Genetic Counselling

Over the past decade, advances in genomic medicine and genetic technology have been dramatic. Genetic counsellors have an integral role to play in helping patients and other healthcare professionals understand the options, benefits and limitations of this rapidly changing landscape. The University of British Columbia’s Genetic Counselling Program — the largest in Canada — is dedicated to equipping the next generation of genetic counsellors with the skills, knowledge and mindset to flourish as part of an inter-disciplinary team and work across a broad range of health care settings and specialties.

The program balances strong academic grounding, direct clinical experiences and independent research to prepare graduates for the dynamic field of genetic counselling. Academic coursework is concentrated in the first year of study, followed by a focus on experiential learning in the second year of study.

Name Research Interests
Arbour, Laura northern and aboriginal health issues as they pertain to genetics
Austin, Jehannine Clinical genetics (except cancer genetics); genetic counseling; genetics services; mental health; genetic counseling, genetics services, Mental health
Brown, Carolyn Applied Genetics; Chromosomes: Structure / Organization; DNA methylation; Epigenetic control of gene expression; Gene Regulation and Expression; Genes escaping X-chromosome inactivation; Long non-coding RNAs; X-chromosome inactivation; XIST RNA; Applied Genetics, Chromosomes: Structure / Organization, DNA methylation, Epigenetic control of gene expression, Gene Regulation and Expression, Genes escaping X-chromosome inactivation, Long non-coding RNAs, X-chromosome inactivation, XIST RNA
Conibear, Elizabeth Functional genomics; Membranes; Enzymes and Proteins; Vesicle Trafficking; Molecular Genetics; Neurodegenerative diseases; Protein Palmitoylation; Cell Signaling and Cancer; Functional Genomics, Membranes, Enzymes and Proteins, Vesicle Trafficking, Molecular Genetics, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Protein Palmitoylation, Cell Signaling and Cancer
Elliott, Alison rare disease; genomics; Congenital Malformations; Skeletal and limb anomalies; Genetic Counselling; Health services implementation science; Rare disease, Genomics, Congenital malformations, Skeletal and limb anomalies, Genetic counselling, Health services implementation science
Friedman, Jan Marshall Use of advanced genome sequencing technology in the diagnosis of genetic disease; Development of improved bioinformatics methods to identify disease-causing genomic variants; Characterization of local genetic ancestry from genomic data; Clinical genomics; Birth defects epidemiology; Clinical teratology; Use of advanced genome sequencing technology in the diagnosis of genetic disease, Development of improved bioinformatics methods to identify disease-causing genomic variants, Characterization of local genetic ancestry from genomic data, Clinical genomics, Birth defects epidemiology, Clinical teratology
Hayden, Michael Diabetes; Disease progression; Drug development; Gene Therapy; Genetic Diseases; Huntington disease; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurodegenerative disorders; Diabetes, Disease progression, Drug development, Gene therapy, Genetic Diseases, Huntington disease, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Neurodegenerative disorders
Lefebvre, Louis Developmental Genetics; developmental epigenetics; Embryonic Development; Gene Regulation and Expression; genomic imprinting; genomics; germ cell biology; Molecular Genetics; mouse developmental genetics; placental biology; Transgenic Model; Developmental Genetics, Developmental epigenetics, Embryonic Development, Gene Regulation and Expression, Genomic imprinting, Genomics, Germ cell biology, Molecular Genetics, Mouse developmental genetics, Placental biology, Transgenic Model
Marra, Marco Genetics; Epigenomics; Cancer biology; Genetics, Epigenomics, Cancer biology
Morin, Gregg Basic medicine and life sciences; Proteomics; Proteomics; mass spectrometry; RNA processing; Ribonucleoproteins; Splicing; Cancer; RNA sequencing
Robinson, Wendy Medical Genetics; Early (prenatal) human development; Placenta; Epigenetics; DNA methylation; Sex differences; Mosaicism; Medical Genetics, Early (prenatal) human development, Placenta, Epigenetics, DNA methylation, Sex differences, Mosaicism
Taubert, Stefan Aging; beta cells; C. elegans; Diabetes; Gene Regulation and Expression; Gene regulation; Genetics of Aging; genomics; Hypoxia; Metabolism; Molecular Genetics; Mouse; stress; Stress and Cancer; Stress responses; Toxin and Toxicant Metabolism; Transcription; Aging, Beta cells, C. elegans, Diabetes, Gene Regulation and Expression, Gene regulation, Genetics of Aging, Genomics, Hypoxia, Metabolism, Molecular Genetics, Mouse, Stress, Stress and Cancer, Stress responses, Toxin and Toxicant Metabolism, Transcription
Van Raamsdonk, Catherine cancer genetics; Developmental Genetics; Human Cancer Genetics; Melanocytes; Melanoma; Molecular Genetics; Mouse Genetics and Transgenesis; Oncogenesis; Pigmentation; Cancer Genetics, Developmental Genetics, Human Cancer Genetics, Melanocytes, Melanoma, Molecular Genetics, Mouse Genetics and Transgenesis, Oncogenesis, Pigmentation
Vilarino-Guell, Carles Genetic Diseases; multiple sclerosis; Neurological disorders; Neuromyelitis optica; Genetic Diseases, Multiple sclerosis, Neurological disorders, Neuromyelitis optica