Current ART-GC Students
Certified genetic counselors affiliated with the five consortium programs (University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Baylor College of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and University of Washington School of Medicine) are encouraged to apply.
Two genetic counselors from each site will be enrolled each year, creating a cohort of ten trainees yearly and a total of 40 trainees over the period of the grant. Applicants should have several years of experience in genetic counseling, including some research, and an interest in pursuing additional research at a higher level.
The first cohort of students started the program in fall 2023.
Baylor College of Medicine
Blake Vuocolo
Blake Vuocolo is from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She obtained a B.S. in neuroscience with certificates in African studies and European Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. Blake graduated from the Baylor College of Medicine genetic counseling program and is currently a research genetic counselor at Baylor College of Medicine. As part of her current research, she works with underrepresented patients throughout Texas who have undiagnosed, rare diseases. Blake is passionate about making genomic services accessible worldwide in a sustainable and culturally sensitive way. Outside of work, she enjoys baking, trying new restaurants, traveling, and spending time with her family and dogs.
Lauren Westerfield
Lauren Westerfield was born in Ohio and currently lives in Houston, TX. She received her B.S. in Psychology at Florida State University in 2007, and her M.S. in Genetic Counseling from the University of Pittsburgh in 2013. Her research interests include improving the fetal diagnostic workup by addressing gaps in phenotyping, gene-disease associations and phenotype expansions, and sequencing interpretation. She works as a reproductive genetic counselor at Baylor College of Medicine, where she is the lead genetic counselor at the Texas Children’s Hospital Fetal Center and coordinator with the PrenatalSEQ multi-center study for WES/WGS of fetuses with congenital anomalies. In addition to the Houston food and arts scene, she enjoys reading, crafting, and video games.
Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University
Liya Rabkina
Liya Rabkina graduated from the Northwestern University graduate program in genetic counseling in 2020 and became board certified later that year. She earned her bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Scripps College in 2017. Liya is currently practicing as a preconception genetic counselor at Igenomix, where she specializes in preimplantation genetic testing (PGT). Liya has a passion for translational research due to its potential to impact clinical care for her patients. During her time in the ART-GC program, she aims to advance knowledge in the preconception realm by investigating pediatric outcomes following the transfer of embryos with various PGT results. Liya resides in San Francisco. In her free time, she can be found jogging along the Embarcadero or cuddling with her kitten, Luna.
Jessica Young
Jessica Young is from Vancouver, Canada. She graduated from Simon Fraser University in 2016 with a BS in Biology and from Northwestern University with her MS in Genetic Counseling in 2021. After graduation, Jessica worked as a Pediatric Genetic Counselor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In both her research and clinical work, Jessica’s main goal as a genetic counselor is to mitigate health disparities for underserved and at-risk communities by increasing access to genetic services and providing equitable care. In her free time, Jessica enjoys traveling, baking, reading, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Anna Raper
Anna Raper graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008 with a major in Biological Basis of Behavior and minor in English. She was a clinical research coordinator on drug trials for lipid disorders for several years before attending Arcadia University where she received a MS in Genetic Counseling in 2016. Since then, she has worked at Penn Medicine in the Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics as a clinical and research genetic counselor. Anna would like to help increase access to genetic testing and study the patient and provider impact of this testing in the Cures Act era. Apart from her work, Anna enjoys walking, movies/TV, radio, concerts and spending time with friends and family.
Alyssa Rippert
Alyssa Rippert graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and minor in Psychology. She then attended the University of Cincinnati Genetic Counseling Program and graduated with a Master of Science in Medical Genetics in 2016. Alyssa has been a genetic counselor with the Division of Human Genetics and Division of Cardiology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia since 2016. As a member of the Cardiomyopathy Genetics Clinic, her research efforts have included characterizing rare genetic causes of, evaluating the diagnostic yield of comprehensive genetic testing in, and variant burden and outcomes in pediatric cardiomyopathy. Her current research interests include outcomes and disease severity in RASopathies, particularly evaluating predictors of cardiac and neurodevelopmental outcomes and clinical severity scale development for Noonan syndrome. Alyssa enjoys baking, going to Phillies games, and reading in her free time.
University of Washington School of Medicine
Madilyn Head
Madilyn Head began her research journey at the University of Montana, contributing to evolutionary genetics, cellular biology, and immunology focused projects. Inspired by the altruistic nature of research, she pursued a degree in genetic counseling from the University of Washington, where she conducted a qualitative analysis regarding implementing a hereditary breast and ovarian cancer risk assessment in primary care. This experience deepened her interest in the intersection of public health and genetic counseling, and she hopes to enhance accessibility through broader education initiatives in public health and primary care. Madilyn will be working with the Washington State Department of Health, assessing primary care providers' knowledge and educational needs regarding hereditary cancer syndromes, ultimately contributing to the integration of genetics in primary care. Alongside her work, Madilyn finds solace in exploring the wonders of the Pacific Northwest and beyond, seeking new experiences and perspectives with her friends and family. When not on an adventure, you can find her curled up with her beloved cats (Mer & Matilda Blair), engrossed in a book, indulging in her never-ending movie-list, or collaging—her current creative obsession.
Juliet Torres
Juliet Torres is from Chicago, Illinois. In 2019, she obtained her B.A. Biology from Grinnell College. Her research experiences ignited her passion for combining research and genetic counseling. Juliet’s projects at the Anne & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center focused on Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome. In 2023, Juliet completed her M.S. in Genetic Counseling at the University of Washington. She will be a Fellow at the University of Washington’s Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases providing genetic counseling services and leading a research project. In her free time, Juliet enjoys weightlifting, hiking, and spending time with her loved ones.
Vanderbilt University College of Medicine
Kelsey Hazelberg
Kelsey Hazelberg is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. Kelsey received their Master’s in Genetic Counseling from Vanderbilt University in 2023, and their bachelor’s in biology and philosophy at Mount Mary University in 2017. Kelsey is passionate about engaging in research that amplifies the voices and experiences of LGBTQIA2S+ people. Kelsey’s current research focuses on the experiences of Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender Expansive individuals in reproductive healthcare. Kelsey works as a genetic counselor at Vanderbilt and sees patients in the Genomics and Therapeutics Clinic and Prenatal clinics. In her free time, Kelsey enjoys gardening, cooking and camping.
Jill Slamon
Jill Slamon is a Senior Associate faculty in Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Vanderbilt School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. She is also the founding Assistant Program Director of the Vanderbilt University Master of Genetic Counseling Program. Jill has over 10 years of clinical experience in reproductive and prenatal genetic counseling. She also has 20 years of teaching and curricular design experience. Jill earned a Bachelor of Science from the Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University. She then earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from National Louis University and a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. Her research project will focus on standardizing assessment tools for genetic counseling education and training. Jill lives in Nashville with her wife, Alison, and their two children: Ivy, 7 and Arlo, 5