Genetic Testing is Not Just About the Science: Why Ethics Matters, Too with Kelly Ormond, MS, CGC

In this session, Professor Ormond will provide a review of biomedical ethics principles, reminding attendees of the ways they can be used to evaluate new technologies and their applications. Next, she will present a short overview of some classic areas where ethical issues have arisen in genetic testing situations. Finally, given the rapidly changing technologies and clinical translation in this area, she will discuss some new areas where genetics scientists and clinicians can start thinking about ethical issues that their work may raise.

Level of Instruction: Intermediate

Only the live session qualifies for CEUs but when possible, we host the recordings on our website and NSGC recommends participants to use their personal email instead of work email addresses to ensure they receive their CEU certificates.

Ambry Genetics is approved as a provider for continuing education program by NSGC and ASCLS P.A.C.E ® Program.

Kelly Ormond, MS, CGC | Presenter

Clinical Professor, Dept of Genetics
Research Director, MS Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling
Faculty, Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics (SCBE)
Stanford University

Kelly Ormond is a genetic counselor (US ABGC certified) and ELSI researcher. She received her MS in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University (1994) and a post- graduate certificate in Clinical Medical Ethics from the MacLean Center at the University of Chicago (2001). She joined the Health Ethics and Policy Lab as a Senior Scientist in February 2021, and maintains a part time position as Clinical Professor in the Department of Genetics at Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, California, USA .

Prior to joining ETH, Kelly practiced as a clinical genetic counselor in the United States for >25 years, gaining experience in reproductive genetics, teratology, pediatric/medical genetics, adult neurogenetics, cancer genetics and primary care applications of genetic testing. She has spent over 20 years educating MS level genetic counselors as the training program director at Northwestern University (Chicago, IL 1999- 2007) and Stanford University (California 2007- 2020), including teaching courses in medical genetics, counseling skills, ethics and research skills. She continues to serve as the Director of Student Research for the Stanford MS in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling. She has served on appointed committees and boards for many US national genetics organizations (ASHG, NSGC, ACMG), and currently serves on the ESHG Program Committee.

While at Stanford, Kelly worked as a faculty member within the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics (SCBE), primarily participating in bioethics research about the intersection between genetics and ethics, particularly around the translation of new genetic technologies (such as genome sequencing, non- invasive prenatal diagnosis and gene editing) into clinical practice. She also served on the hospital ethics committee at Stanford from 2008- 2020. Kelly's recent research focuses on patient decision making, the role of uncertainty in decision making, consent and disclosure of genetic test results, personalized medicine, and the interface between genetics and disability.

You can find more information about Kelly's work here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=fyf_Vt4AAAAJ

Anna Leonenko, MS, GC | Moderator

Genomic Science Liaison, Ambry Genetics

Anna Leonenko joined Ambry in 2020 as the Oncology Genomic Science Liaison for the Northern California territory. She previously worked as a clinical genetic counselor at the Memorial Care Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California. In her current role, she serves as a clinical liaison for the field team to educate health care providers and key opinion leaders on genetic testing and genomic medicine. Anna received her Bachelors of Science degree in Genetics from Newcastle University in England going on to work at Oxford University Hospitals NHS trust in the Oxford Centre for Genomic Medicine. She earned her Masters of Science degree in Genetic Counseling from the University of California, Irvine.