Hometown: Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Education: Bachelor's degree in biology (genetics and biotechnology) with university honors and with highest distinction from the University of Iowa, 2025.

Research Project: "Dual Molecular Diagnoses: Provider Perspectives and Considerations"

In college, Jenna worked as an undergraduate teaching intern and assisted in the instruction of introductory-level biology lab courses for three semesters. She also spent one summer designing and teaching genetics workshops to elementary students.

She volunteered as a chapter director and outreach coordinator for Kesem, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting children through and beyond a parent’s cancer diagnosis. Jenna was able to advocate for an underserved population of children across the state of Iowa, giving back to an organization that had a strong, personal impact on her family.

Jenna also worked as a dental research assistant for the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. In this role, she helped with two different oral health studies, focused on improving the oral health practices of patients in palliative care or with dementia/Huntington’s disease. This experience solidified her interest in working with patients and their families and continued her passion for research. She currently works at Children’s Mercy Hospital as a genetic counselor assistant, helping with both research and clinical tasks in the genetics clinic.

In her free time, Jenna enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia.

Education: Bachelor's degree in genetics and a minor in American Sign Language from the University of Georgia, 2025.

Research Project: "Deaf Culture Education for Genetic Counselors"

While attending the University of Georgia, Sidney was a genetic counseling intern at Piedmont Atlanta for their cancer genetics program and High Risk Breast Clinic in the summer of 2024. She used her skills to work closely with a team of genetic counselors, ultimately gaining exposure to the field and reinforcing her aspiration of becoming a genetic counselor.

Some of Sidney’s accomplishments include serving as a teaching assistant for various American Sign Language courses and holding the role of president of ASL Dawgs her senior year. The club was dedicated to outreach and support for the local Deaf community and students interested in learning American Sign Language. She was a sustainability coordinator for the University of Georgia’s sustainability office for three years, where she worked on numerous projects to educate other students and work toward environmental improvement. She was also a genetics mentor to two undergraduate students who plan to pursue a career in genetic counseling.

She is extremely grateful for the experiences and relationships that have led her to the field of genetic counseling. Her personal experiences and her involvement with different communities in college solidified her passion for genetics and advocacy for minority patient populations. In her free time, Sidney enjoys spending time with her friends and family. Her hobbies include reading new books, trying different restaurants, and being active. She loves the outdoors, and you can usually find her on a walk or taking a spin class.

Hometown: Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Education: Bachelor's degree in biological sciences, bachelor's degree in studio arts and a minor in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh in 2023.

Research Project: "Evaluating Efficiency and Completeness of Genetic Testing in Breast Surgery Patients"

Emily’s interest in genetics initially developed from growing up with a sibling with a chromosome difference. As a teenager and throughout college she volunteered as a summer camp counselor for kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities and as a crisis counselor with Crisis Text Line. She also worked as a certified nursing assistant, supporting residents experiencing dementia and in hospice care. During college, she served as the chapter president of Best Buddies at the University of Pittsburgh where she coordinated social events for students and community members to promote inclusion. These experiences further developed and motivated her passions for advocacy and supporting others facing hardships or with unique lived experiences.

After completing her undergraduate education, Emily worked for two years as an adult genetic counselor assistant in molecular and medical genetics at Oregon Health and Science University, where she supported a team of genetic counselors and geneticists in general adult genetics, neuro genetics and neuro-oncology genetics clinics. In this role, she triaged patient referrals, collected family history information, coordinated genetic testing with laboratories and created clinical summaries of patient charts prior to their visits. She also volunteered with the Special Olympics as an assistant volleyball coach for adults with disabilities.

Emily is extremely grateful for all that she has learned prior to pursuing her graduate school training in genetic counseling, and is motivated to utilize the knowledge and skills she has obtained to provide empathetic and personalized patient care.

Hometown: Dacula, Georgia.

Education: Bachelor's degree in biology with honors and minors in psychology and health and human services from Wake Forest University in 2024.

Research Project: "Creating a Book for Children with Rare Genetic Conditions"

Murren’s interest in genetics started with Punnett squares in middle school. As she explored the career and genetic medicine overall, she developed passions for bioethics, health equity and mental health care. In undergraduate, she completed a biology honors thesis titled “Exploration of the differing genetic routes for the diagnoses and treatments of Prader-Willi Syndrome, Myotonic Dystrophy and Alström Syndrome under the 21st Century Cures Act.” She also worked as a resident advisor and held extracurricular roles including bioethics president and archery club president. Murren adores music and served as principal chair of the second violin section in the Wake Forest University Symphony Orchestra and as a volunteer violin instructor for Musical Empowerment, providing free lessons and instruments for underserved children.

Murren completed a gap year in Iowa where she worked as a certified brain injury specialist and as a patient experience specialist at a family medicine and pediatrics clinic. In her free time, Murren volunteered as a Road to Recovery driver for the American Cancer Society, providing community members with free transportation to cancer treatment. She engaged with the genetic counseling community by shadowing genetic counselors throughout Iowa and participating in University of Iowa’s mentorship program for prospective genetic counseling graduate students and Topics in Genetic Counseling webinar series.

During her free time, she loves studying film, playing ukulele and violin, weight lifting, thrifting clothes and baking. Murren is beyond excited for her future genetic counseling career and plans to continue to pursue opportunities to expand health equity and the ways genetic medicine can save lives.

Hometown: Overland Park, Kansas.

Education: Bachelor's degree in biology and Spanish from the Honors Program at Creighton University in 2023.

Research Project: "Early Presentation of Non-Deletion Angelman Syndrome: Insights from Natural History Data"

During college, Isabella was president and founder of Creighton University’s Pre-Genetic Counseling Club, which she started to introduce prospective students to the field of genetic counseling. She also worked in a genetics lab researching Lynch syndrome and seeking to characterize variants of uncertain significance in the PMS2 gene.

After graduation, Isabella worked as a pediatric genetic counseling associate at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She worked with 12 genetic counselors across a variety of pediatric and adult disciplines prepping for clinics and placing genetic testing orders. She particularly enjoyed her work with the outreach clinics, which provided genetic counseling services to patients in underserved communities across Nebraska. She also volunteered as a science ambassador for the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics, which involved sharing information about Angelman syndrome with the community. Isabella would love to continue her involvement with this community and the rare disease community as a whole as a genetic counselor.

In her free time, Isabella loves to swim, sing and listen to music. She is also a major foodie and superfan of TV series Big Brother and Survivor.

Hometown: Raytown, Missouri.

Education: Bachelor's degree in biology with minors in medical Spanish and psychology from Rockhurst University, 2025.

Research Project: "Perceptions of Quality of Care in Spanish-interpreted Pediatric Genetic Counseling"

Edwin was born in El Paso, Texas, but has lived in the KC Metro since he was three years old. Because he has lived on both the Kansas and Missouri sides, he understands how diverse and unique our city is! He has been a fan of STEM activities since grade school and has always had a deep interest in genetics and psychology.

Throughout high school, those interests fueled his career exploration. His freshman biology teacher at Rockhurst University introduced him to the wonderful field of genetic counseling – a career that is still growing– and allows him to pursue both genetics and psychology together. As many people have never heard of genetic counseling, he wants to grow the position in his local community to educate others about the benefits of genetic counseling.

Edwin’s experiences as an undergraduate were mainly focused on working or volunteering. One of his favorite experiences volunteering is with TEAMSoccer, an organization for children with special needs. He enjoyed coaching and ensuring all players felt welcome. Edwin has been employed as a staffing recruiter for the last 18 months, which has allowed him to understand cultural gaps and strengthen his Spanish language skills. He is currently employed as a laboratory genetic counseling student at Children’s Mercy Hospital. His role involves helping with case preparation for patients undergoing genetic testing.

Hometown: Plymouth, Minnesota.

Research Project: "Diagnostic Yield and Insurance Alignment in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy"

Hometown: Winchester, Oklahoma.

Research Project: "Utility of Genetic Test Results: Perceptions of Families, Clinicians, and Lab Directors"

Hometown: Shawnee, Kansas.

Research Project: "Enhancing Equitable Care in Genetic Counseling: Perspectives on Disability"

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri.

Research Project: "Cycles of Inflammation: Investigating Recurrent Fevers in Vici Syndrome"