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Mona Saleh
A new Era of Genetic Counseling in UAE
Genetic counseling is an expanding and in demand profession worldwide as health services keep pace with emerging genetic technologies and related patient/client needs. The UAE genetic counseling community is gaining momentum and becoming a vital voice in ensuring best outcomes for the community impacted by a genetic diagnosis and/or accessing genetic testing.
In line with this demand, the first UAE postgraduate Master Program to educate local professionals is being introduced by the Department of Genetics and Genomics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences at United Arab Emirates University.
This presentation will define the process of genetic counseling, describe the training which enables genetic counselors to practice and will also introduce the audience to the new program at UAEU.
Tamam Khalaf & Rawan Awwad
Genetic Counselling Approaches to Variants of Uncertain Significance in the Arab World
Advances in genomic testing have provided patients with a larger access to genetic information that aids in their diagnosis, treatment, and family planning decisions. Along with the increased access to genetic information is the increase in reporting of variants of uncertain significance (VUS). There is currently an inherent bias in the variant interpretation process as most available population studies and published case studies do not focus on individuals of ethnic minorities, including patients with Arab/Middle Eastern descent. As such, the process of variant reporting and reclassification may be more challenging and creates a sense of uncertainty to patients.
This talk will review the essential role for genetic counselors in the interpretation and communication of VUS to patients and providers. There will be a particular focus on the prevalence of VUS in the Arab world and the implications of genomic testing on the occurrence of these types of variants. Additionally, we will discuss genetic counseling approaches to VUS and the challenges of interpreting variants in the context of the extended family. Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of variants in the Arab world is essential. We will discuss the importance of the communication and collaboration between physicians, clinical geneticists, bioinformaticians and genetic counselors in the interpretation and classification of variants. Case examples highlighting these issues and the significant role of the genetic counselor in this process will be presented.
Assistant Professor
UAE University
Mona trained as a scientist before turning her interest to genetic counseling. She completed her Human Genetics Society of Australasia Fellowship in genetic counseling in 2000. As a genetic counselor, she has worked with individuals and families in a variety of settings including prenatal, adult onset conditions, fertility and pediatric genetics.
Mona has successfully combined her passion for genetic counseling and education to work in a number of senior education roles over the years. As the Program Leader and Senior Genetic Counsellor for NSW Health in Australia, she developed and implemented a number of education strategies for both the community and health professionals. As an academic and researcher, Mona contributed to developing the curriculum and research programs of the University of Sydney Master of Genetic Counselling as well as the Charles Sturt University Graduate Diploma in Genetic Counselling. She has provided education to undergraduates, post graduates, professionals and community groups as well as voluntary roles with non-profit organizations supporting individuals and families with rare genetic conditions.
Her research interests include communication and the impact genetics can have on individuals from all walks of life. She completed her Doctoral Thesis at The University of New South Wales, Australia on the topic of Cancer, Culture and Genetics.
All the while pursuing these education roles, Mona has maintained her clinical skills by concurrently working as a genetic counselor in a part time and private setting. As an Australian genetic counselor, Mona has been recognized by her peers as a valuable mentor and leader in the profession by being awarded an Australasian Society of Genetic Counsellors Recognition of Outstanding Service Award.
Mona’s most recent role as Assistant Professor, UAEU College of Medicine and Health Sciences has her developing a new Master program to educate Genetic Counselors. The program will be the first of its kind in the UAE and along with this endeavor, she hopes to assist in establishing genomics as a fundamental part of healthcare in the UAE. She is working as part of other projects to increase education and awareness of genetic services for health care providers and contributes to Medical Student education within the College.
Genomic Specialist, Guardant Health and Board Member, Arab Association of Genetic Counselors (AAGC), USA
Rawan is a Palestinian genetic counselor currently based in Michigan, USA. She is a Genomic Specialist at Guardant Health focusing on physician education regarding liquid biopsy and genomic profiling of circulating tumor DNA. She has 15 years of clinical and biotechnology laboratory experiences in preconception, reproductive, oncology, and pediatric genetics. Prior to joining Guardant, Rawan specialized in preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic diseases and aneuploidy screening. Rawan graduated in 2006 with a Master of Science (MS) degree in Genetic Counseling from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and holds a prior MS degree in Genome Science and Technology (2001) from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is board certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling and holds licensure from multiple states. Having witnessed first hand the inequity of healthcare in the Palestinian territories, she became passionate about improving genetic services for Arab patients globally and co-founded the Arab Association of Genetic Counselors (AAGC) in 2019.
Clinical Counseling Specialist, Igenomix and Board Member, Arab Association of Genetic Counselors (AAGC), UAE
Tamam is a Palestinian genetic counselor currently based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). She completed a Bachelor of Science with Honors from the University of Toronto, then pursued a Master of Science in Genetic and Genomic Counselling at Cardiff University. Currently, Tamam is working as a genetic counsellor and clinical counseling specialist at Igenomix UAE. She offers genetic counseling to patients all over the Middle East in both English and Arabic. Tamam has a particular interest in counseling approaches and providing empathetic non-directive counseling while taking into account cultural and ethical directives. Additionally, she is passionate about variants of uncertain significance and the prevalence of such variants in the Middle East. Tamam is also dedicated to raising awareness about the need for diversity and inclusion in the field of genetics.
Genetic Counselor
Al Jalila Children's Specialty Hospital, UAE
Alan Taylor is an American board certified genetic counsellor who received his MS in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University in 2016. After graduation, he held a joint position between the Epilepsy Genetics Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and Claritas Genomics, a genetic testing laboratory. In his role at Boston Children’s, he provided genetic counselling to patients and families within the clinic while in his role at Claritas, he interpreted and reported genomic test results. In 2017, he expanded his clinical experience by joining the Neurometabolic and Mitochondrial Disease Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. Alan joined Al Jalila Children’s Hospital in 2018 and provides genetic counselling to families who have a genetic diagnosis or are planning to pursue genetic testing. In addition he supports the genomics center at Al Jalila Children’s by working as the liaison between the laboratory and clinical teams.
