Sarah Grams
Genetic Counselor
San Francisco,CA
Summary
Board-certified and nationally licensed Genetic Counselor with 15+ years of experience across clinical care, laboratory genetics, reproductive genetics, hereditary cancer, and program leadership. Proven expertise in cross-functional collaboration, protocol development, clinician education, and operational optimization. Experienced in industry and healthcare systems with a strong foundation in research and peer-reviewed publication.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
1
1
Certificate
Work History
Genetic Counselor II
Myriad Genetics
Salt Lake City, UT
10.2022 - Current
- Provide pre- and post-test counseling for hereditary cancer, expanded carrier screening, non-invssive prenatal screening and pharmacogenomic panels.
- Collaborate directly with laboratory teams on amended test reports, and reclassification follow-up.
- Collaborate with team to update over 200 counseling note templates, enhancing efficiency, consistency, and alignment with best practices.
- Facilitate monthly interdepartmental journal club to promote evidence-based practice and foster professional development
- Participate in colleague partnership program, best practice meetings, and case conference.
Genetic Counselor
Invitae
San Francisco, CA
08.2020 - 10.2022
- Provided post-test genetic counseling for Invitae's reproductive test menu, including NIPS, expanded carrier screening, PGT-A, cytogenetics (karyotype and CMA).
- Collaborated with other teams to develop universal genetic counseling note templates, improving consistency in documentation.
- Contributed to development of patient-facing educational materials to supplement genetic counseling notes.
- Mentored genetic counseling students and newly hired genetic counselors, providing onboarding support and training.
Genetic Counselor Coordinator
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center
Oakland, CA
04.2019 - 08.2020
- Coordinated day-to-day operations for Kaiser Permanente regional prenatal screening program.
- Served as liaison between regional providers and the California State Genetic Disease Screening Program.
- Participated in on-going program planning and served as a regional resource.
- Developed and disseminated region-wide protocols to prenatal providers and clinical laboratory scientists through educational programs and materials.
Genetic Counselor
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center
San Francisco, CA
11.2018 - 04.2019
- Provided genetic counseling and care coordination services to pediatric, adult, and prenatal patients.
- Coordinated patient care for individuals with metabolic diseases by managing infusions, labs, medications, and follow-up.
- Attended regional multidisciplinary metabolic clinics and metabolic case conferences.
- Co-led the Northern CA Kaiser Genetics Professional Practice meetings to identify practice improvements and increase operational efficiency.
- Collaborated on creation of SOPs for genetics support staff.
- Served as the site coordinator for an open-label research trial to evaluate the safety of Velaglucerase alfa enzyme replacement therapy.
- Mentored genetic counseling students and trained new employees.
Genetic Counselor, Clinic Coordinator
Sutter Memorial Hospital, Children's Outpatient Services
Sacramento, CA
07.2007 - 10.2008
- Coordinated the pediatric genetics and metabolic disease clinics.
- Provided genetic counseling to pediatric patients and their families in the Metabolic, Cystic Fibrosis, and General Genetics clinics.
- Met with families to discuss abnormal newborn screening results, diagnostic evaluations, and follow-up genetic testing.
Graduate Student Researcher
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Cytogenetics Facility
Pittsburgh, PA
09.2005 - 06.2007
- Executed SNP association study to assess influence of ATM polymorphisms on head and neck cancer susceptibility.
- Utilized FISH (Fluorescent In-Situ Hybridization) in studies characterizing head and neck tumorogenesis, examining distal chromosome 11q loss and proximal 11q amplification in cancer progression.
Staff Research Associate II
Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Celera Diagnostics
Alameda, CA
11.1998 - 07.2003
- Conducted basic and applied research on genes involved in autoimmunity and inflammatory diseases to advance understanding of disease mechanisms.
- Collaborated on whole genome scan for multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis cohorts, contributing to insights on genetic associations.
- Developed Luminex assay to integrate major hits into a single panel for replication studies, enhancing research efficiency.
- Replicated PTPN22 gene association in RA, Type-1 diabetes, Graves disease, and lupus (SLE), contributing to understanding disease mechanisms.
- Performed RNA profiling using a juvenile RA (SOJRA) cohort in an effort to predict flares and quiescence of disease.
- Performed DNA-based HLA typing of a variety of disease populations including HIV, RA, and MS.
- Isolated and sequenced 10 novel HLA alleles from patient samples, enhancing genetic diversity knowledge.
- Oversaw phase 3 participation in National Marrow Donor Program study, characterizing role of HLA class II genes in outcomes of unrelated bone marrow transplantation.
DNA Technician
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI
06.1997 - 08.1998
- Collected, processed, and organized Arabidopsis plants and seeds to support large-scale genomics project.
- Conducted phenotypic analysis and prepared DNA from plant tissue to facilitate research objectives.
- Maintained laboratory operations and trained team members on protocols and best practices.
Education
Master's of Public Health - Genetics
University of Pittsburgh
06-2007
Master's of Science - Genetic Counseling
University of Pittsburgh
06-2007
Bachelor of Science - Zoology, Anthropology, Women's Studies
University of Wisconsin - Madison
05-1998
Skills
- Genetic Counseling
- Genetic Testing Interpretation
- Hereditary Cancer Genetics
- Reproductive genetics
- Prenatal & Pediatric Genetics
- Pharmacogenomics
- Clinical operations
- Protocol development
- Research coordination
- Multidisciplinary Collaboration
- Mentorship training
Certification
- Certified Genetic Counselor, American Board of Genetic Counseling
- Licensed Genetic Counselor, Licensed in all states, current
Accomplishments
Outstanding Student Award – University of Pittsburgh
Honors Society – University of Wisconsin–Madison
Honors Society – University of Wisconsin–Madison
Timeline
Genetic Counselor II
Myriad Genetics
10.2022 - Current
Genetic Counselor
Invitae
08.2020 - 10.2022
Genetic Counselor Coordinator
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center
04.2019 - 08.2020
Genetic Counselor
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center
11.2018 - 04.2019
Genetic Counselor, Clinic Coordinator
Sutter Memorial Hospital, Children's Outpatient Services
07.2007 - 10.2008
Graduate Student Researcher
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Cytogenetics Facility
09.2005 - 06.2007
Staff Research Associate II
Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Celera Diagnostics
11.1998 - 07.2003
DNA Technician
University of Wisconsin-Madison
06.1997 - 08.1998
Master's of Public Health - Genetics
University of Pittsburgh
Master's of Science - Genetic Counseling
University of Pittsburgh
Bachelor of Science - Zoology, Anthropology, Women's Studies
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Posters
Diagnosis of X-linked Intellectual Disability in an adult female by exome sequencing: A collaborative diagnosis between clinician & laboratory, Galasinski S, Grams SE, Chen E, Wetzel H, Chen K, Geeter N, Yen J, Anderson J, Glazer D, Lefterova1 M, Chen R, Morra M, NSGC 2016
Publications
- HLA-DQ haplotypes in 15 different populations, Begovich AB, Klitz W, Steiner LL, Grams SE, Suraj-Baker V, Hollenbach J, Trachtenberg E, Louie L, Zimmerman PA, Hill VS, Stoneking M, Sasazuki T, Rickards O, Titanji VPK, Konenkov VI, Sartakova ML, 2000, In: The Major Histocompatibility Complex: Evolution, Structure and Function. Ed. M. Kasahara. Springer-Verlag, pp 412-426.
- Genetic Variability and Linkage Disequilibrium within the DP Region: Analysis of 15 Different Populations, Begovich AB, Moonsamy PV, Mack SJ, Barcellos LF, Steiner LL, Grams SE, Suraj-Baker V, Hollenbach J, Trachtenberg E, Louie L, Zimmerman P, Hill AV, Stoneking M, Sasazuki T, Konenkov VI, Sartakova ML, Titanji VP, Rickards O, Klitz W, 2001, Tissue Antigens. 2001 May; 57(5):424-39.
- Two new HLA-B alleles, B4422 and B4704, identified in a study of families with autoimmunity, Grams SE, Moonsamy PV, Mano C, Oksenberg JR, Begovich AB, 2002, Tissue Antigens. 2002 Apr; 59(4):338-40.
- Three New DP Alleles Identified in a Study of 800 Unrelated Bone Marrow Donor-Recipient Pairs, Grams SE, Wu J, Noreen HJ, Mangaccat J, Cognato MA, Johnson S, Segall M, Williams TM, Begovich AB, 2001, Tissue Antigens. 2001 Oct; 58(4):272-5.
- Linkage and association with the NOS2A locus on chromosome 17q11 in multiple sclerosis, Barcellos LF, Begovich AB, Reynolds RL, Caillier SJ, Brassat D, Schmidt S, Grams SE, Walker K, Steiner LL, Cree BAC, Stillman A, Lincoln RR, Pericak-Vance MA, Haines JL, Erlich HA, Hauser SL, Oksenberg JR, 2004, Ann Neurol 2004; 55:793-800.
- Complete isochromosome 5p in one fetus of a monochorionic twin pair, Grams SE, Rand L, Norton ME, 2011, Prenat Diagn. 2011 Jun;31(6):605-7.
- Genotype-phenotype characterization in 13 individuals with chromosome Xp11.22 duplications, Grams SE, Argiropoulos B, Lines M, Chakraborty P, Mcgowan-Jordan J, Geraghty MT, Tsang M, Eswara M, Tezcan K, Adams KL, Linck L, Himes P, Kostiner D, Zand DJ, Stalker H, Driscoll DJ, Huang T, Rosenfeld JA, Li X, Chen E, 2016, Am J Med Genet A. 2016 Apr;170(4):967-77.
Posters
Diagnosis of X-linked Intellectual Disability in an adult female by exome sequencing: A collaborative diagnosis between clinician & laboratory, Galasinski S, Grams SE, Chen E, Wetzel H, Chen K, Geeter N, Yen J, Anderson J, Glazer D, Lefterova1 M, Chen R, Morra M, NSGC 2016