About Genomic Medicine Institute

Charis Eng, MD, PhD, Chair, GMI, gave an invited presentation at the "Single gene causes of cancer" session of the 2012 American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting, which was held March 27-31 in Charlotte, NC.

Her talk, PTEN heritable cancer syndromes, was one of the session's four presentations. In it, she described her laboratory's research that revealed for the first time the component cancers and lifetime risks of PTEN heritable cancer syndromes, based on over 3,000 prospectively accrued patients.

She emphasized that this will help tailor surveillance, including when to start, and confirmed that this has already progressed to clinical care.

Presidential Address of the in-coming Society president Brenda Finucane highlighted “a whole group of genetic counselors at the Cleveland Clinic’s Genomic Medicine Institute” for innovative clinical practice, the breadth of practice, research, utilizing IT and positive energy. CPGH genetic counselors garnered a record number of presentations, including a plenary presentation, 5 preferred platform presentations, 4 poster presentations and an educational session.

Plenary Presentations

Jessica Mester – “Comparison of Genetic Counselor Time Investment Utilizing Coupled and Uncoupled Practice Models: Final Results from the Cleveland Clinic General Genetics Clinic Time Study” – Best Abstract Award Recipient

Oral Abstract Presentations

Amy Shealy – “Novel Microduplication of 12q13.12 Including TUBA1A and DHH Detected in a Boy with Abnormal Brain MRI Findings, Cryptorchidism, Urethral Stricture and Pubertal Delay”

Marissa Smith – “Expanding Genetic Counseling Services to an Executive Health Program: Identifying Risk for Genetic Disease in a Low-Risk Population”

Jessi Moline – “Approach to Systematic Screening of Endometrial Cancers for Lynch Syndrome: the Cleveland Clinic Experience”

Brandie Leach – “A Time Study of Genetic Counselor Only versus Traditional Care Genetic Counselor/Geneticist Patient Care in a Cancer Genetics Setting”

Jill Polk – “Ethico-legal Obligations in Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer Kindred with Novel CDH1 Mutation”

Poster Presentations

Allison Schreiber – “CHD7 Variants in Two Families with Evidence of Parent-to-Child Transmission of CHARGE Syndrome”

Patty Arscott – “Genetic Counseling Dilemma: Multiple Gene Variants Identified Through Genetic Testing for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy”

Christina Rigelsky – “Clinical Features of Three Patients with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome as the Result of COL3A1 Functional Haploinsufficiency with Stable mRNA but Unstable Protein”

Rebecca Cook – “Assessing the Utility of Four Educational Videos Concerning Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency” and “Guidelines for Advocacy Organizations Considering Establishing a Registry or Biobank”

Educational Breakout Session Presentations

Meg Doerr – “Using Information Technology to Facilitate the Cancer Genetic Counseling Process”

On Monday, March 8, 2010, the American Cancer Society (ACS), jointly with the Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute (TCI) and Lerner Research Institute (LRI), hosted a reception to celebrate Dr. Charis Eng’s selection as the ACS Clinical Research Professor. The ACS Professorship is the highest award given to a patient-oriented cancer researcher who has made high impact research that has been and can be used in everyday patient care, and who is an outstanding mentor. The ACS confers up to 2 ACS Clinical Research Professors each year, whereby there are no more than 15 ACS Clinical Research Professors in the country at any one time.

The reception included a program honoring Dr. Eng and her work, including statements by Jim Nealy, ACS’ Interim CEO, Dave Grams, ACS’ Regional Vice President, Dr. William Phelps, ACS’ Director of Translational & Preclinical Cancer Research, Dr. Derek Raghavan, Chair TCI, Dr. Paul DiCorleto, Chair, LRI, and Dr. Thomas Frazier, to whom Dr. Eng acts as a mentor, who stated, “Dr. Eng is a truly caring clinician, researcher, and mentor who goes to great lengths to provide what is needed to her patients and the individuals she mentors.” Cindi Lewis, an intern and research student who works with Dr. Eng in Cleveland Clinic’s Genomic Medicine Institute also had the following to say, “It was wonderful to celebrate the work of a woman whose prolific dedication to the evolution of cancer research and its teachings has deeply touches the lives of so many, including my own. Indeed, it is a beautiful and deserving honor to someone who has truly changed the fabric of modern science.”

The reception was held in the Cleveland Clinic’s Foundation House and was well attended by ACS and Cleveland Clinic Leadership, Dr. Eng’s Cleveland Clinic colleagues and GMI teammates

Charis Eng, MD, PhD, Chair of the Genomic Medicine Institute, Director of the Center for Personalized Genetic Healthcare (CPGH), and Medical Director of the Cancer Genetics Clinics, CPGH, and Rocio Moran, MD, Medical Director of General Genetics Clinics, CPGH, have been named to the 2010 Best Doctors List by Cleveland Magazine. The list is compiled by an exhaustive survey of more than 45,000 physicians who are asked to name the best doctors, nationally in their own and related specialties. Dr. Eng was honored in both the Medical Genetics and Medical Oncology & Hematology categories, while Dr. Moran was honored in the Pediatric Medical Genetics category.

On January 18, 2010, the members of the Genomic Medicine Institute Advisory Board for Development & Business Efforts held a reception to congratulate Dr. Charis Eng on her recent appointment to the Secretary of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health and Society.

The reception was held in the Falcon Room of the InterContinental Hotel and was well attended by Cleveland Clinic Leadership and Staff, and external supporters of Dr. Eng’s work.