Email

sara.stansbury@bcm.edu

Positions

Genetic Counseling Student

SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS
Baylor College of Medicine

Education

BS from Juniata College

12/2021 - Huntingdon, Pennsylvania United States

Professional Statement

Originally from central Pennsylvania, I earned my Bachelor of Science from Juniata College where I majored in biology and minored in psychology. During my time as an undergraduate student, I completed a genomic certificate program funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Science Foundation; this program addressed the scientific, ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics through interdisciplinary coursework. Further, I served as the president of a club called Caring for Kids with Cancer for 2 years where I coordinated events to raise funds and offer support for families affected by cancer at Juniata College and in the surrounding community.

Throughout college, I also spent several years as an undergraduate research intern at the Geisinger-Bucknell Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute. Here I had the opportunity to interact with genetic counselors and gain a more in-depth understanding of both the clinical and research-oriented aspects of the profession. I have enjoyed working on a variety of projects with topics including understanding clinical laboratories’ practices regarding the testing and reporting of variants in genes of uncertain significance, publishing updated dosage sensitivity curations for the NIH-funded Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen), and investigating the importance of data sharing by submitting variants identified through Geisinger’s MyCode Community Health Initiative to NCBI’s ClinVar database. These experiences have cemented my interest in research with the goal of improving patient care.

Additionally, I place immense value on my time volunteering as a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line and as a patient advocacy intern at Ben’s Friends, a platform of online communities for people with rare and chronic conditions. The collection of these experiences has facilitated my development into a genetic counseling student who is enthusiastic and passionate about empowering patients.

In my free time I enjoy hiking, drinking delicious coffee, and playing the occasional board game. I am happy to connect with prospective students and can be contacted at the email address provided.