Week 13 2025

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.

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.

ELISE SOBOTKA, MS, MPH, CGC is a licensed, board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, CA. She has a Master of Science in genetic counseling and a Master of Public Health in health management and policy from the University of Michigan. Elise joined the Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics in 2020 and is affiliated with City of Hope's Duarte location. Her current research projects are focused on understanding cancer risks, penetrance, prevalence, and clinical outcomes in unselected populations undergoing genetic testing, and leveraging the electronic health record to improve genomic care.  She is currently a faculty member of the City of Hope Intensive Course in Genetic Cancer Risk Assessment, chair of the National Society of Genetic Counselors Position Statement Committee, and 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’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.