FRIDAY, May 8th, 2026

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7:30 AM Registration Opens + Breakfast

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8:30 AM Opening Remarks

SCGC Conference Chairs & SCGC President

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8:45 AM Genetic Counselor Roles in the Therapeutic Odyssey

Naomi Wagner, MS, CGC​​​​​​​​​​​​

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9:15 AM Prenatal Whole Genome Workup for Stillbirth

Rebecca Reimers, MD, MPH

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10:00 AM Morning break​

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10:30 AM Occult Malignancy Detection Through pcfDNA Screening

Marisa Jendras, MS, CGC

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11:00 AM Pathways to Precision: Genomics and Translational Clinical Care for Pediatrics Rare Diseases

Julian Martinez, MD, PhD, FACMG

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11:45 AM Group Photo + Lunch

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1:00 PM Poster Session

See details below

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2:00 PM ClinGen Unpacked: A Guide to Gene and Variant Curation Resources

Christine Preston, PhD

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2:30 PM Enriching the Population: Promoting Equity in Genomic Medicine

Kelly Burgess, MS, CGC

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3:00 PM Afternoon Break

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3:30 PM Implementing Exome and Genome Sequencing in Adult Medicine: Indications, Outcomes, and Challenges

Lisa Salz, MS, CGC

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4:00 PM Beyond the Test Result: Evaluating Screening Compliance in Hereditary Cancer Mutation Carriers

Allison Wong, MS, LCGC; Danielle Carr, MS; Dillon van den Berg, MS, CGC; Setareh Zandihaghighi, MS

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4:30 PM Polygenic Risk Score in Clinical Practice

Molly Frankle, MS, CGC; Kayley Krystkowiak, MS, CGC; Ora Gordon, MD, MS, FACMG

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5:00 PM Closing Remarks​​​​​​​

SCGC Conference Chairs​

Referral Practices of Primary Care Providers to Cardiovascular Genetic Counselors

Madison Atchley (Keck Graduate Institute)

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Hindsight is Twenty/Twenty: Documentation of Family History for Patients with a Hereditary Cancer Predisposition Syndrome

Sarah Bedford (UCLA)

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Written in the Stars: SLCO1B1 *5 Allele and its Impact on Familial Hypercholesterolemia Management

Megan Beggs (Augustana-Sanford)

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From Diagnosis to Dialogue: How Patients with Telomere Biology Disorders Share Genetic Information

Stephanie Bottomley (UCLA)

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Exploring Patient Experiences with a Video-Assisted Point-of-Care Model for Hereditary Cancer Genetic Testing

Camille Burke (UCLA)

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Living With Uncertainty: How Parents Use Genetic Diagnoses One Year After NICU-Based Rapid Genome Sequencing

Caitlin Findlay (University of Pennsylvania)

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Assessing GC Knowledge of Abortion Procedures

Sarah Forman (UCLA)​

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The Role of Hispanic Identity, Male Identity, and Family Dynamics in Health Communication: A narrative review

John Garcia (UCLA)

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Landscape Analysis of Genetic Services Across Ophthalmology Departments in Academic Medical Centers in the U.S.

Milad Gazanfari (UCLA)

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Determining the Efficacy of a Health History Questionnaire for Patients with Prostate Cancer in a Radiation Oncology Clinic to Increase Referral Numbers for Genetic Services

Sophia Izzo (Augustana-Sanford)

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Exploring Postmortem Genetic Testing Practices and Genetic Counselor Integration in U.S. Medical Examiner Offices: A Qualitative Study

Yein Ji (UCLA)

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Prenatal Genetic Counselors’ Experiences Addressing Questions About Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation from Positive Prenatal Screens for XXY Klinefelter Syndrome

Amy Kung (UCLA)

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Exploring the Diagnostic Experiences of Female Heterozygotes with X-linked Alport Syndrome: A Qualitative Study

Tara Marashi (UCLA)

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Characterizing Leadership Development in the Genetic Counseling Profession

Kendall Massey (Augustana-Sanford)

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Genetic Counselors' Perspectives on Eating Disorders: Insights into Anorexia Nervosa and the Role of Genetic Counseling

Polly McGonigle and Lia Peace (Keck Graduate Institute)

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Referral Frequency and Uptake of Germline Genetic Testing in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer in a Los Angeles Safety Net Medical Center

Jesse Murillo (UCLA)

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Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between Genetic Counseling and Occupational Therapy Through Student Workshops

Noelle Roddam (Keck Graduate Institute)

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Integration of a Genetic Counseling Workshop Focused on Military Beneficiaries

Joslyn Uy (Keck Graduate Institute)

​6:45am SCGC Social Run

Please register here if you are interested in joining us the morning of the conference for a casual ~3 mile long run. See the route here. If you have additional questions please contact Jennifer Lee at jennije@gmail.com 

 

12:45pm Lunch Stretch Break with Angela Filose

Join us for a stretch break led by one of the event organizers and Genetic Counselor, Angela Filose. We will gather on the outside patio where lunch is served.

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Sponsor Game​​

Pick up the sponsor game at registration. Visit and collect stickers from our sponsors and turn in the completed game for a chance to win gift certificates for SCGC merch! We will pick four winners at the end of the conference (you don’t need to be present to win; just make sure to put your email address on the game when you turn it in).

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"Envisioning Our Future" Collaborative Vision Board

Visit the vision board in the sponsors room to contribute your ideas and help us create a shared scrapbook of our future. 

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Crafts Table

Step out to the patio by the sponsor room during conference breaks to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere, mingle with other attendees, and create a fun keepsake.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​