📅 Mark Your Calendar for These Exciting Upcoming Events!
Upcoming Webinars:
Genetic Counseling and Policy
Date: Tuesday, April 8th 2025
Speaker: Jennifer Lieb, MS, CGC
GINA Discussion
Date: Wednesday, May 14th 2025
Speaker: Professor Anya Prince (Iowa College of Law)
Family health beliefs and cascade genetic testing in Asian families with hereditary cancer risk: “Okay, now what?”
Date: Friday, June 13th 2025
Speaker: Leena Tran, MS, CGC
Raising awareness and education of genetic testing and counseling through fotonovelas among Latina women at risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer
Date: Monday, July 28th 2025
Speaker: Clara Barajas, PhD
Cardio-Genetics
Date: Friday, August 29th 2025
Speakers: Judith Fan, MS, CGC & Eugene King H. Wong, MSc, CGC

Attending ACMG 2025 in
Los Angeles? 🥂
Spend some time with old friends and make a few new ones at our SCGC Meet-Up on Wednesday, March 19th at 7pm. Look for our SCGC Board Members at Native Son, just an 18 minute walk from the LA Convention Center!
📍 832 South Olive Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014
SAVE THE DATE! 🤝Joint Northern California Coalition of Genetic Counselors x Southern California Genetic Counselors Conference

On September 18-19th SCGC and NCCGC are meeting at the Cliffs Hotel and Spa in Pismo Beach for a joint education conference. Please join us for this two-day event full of learning and connection.

DEI Newsletter
Welcome to the DEI corner of our quarterly blog! We are excited to share resources, latest articles, and latest posters/platforms/achievements by our SCGC members. Please reach out to info@socalgc.org if you would like to share any of these with us for our next post (students as well!)
Resources:
NSGC 2025 J.E.D.I Awareness Calendar - Created by the 2022 NSGC Membership Equity & Inclusion Implementation (E.I.I.) Subcommittee with review and input from the 2023 J.E.D.I. Stewardship Committee, this resource includes a list of holidays and cultural celebrations and awareness dates that can be referred to when scheduling meetings or events and to build inclusivity across NSGC’s membership.
Trending Publications:
Miller, C., et al. (2025). Genetic testing results of retinal dystrophies in a diverse population: impact of race and ethnicity. Ophthalmic Genetics, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/13816810.2024.2446549
Summary: Current genetic testing for inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs)trends toward higher diagnostic yield and identification of P/LP variants in patients identifying as White compared to other races. In order to prevent negative impacts on access to gene-targeted trials and treatments for non-White patients, wider genetic testing in diverse populations is required to create comprehensive catalogs of gene variants associated with IRDs.
Tran, L. et al. (2025) Family health beliefs and cascade genetic testing in Asian families with hereditary cancer risk: “Okay, now what?” Journal of Genetic Counseling, https://doi.org/10.1002/jgc4.1891
Summary: This study represents an important contribution to the literature about cascade testing among an underrepresented group. Shared family health beliefs about genetic testing may be particularly relevant for this community and these findings can inform strategies to increase cascade genetic testing in Asian families.
Leena Tran MS, CGC will be hosting our June 13th webinar!
Calling All Volunteers! 🙋🏽♀️
Want to get more involved? SCGC is looking for interested volunteers to help achieve the goals of our organization. Check out our current volunteering opportunities:
If you have participated in our monthly webinars in the past or have an interest in genetic counseling education, the Education Committee is looking for volunteers! Please reach out to socalgceducation@gmail.com for more details about available volunteer opportunities.
Interested in connecting with more members across SCGC? The Membership Committee is looking for volunteers from the different regions of Southern California to assist in hosting local happy hours, social events, and community programming for the larger SCGC membership. If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to info@socalgc.org.

Introducing “The Fridge”
Do you and/or your colleague(s) have an accomplishment that deserves to be celebrated? Submit your accomplishments so the SCGC membership can put it on “The Fridge”! 🏆 Selected submissions will be featured in the next quarterly SCGC blog post.
Send us your reason to celebrate here: https://forms.gle/Fb957H2WS9f58ZRb9