Instructors

Our students work closely with instructors from a variety of departments across the Columbia University Irving Medical Center campus, representing a broad range of interests and expertise. 

Genetic Counselors

Yakira Begun, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Fieldwork Supervisor: Pediatric Genetics (General Genetics, Inpatient Genetics)

Yakira is originally from Toronto, Canada and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. As a genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics, she works with children and families with inherited disorders and is committed to providing high quality care for all patients. Yakira's graduate research focused on genetic counseling education, an area that remains a strong interest and passion of hers. 

 

Sara Berger, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Fieldwork Supervisor: Pediatric Genetics (General Genetics)

Sara completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics and her clinical work focuses on genetic disorders of childhood. Sara is the lead coordinator of the Variant Reinterpretation Stakeholder Study (VRiSS), developing recommendations and policies about issues surrounding genetic variant reclassification.

 

Carina Bertolini, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology and Obstetrics & Gynecology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Reproductive Genetics, Lab-Based Genetic Counseling

Carina is originally from Columbus, Ohio and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Columbia University. She is a genetic counselor in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine and provides care for women and their partners in the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics. Carina is a member of the Interdepartmental Genetic Counseling Program, bridging the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the Precision Genomics Laboratory.

 

Kelsie Bogyo, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology and Medicine

Fieldwork Supervisor: Adult Genetics (Nephrology Genetics), Lab-Based Genetic Counseling

Research Supervisor

Kelsie is originally from California and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and provides both clinical and research services for the Center for Precision Medicine and Genomics, which aims to integrate precision medicine into medical care for adult constitutional disorders. Kelsie is a member of the Interdepartmental Genetic Counseling Program, bridging the Department of Medicine and the Precision Genomics Laboratory.

 

Brenna Boyd, MS, CGC
Research Genetic Counselor, Department of Pediatrics

Brenna is originally from Montana and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the University of Washington in Seattle. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and as part of the GUARDIAN and eMERGE study teams, she supports the research assistants, manages data, and directly interacts with families to return results and support follow-up. Brenna is passionate about expanding access to research and care for people from underserved populations, as well as advocating for inclusive practices and flexible approaches to address disparities in research participation. 

 

Charlotte Close, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Course Director: Professional Formation
Fieldwork Supervisor: Pediatric Genetics (General Genetics)

Charlotte is originally from Illinois and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics. Charlotte’s graduate research focused on genetic counselors’ attitudes towards cystic fibrosis therapeutics and she continues to be interested in cystic fibrosis care.

 

 

Daniela Diaz Caro, MS, CGC
Research Genetic Counselor, Department of Neurology

Daniela is originally from Trujillo, Peru and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Stanford University. She is a research genetic counselor with the Información de la Enfermedad de Alzheimer de Latinos (IDEAL) study, investigating the impact of APOE genetic testing in Latinx communities of Northern Manhattan. Daniela is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

 

Michele Disco, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology and Pediatrics

Fieldwork Supervisor: Pediatric Genetics (Inpatient Genetics), Lab-Based Genetic Counseling

Michele is originally from New Hampshire and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor with expertise in inherited disorders of childhood, specifically dermatologic and craniofacial genetics. Michele is a member of the Interdepartmental Genetic Counseling Program, bridging inpatient consultation and the Precision Genomics Laboratory. She is currently a member of the Community Outreach Committee of the New York State Genetics Task Force.

 

Kris Engelstad, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Neurology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Pediatric Genetics (Neurogenetics)

Kris completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor involved in several areas of research, including natural history studies, clinical trials, a patient contact registry, and biobank for people with mitochondrial disorders. Kris aims to educate individuals and families about disease-specific genetic issues so they can make informed choices about genetic testing and family planning.

 

Molly Fitzpatrick, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Fieldwork Supervisor: Pediatric Genetics (General Genetics)

Molly is originally from Philadelphia and completed her graduate education at Rutgers University. She is a genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics, working primarily with genetic disorders of childhood. Molly’s graduate research focused on aspects of cancer genetic counseling that are influenced by changes made to testing guidelines and criteria.

 

Katie Foudy, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Medicine

Fieldwork Supervisor: Cancer Genetics

Katie is originally from New Jersey and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology and works with adults living with or at risk for familial cancer syndromes. Her research interests include utilization of whole exome sequencing to provide more precise diagnoses for individuals and families. 

 

Stephanie Galloway, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Reproductive Genetics

Stephanie is originally from South Carolina and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the University of South Carolina. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and provides care for women and their partners in the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics. Stephanie also serves as a research coordinator in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine.

 

 

Jessica Giordano, MS, CGC
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Course Director: Facilitating Education and Decision-Making (co-director)
Course Facilitator: Process Group 1/2/3

Research Supervisor

Jessica is originally from New York and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College with a research focus in public health genomics and newborn screening. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor managing multiple research projects in reproductive genetics, including utilizing exome/genome sequencing for structurally abnormal fetuses with the goal of communicating results to families that can impact their clinical management and reproductive decision-making. 

 

Jill Goldman, MS, MPhil, CGC
Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Neurology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Adult Genetics (Neurogenetics)

Research Supervisor

Jill completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the University of California Berkeley. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor at The Taub Institute at Columbia where she specializes in hereditary neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal degeneration, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. Jill created and coordinates “A Friend for Rachel," a companionship program in which people with early to moderate dementia are paired with Columbia students.

 

Edwin Guzman, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Edwin completed his genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College.  He is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics, specializing in genetic disorders of childhood and craniofacial disorders. Edwin is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

 

 

Ellie Harrington, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Neurology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Adult Genetics (Neurogenetics)

Research Supervisor

Elizabeth completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Stanford University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor working with adults living with neurologic disorders. Elizabeth worked previously as a biochemical genetics research fellow at the National Institutes of Health, her current clinical and research focus is motor neuron diseases.

 

Kimberly Hilfrank, MS, MPH, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Medicine

Course Facilitator: Clinical Encounters 1/2
Fieldwork Supervisor: Cancer Genetics

Kimberly is originally from Massachusetts and completed both a masters in public health and her genetic counseling graduate education at the University of Michigan. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases and works with adults living with or at risk for familial cancer syndromes. Kimberly is interested in increasing access to genetic medicine for all communities. 

 

Dhriti Jagannathan, MS, CGC
Genetic Counselor, Irving Institute

Course Director: The Human Body: Structure and Function 1/2 (co-director)

Dhriti is originally from South India and grew up in Minnesota. She completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the University of Minnesota. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and works as a program manager for the Precision Medicine Resource in the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research.

 

Carrie Koval-Burt, MS, CGC
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Medicine

Fieldwork Supervisor: Cancer Genetics

Carrie completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Northwestern University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. She provides cancer risk evaluation, genetic counseling, and risk-reduction education for individuals who have cancer or are concerned about their risks of developing cancer. Carrie works with underserved communities and her research interests include newborn screening pilot programs. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

Natalie Lippa, MS, CGC
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Medicine

Fieldwork Supervisor: Adult Genetics (Cardiogenetics)

Natalie is originally from Toronto, Canada, and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has experience with lysosomal storage disease clinical research. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Cardiology, where she works with individuals and fmailies with inherited cardiology disorders. 

 

Meg Menzel, MS, CGC, HEC-C
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics

Course Director: Ethical Consideration in Genetics and Genomics
Course Facilitator: Clinical Encounters 1/2

Meg is originally from the Washington, DC area and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and an ASBH certified Healthcare Ethics Consultant. Meg has extensive experience working in clinical fetal medicine and ethics, and has served as both the associate director of the Ethics program and co-chair of the clinical ethics committee at Children's National Hospital. She is passionate about the integration of ethics in genetic counseling education and practice.

 

Maureen Mulhern, MS, MAT, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology and Neurology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Pediatric Genetics (Neurogenetics), Adult Genetics (Neurogenetics), Lab-Based Genetic Counseling

Maureen is originally from New Jersey and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has previous experience working as a research genetic counselor at the Institute for Genomic Medicine, as well as a middle and high school science teacher. Maureen is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and part of the Interdepartmental Genetic Counseling Program at Columbia, bridging the gap between the neurology clinics and the Precision Genomics Laboratory. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

Aisha Rekab, MSc, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Course Director: Applied Genetic Counseling 1/2
Fieldwork Supervisor: Pediatric Genetics (General Genetics)

Aisha is originally from Vancouver, Canada. She completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College and received a master’s in pathology and molecular medicine with a focus in cancer genetics from Queen’s University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Clinical Genetics. Aisha’s graduate research focused on the implementation of telegenetics during the COVID-19 pandemic and she continues to be interested in increasing access to genetic services for all communities. She is proficient in French.

 

Anya Revah Politi, MS, CGC
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Neurology

Course Director: Translational Genomics

Anya is originally from Mexico City and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Boston University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Department of Neurology as part of a new Precision Neurotherapeutics Program. The goal of this program is to identify patients with neurogenetic conditions who have pathogenic variants that are amenable potential genetic therapy development. Anya is trilingual in English, Spanish, and French.

 

 

Megan Soucy, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology and Ophthalmology

Fieldwork Supervisor: Adult Genetics (Ophthalmology Genetics), Lab-Based Genetic Counseling

Megan completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and part of the Interdepartmental Genetic Counseling Program at Columbia, bridging the Ophthalmology Department and the Precision Genomics Laboratory.

 

Erica Spiegel, MS, CGC
Assistant Professor of Genetic Counseling, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Course Director: Reproductive Genetic Counseling
Fieldwork Supervisor: Reproductive Genetics

Erica completed her genetic counseling graduate education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine and her work is focused on the integration of emerging technologies into clinical care within the field of reproductive genetics. Erica is passionate about providing high-quality care to women and families in the setting of fetal anomalies and suspected genetic diagnoses. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

Leyla Tabanfar, MS, CGC
Genetic Counselor, Department of Pediatrics

Fieldwork Supervisor: Cancer Genetics

Leyla is from Canada and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. Leyla provides care in the genetics clinic at Columbia and the cancer genetics clinic at both Lawrence Hospital and Hudson Valley Hospital. She is bilingual in English and Farsi.

 

Alexandra Tinfow, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Course Facilitator: Process Group 1/2/3
Fieldwork Supervisor: Reproductive Genetics

Research Supervisor

Alexandra is originally from New Jersey and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Columbia University. She is an ABGC-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine and provides care for women and their partners in the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics, as well as supporting various research studies in reproductive genetics. Alexandra's graduate research focused on the establishment of evidence-based protocols for the post-test evaluation of high-risk and inconclusive non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) results. 

 

Joanna Urli, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Course Director: Foundations of Human Genetics
Fieldwork Supervisor: Reproductive Genetics, Cancer Genetics

Joanna is originally from New York and completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Boston University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine and provides care for women and their partners in the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics, as well as within the Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) Program. Joanna's graduate research focused on diversifying the genetic counseling profession, and her clinical interests include increasing access to genetic services. She is currently a member of the Community Outreach Committee of the New York State Genetics Task Force.

 

Natalie Vena, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Medicine

Fieldwork Supervisor: Adult Genetics (Nephrology Genetics)

Research Supervisor

Natalie completed her genetic counseling graduate education at Boston University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Institute of Genomic Medicine and the Division of Nephrology. Natalie’s clinical focus is the genetics of adult kidney disease and her research interests include the annotation and curation of genetic variants in the setting of Mendelian diseases, as well as the return of genetic/genomic test results.

 

Lisa Weingarten, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Fieldwork Supervisor: Pediatric Genetics (General Genetics)

Lisa is originally from Toronto, Canada and completed her graduate education at Brandeis University. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor in the Division of Molecular Genetics, working with children, adults, and families with a variety of indications. Lisa is also involved in research, focusing on the patient experience of genetic counseling and testing. She is currently evaluating the psychosocial impact of prenatal genome sequencing as part of the PrenatalSEQ study.

 

Ashley Wilson, MS, CGC
Lecturer in Genetic Counseling, Department of Pediatrics

Course Director: Introduction to Genetic Counseling; Risk Assessment and Genetic Testing (co-director)

Ashley is originally from Canada and completed her graduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. She is an ABGC board-certified genetic counselor and has been involved in the education of medical and dental students at Columbia, as well as teaching and training genetic residents and genetic counseling students. Ashley has worked with the Simons Searchlight study, targeting single-gene causes of neurodevelopmental disorders, and is a consultant for the New York Genome Center.

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Geneticists

Caitlin Baptiste, MD
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Maternal & Fetal Medicine

Dr. Baptiste is an ABMGG and ABOG board-certified clinical geneticist who provides cares for families with genetic disease throughout their reproductive years. Her clinical and research interests include preconception counseling for genetic disorders, care for people with genetic disorders during pregnancy and pregnancies with a genetic diagnosis. Dr. Baptiste attended medical school at Emory University School of Medicine and completed an OB/GYN residenct and subspecialty fellowship training in Maternal Fetal Medicine and Medical Genetics and Genomics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

 

Alejandro Iglesias, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics

Dr. Iglesias is an an ABMGG board-certified clinical and biochemical geneticist with clinical expertise in inherited metabolic disorders, neurogenetics, and dysmorphology. In his role as Director of the Inherited Metabolic Program he is deeply involved in all aspects related with the diagnosis, management and overall care of patients and families with these disorders. Dr. Iglesias has been actively involved in all developments associated with newborn screening for Krabbe disease and Pompe disease and is the Program Director of the CUIMC Medical Genetics Residency program. He is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

Brynn Levy, MSc (Med), PhD
Professor of Pathology & Cell Biology

Originally trained as a genetic counselor in South Africa, Dr. Levy is an ABMGG board-certified laboratory geneticist. He is the Medical Director of the Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory at New York Presbyterian Hospital and a Co-Director of the Division of Personalized Genomics in the Department of Pathology & Cell Biology. Dr. Levy is an international expert in the clinical utility of genomic technologies in reproductive medicine. His research includes early prenatal screening using fetal cells and cell-free fetal DNA, PGD, and the etiology of recurrent miscarriage. 

 

Gustavo Maegawa, MD, PhD 
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics

Dr. Maegawa is an ABMGG board-certified clinical geneticist in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics. His areas of expertise include clinical genetics and genomics, and his reseach is focused on lysosomal storage disorders. Dr. Maegawa attended medical school at Federal University of Paraná Medical School in Brazil, completed a Pediatric residency at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and a Genetics and Genomics fellowship at The Hospital For Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario. 

 

Lakshmi Mehta, MD, FACMG
Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics

Dr. Mehta is an ABMGG board-certified clinical geneticist in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics. Her areas of expertise include clinical genetics and genomics. With a focus on treating children, Dr. Mehta offers comprehensive services in the field of genetics and genomics, utilizing advanced technologies to provide personalized care

 

 

Hila Milo Rasouly, PhD, MSc
Assistant Professor of Medical Science, Department of Medicine

Research Supervisor

Originally trained as a genetic counselor in Israel, Dr. Milo Rasouly completed her PhD in Genetics and Genomics at Boston University. Her career goal is to combine research and genetic counseling to perform translational research by recruiting patients in the clinic, identifying causative genes and performing research to better understand the molecular mechanisms of renal disorders. The focus of her research is to ultimately translate results from the lab to the clinic to provide better patient care.

 

J. Andrés Morales Corado, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics

Research Supervisor

Dr. Morales Corado is an ABMGG board-certified clinical geneticist in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics. His areas of expertise include clinical genetics and genomics, as well as biochemical genetics. Dr. Morales Corado attended medical school at Universidad de San Carlos Facultad de Ciencias Medicas in Guatemala. He completed a Pediatrics residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in New York and a Medical Genetics & Genomics Residency at Stanford University.

 

Elaine Pereira, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Genetics

Dr. Pereira is an ABMGG board-certified clinical geneticist who provides care for children and adults with a variety of genetic conditions. Her main areas of interest are the genetic causes of congenital heart disease, congenital hearing loss, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), and Marfan syndrome. Dr. Pereira attended medical school at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed a Pediatrics residency at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore.

 

Ronald Wapner, MD
Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Maternal & Fetal Medicine

Dr. Wapner is an ABMGG and ABOG board-certified clinical geneticist. He has participated in or led randomized trials evaluating genetic prenatal diagnostic and screening technologies for several decades. His most recent work evaluated the role of expanded pan-ethnic carrier screening in prenatal care, which presented the largest experience of such testing to date and demonstrated racial and ethnic consequences in the screening recommendations, presently in practice. Dr. Wapner is currently involved in evaluating the use of whole-exome sequencing in structurally normal and abnormal fetuses.