Congratulations to our GC Program 2023 Graduates!

You willingly stood at the tumultuous intersection of genetics and society, learning the principles of biomedical ethics and how to apply them both in a clinic and more broadly with the evolving application of genetics and genomics beyond the individual healthcare encounter. You learned the guiding principles of public health and how they inform the scaling of genetic and genomic services, including the development of services in areas currently under-resourced, all the while walking the tightrope between improving health for communities and resurfacing the dark shadows of the eugenics movement, during which personal choice and individual values were subjugated to the overriding ‘expertise’ of others who thought they knew better. Through research that amplifies the voices of people living with genetic conditions, explores facilitators of diversity and inclusion in genetic counseling practice, and fosters improved understanding of the integration of genetics into the practice of medicine more broadly. Each of you is already working to improve access to genetics and genomics for individuals, families, and communities. This work is vital and I have no doubt that you all will be leaders and champions of these efforts moving forward.

Warmly,

Amanda Laura Bergner, MS, LCGC

Associate Professor of Genetic Counseling 
Department of Genetics and Development
Columbia University Irving Medical Center