Each year, the Pitt genetic counseling students invite a leader in the genetics field to speak with current students and give a seminar that addresses leadership for the department. This year, the class of 2021 invited Aishwarya Arjunan, MS, MPH, CGC, CPH. Aishwarya graduated from the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health with a dual degree in Public Health and Genetic Counseling, as well as a certificate of Global Health. After graduating, she practiced as a clinical genetic counselor in Chicago for 2 years at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital and the Center for Jewish Genetics. Aishwarya has since then transitioned into industry, now serving as a Senior Clinical Product Manager for carrier screening with Myriad Genetics. She is a tireless advocate for medical and patient communities, constantly voicing the inequities of race-based medicine and the importance of expanded carrier screening in reducing healthcare disparities. In her talk, Aishwarya shared her experiences as a minority genetic counselor and her thoughts regarding where the field of genetic counseling stands today. In this blog, some of our student’s share their thoughts after Aishwarya’s presentation.
To view Aishwarya’s presentation, please visit: https://pitt.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=0671db55-98c4-4a2f-ba43-acbf0139df07
I really enjoyed Aishwarya’s presentation! It was clear from her talk that we have come a long way as a field in terms of providing opportunities for inclusion for individuals with a minority background, however we still have a long way to go. It was really interesting hearing Aishwarya’s own story of how she became so involved in the field and now acts as an advocate for change and inclusion. I truly appreciate that Aishwarya took the time to give a presentation to the Human Genetics department and then meet with the GC students afterward.
Michael Gosky, Class of 2021
I met Aishwarya during our virtual rotation with Myriad Women’s Health over the summer, and her knowledge and passion for her work was inspiring. I was so happy that she was able to speak at our Leadership Seminar and talk about her experiences. The utility of expanded carrier screening was a hot topic at NSGC this past year, so I was grateful to hear her perspective on it, both as a minority genetic counselor and as a product manager at Myriad. She is an excellent role model and mentor!
Megan Czekalski, Class of 2021
I appreciated Aishwarya taking the time to meet with us! It was a timely reminder of how many opportunities we have as genetics professionals to make healthcare more equitable. I also was grateful that she discussed provider burnout and how to make sure we don’t overextend ourselves.
Chelsey Walsh, Class of 2021
