Anna Newlin, MS, CGC | Shayna Purcell, MS, CGC | Elizabeth Kaplan, MMSc, CGC | Kristen Hughes, MS, CGC | Katie Rembisz, MS, CGC
Anna Newlin, MS, CGC
Anna Newlin, MS, CGC, is a board-certified genetic counselor who earned her Master of Science degree in Human Genetics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor where she trained under the tutelage of several well known clinical and research geneticists, including Dr. Francis Collins, who currently heads the Human Genome Project. Anna has a broad base of clinical experience which includes prenatal as well as pediatric genetic counseling. Anna spent several years involved in clinical ophthalmic genetics which provided her with the unique opportunity to work with families with hereditary eye disorders. Her interests have shifted to providing risk assessment to adult patients, the majority of whom are referred for a personal or family history of cancer.
Shayna Purcell, MS, CGC
Shayna Purcell received her Master of Science degree in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University. Prior to receiving her master’s, she attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she received her BS in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Studio Art. While in Chapel Hill, Shayna gained laboratory experience investigating the regulation of meiotic recombination in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. She volunteered at ABC of NC – a school for children with autism spectrum disorders – and enjoyed interacting with and learning from these individuals and their families. Throughout her graduate training, Shayna gained experience in a wide variety of clinical settings including prenatal, pediatric, hematology, neurology, and cancer genetics. Shayna enjoys providing risk assessment and support for individuals and families who are at risk for genetic conditions, primarily hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes.
Elizabeth Gelfman, MMSc, CGC
Elizabeth Gelfman is a board-certified genetic counselor who earned her Master of Medical Science degree in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling from Emory University’s School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. Elizabeth spent several years involved in pediatric genetic counseling, including her time providing services to a cystic fibrosis clinic as part of her graduate school thesis work. Her interest in adult patients began when she was provided with the opportunity to work with families in an adult cardiology setting and has now shifted into a variety of other indications which mainly include patients with a personal or family history of cancer. Elizabeth also serves as an instructor and clinical rotation supervisor within the Northwestern University Genetic Counseling Program.
Kristen Hughes, MS, CGC
Kristen Hughes received a Master of Science degree in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University and completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. While in graduate school, she volunteered with Imerman Angels One-on-One Cancer Support Organization and enjoyed working with and learning from passionate and inspiring cancer fighters, survivors and caregivers. As part of her graduate training, Kristen gained experience in various fields including pediatric, prenatal, neurology, and cancer genetics, laboratory utilization and patient advocacy. Kristen enjoys working with patients to provide risk assessment and genetic counseling to individuals and families who are at risk for genetic conditions, including personal and family histories of cancer.
Katie Rembisz, MS, CGC
Katie Rembisz is a board-certified genetic counselor who earned her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University. As part of her training, Katie gained experience working in cancer, prenatal, pediatric, and adult genetics clinics throughout the Chicagoland area. During graduate school, Katie also had the opportunity to work with a genetic testing laboratory, where she participated in clinical variant interpretation and report writing. Katie enjoys working with patients and families to conduct risk assessment and make informed decisions regarding genetic testing. Katie received her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, where she studied biological sciences and English literature and is excited to continue working in the Evanston community.