Tessa Field, MS, CGC

"You're at that table for a reason"

Our first guest on Rosé and DNA was genetic counselor, Tessa Field!

Tessa is an accomplished genetic counselor working as a patient advocacy lead for a biotech company.

On this episode of R&D, she shares her story of choosing genetic counseling as a second career and her experience working as a consultant.

Dr. Altovise Ewing, LCGC

"I'm a glutton for purpose"

On this episode of Rosé and DNA, we share some wine (and cranberry juice!) with Dr. Altovise Ewing! Dr. Ewing received her PhD in genetics/genetic counseling from Howard University, previously worked at 23andMe, and now works as a Global Health Equity Strategist for Genentech. Dr. Ewing has a clear vision for how the field of genetics and medical research can engage thoughtfully and responsibly with underserved communities, with the goal of improving outcomes for communities of color.

Dr. Heidi Rehm, FACMG

“Trial and error was my mode of operation"

Dr. Rehm has been a leader in transformative genetics and genomics work within the Harvard system for the last 20 years and now works as Chief Genomics Officer at Massachusetts General Hospital.  On this episode we talk about her tips and tricks for juggling a stacked schedule, her efforts to build teams with diverse perspectives and increase access to clinical genetics, her experience building the Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, and her decision to implement meeting free weeks across all of genetics to increase productivity.

Dr. Bijoyita Roy

“The pace is unbelievable”

Dr. Roy is an RNA biologist at New England Biolabs where she focuses on the applications of RNA for therapeutics. In this episode we speak with Dr. Roy about her experience moving from India to the United States for her PhD training and the various ways in which her identity as a woman of color has shaped her career. We also geek out about mRNA vaccines and she shares her knowledge on the great potential for this technology!

Jaime Brown

“See, swirl, sniff, sip, and savor”

Jaime Brown is a Boston-based wine, beauty, and lifestyle copywriter extraordinaire!

On this episode Jaime walks us through the 5 steps to taste wine, which we desperately needed! A scientific method that will surely improve your wine taking skills.  She also talks with us about building her brand, creating a lipstick line, writing a book, and so much more!

Jaime’s passion for #rosé (aka ‘the pink drink’) and #RedLipstick is contagious and will most certainly inspire you to work on that side hustle!  

Erica Ramos

“I like to build stuff”

Erica is a genetic counselor and Vice President of Population Genomics at Genome Medical, a company that develops technologies, services, and strategies for delivering genomic healthcare. Within the genetic counseling community, she is also well known for her past leadership role as president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors in 2018 and continues to serve as an advisor for many high impact public health initiatives including the All of Us Program.

Robin Aguilar

“How can I do all of this justice in 900 words?”

Robin is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Genome Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, where they are an NSF Fellow. Robin's research focuses on creating tools and technologies to image satellite DNA.

As a first-generation, queer, non-binary, and disabled scientist, a lot of Robin's work outside of the lab focuses on providing support and connection for folks of marginalized identities in and out of STEM. They also are an artist and writer.

Dr. Corrie Painter

“I kept not dying”

Dr. Painter is a researcher and cancer survivor, and currently serves as the Deputy Director of Count Me In, a program that launches patient-driven research projects across various cancer types. During Dr. Painter’s PhD training in 2010, she was diagnosed with a rare cancer called angiosarcoma, and since then has made it her mission to be an advocate in this space. In this episode we follow Dr. Painter’s unique educational path to a career in cancer research, her experiences with her own cancer diagnosis, and the amazing work being done to advance this space through collaboration.

Dr. Alicia Zhou

"A lot of my leadership skills came from Taekwondo"

Dr. Zhou is the Chief Science Officer at Color Health, a population health company. Dr. Zhou earned her B.S. in biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and her PhD in biological and biomedical sciences from Harvard University. As CSO, she now leads the company’s scientific mission, which has evolved quickly from a focus on genetics to other health areas, including COVID-19 testing.

And if this wasn’t enough, in her free time, she is also a black belt in Taekwondo!

Michelle Connors

"I had to get creative about how I was educating people"

Michelle is a nurse at Boston Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts. At Boston Children’s Hospital, where Michelle has worked for 12 years, she has cared for children of all ages on the Medical Surgical ICU floor. She additionally now holds a position as the Infection Prevention Coordinator, a role that has become critical in these last two years.

But her newest position is her role as a new mom! Michelle dives into the details of new motherhood as a working professional, and even joined us on her first day back form maternity leave (yes, she really is a superhuman).

Dr. Namrata Sengupta

“Science Impacts Society and society impacts science”

Dr. Sengupta is a scientist, science communicator, career coach, and advocate for equity in health and STEM.

Dr. Sengupta received her BS in chemistry from the University of Calcutta, MS in Biotechnology from Bangalore University, and her PhD in Environmental Toxicology from Clemson University. Her current role as Associate Director of Scientific Public Engagement at The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard involves communicating research to the general public and creating a new science museum launching in 2022, the Broad Discovery Center.

Aishwarya Arjunan

“I commit when I commit”

Aishwarya Arjunan is a clinical genomics expert with over a decade of experience working in public health genomics and product management. Aishwarya started her career as a genetic counselor after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh and after a few years moved into a Medical Science Liaison role at Counsyl and then Myriad Genetics. She is now a senior medical science liaison at GrailBio, a new healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer early, when it can be cured.

Aishwarya is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors Board of Directors and actively leads initiatives to address healthcare disparities.

Dr. MaryAnn Campion

“Be a lamp, a lifeboat, or a ladder"

MaryAnn is an educator, genetic counselor, and all around superhuman. She currently serves as the director of the Masters Program in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling at Stanford University and founding director of the Boston University Genetic Counseling Program. Her research currently focuses on contributors to and consequences of burnout among clinical genetic counselors in the United States

MaryAnn is perhaps most known for becoming the youngest director of a genetic counseling program and quite literally growing a fan base of genetic counselors over the last 20 years of her career.