Home of the nation’s first—and still the largest—program in human genetics, Sarah Lawrence has trained more than half of the country’s genetic counselors. Characterized by innovation at the nexus of health, science, and society, this world-renowned program prepares students for careers educating not only patients, but also doctors, other health professionals, and the public at large. Students learn that the field of genetics now includes genetic disorders ranging from rare diseases to prevalent conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes. Each student is placed at a total of seven sites from a wealth of fieldwork options at nearly 50 centers in the New York City area. At the hub of international growth in the field, the College recruits top scientists to its faculty from the area’s genetic centers and brings leading researchers and speakers to campus weekly to discuss current topics. Each student also develops a community outreach project, targeting an audience to educate about a particular set of relevant genetic information.
Graduate Profiles
Heather Hampel '95, MS, CGC, had wanted to be a genetic counselor since age 12. The Human Genetics graduate program helped her achieve that goal—and enormous success in the field.
Human Genetics in the News
Student Michele Disco '10 shares her insights as both a parent of a son living with Epidermolysis Bullosa and as a soon-to-be professional in the genetics field with Positive Exposure... In a Journal News op-ed, Human Genetics faculty member Laura Hercher praises a new federal law banning discrimination in employment and health care on the basis of genetic information, thus opening new doors to the promise of personalized medicine.
Genetic Counseling Summer Camp
Learn more about the field of genetic counseling and meet professional genetic counselors who will discuss the various roles they have within the healthcare arena.
June 29, 2009
9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Human Genetics Program Newsletter
Gene Scene is a newsletter published biannually allowing both students and alumni to connect and reconnect with the SLC genetic counseling community.
Apply to the Human Genetics Program
The deadline to apply for the Joan H. Marks Program in Human Genetics is January 15.