NSGC has member spokespersons available to participate in interviews with local, regional and national media. Please see below for full listing of our Expert Media Panel and their areas of focus.
Contact Information For Media Inquiries or Interview Requests with NSGC Spokespersons
Public Communications Inc. NSGCPR@pcipr.com 312.558.1770
Expert Media Panel Listing
Carrie Haverty, MS, CGC (she/her)
NSGC President and Genomic Technology and Women's Health Expert
Mirvie
Carrie Haverty serves as President and Genomic Technology and Women’s Health Expert for the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC). Haverty was previously Director-At-Large of NSGC’s Board of Directors.
As an experienced health technology professional, Haverty can discuss emerging genomic technologies poised to transform health care, from cell-free RNA analysis to ML/AI-assisted screening tools. She can also speak on women’s health topics, particularly advances in prenatal and pregnancy care.
Haverty is currently the Vice President of Product at Mirvie. Prior to Mirvie, she led product development at Counsyl, Myriad, and Miroculus. She began her career in health care as a prenatal genetic counselor.
Haverty received her bachelor's degree at the University of California, Davis and her Master of Science degree in genetic counseling through the University of California, Irvine College of Medicine. She is a board-certified genetic counselor. She is based in San Francisco.
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PHILIP D. CONNORS, MS, MPH, CGC (HE/HIM)
NSGC President-Elect and Public Health Genomics Expert
Boston Medical Center
Philip Connors is the President-Elect and Public Health Genomics Expert for the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC).
Connors, whose clinical interests and professional experience meet at the intersection of public health and genomics, can discuss genomic sequencing, patient access, health disparities and public policy. As a patient-facing genetic counselor at one of the largest safety-net hospitals in the country, he offers a unique perspective on access to genetic counseling. His clinical practice focuses on prenatal and reproductive genetic counseling, with specific experience in counseling around pregnancy loss, abortion and genetic testing.
Connors is Lead Genetic Counselor at Boston University Medical Group and Boston Medical Center. He also serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, where he teaches in the MS Genetic Counseling Program.
Connors received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Northeastern University, a master’s degree in genetic counseling from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, and a master’s degree in public health focused in health policy and law from Boston University School of Public Health. He is a board-certified genetic counselor. He is based in Boston.
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Sara Pirzadeh-Miller, MS, CGC (she/her)
Cancer Expert
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Sara Pirzadeh-Miller M.S., CGC was the 2025 President of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, a Certified Genetic Counselor, Director of Cancer Genetics program and Assistant Professor at Simmons Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX. Ms. Pirzadeh-Miller received her Master of Science in genetic counseling from the University of Minnesota and Bachelor of Science in genetics from Texas A&M University.
She is a practicing clinical genetic counselor who leads a large, high volume clinical cancer genetics program that provides hereditary cancer risk assessment in 5 hospital systems in North Texas. She has held multiple leadership positions on national, regional and local levels. Her research interests include genetic counseling workforce efficiency, service delivery models and population screening.
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Colleen Campbell, PhD, MS, LGC (she/her)
Workforce, Advocacy and Rural Health Expert
University of Iowa
Dr. Colleen Campbell previously served as president and secretary/treasurer of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and chaired the Advocacy Coordinating Committee and Access and Service Delivery Committee.
Campbell can speak to topics related to the genetic counseling workforce, integration of genetics and genomics within health care and advocacy for the profession. She is passionate about workforce growth and development, especially in areas where there is limited access to genetic counselors. In 2018, Campbell led a successful campaign to pass legislation that granted licensure of genetic counselors in Iowa. She continues to drive efforts to increase access to genomic medicine at the federal level and to build a pipeline of genetic counselors.
Campbell is the director of genetic counseling operations at University of Iowa Health Care and assistant director of the Iowa Institute of Human Genetics. She is also a clinical associate professor of internal medicine at the Carver College of Medicine at University of Iowa.
Campbell received her bachelor’s degree at Saint Mary’s College. She then went on to earn her master’s degree in human genetics from Sarah Lawrence College and her doctoral degree in genetics from the University of Iowa. She is a board-certified genetic counselor. She is based in Iowa City, Iowa.
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MARY-BETH ROBERTS, MS, CGC (SHE/HER)
Renal Genetics Expert
Cleveland Clinic
Mary-Beth Roberts is a renal genetics expert for NSGC.
Roberts can discuss hereditary kidney disease, rare kidney disease diagnosis, and the integration of genetics into nephrology care. As a nationally recognized leader in renal genetics, she offers expertise on how genetic discoveries are transforming the diagnosis and management of kidney disease.
She is the co-founder of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) Renal Genetics Special Interest Group and has helped advance awareness and education around kidney genetics for healthcare professionals, patients, and families.
At the Cleveland Clinic, Roberts provides genetic counseling for pediatric and adult patients with suspected inherited kidney conditions and works as part of Cleveland Clinic’s multidisciplinary renal genetics program.
Roberts received a master’s degree in genetic counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a board-certified genetic counselor. She is based in Minnesota
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LAYNIE DRATCH, SCM, CGC (SHE/HER)
Neurogenetics Expert
Penn Medicine
Laynie Dratch is NSGC's neurogenetics expert. Dratch specializes in the genetics of neurodegenerative diseases and can discuss genetic testing for neurological conditions, patient decision-making, and access to genetic counseling services.
Her clinical and research work focuses on helping individuals and families navigate the genetic implications of conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), and Alzheimer’s disease. She offers expertise on predictive genetic testing, family communication, and the evolving role of genetics in neurological care.
Dratch serves as a genetic counselor with the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Penn Comprehensive ALS Center and Penn Neurogenetics Therapy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her clinical work, she is involved in research focused on the lived experiences of individuals and families affected by inherited neurodegenerative disorders, as well as on innovative approaches to genetic counseling delivery.
Dratch received a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Colgate University and a master’s degree in genetic counseling from the Johns Hopkins University/National Institutes of Health training program. She is a board-certified genetic counselor. She is based in the Philadelphia area.
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ALLISON CIRINO, MS, CGC (SHE/HER)
Cardiovascular Genetics Expert
MGH Institute of Health Professions & Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Allison Cirino is NSGC’s cardiovascular genetics expert, specializing in inherited heart disease and the application of genetic testing in cardiovascular care.
Her clinical and research interests include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, inherited arrhythmias, family screening, genetic testing utilization, and patient-centered
approaches to cardiovascular genomics. She can discuss inherited cardiac conditions, cascade testing, research in cardiovascular genetics, and the evolving role of genomics in precision medicine.
Cirino is an Associate Professor and Director of Student Research in the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program at MGH Institute of Health Professions. Since 2004, she has also served as a genetic counselor in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Cardiovascular Genetics Center, where she provides patient care and leads clinical research initiatives focused on inherited cardiovascular disorders.
Cirino serves on numerous NSGC and American Heart Association committees focused on education, research, and genomics.
Cirino received a bachelor’s degree in biology from James Madison University and a master’s degree in genetic counseling from Northwestern University. She is a board-certified genetic counselor. She is based in Boston.
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SANDRA A. DARILEK, MS, CGC (SHE/HER)
Reproductive & Prenatal Genetics Expert
Baylor College of Medicine
Sandra Darilek is NSGC’s reproductive & prenatal genetics expert.
Darilek’s clinical and academic expertise spans prenatal genetics, infertility, preimplantation genetic testing, reproductive decision-making, and genetic screening. She can discuss IVF and preimplantation genetic testing, expanded carrier screening, noninvasive prenatal screening and other reproductive genetic testing technologies.
Darilek is an Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine. She co-manages the prenatal genetic counseling service at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital and serves as chief of Baylor’s Consultagene Clinic.
Darilek received a bachelor’s degree in genetics from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in genetic counseling from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She is a board-certified genetic counselor based in Houston
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LILA AIYAR, MSC, CGC, CCGC (SHE/HER)
Genetic Counselor Training and Education Expert
University of Connecticut
Lila Aiyar is a Genetic Counselor Training and Education Expert for NSGC.
Aiyar is an expert in genetic counselor education, workforce development and clinical training. She can discuss genetic counseling education pathways, student training, professional competencies, workforce trends and the evolving role of genetic counselors in healthcare.
Aiyar serves as Assistant Program Director and Fieldwork Coordinator for the University of Connecticut's Genetic Counseling Professional Science Master's Degree Program. She also serves on the NSGC Board of Directors as Director-at-Large.
Prior to joining UConn, Aiyar worked as a public health genetic counselor for the Western States Regional Genetics Network and the Hawaiʻi Department of Health, where she focused on increasing access to genetics services and education for underserved populations. She co-founded the Minority Genetic Professionals Network and is an established voice on inclusive and equitable practices in genetic counseling education and clinical training. She has also worked as a clinical genetic counselor in newborn screening and prenatal settings.
Aiyar received a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and biomedical sciences from McMaster University and a master's degree in genetic counselling from the University of Toronto. She is certified by both the American Board of Genetic Counseling and the Canadian Board of Genetic Counselling. She is based in Honolulu.
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Cara L. Barnett, MS, LGC (she/her)
Cardiovascular Genetics & Gene Therapy Expert
Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology at Loyola University Chicago
Cara Barnett is a cardiovascular genetics expert, working with patients at risk for inherited heart conditions such as arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies, congenital heart defects, and sudden cardiac arrest and death.
In addition to her expertise in cardiovascular genetics, Barnett can speak to post-death genetic testing, inherited hearing loss and gene therapies for deafness and cardiomyopathies. Barnett is involved in multiple professional genetics organizations, including the National Society of Genetic Counselors, the NIH Clinical Genome Resource and the American Board of Genetic Counselors.
Barnett received her bachelor’s degree at Centre College and her master’s degree in genetic counseling at The Ohio State University. She is a board-certified genetic counselor. She is based in Chicago, Illinois.
KENNY WONG (HE/HIM)
AI & Genetic Technology Expert
xCures
Kenny Wong is the National Society of Genetic Counselors’ Genetic Technology Expert and can discuss the intersection of genetics and technology, and how advancements such as artificial intelligence and precision medicine contribute to positive patient and provider outcomes. He previously was the host of NSGC’s Genetic Counselors and You podcast.
Wong serves as Chief Product Officer at xCures, where he helps develop innovative products for cancer treatment. Wong is an experienced leader in genetics and product management, previously working at Genzyme Genetics, UCSF Medical Center, Counsyl and GenomeSmart.
Wong attended the University of British Columbia and received his master’s degree in human genetics from Sarah Lawrence College. He is a board-certified genetic counselor.