Colleen Campbell, PhD, MS, CGC; Sophia Ceulemans, MS, CGC ; Sarah Bannon, MS, CGC
First, I would like to express my gratitude for the Annual Conference Program Committee and our staff team for all of their hard work putting together the Annual Conference. The planning process starts at least a full year before the conference, so this committee has been busy!
As summer is quickly flying by, I am thinking about the sessions I am looking forward to attending at this year’s Annual Conference and thought I would invite our Annual Conference Committee Chairs to join in me sharing what sessions they are excited about.
On calls I frequently find myself saying, “we should include this in the State of the Society address at the conference." I am really looking forward to sharing everything we have been working on with all of you during this year’s address. I am excited that our new strategic plan is coming together and on track to share with you during the State of the Society. I cannot wait for the session on the new genetic counselor CPT code that will launch in January, “Goodbye 96040, Hello 9X100: A Genetic Counseling CPT Code Update for All Genetic Counselors.” As someone who leads a team of genetic counselors, I think this session will be a really helpful session so we can start planning how to implement this new code. I’ve been excited about gene therapy this year and look forward to the session on “Ordering 'The Cure' With a Side of Trepidation: The Challenges of Gene Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease.” I am also looking forward to introducing you to a few of our colleagues from around the globe who are joining us for the Professional Issues Panel, and for you to hear from Sara Pirzadeh-Miller during her Incoming Presidential Address. And I can’t wait to walk through the inaugural SIG pavilion!
Don't miss out! Register now for the NSGC 2024 Annual Conference and take advantage of the July 26 early bird deadline.
From the Chairs:
Our conference theme this year, “Leading Beyond the Horizon,” is both an invitation to look toward the future, envisioning genetic innovation and healthcare, and a call to action for genetic counselors to be a guiding force in leading this forward movement. While this theme is woven across many sessions, several tackle this question directly. What does workplace genetic testing mean and what ought to be our role? How can genetic research be done more ethically? What is our role in regulating Laboratory Developed Tests? These are just some conversations we are excited about!
Members have expressed interest in advanced J.E.D.I. content, like implementation and integration. With this in mind, we are excited about a workshop on inclusive and accessible content writing, an educational breakout session (EBS) on PGT and its intersection with ableism and access, and an EBS on disability inclusivity.
We also enjoy a good pairing. To that end, we’ve selected several “pairings” that we are confident you will enjoy.
In between all these great sessions, we are very much looking forward to catching up with old friends and colleagues over beignets and chicory coffee, po’boys and gumbo. You might even catch us at the New Orleans Jazz Museum; Sophia’s sister, a trombonist, will be proud.
Colleen Campbell, PhD, MS, CGC Colleen Campbell, PhD, MS, CGC is the 2024 President of the National Society of Genetic Counselors. Colleen is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa.
Sophia Ceulemans, MS, CGC Sophia Ceulemans, MS, CGC is the 2024 Annual Conference Chair. Sophia is a pediatric clinical genetic counselor at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, CA.
Sarah Bannon, MS, CGC Sarah Bannon, MS, CGC is the 2024 Annual Conference Vice Chair. Sarah works as a genetic counselor on a whole genome sequencing protocol at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).