Board Members
SCGC board members at AEC 2026
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President
Lauren Siems Watson
The President role is a year-long term that follows the President-Elect term, serving on the Executive Board and general Board of Directors of SCGC. The President provides strategic leadership and operational guidance for the organization, empowering fulfillment of its mission and long-term objectives. The President leads board meetings, coordinates committee priorities, oversees annual tax, regulatory, and financial reporting requirements, and provides guidance and recommendations to the annual conference leaders. Working closely with the Executive Board, the President drives organizational goals, supports board engagement and governance, and helps shape the future direction and impact of SCGC for its members and the genetic counseling community.
Lauren Watson is a licensed and certified genetic counselor in the greater Los Angeles area. She currently works as a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) Manager at Myriad Women's Health, leading a team of genetic counselor MSLs who provide education, clinical support, and technical expertise to health care providers interested in implementing hereditary cancer risk assessment and reproductive genetic screening. Prior to her management role, Lauren was a Regional Medical Specialist and MSL at Myriad. During her time as a genetic counselor in Southern California, Lauren has volunteered for the Southern California Genetic Counselors (SCGC), working on several committees and now serves as the organization's Treasurer. Prior to joining Myriad, Lauren trained at Northwestern University Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling. She is also a member of NSGC and an alumna of the City of Hope Intensive Course in Genetic Cancer Risk Assessment.
President Elect
Nydia Santiago Neal
The President-Elect is the initial position of a 3-year presidential term, serving as part of the Executive Board and larger Board of Directors. The President-Elect is responsible for becoming familiar with the operations of the organization (bylaws, requirements for maintaining 501(c)(3) status, and organizational procedures) and preparing to assume the role of President. The President-Elect also supports the Board by working closely with committee chairs, maintaining organizational procedures and governance documents, supporting the President and Past President.
Nydia Santiago Neal, MS, CGC, is a board-certified genetic counselor with over 15 years of experience spanning clinical care, laboratory testing, and patient education. Her work has included developing genetic testing panels, providing prenatal and hereditary cancer risk counseling, and creating educational resources to support patients' understanding of genetic results. She is passionate about health equity and has made it a career priority to expand access to genetic counseling services for underrepresented populations and communities with limited access to care. Nydia has served as the SCGC DEI Chair and contributed to the NSGC JEDI Action Plan. She currently co-chairs the SCGC Education Committee, helping lead a CEU-approved webinar series that provides ongoing education for genetic counselors. In addition to her professional roles, she mentors aspiring genetic counselors and participates in outreach to raise awareness of the field.
Past President
Rebecca LeShay Araujo
The Past President is the final position of the 3-year president term, serving as part of the Executive Board and larger Board of Directors. The Past President is responsible for helping update bylaws, chairing the nominations committee, and assisting with any other tasks, as relevant.
I have volunteered on several committees for both the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and the Southern California Genetic Counselors (SCGC), and I always say how much I especially love working with the SCGC. Our SCGC organization and membership are remarkable, accomplishing so much across all of our committees, including not only a wonderful Annual Conference, but also marketing initiatives, membership socials, and more. I loved helping to plan the conference and serving as the Education Chair, and I am excited about the prospect of continuing to solidify our organizational policies, procedures, and revenue streams to ensure sustainability as we continue to transition from a new organization to a more established one. I would be honored to serve as SCGC President, working with our board of directors on developing new events and features to best meet the needs and asks of the membership.
Treasurer
Emily Parkhurst
The treasurer is responsible for keeping track of the finances of SCGC, including monitoring income and paying expenses.
Even as a kid, I loved science and genetics. My third grade science fair project was to draw my family tree. I traced my family back three generations and the different recessive and X-linked genetic traits they carried. At family gatherings, I often point out which of my relatives are carriers of red hair and who is a carrier for color blindness. I first learned about genetic counseling from my mother who was a clinical chemist and worked in the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles genetics lab. After graduating cum laude with honors with a bachelor’s degree in biology from UC Irvine, I received my master’s degree in genetic counseling from California State Northridge in 2001. With a diverse employment history (Sunday school teacher, lifeguard, LGBT peer counselor, musical theater usher, pregnancy clinic counselor, research lab intern), I got my first genetic counseling job at a private practice in Sacramento in 2001 at age 23 (probably the youngest GC ever). Then in 2004, I was pleased to join the genetics department at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles. Today, my hobbies include video games and making YouTube videos. As a lifeguard in high school and college, swimming continues to be my favorite sport. I started doing triathlons after college and have completed over two dozen Olympic distance triathlons. I am a begrudging runner and have done several half-marathons. However, my favorite race is still the two mile Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier ocean swim every summer.
Secretary
Ruben Alejandro Martin
The secretary is responsible for scheduling meetings for both the board of directors and the executive board. Besides hosting the meetings, the secretary sets the agenda and logs minutes for each session. The secretary is also SCGC's principal point of contact for general correspondence, responding to or forwarding emails received by the organization and answering questions in the forum. Within SCGC's forums, the secretary reviews and shares posts submitted by our members. The secretary also maintains and organizes SCGC documents, records, and manages various accounts for the organization.
Ruben Alejandro Martin was born and raised in Los Angeles. He studied biology at the University of California at Irvine, and received his master’s degree from the Northwestern University Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling. During his time at Northwestern, he wrote a thesis concerning the coping mechanisms of athletes affected with long QT syndrome who were restricted from participating in sport. Since moving back to Southern California, Ruben obtained his genetic counseling certification and has worked with the neurology genetic counseling department at Cedars-Sinai, assisting with research regarding inherited neuropathies. He currently works as a Credentialing Administrator for Autism Learning Partners. Ruben is eager to contribute to the growth and communication of genetic counselors in Southern California.
Membership Co-Chair
Nicole Choy
The Membership Chair/Co-chairs maintain the SCGC database and assists members with updating their information. They answer questions about membership, alongside the Secretary. They consult with the nominating committee and oversee the elections to the Board of Directors. This includes distributing ballots to the general membership, tabulating, and communicating results to the SCGC membership. The Membership Chair/Co-chairs are also responsible for communications with the membership and works with the Marketing Committee to share news about events, socials and updates regarding important issues.
Nicole Choy (she/they) is currently employed as a genetic counselor at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, where they practice primarily in cancer, pediatric, and adult general genetics clinics. They also served as the co-chair of the Outreach Committee for SCGC for the 2023-2025 term and as adjunct faculty for the Keck Graduate Institute program since 2023. They have a passion for outreach and mentorship of prospective students, with a focus on individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Membership Co-Chair
Jamie Phan
The Membership Chair/Co-chairs maintain the SCGC database and assists members with updating their information. They answer questions about membership, alongside the Secretary. They consult with the nominating committee and oversee the elections to the Board of Directors. This includes distributing ballots to the general membership, tabulating, and communicating results to the SCGC membership. The Membership Chair/Co-chairs are also responsible for communications with the membership and works with the Marketing Committee to share news about events, socials and updates regarding important issues.
I have been part of the Kaiser Permanente Laboratory Genetic Counseling team ever since I graduated from the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in 2021. As part of this team, I play a dynamic force in shaping the lab stewardship program and lead projects to expand the GC role at the lab and integrate more closely with our clinicians. When I started this journey, I never imagined I would find myself in this role, but I feel very fortunate to be a part of this team. Since my time as an undergraduate, I was drawn to genetic counseling due to the community- I had never encountered a group of individuals who cared so much about patients and about their colleagues. The GCSIG at UCLA was a great place to gain exposure and opportunities to explore the field, and I enjoyed being able to give back to the community as its vice president as well. When I matched with my GC program, I knew I had entered the perfect field for me. My rotations and training offered a breadth of exposure, from rigorous medical school courses to diverse specialty clinics. Brimming with these experiences, I would like to play a more active part in the SCGC community.
Outreach Co-Chair
Hunaydah Elfarawi
The Community Outreach Committee is responsible for SCGC’s engagement with patient advocacy organizations, local undergraduate genetic counseling special interest groups, and local educational events. The committee also works to identify community events that are relevant to the SCGC to increase the visibility of the Genetic Counseling profession and the SCGC organization. The committee will also work to develop educational resources and materials for community engagement.
Hunaydah Elfarawi, MS, CGC, is a licensed board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics. She has a Master of Science degree in genetic counseling from the University of Cincinnati. Her master’s thesis investigated parental perspectives on prenatal decision-making, provider prognostication, and quality of life after a prenatal diagnosis of alobar holoprosencephaly. Prior to completing her master’s degree, Hunaydah earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science from University of Ottawa, with a minor in psychology. During that time, she investigated how institutions and laboratories approached the process of variant reinterpretation in the context of familial testing while working at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Hunaydah is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, Arab Association of Genetic Counselors, Minority Genetics Professional Network, and Southern California Genetic Counselors. Hunaydah joined City of Hope in June 2021 as part of the Center for Precision Medicine, which aims to use genetics to guide cancer treatment and prevention. She is passionate about increasing knowledge and accessibility to genetic services among underserved communities.
Outreach Co-Chair
Rushna Raza Inaba
The Community Outreach Committee is responsible for SCGC’s engagement with patient advocacy organizations, local undergraduate genetic counseling special interest groups, and local educational events. The committee also works to identify community events that are relevant to the SCGC to increase the visibility of the Genetic Counseling profession and the SCGC organization. The committee will also work to develop educational resources and materials for community engagement.
My experience with GC pre-career interest groups and clinical work in the LA/OC areas, and passion for teamwork, makes me a well-qualified candidate for the Outreach Chair position. Since I was a prospective student, I have stayed involved in the larger GC community to develop resources and programming . With the UCLA SIG and local GCPSN, I hosted informational events and generated helpful resources. In my clinical roles both as a student and genetic counselor, I have honed my skills in collaboration through inter-disciplinary projects and working closely with genetics laboratories.
Marketing Chair
Kirsten Kelly
The Marketing Chair leads SCGC's marketing and communications efforts. They develop strategies to promote SCGC's mission, programs, events, educational opportunities, and initiatives while maintaining consistent organizational branding and messaging. The Marketing Chair collaborates with the Board of Directors and committee chairs to develop and distribute communications, support member engagement, increase organizational visibility, and promote opportunities and issues relevant to the genetic counseling community.
Kirsten Kelly is a board-certified genetic counselor with ten years of experience spanning clinical diagnostics, genomic research, and program management. As a Scientific Program Manager on the Platform Technologies team at GeneDx, she leads cross-functional initiatives to enhance sequencing performance, diagnostic yield, and variant interpretation. Her previous roles in laboratory genetic counseling and medical science liaison work have strengthened her ability to translate complex genomic data into actionable insights and foster collaboration between clinical, technical, and commercial teams. Kirsten has served on the Southern California Genetic Counselors (SCGC) Marketing Committee for the past three years and co-chaired the SCGC Annual Meeting Marketing Committee, supporting strategic outreach and engagement across the regional genetic counseling community. She is committed to advancing SCGC’s mission by bringing her experience in communication, leadership, and program development to strengthen professional collaboration and visibility for the field.
Education Co-Chair
Emmeline Chang
The Education Chair/Co-chairs lead SCGC's educational programming by coordinating the monthly webinar series and other educational events throughout the year. This role works to engage the membership by conducting periodic needs assessments to identify educational priorities and guide future programming. The Education Chair/Co-chair collaborate closely with the Marketing Committee and other board members to coordinate event promotion, scheduling, and continuing education (CEU) applications. They also maintain educational resources, event documentation, and committee files within SCGC's shared Google Drive, develop and update educational content for the SCGC website as needed, and promote regional, state, and other professional development opportunities to support the continued growth of the genetic counseling community.
I’m a cancer genetic counselor at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, where I’ve spent the past four years in a role that combines clinical care and research. What keeps me energized in clinic is the chance to get to know each patient as an individual and to deliver the kind of personalized care I’d want for myself. My research interests center on optimizing how we communicate uncertain hereditary cancer results, reducing cultural barriers to genetic testing, and improving understanding of cancer risk.
I’ve been a member of SCGC for about four years—my very first connection to the community was at an SCGC happy hour before I became a genetic counselor. The welcoming environment and conversations with local genetic counselors made a lasting impression; I still keep in touch with colleagues from that evening. Since graduating, I’ve realized most of my day-to-day collaboration has been with the other genetic counselors, students and providers at my institution, and I am eager to build stronger connections with my colleagues across Southern California.
I’m drawn to the Education Co-Chair role because it’s a chance to learn alongside counselors from many backgrounds and rebuild the broad topic exposure I loved in graduate school. As a co-founder of the Genetic Counseling Prospective Student Network (GCPSN), I provided guidance to our student board members as they planned monthly webinars on diverse topics. I’m eager to translate that experience into a more hands-on role for SCGC while helping to curate high-quality educational webinars. I’d also be excited to partner with my former Keck Graduate Institute classmate, Alex Capasso, whose working style complements mine and with whom I collaborate well.
Education Co-Chair
Alex Capasso
The Education Chair/Co-chairs lead SCGC's educational programming by coordinating the monthly webinar series and other educational events throughout the year. This role works to engage the membership by conducting periodic needs assessments to identify educational priorities and guide future programming. The Education Chair/Co-chair collaborate closely with the Marketing Committee and other board members to coordinate event promotion, scheduling, and continuing education (CEU) applications. They also maintain educational resources, event documentation, and committee files within SCGC's shared Google Drive, develop and update educational content for the SCGC website as needed, and promote regional, state, and other professional development opportunities to support the continued growth of the genetic counseling community.
Alex Capasso, MS, CGC is a licensed board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics at City of Hope. She received her Master of Science in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling from Keck Graduate Institute. It is her background in the nonprofit sector prior to graduate school advocating for healthcare equality that shapes her education and research interests. These interests include increasing accessibility of cancer genetics services through alternative service delivery models and expanding genomics education for providers and patients. Alex is a faculty member of the City of Hope Intensive Course in Genetic Cancer Risk Assessment, and a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and Southern California Genetic Counselors.
DEI
Co-Chair
Setareh Zandihaghighi
The DEI committee is responsible for representing the voices of diverse genetic counselors and serving in an advisory capacity in developing, implementing, and collaborating with other committees to support SCGC's strategy with regard to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice for its members and the communities we serve.
Setareh Zandihaghighi (she/her) is a bilingual Iranian American genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics at Providence in Southern California. Born and raised in Iran, she immigrated to the U.S. to pursue her education and completed her master’s in genetic counseling at the University of Michigan. In her current role, Setareh counsels patients from diverse backgrounds within a community hospital setting in Orange County, CA, providing care to individuals and families navigating hereditary cancer risk. She leads initiatives to improve same-day access to genetic counseling and integrate culturally responsive care models into clinical workflows. As an immigrant who has personally experienced navigating healthcare and cultural disparities, Setareh brings a nuanced understanding of how inequities shape both patient experiences and professional opportunities. Her experiences have anchored her commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in genetic counseling, ensuring that every patient, regardless of background, has access to care that is meaningful, trustworthy, and responsive to their needs. Beyond her clinical practice, she is passionate about leveraging emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to reduce disparities in access, interpretation, and patient outcomes. A key pillar of her work focuses on implementing emerging technologies to create culturally responsive pathways that promote not only equal access to care but also equal usefulness and trust among diverse patient populations. Through the SCGC DEIJ Committee, Setareh hopes to help advance collective learning, cross-collaboration, and structural accountability across the organization. She aims to support initiatives that transform DEIJ work from awareness into measurable action, whether through workshops, accessible educational resources, or data-driven strategies that identify and address inequities in our regional practice. She envisions the committee as a resource and support system for those in the field who feel unseen and unheard, providing a platform to ask for resources, share insights, and foster collaboration. Ultimately, she hopes to contribute to building a professional community where belonging is reflected not only in representation but also in impact, enhancing the community of genetic counselors and improving patient care.
DEI
Co-Chair
Anusha Vaidyanathan
The DEI committee is responsible for representing the voices of diverse genetic counselors and serving in an advisory capacity in developing, implementing, and collaborating with other committees to support SCGC's strategy with regard to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice for its members and the communities we serve.
Anusha works clinically in hereditary cancer genetics and supports mentorship and training within the profession. She is dedicated to fostering spaces where genetic counselors feel connected, supported, and represented. Throughout her career, Anusha has been actively involved in leadership and advocacy. She served as Chair of the Professional Issues Committee and Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee for the Texas Society of Genetic Counselors, contributing to initiatives that promote inclusion and professional growth. Since 2024, she has been a member of the DEI Committee for the Southern California Genetic Counselors, and as of August 2025, she serves as Interim Co-Chair. Anusha lives in beautiful Orange County, where she enjoys spending time with family and friends.