Trainee Newsletter

One needs only to re-watch that famous scene in the classic movie The Princess Bride to see that the concept of poison can be as fascinating as it is deadly. The term “poison” evokes a killer chemical made by human hands, but most poisons are actually naturally occurring, such as the tetrodotoxin (TTX) found in... Read More

As the U.S. and other countries rally to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, genetics remains front and center. Here, we discuss four points about COVID-19 that every genetics trainee should know. Point 1: Genetics is Central to COVID-19 Testing. Testing is not only central to the diagnosis of patients presenting with symptoms but... Read More

National DNA Day, designated as April 25th by the 108th U.S. Congress, celebrates the DNA double helix discovery of 1953 and the completion of the human genome project as two of the most significant scientific accomplishments in the past 100 years. ASHG has a long tradition of celebrating DNA day through a variety of individual... Read More

Nascent Transcript Author: Allison McCague, PhD In June of 2019, H.R. 3235, the “Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act of 2019” was introduced in the House of Representatives. For the genetic counseling community, the passage of this legislation would represent a landmark achievement for access to genetic counseling services, but the bill has yet to move... Read More

Nascent Transcript Author: Anna Miller With “Stay at Home” orders in effect and the slow process of reopening, we spoke with Simona Mkrtschjan, a Clinical Social Worker at Case Western Reserve University, in late April about navigating our mental health. Some people struggle with feeling like they’re not accomplishing enough each day. How do we... Read More