Genetically Speaking Blog

A part of NSGC’s “Genetic Variation” blog series that aims to give a voice to diverse members of the genetic counseling community. Genetic variation refers to diversity in gene frequencies and can also relate to differences between individuals or populations.

In 2017, certified genetic counselor Jay Flanagan wrote a blog about being a male genetic counselor, in hopes that sharing his experience would inspire others who are curious about the career to explore it more.  At the time, just five percent of all genetic counselors were men—a stat that remains largely unchanged in 2021. The blog remains one of the most popular on NSGC’s site, and four years later, Jay still receives emails with questions or stories about how this blog helped someone in their journey to becoming a genetic counselor. This blog picks up where Jay’s last blog ended and features a interview with Benjamin Helm, another certified genetic counselor.

To celebrate the fourth annual Genetic Counselor Awareness Day on Nov. 12, we featured 12 stories of aspiring genetic counselors and genetic counselors from different backgrounds who embody the many facets of the profession in our annual “I am a Genetic Counselor” series on social media. Learn more about their work and what made them choose genetic counseling as a career.

Joy Larsen Haidle, MS, LGC, is a past-president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and a genetic counselor at the North Memorial Health Cancer Center in Minneapolis.

When Al Roker announced his prostate cancer diagnosis, he shared his desire to use his platform to educate others, presenting an ideal time to continue the conversation.  Prostate cancer is common for men--1 in 9 will develop prostate cancer over their lifetime.  However, those odds increase to roughly 1 in 7 for African American men. Many prostate cancers are slow growing and lead to a good prognosis, however, some prostate cancers are more aggressive and finding those cancers early becomes important to help those men do well too.

A part of NSGC’s “Genetic Variation” blog series that aims to give a voice to diverse members of the genetic counseling community. Genetic variation refers to diversity in gene frequencies and can also relate to differences between individuals or populations.

To kick off this series, we’ll start with an interview with Dr. Janina Jeff. She’s known to her followers as the “Geneti-SIS” is the creator and host of “In Those Genes”, a hip-hop inspired podcast that uses genetics to uncover the lost identities of African descended Americans through the lens of Black Culture. Dr. Jeff was the first African-American to receive a PhD in Human Genetics from Vanderbilt University and she is a TEDx speaker, writer, STEAMinist, collegiate lecturer and hip-hop enthusiast. In July, Dr. Jeff was awarded the 2020 Advocacy Award by the American Society of Human Genetics and just this month, “In Those Genes” was awarded the 2020 Third Coast/Richard H Driehaus Foundation Competition International Impact award.

NSGC Past-President and Personalized Medicine Expert Erica Ramos interviewed Dr. Jeff regarding her role as an African-American scientist in a field dominated by white males and the goals she has for the “In Those Genes” podcast.  

What is the secret to being successful on a diet?

It’s a question that people have been trying to answer for years and a topic that is frustrating for many.   Why do diets seem to work for some people and not others? How come some people eat whatever they want and never gain a pound while others diet and continue to struggle with weight? People swear by diets like keto, paleo or fasting, touting weight loss of tens or even hundreds of pounds, but when others attempt these diets, they see no results. Why?