CAGCC

Inaugural Educational Conference

This year’s theme is STRONGER TOGETHER, highlighting the very first joint conference between the Northern California and Southern California genetic counseling communities.

GENERAL INFORMATION

2757 Shell Beach Rd, Pismo Beach, CA 93449

Wi-Fi Name: Cliffs Groups

No Password Required

Schedule of Events

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th, 2025

5:30 PM Welcome Reception Starts

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th, 2025

8:00 AM Registration Opens + Breakfast

8:45 AM Opening Remarks

Stacey Wong, MS, CGC; Heather Tabery, MS, CGC; Rebecca LeShay Araujo, MS, CGC

9:00 AM Genetic Counseling : A Generation of Innovation

Bill Herbert, MS, CGC; Carrie Haverty, MS, CGC; Amie Blanco, MS, CGC

10:00 AM Morning break

10:30 AM From Data to Diagnosis: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Exome and Genome Interpretation

Abby Sassaman, MS, CGC; Kirsten Kelly, MS, CGC

11:30AM MAVEs Demystified: What They Are and Why They Matter

Colin Young, PhD

12:30 PM Lunch + Group Photo

2:00 PM Student Research Platform Presentations

Recent GC Program Graduates

3:00 PM Enhancing Psychosocial Assessments in Genetic Counseling

Chloe Reuter, MS, CGC; MaryAnn Campion, EdD, MS, CGC; Tia Moscarello, MS, CGC; Elizabeth Pollard, MS, CGC; Kayla Ruiz, MS, CGC

4:15 PM Afternoon Break

4:30 PM Support for Siblings of Those with Genetic Diseases

Victoria Suslovitch, MS, CGC

5:15 PM Announcements

5:30 PM Evening Reception Starts

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th, 2025

8:00 AM Breakfast

8:15 AM California Genetic Counseling Training Program Updates

Rebecca Araujo, MS, CGC; Andrea Hanson-Kahn, MS, CGC; Katia Dergham, MS, CGC; Stephanie Gandomi, MS, CGC; Pamela Flodman, MS, CGC

9:00 AM Telomere Biology Disorders Through the Lifespan

Misha Rashkin, MS, CGC

9:30 AM Lauren Ryan Memorial Talk: Partnering with Latina Promotoras to Advance Equitable Access to Genetic Services, Cancer Education, and Cancer Care

Guadalupe Carvajal, MS, CGC

10:00 AM Taking the Alternative Out of Alternative Service Delivery: Creating Equitable Access to Genetic Services in a Community Hospital System

Allison Wong, MS, CGC; Setareh Zandihaghighi, MS, CGC

10:30 AM Morning break

11:00 AM Gene Curation in a Rapid Genome Sequencing Laboratory

Rishona Lavy, MS, CGC

11:30 AM Long Read Testing and Opportunities for Genomic Research

Rebekah Barrick, MS, CGC

12:15 PM Living with Alport Syndrome

Dyer Crouch

12:45 PM Closing Remarks

Stacey Wong, MS, CGC; Heather Tabery, MS, CGC

*The National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) has authorized SCGC Southern California Genetic Counselors and NCCGC Northern California Coalition of Genetic Counselors to offer up to 1 CEUs or 10 Category 1 contact hours for the activity CAGCC Inaugural Education Conference 2025: Stronger Together!. The American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) will accept CEUs earned at this program for the purposes of genetic counselor recertification.

Student Research Platform Presentations

From Diagnosis to Decision: A Nationwide Qualitative Study on Patients with ALS' Experiences with Medical Aid in Dying

Lindsey Young (Keck Graduate Institute)

A Multi-method Study Exploring Primary Caregiver Decision-making Regarding Commercially Available Gene Therapy for the Treatment of Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)

Joanna Paul (Augustana University)

Do Imposter Feelings Contribute to Maladaptive Work Behaviors Among Genetic Counselors?

Mia Dragich (Case Western Reserve University)

Big Five Personality Traits and Burnout Among Genetic Counselors

Anya Fields (Keck Graduate Institute)

Between Science and Spirit: Genetic Counselors Speak on the Highs and Lows of Religious and Spiritual Conversations

Amber Yelvington Sher (Keck Graduate Institute)

What "Some People” Do: Genetic Counseling Students’ Negotiation of Non-directiveness When Communicating Medically Actionable Results

Emily Huang (Stanford University)

Optimizing Pharmacogenomics Workflows: Evaluating Clinical Service Delivery Models

Emily Huang (Stanford University)