Week 2 2021

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 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 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.