Genetic Counselor- Neurology (TIRN)

 

What we do here changes the world. UTHealth Houston is Texas’ resource for healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. That’s where you come in.

We are seeking an experienced genetic counselor to join our team in providing specialized care for individuals with neurogenetic disorders at the new Center for Neurogenetics. Fluency in Spanish and/or research experience is a plus. 

Once you join us you won't want to leave. It’s because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization (benefits, insurance, etc.), plus:  

• 100% paid medical premiums for our full-time employees  
• Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equates to around 37-38 days per year) 
• The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue! 
• Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service) 
• Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan! 

We take care of our employees! As a world-renowned institution, our employees’ wellbeing is important to us. We offer work/life services such as... 

• Free financial and legal counseling 
• Free mental health counseling services 
• Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs 
• Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc. 
• Resources for child and elder care 
• Plus many more! 

Position Summary:

Provides professional genetic counseling to individuals with genetic backgrounds which pose potential risk to their children in terms of hereditary disease or malformations.  Coordinates communication between patient and multi-disciplinary team in diagnosis and evaluations of such conditions.

We are seeking an experienced genetic counselor to join our team in providing specialized care for individuals with neurogenetic disorders at the new Center for Neurogenetics.  Fluency in Spanish and/or research experience is a plus.

As a Genetic Counselor, you will be a key player in offering guidance and support to patients and families affected by genetic neurological conditions. Your primary responsibilities will include selecting genetic tests, interpreting test results, and communicating findings to patients and caregivers. The Center for Neurogenetics is new, and we have ambitious plans to expand our genetic counseling program over the next few years. You will have the opportunity to grow and manage a team of genetic counselors, working alongside the Director of the Center for Neurogenetics.

Beyond your clinical duties, you will leverage your expertise to support ongoing studies of neurogenetic disorders. This will include curating genetic and clinical data, testing new bioinformatic algorithms developed by our research team, and collaborating with neurologists to identify genotype-phenotype correlations for rare neurological disorders. You will also work closely with patient advocacy organizations to support research and improve patient outcomes.

To be successful in this role, you should have several years of experience as a genetic counselor for neurological disorders and be comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. You should also have strong leadership and mentorship skills, as well as the ability to collaborate effectively with researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates.

Two separate positions are open for pediatric and adult neurological disorders. Candidates with interest in incorporating bioinformatic resources to enhance the ACMG variant interpretation guidelines and prior experience with clinical data or research data is preferred.

Position Key Accountabilities:

• Work with the attending physician assigned to the patient cohort and the Director of the Center for Neurogenetics to develop and implement patient care plans.
• Provide genetic counseling services to patients and families, including gathering and interpreting personal and family medical histories, assessing risks, communicating pertinent disease and risk information clearly, and offering guidance on genetic testing and result interpretation.
• In collaboration with the bioinformatics research team, (re)-analyze genetic test results using various databases such as ExAC/gnomAD, ClinVar, HGMD, and genetic scores, and collaborate with the neurogenetics team to determine further management and workup.
• Assist patients and families to understand genetic predisposition to disease, including options and limitations of prevention strategies, potential adverse effects of positive gene tests, and limitations of negative gene tests.
• Provide follow-up care, including arranging consultations with other specialists, completing consultation reports, obtaining outside medical records or specimens, working with a financial counselor to facilitate authorization for patients' insurance coverage for genetic testing, and communication with patients and family.

• Participate in educational initiatives of the Center for Neurogenetics, including mentorship and supervision to Genetic Counseling graduate students during their clinical rotations and development of educational materials, such as pamphlets or brochures, to provide information on neurogenetic disorders.

• Contribute to research on neurogenetic disorders, including curating genetic and clinical data, identifying genotype-phenotype correlations, and testing novel bioinformatic variant interpretation algorithms.
• Work alongside the Director of the Center for Neurogenetics to design, grow and manage the genetic counselling program.

• May perform other duties as assigned.

Certification/Skills:

• Current board certification or board eligibility by the American Board of Medical Genetics or American Board of Genetic Counselors.
• Strong leadership, management and mentorship skills.
• Ability to work both independently and with the laboratory teams
• Basic knowledge of laws regulating laboratory functions
• Strong computer skills and comfort with databases

Minimum Education:

• Master’s degree in human genetics and counseling or a related field.
• Board-eligible or Board Certified Genetic Counselor (CGC) by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC)

Minimum Experience:

• No experience required.

Physical Requirements:

Exerts up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 20 pounds frequently and/or up to 10 pounds constantly to move objects.

Security Sensitive:

This job class may contain positions that are security sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of Texas Education Code § 51.215

Residency Requirement:

Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.