UUGPGC - Education Enterprise
Research Projects
UUGPGC - Education Enterprise
Research Projects
Research Requirement
UUGPGC students are required to complete an independent research project or a master’s thesis prior to graduating from the UUGPGC. These projects are similar in scope, but students who complete a thesis must follow the required University of Utah guidelines for student committee composition and thesis format.
| Title | Student Author | Committee Members |
|---|---|---|
| An Evaluation of Retention Strategies in the Genetic Counseling Profession | Clarice Danen | Bonnie Baty, MS, CGC (chair); Patti Krautscheid, MS. CGC; Kim Kaphingst, PhD |
| Natural History of Women Incidentally Diagnosed with Mosaic Monosomy X | Stephanie Duret | Hannah S. Anderson, MS, CGC (chair); Josue A. Flores-Daboub, MD; Danielle LaGrave, MS, CGC; Michelle Bosworth, MS, CGC |
| A study to assess prenatal genetic screening practices by obstetric providers to evaluate standardization of prenatal genetic screening | Carolina Gomez Rodriguez | Jessica Hidalgo, MS, PhD, CGC (chair); Janessa Mladucky, MS. CGC; Matthew Givens, MD |
| Impacts of the Dobbs decision on genetic counselors’ employment and education plans | Elizabeth Guiney | Jennifer Kaiser, MD (chair); Amber M. Phillips, MS, CGC; Hannah Anderson, MS, CGC |
| Community Leaders’ Views on a Chatbot for Family Health History Collection: Utility, Limitations, and the Importance of Trust | Melissa Guziak | Kim Kaphingst, PhD (chair); Amanda Gammon, MS, CGC; Whitney Espinel, MS, CGC; Peter Taber, MSCI, PhD |
| Factors Influencing Patient Decisions to Pursue Genetic Counseling Following Provider-Mediated Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing | Katherine Lauro | Madison Kilbride, PhD (chair); Karin M. Dent, MS, CGC; Amanda Gammon, MS, CGC |
| Assessing Genetic Counselors’ Knowledge of Medicaid | Jessica Lockhart | Elena Coupal, MS, CGC (chair); Emily Spoth, MS CGC; Audrey Rutz, MS, CGC |
| IVF with PGT-A: Illuminating Patient Experiences Around Embryo Sex Selection | Emily Lutz | Janessa Mladucky, MS, CGC (chair); Rachel O’Donnell, MS, CGC; Erica B Johnstone, MD |
| The Value of Cytogenetics in the Age of Genome Sequencing | Malia Olson | Erin Baldwin, MS, CGC (chair); Erica Andersen, PhD; Hannah Anderson, MS, CGC; David Viskochil, MD, PhD |
| Assessment of the Effect(s) of Anti-DEI Legislation on Genetic Counselor Practice and Applicant Decision | Christian Pareja | Karin M. Dent, MS, CGC (chair); Melanie Emmerson, MS, CGC; Jessica Hidalgo, MS, PhD, CGC; Hannah S. Anderson, MS, CGC |
| Title | Student Author | Committee Members |
|---|---|---|
| Perspectives of Newborn Screening for Li- Fraumeni Syndrome | Makenna Beigh | Amanda Gammon, MS, CGC (chair); Sabina Cook, MS. CGC; Luke Maese, MD; Jennie Vagher, MS, CGC |
| Assessing the Effectiveness of Delivering Difficult News Training, using the SPIKES model, on Obstetric Providers’ Confidence in Returning Abnormal Cell-Free DNA Results | Anneka Ecker | Janessa K. Mladucky, MS, CGC (chair); Karin M. Dent, MS, CGC; John C. Carey, MD. MPH |
| Information Priorities in Pediatric NF1 | Emma Fosbinder | David Viskochil, MD (chair); Samantha Greenberg, MS, CGC; Kelly Carpenter, MS, CGC |
| Family Communication of Genetic Test Results for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis | Hannah Hart | Emily Spoth, MS, CGC (chair); Janessa K. Mladucky, MS, CGC; Kristen Wong, MS, CGC |
| Evaluation of an educational family history video prior to cancer genetic counseling | Sarah Nelson | Amanda Gammon, MS, CGC (chair); Audrey Rutz, MS CGC; Louisa Stark, MS CGC |
| Perspectives of Genetic Counseling Patients after Receiving “atypical” cell-free DNA Screening Results | Cedar Palaia | Elena Coupal, MS, CGC (chair); Janessa K. Mladucky, MS, CGC; Hannah Anderson, MS, CGC; Michelle Bosworth, MS, CGC |
| Identifying Barriers to Genetic Test Integration in Subspecialty Cardiac Care | Sierra Pond | Briana Sawyer, MS CGC (chair); Genevie Echols, RCIS, SADS Foundation; Martin Tristani, MD; Hannah Anderson, MS, CGC |
| Identifying Characteristics Associated with Genetic Testing in the NICU | Madison Rumsey | Laila Andoni, MS, CGC (chair); Rachel Palmquist, MS. CGC; Mallory Sdano, MS. CGC; Sabrina Malone-Jenkins, MD |
| Implementation of Laboratory Stewardship Concepts in Genetic Counseling Training Programs | Grace Wilson | Mallory Sdano, MS. CGC (chair); Karin M. Dent, MS, CGC; Christine Miller, MS, CGC; Laila Andoni, MS, CGC |
| Title | Student Author | Committee Members |
|---|---|---|
| Access to Prostate Cancer Genetic Counseling in the Intermountain West | Samantha Beck | Samantha Greenberg, MS, CGC (chair); Amanda Gammon, MS, CGC; Jonathan Tward, MD |
| Evaluating patterns of SDHx tumor presentation by gene and variant type: A retrospective analysis of a large SDHx clinical cohort | Kara Eckberg | Samantha Greenberg, MS, CGC (chair); Amanda Gammon, MS, CGC; Neil Patel, MD |
| Metabolic Parameters and Development in patients with Arginosuccinate acid synthase 1 and lyase deficiency | Ali Khalaf | Nicola Longo, MD, PhD (chair); Marzia Pasquali, PhD |
| X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy After Implementation of Newborn Screening: A Reference Laboratory Perspective | Julia Prinzi | Irene De Biase, MD (chair); Marzia Pasquali, PhD; Rachel Palmquist, MS, CGC; Kristen Wong, MS, CGC; Stephanie Francis, MS, CGC. |
| Inherited Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Deficiency (IGD) Disorders Medical History Collection and Registry: Development and Preliminary Data | Martinna Raineri Tapies | Clement Chow, PhD (chair); Rachel Palmquist, MS, CGC; David Viskochil, MD, PhD |
| Effectiveness of novel biomarkers for MPS IH for diagnosing and monitoring of patients with therapy | Nivedita Rao | Marzia Pasquali, PhD (chair); Nicola Longo, MD, PhD; David Viskochil, MD, PhD; Audrey Rutz, MS, CGC |
| Identifying Effective Resources for Family Communication in Lynch Syndrome Cascade Testing | Yanete Rodriguez | Whitney Espinel, MS, CGC (chair); Lingzi Zhong, PhD; Samantha Greenberg, MS, CGC |
| An Examination of Readiness of Entry Level Genetic Counselors for Laboratory/Industry Roles | Nathan Shepherd | Elena Coupal, MS, CGC (chair); Michelle Bosworth, MS, CGC; Christine Miller, MS, CGC; Megan Martin, MS, CGC |
| Patient impact of the University of Utah Health’s Penelope Program for rare and undiagnosed disease | Brianna Stebbins | Lorenzo Botto, MD (chair); Ashley Andrews, NP; Erin Harward, MS, CGC |
| Patient decision-making process surrounding genetic testing for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis | Susanna Strydom | Janessa Mladucky, MS, CGC (chair); Emily Spoth, MS, CGC; Kristen Wong, MS, CGC |
| Title | Student Author | Committee Members |
|---|---|---|
| Getting on the Same Page: Evaluating the Genetic Counseling Contracting Process. | Emma Baldry | Bonne Baty, MS, CGC (chair); Amanda Gammon, MS, CGC; Kimberly Kaphingst, ScD. |
| Defining Orientating Language in the Genetic Counseling Process. | Katherine (Libby) Cook | Bonne Baty, MS, CGC (chair); Kimberly Kaphingst, ScD; Karin Dent, MS, CGC. |
| Prenatal Patient Perceptions of Receiving Difficult News Over the Telephone. | Tinsley Douglas | Janessa Mladucky, MS, CGC (chair); Karin Dent, MS, CGC; John Carey, MD, MPH; Caitlyn May, MS, CGC. |
| Exploring the Impact of Simulation-based Training on Genetic Counselors’ Confidence to Deliver Difficult News (DDN). | Alexandra Finley | Laila Andoni, MS, CGC (chair); Karin Dent, MS, CGC; Caitlyn May, MS, CGC; Louisa Stark, PhD. |
| Perceptions of cancer risks in pre-test genetic counseling education. | Autumn Lange | Kimberley Kaphingst, ScD (chair); Guilherme Del Fiol, PhD; Amanda Gammon, MS, CGC. |
| Psychiatric Genetic Counseling: Knowledge and Perceptions of Mental Health Care Professionals | Meagan Lindstrom | Amanda Gammon, MS, CGC (chair); Ivana Grbelja, MS, CGC; Kimberly Kaphingst, ScD. |
| Investigating Substance Abuse as a Risk Factor for Motor and Psychiatric Findings in Individuals with Huntington Disease Reduced Penetrance Alleles. | Laura Perez Quiros | Emily Spoth, MS, CGC (chair); Meghan Zorn, PA-C; Rachel Palmquist, MS, CGC; Christina Dailey, MS, CGC. |
| Time to Molecular Diagnosis for Children with Genetic Epilepsy: Influential Factors | Megan Rimmasch | Rachel Palmquist, MS, CGC (chair); Nephi Walton, PhD; Carey Wilson, MD. |
| The Global Cerebral Creatine Deficiency Syndrome Registry: Development, Launch, and Early Findings | Laura Voss | Nicola Longo, MD (chair); Marzia Pasquali, PhD; Erin Harward, MS, CGC. |
| Title | Student Author | Committee Members |
|---|---|---|
| The developing role of genetic counselors in somatic gene therapy | Cassandra Barrett | Emily Spoth, MS, LCGC (chair); Karin Dent, MS, LCGC; Kim Kaphingst, ScD |
| Examination of factors that influence participants’ willingness to share data for genomic research | Sara Graceffo | Kim Kaphingst, ScD (chair), Amanda Gammon, MS, LCGC; Jorge Contreras, JD |
| Factors influencing the ordering practices of Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism genetic tests | Jessica Ponce Hidalgo | Chris Miller, MS, LCGC (chair); Karin Dent, MS, LCGC; Hannah Anderson, MS, LCGC; Hunter Underhill, MD |
| “What would you do?” Factors implicating genetic counselors’ testing decisions during pregnancy | Lexi Isaacs | Lauren Wallace, MS, LCGC (chair); Karin Dent, MS, LCGC; Janessa Mladucky, MS, LCGC |
| Reclassification of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in very-long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (VLCADD) using the ClinGen workgroup approach | Nate Kirkland | Elena Coupal, MS, LCGC (chair); Marzia Pasquali, PhD; Kianoush Sadre-Bazzaz, PhD |
| Assessing medical students’ knowledge and application of GINA in the clinical setting | Kaitlyn Mason | Amy Hawkins, PhD (chair); Karin Dent, MS, LCGC; David Viskochil, MD, PhD |
| Assessing how providers facilitate informed decision-making about PGT-A for patients using IVF | Nisha Mathew | Erin Rothwell, PhD (chair), Erin Harward, MS, LCGC; Amber Mathiesen Phillips, MS, LCGC |
| Impact of implementing customized ACMG/AMP variant interpretation guidelines to the BTD database | Maria Mills | Elena Coupal, MS, LCGC (chair); Kelsey Cone, PhD; Melinda Procter; Genevieve Pont-Kingdon, PhD; Rong Mao, MD |
| The developing role of genetic counselors in somatic gene therapy | Cassandra Barrett | Emily Spoth, MS, LCGC (chair); Karin Dent, MS, LCGC; Kim Kaphingst, ScD |
| Title | Student Author | Committee Members |
|---|---|---|
| Examining Comprehension and Communication about Genomic Data Sharing | Heather Nick | Kimberly Kaphingst, ScD (chair); Amanda Gammon, MS, LCGC; Jorge Contreras, JD |
| Characterization of Depressive Symptoms in Individuals with Reduced Penetrance Huntington’s Allele Expansion using Enroll-HD | Cristina Dailey | Emily Spoth, MS, LCGC (chair), Tara Newcomb, MS, LCGC; Meghan Zorn, PA. |
| Factors in Screen Adherence Across the Lifespan for Individuals With Rare Hereditary Cancer Syndromes | Amy Whitburn | Samantha Greenberg, MS, LCGC (chair); Wendy Kohlmann, MS, LCGC; Yelena Wu, PhD |
| Impact of Genetic Based Melanoma Risk Assessment on Attitudes and Preventative Behaviors | Kaylee Ruiz | Wendy Kohlmann, MS, LCGC (chair); Kimberly Kaphingst, ScD; Yelena Wu, PhD; Bingjian Feng, PhD |
| Experiences of Black consumers utilizing direct-to-consumer genetic testing | Emily Ziegler | Bonnie Baty, MS, LCGC (chair), Rebecca Anderson, RN, PhD; Jeff Botkin, MD, MPH; Janessa Mladucky, MS, LCGC |
| Risk perception and screening behaviors in phenotypically negative Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) mutation carriers | Melanie Emmerson | Katie Swade, MS, LCGC (chair), Marcia Feldkamp, PhD, PA; Lindsay Meyers, MS, LCGC; Karin Dent, MS, LCGC. |
| Evaluation of Family Telehealth Genetic Counseling Services | Natasha Chadburn | Natasha Chadburn |
| Genetic Counseling Student Research: Landscape, Trends, and Barriers | Caitlin Clark-Wiest | Eric Rosenthal, PhD, MS, LCGC (chair); Karin Dent, MS, LCGC; Wendy Kohlmann, MS, LCGC |
| Examining Comprehension and Communication about Genomic Data Sharing | Heather Nick | Kimberly Kaphingst, ScD (chair); Amanda Gammon, MS, LCGC; Jorge Contreras, JD |