epidemiologist, she aims to understand cancer burden and improve cancer treatment quality at the population level. Her research employs methods from the population sciences, in collaboration with the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program and other large, real-world data resources. Dr. Kurian 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. She has published more than 320 peer-reviewed articles, and 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.

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, 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 use of whole body MRI and liquid biopsy for early cancer detection, chatbot use for disclosure of germline genetic test results, and assessing community-based provider experiences with TP53 results on germline testing. She also serves on the genetic counseling advisory committee for the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association, the ClinGen TP53 Variant Curation Expert Panel, and the California Advisory Council for Sharsheret. 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.

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.

Joanne Jeter, MD, MS (she/her) is a board-certified medical oncologist and clinical cancer geneticist. She started working at City of Hope on October 16, 2023, and is very excited about joining many of her friends in this prestigious group. Her medical school training was at the University of Texas-Houston Health Sciences Center. She subsequently completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. While she was in her Medical Oncology fellowship program at the University of Michigan, she was fortunate to start working with Dr. Stephen Gruber's clinical cancer genetics program, and this has been her primary focus since that time. She has also earned a Master's degree in Clinical Trials Design and Statistical Analysis at the University of Michigan. Prior to her time at City of Hope, she was the Medical Director for the Family Cancer Assessment Clinic at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. She has also worked as a medical oncologist and clinical cancer geneticist at the University of Arizona and the Ohio State University.

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. At City of Hope, she helps lead a team of 17 genetic counselors and 3 genetic counseling assistants and is actively involved in the Center for Precision Medicine INSPIRE study which provides universal germline genetic testing to all City of Hope patients. She has >200 publications on a variety of cancer genetics topics with an emphasis on Lynch syndrome. She was on the Board of Directors for the American Board of Genetic Counseling from 2006-2011 (President, 2009-10). 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 (President, 2017-2018). She was the Secretary/Treasurer of the National Society of Genetic Counselors in 2021-2022. In 2023, she received the Natalie Weissberger Paul National Achievement Award from the National Society of Genetic Counselors. In 2025, she received the Achievement Award from the Collaborative Group of the Americas for Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancers.

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.

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).

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.

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.

Dr. Else’s primary appointment is with the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, but he currently serves as the Interim Chief of the Division of Genetics in Medicine in the Dept. of Internal Medicine. He received his MD degree from the University of Hamburg, Germany. He pursued his clinical training at the University of Hamburg (Residency: Internal Medicine) and the University of Michigan (Residency: Internal Medicine, Fellowship: Endocrinology). His main research interests are the genetics of endocrine tumors. Dr. Else’s clinical practice focuses on the care for patients with benign and malignant endocrine tumors, particularly pheochromocytoma, adrenocortical tumors and neuroendocrine tumors as well as accompanying hormone excess syndromes (e.g Cushing syndrome, primary aldosteronism). Dr. Else has a particular interest in taking care of patients with hereditary syndromes that predispose to the development of endocrine tumors (e.g. Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) type 1, MEN2A & MEN2B, Hereditary Paraganglioma Syndrome). He attends the Multidisciplinary Endocrine Oncology Clinic, where patients with tumors receive diagnostic procedures and treatment. In addition, he is part of the Cancer Genetics Clinic, which evaluates patients for hereditary syndromes and facilitates regular exams and surveillance for patients at risk for endocrine tumors.

Dr. Brian M. Shuch’s decision to study urologic oncology was a personal one: he wanted to help others defeat cancer after watching a member of his own family succumb to the disease. “I wanted to be a surgeon in a field where patients have excellent outcomes with surgery,” he explains. “I also wanted to be involved with systemic therapy and cutting-edge research.” At Yale, Dr. Shuch runs the urologic oncology cancer research bank, where all tissue, urine, and blood is stored for future research within the Yale Cancer Center.

Dr. Shuch completed his urology residency and surgery internship at the University of California, Los Angeles and played a key role in its Kidney Cancer Program. After his residency, he completed a three-year urologic oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), focusing on clinical trials, drug development, and the comprehensive management of patients with kidney cancer. He holds a joint appointment from the Yale School of Medicine in the Urology and Diagnostic Radiology departments.

In addition to his clinical interests, which include open and robotic surgery, systemic therapy, percutaneous kidney tumor biopsies and cryoablation—the use of extreme cold to kill cancer cells—Dr. Shuch is committed to limiting over-treatment of non-aggressive urologic cancers. When appropriate, he prefers a strategy of active surveillance and the integration of genetic testing in cancer care.

Dr. Shuch is a member of two oncology clinical trial groups, the Society of Urologic Oncology and SWOG, formerly the Southwest Oncology Group, which receives support from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). He helps run the multidisciplinary Yale Kidney Cancer Tumor Board and is part of the kidney cancer clinical trial team. These trials involve treatment of the disease at all stages, from small localized tumors to advanced metastatic disease. “Our improved understanding of the genetics of kidney cancer will allow the integration of molecular markers into treatment algorithms,” he explains. Studies show that molecular markers can be useful in many ways, including measuring the progress of disease and evaluating the most effective therapy for a particular cancer type.

Veda N. Giri, MD is a medical oncologist with specialization in clinical cancer genetics. She serves as Division Chief of Clinical Cancer Genetics for Yale School of Medicine, Director of the Cancer Genetics and Prevention Program, and Director of the Early-Onset Cancer Program at Yale Cancer Center. As leader of Cancer Genetics and Prevention, Dr. Giri leads a comprehensive effort in genetic evaluation for precision medicine, tailored cancer screening, and hereditary cancer assessment across patient populations. She is the Principal Investigator of multiple grant-funded cancer genetic evaluation studies spanning genetic counseling, genetic testing, disparities, behavioral science, and implementation research. As Director of the Early-Onset Cancer Program, Dr. Giri is leading a cutting-edge translational effort to address clinical, research, and psychosocial needs of patients with early-onset cancers. Integral to this effort is to address the needs of underserved and minority patients with early-onset cancers.

Dr. Giri received her medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College (previously Jefferson Medical College) and proceeded to complete her residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Hematology-Oncology at the University of Michigan. She then completed advanced training in molecular cancer genetics and cancer risk assessment at Fox Chase Cancer Center. She also has a certification in cancer risk assessment from City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Giri currently serves on several national committees including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, NIH PDQ® Cancer Genetics Editorial Board, and American Society of Clinical Oncology, contributing expertise in cancer risk assessment and genetics at the national level.

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.

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).

Dr. Park is an assistant professor in the department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research and Population Sciences at City of Hope National Medical Center. Dr. Park graduated medical school from The College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. She completed her internal medicine residency program at Kaiser Permanente-Fontana. During her internal medicine training, she developed deep interest in genetics and pursued medical genetics training at University of California, Irvine. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and clinical genetics and genomics.

Joanne Jeter, MD, MS (she/her) is a board-certified medical oncologist and clinical cancer geneticist. She started working at City of Hope on October 16, 2023, and is very excited about joining many of her friends in this prestigious group. Her medical school training was at the University of Texas-Houston Health Sciences Center. She subsequently completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. While she was in her Medical Oncology fellowship program at the University of Michigan, she was fortunate to start working with Dr. Stephen Gruber's clinical cancer genetics program, and this has been her primary focus since that time. She has also earned a Master's degree in Clinical Trials Design and Statistical Analysis at the University of Michigan. Prior to her time at City of Hope, she was the Medical Director for the Family Cancer Assessment Clinic at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. She has also worked as a medical oncologist and clinical cancer geneticist at the University of Arizona and the Ohio State University.

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.

Kelly Bolton is a physician-scientist at Washington University in St. Louis. She is currently an assistant professor in the Section of Stem Cell Biology Division, Division of Oncology. Her research group focuses on utilizing genomic markers of cancer risk to develop prevention and early intervention strategies. Originally from Los Angeles, she completed her undergraduate studies at Cornell University. She completed medical school at the UCLA School of Medicine and a PhD in Genetic Epidemiology through Cambridge University. She went on to complete her residency in internal medicine and Cornell University and a fellowship in medical oncology at MSKCC. Her work has been published in high impact journals including Nature Genetics, JAMA, and JCO. She receives grant support from the National Cancer Institute, the EvansMDS foundation and the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation

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 use of whole body MRI and liquid biopsy for early cancer detection, chatbot use for disclosure of germline genetic test results, and assessing community-based provider experiences with TP53 results on germline testing. She also serves on the genetic counseling advisory committee for the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association, the ClinGen TP53 Variant Curation Expert Panel, and the California Advisory Council for Sharsheret. 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.