June 2010 Webinars

The NSGC Education Committee would like to assess the potential of using webinars as a format for future NSGC educational activities. In an effort to help evaluate this possibility, NSGC is offering two FREE pilots webinars in June 2010. We encourage our members to participate in them and provide us with feedback about how this format might best be used for NSGC educational activities.

These pilot webinars are made possible through the generous partnership of two sponsors, DiversityRx and LabCorp.

Please note: As these webinars are pilots, they will be free, but will not offer CEUs. If the NSGC Education Committee offers webinars in 2011, CEUs will be available for participants at that time.

Challenges in Genetic Counseling Encounters

Monday June, 14, 2010 – 2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. ET

DiversityRx and the National Society of Genetic Counselors are pleased to co-sponsor an educational seminar that explores the complexity of genetic counseling encounters and the multiple layers of communication that are integral to assure provision of the best possible, culturally competent patient care. Nancy Steinberg Warren, MS, CGC will provide an overview of cultural issues in genetic counseling encounters and review resources available to genetic counselors, medical interpreters and other healthcare providers. Katherine Langan, PhD and Cindy Johnson, MS, CGC will explore ethical issues unique to each discipline and provide tips to working effectively as a team.

For additional information click here.

SNP Microarray Testing in the Genetics Clinic: Clinical applications for your patients

Friday June, 25, 2010 – 2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. ET

In this webinar sponsored by LabCorp, Stuart Schwartz, PhD, FACMG will present on advances in the field of cytogenetics. Cytogenetic analysis has evolved considerably throughout the past two decades. The vast majority of analyses, both current and previous, use standard 500-550 band levels which can pick up chromosomal alterations in the range of 10 Mb or greater. When high-resolution analysis is used abnormalities in the range of 3-5 Mb (either gain or loss) may be detected. Whole genome array analysis is a non-directed analysis that will allow the detection of gain or loss as small as 50 – 150 kb anywhere in the genome. While there are many types of array analysis, there are specific advantages to utilizing a SNP whole genome array analysis. This analysis has high-density coverage throughout the genome. The entire genome coverage, targeting single basepairs allows precise localization of abnormalities. This technology, for example, is excellent for detecting cryptic deletions or duplications associated with “balanced rearrangement” as there is entire genome coverage. In addition to the detection of copy number changes, SNP array genotyping data can also be utilized to detect uniparental disomy (UPD) based on loss of homozygosity. The loss of homozygosity data is also useful for showing chromosomal regions identical by descent (consanguinity) associated with an increased risk of a recessive allele. The utilization of this technology will be discussed and it's use in the detection of abnormalities in a postnatal, prenatal and POC population will be illustrated.

For additional information click here.

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