Genetic Counselor

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC)'s Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, in partnership with the Department of OBGYN, is seeking to recruit a genetic counselor to join its Inter-Departmental Genetic Counselor Program. The IDGCP program, managed through the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, is seeking a highly motivated Genetic Counselor to join the Division of Women's Genetics as a research / clinical genetic counselor. Women's Genetics includes a team of genetic counselors and coordinators led by a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist / Geneticist, a research genetic counselor manager, and a clinical genetic counselor manager. Members of Women's Genetics at Columbia have been at the forefront of discovery and implementation of reproductive genetic technologies for women and their pregnancies. Many of these studies have appeared in leading medical journals, changing obstetrical care and genetics practice.

The finalist for this position will provide clinical genetic counseling in Women's Genetics and act as a liaison between their clinical department and the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology's Laboratory of Personalized Genomic Medicine (PGM) to provide patient care and make our overarching goal of precision medicine a reality.

This individual will also support maternal-fetal genomic research and clinical initiatives under the Women's Genetics Center (WGC), a collaboration between the Department of OBGYN and the New York Genome Center, through clinical genetic counseling services and research related duties as assigned. The individual will additionally have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of ongoing research initiatives such as our NICHD funded, multi-center trial of prenatal genomic sequencing in stillbirth, recurrent loss, and no phenotype pregnancies.

The candidate will identify, recruit, and consent eligible participants; conduct visits as outlined in study protocols and in accordance with Good Clinical Practices (GCP) guidelines. They will perform research-related services such as data collection, data entry and transmission, specimen collection, processing and storing or shipment of specimens. They will ensure the appropriate tests, procedures and laboratory tests are completed. The candidate will collect data and complete case report forms for all study visits as required by the protocol and consistent with GCP, FDA / HHS, state and institutional regulations.

The candidate will also see patients in the Division of Women's Genetics for a variety of clinical indications including fetal anomalies, positive / inconclusive NIPT, carrier couples, preconception counseling, recurrent pregnancy loss, family history, personal or family history of gynecological cancer and other indications. Successful candidates will work in a multi-disciplinary manner with other CUIMC providers and be expected to collaborate effectively as a member of the health care team. This represents a unique opportunity for a genetic counselor interested in both the provision of excellent clinical care and supporting research in the expansion and translation of genomics in women's health.

Successful candidates will work in a multi-disciplinary manner with other CUIMC providers and have the ability to collaborate effectively as a member of the health care team. This represents a unique opportunity for clinically oriented genetic counselors to operate in an interdisciplinary intellectual community with close links to both the clinical laboratories and research counselors and genomicists of the PGM.

Responsibilities

• Under limited supervision, provide genetic counseling to patients and family members
• Conduct intake screening, risk assessment, explain nature and scope of testing procedures
• Act as a liaison between the clinical department and the molecular diagnostic laboratory
• Support the clinical testing services of the PGM laboratory by assisting in the interpretation of test results.
• Communicate results to patients and families and write summary reports
• Develop and present in-service education to physicians and other health care providers as it relates to PGM test availability, TAT, requirements and limitations
• Attend and participate in professional meetings and directed educational opportunities, and have an active role in the drafting of manuscripts and publication of findings
• Participate in other educational, research, and academic service programs in the Department in accordance with the wishes of the department chair.
• Develop and implement novel protocols in collaboration with PIs, Co-Is, and the genetic counseling team
• Under limited supervision, provide reproductive genetic counseling to a diverse group of obstetric and preconception patients referred due to family histories of genetic disease, abnormal screening results, fetal anomalies, prior affected pregnancies, complex multifetal gestations and those seeking invasive diagnostic testing (CVS and amniocentesis).
• Work as part of a cutting-edge multidisciplinary team including Maternal Fetal Medicine, pediatric specialists, and the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics in the care of patients with fetal malformations.
• Coordinate the ordering of and counsel patients on clinical genetic / genomic screens and diagnostic tests
• Screen, recruit, and consent eligible patients for reproductive genomic research studies with a specific focus on initiatives related to the Women's Genetics Center
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires a Masters' degree in Genetic Counseling and least 1 year of experience
• Board certified as a Genetic Counselor by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC)

Preferred Qualifications

• Spanish speaking
• Experience in clinical research
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills
• Ability to exercise initiative and judgment
• Flexibility and openness and ability to adapt to change
• Team player with ability to thrive in busy workplace environment
• Ability to think and write clearly and to edit materials accurately
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize tasks while maintaining responsibility for timely execution
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office : Word, PowerPoint, and Excel

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.