Two members of the UBC Faculty of Medicine community have been honoured with research awards from the National Society of Genetic Counselors.
Tessa Kolar
Tessa Kolar is a second-year student in the Genetic Counselling program in the faculty’s department of medical genetics.
Kolar received a 2023 Jane Engelberg Memorial Fellowship (JEMF) Student Award for her project, titled “Evaluating Family-Centred Care at BC Children’s Hospital When There Is No Genetic Counselor: Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives.”
Her project examined how integrating genetic counsellors into multidisciplinary clinics is one way in which the needs related to family-centred care can be addressed.
“I am very grateful to be one of the recipients of the JEMF Student Award,” Kolar said. “Receiving this award could help in guiding the future role of genetic counsellors at BC Children’s Hospital and contribute to our understanding of how we can improve the care delivered to patients and their families.”
Loryn Byres
Loryn Byres, a recent graduate of the Genetic Counselling program, received the 2023 JEMF Student Manuscript Award for her study, “Exploring Autistic Adults’ Perspectives on Genetic Testing for Autism,” recently published in the journal Genetics in Medicine.
In the study, members of the autism community were asked to share with researchers what they think and feel about genetic testing in the context of autism.
“I am incredibly grateful to have received this award,” Byres said. “To me, receiving this award is a sign that others recognize the importance of including Autistic people in the conversations surrounding autism research and genetic testing. I am hoping that this will encourage further dialogue surrounding these areas to include and respect patient voices.”