Faculty
Melanie Myers, M.S., Ph.D., C.G.C.
Assistant Professor
Director, Genetic Counseling Graduate Program
Dr. Myers is a board certified genetic counselor with several years experience as a prenatal and cancer genetic counselor. She obtained her PhD in public health from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health in 2000. Some of her interests and responsibilities with the program include developing and teaching the “Research Design” course, ensuring compliance with institutional/accreditation requirements, and developing and implementing a funded research program. Dr. Myers’ research interests include evaluating family health history as a health promotion and disease prevention tool, direct-to-consumer marketing of genetic testing, and outcomes research in genetic counseling.
Prior to joining the Cincinnati Genetic Counseling Graduate Program, Dr. Myers worked in the Office of Public Health Genomics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a Public Health Geneticist. While there she led a multi-state investigation to monitor the impact of the first direct-to-consumer marketing campaign for genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility (BRCA1/2). This was the first coordinated public health response to the introduction of a complex genetic test to the general public. Dr. Myers also served in the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) in the National Center of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the CDC. As an EIS Officer, she participated on several outbreak response teams, including STOP (Stop Transmission of Polio) Team 9 in Bangladesh, the New York City Anthrax Team, the World Trade Center Terrorist Attack Response Team, the Dengue Fever Outbreak Response team in Maui and Kawaii, Hawaii, and the West Nile Virus Response Team in Long Island, NY.
Recent Funded Research:
Developing Community Based Models for Education and Utilization of Family Health History Information: A Demonstration Project in an Urban Appalachian Population. Funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute Education and Community Involvement Branch, Sept 2006 – Sept 2007.
Select Publications:
Au MG, Cornett SJ, Nick TG, Wallace J, Wang Y, Warren NS, Myers MF. Familial risk for chronic disease and intent to share family history with a health care provider among urban Appalachian women, southwestern Ohio, 2007. Prev Chronic Dis 2010;7(1). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2010/jan/08_0221.htm. Accessed January 8, 2010.
Fuller M, Myers MF, Webb T, Tabangin M, Prows C. Primary Care Providers' Responses to Patient-Generated Family History. J Genet Couns, 2009 Oct 24. [Epub ahead of print]
Cragun RT, Woltanski AR, Myers, MF, Cragun DL. Genetic counselors' religiosity & spirituality: Are genetic counselors different from the general population? J Genet Couns, 2009:18:551–566.
Cree RA, Lynch J, Au MG, Myers MF. Decisions to seek healthcare based on family health history among urban Appalachian women. J Genet Couns, 2009;18:534-550.
Bowen DJ, Harris J, Jorgensen CM, Myers MF, Kuniyuki A. Socioeconomic influences on the effects of a genetic testing Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Campaign. Public Health Genomics, 2009; 13:131-142.
Wallace JP, Baugh C, Cornett S, Hood B, Prows CA, Ryan N, Warren NS, Au MG, Brown MK, Glandorf K, Jarrell JL, Nolan TL, Sorrell J, Walters J, Myers MF. A Family History Demonstration Project among Women in an Urban Appalachian Community. Progress in Community Health Partnerships, 2009:3(2):155-164.
Woltanski AR, Cragun RT. Myers MF, Cragun DL. Views on Abortion: A Comparison of Female Genetic Counselors and Women from the General Population. J Genet Couns, 2009;18(1):28-41.
Bowling, BV, Huether CA, Wang L, Myers MF, Markle GC, Dean GE, Acra EE, Wray FP, Jacob GA. Genetic Literacy of Undergraduate Non-Science Majors and the Impact of Introductory Biology and Genetics Courses”, BioScience, 2008;58(7):654-660.
Bowling BV, Acra EE, Wang L, Myers MF, Dean GE, Markle GC, Moskalik CL, Huether CA. Development and Evaluation of a Genetic Literacy Assessment Instrument for Undergraduates. Genetics, 2008;178:15-22.
Wallace JP, Myers MF, Huether CA, Bedard AC, Warren NS. Employability of Genetic Counselors with a PhD in Genetic Counseling. J Genet Couns, 2008;17:209-219.
Myers MF, Chang MH, Jorgensen C, Whitworth W, Kassim S, Litch JA, Armstrong L, Bernhardt B, Faucett WA, Irwin D, Mouchawar J, Bradley LA. Genetic testing for susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer: Evaluating the impact of a direct-to-consumer marketing campaign on physicians’ knowledge and practices. Genet Med 2006;8(6):361–370.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Genetic Testing for Breast and Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility: Evaluating Direct-to-Consumer Marketing - Atlanta, Denver, Raleigh-Durham, and Seattle, 2003. MMWR 2004;53:603-606. Reported by: J Jacobellis, PhD, Colorado Dept of Public Health and Environment. L Martin, MS, Georgia Dept of Human Resources. J Engel, MD, North Carolina Div of Public Health. J VanEenwyk, PhD, Washington State Dept of Health. LA Bradley, PhD, Office of Genomics and Disease Prevention, Office of the Director; S Kassim, MD, C Jorgensen, DrPH, Div of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; JA Litch, MD, MF Myers, PhD, EIS officers, CDC.
Myers MF, Li S, Moore CA, Li Z, Correa-Villasenor
A, Hong SX, Berry RJ, and The China-US Collaborative Project
for Neural Tube Defect Prevention. Folic acid
supplementation and imperforate anus in China. Am J
Epidemiol. 2001:154(11):1051-1056.
Katie Wusik, M.S., C.G.C.
Clinical Coordinator, Genetic Counseling Graduate Program
Katie is board certified as a genetic counselor by the American Board of Genetic Counseling. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati Genetic Counseling Program and has been actively involved with the program since her graduation. Some of her responsibilities with the program include teaching courses focused on core genetic counseling skills, overseeing the progress of 1st year students in their clinical rotations, and coordinating students’ clinical rotations.
In addition to her responsibilities with the program, Katie is also a practicing genetic counselor. She is involved with pediatric and adult genetics clinics, as well as several specialty clinics, at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.