- By Jodi Tahsler
- Posted April 12, 2023
Ambry Spotlights Rob Pilarski: Seeing Genetic Testing’s Big Picture
Ambry Genetics caught up with Robert Pilarski, MS, LGC, MSW, Director of Medical Affairs, at his home on the shore in Cape Cod. He describes the town as “his happy place,” and in learning more about his role at Ambry, it seems that his career has entered a happy place as well. Rob has been with Ambry for over two years and is often sought…
- By Caroline Elsas
- Posted November 4, 2021
We Can Help Reduce Barriers to Cancer Genetic Testing
The world of hereditary cancer testing is complex, but genetic information is crucial for flagging at-risk patients and their relatives. They might just benefit from earlier and more frequent surveillance and/or preventive surgeries. For those individuals who face important and difficult health decisions, genetic counselors are invaluable members…
- By Alexandria Meyer
- Posted November 8, 2018
I am a Genetic Counselor- What Does That Mean?
“Genetic counselor” is not just a job title, though it is one that I have been enormously proud to carry for the past 10 years. In that time, I have come to primarily think of “genetic counselor” as a term which embodies a skill set. Just like Liam Neeson in “Taken,” we have a very special set of skills, however, our skills allow…
- By Brianna Volz
- Posted July 23, 2018
Fall Back into School: Educating Providers about Genetic Testing for HCM
Summer is half over and the start of school is around the corner. For many, the end of summer is characterized by last minute vacations, trips to your local retail stores and back to school sales. This time of year also serves as a reminder of the role genetic counselors’ play in educating our peers, students and colleagues[1]. Non-genetic…
- By Jessica Profato, MS, CGC
- Posted June 8, 2018
I Survived Cancer, so Why do I Need Genetic Testing for it?
As a clinical genetic counselor, I saw many cancer survivors for genetic counseling. In some cases, it had been 30-40 years since they were diagnosed. Some of them were in their 60s-70s when I saw them, but they were young at the time of their cancer diagnosis. Years later, they were referred to me to talk about the possibility that their history…
- By Stephany Tandy-Connor, MS
- Posted March 28, 2018
Genetic testing at home or from the doctor’s office – same difference?
There has been a lot of talk about Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) genetic testing and the caveats that come along with that type of testing, but what does it all really mean? What is the actual difference between a DTC genetic test and a genetic test ordered by a medical professional through a clinical laboratory? There are several things that make…
- By Stephany Tandy-Connor, MS
- Posted March 22, 2018
False-positive results released by direct-to-consumer genetic tests highlight the importance of clinical confirmation testing for appropriate patient care
The explosion of direct-to-consumer genetic testing over the last few years has created a ton of buzz, beyond just ancestry, health traits and wine preferences. Many of these DTC labs also release raw data to the consumer; this often leaves many individuals interested in what these findings mean and their potential impact on their healthcare management.…
- By Amanda Sheldon
- Posted February 28, 2018
Finding the Missing Link of Heart Disease in Families: Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH)
Many people have friends and family members who tell stories of losing their father when he was 40, or having a mother who had a heart attack in her 30s. These same people may even know that they have high cholesterol, and sometimes are told it is inherited. What they don’t know is that this condition could be familial hypercholesterolemia (FH)…
- By Taylor Leigh
- Posted November 10, 2017
Why Genetic Counselors are Integral to Ambry
In our more than 20 years of operation, Ambry has come a long way. Looking back, it’s important to remember that we would not be “Ambry Genetics” without our genetic counselors. Ambry is built on the foundation of quality genetic testing that helps people find answers – and genetic counselors have been with us from the beginning, working…
- By Desiree Magee
- Posted November 8, 2017
Genetic Counselors: Companions on the Journey to Rare Disease Diagnosis
Our daughter Daphne started missing developmental milestones at around 6 months of age. She was unable to sit on her own and unwilling to eat baby food. We started down the path of diagnosis, which was long and exhausting and went like this: First, we went to our pediatrician to document our initial concerns and obtain referrals for a physical…