Profile

I’m from Northern Ireland and I moved to England when I went to university in Leicester. Since then I have lived in Liverpool where I worked in Mental Health, and I now live in Newcastle as I moved here for my healthcare science training!

I have always been interested in genetics and when I realised that I could combine healthcare with science, I knew I wanted to become a genetic counsellor.

I love my job, but I also love travelling and experiencing new things – I travelled around Europe last year and I went to Thailand last year!

I play the piano 🎹, I love learning languages (especially Spanish) 🇪🇸 and I was in the Archery club at my university (I wasn’t very good but it was great fun!) 🏹

My favourite thing is going to concerts and music 🎶🎧

Genetic Counsellors (GCs) are healthcare professionals with training in human genetics and counselling. We provide information to patients about genetic conditions they may have or are at risk of inheriting.

GCs are skilled and trained in calculating genetic risk, explaining inheritance patterns, ordering genetic testing, interpreting results of this testing and referring patients for disease screening.

We are different to other healthcare professionals because we look after families rather than just one patient. We arrange testing of patients’ relatives and we handle all the emotional and ethical issues raised for patients and their families. We help with family communication, coping and adjustment to new information or diagnosis in the family.

I wake up around 7am, get ready and have breakfast (coffee and oats). I live close to work so I get to the office around 8:30am. I work in a cool building that has NHS clinic spaces, a genetics laboratory and also a science museum!

In work, I check my emails to see if there are any enquiries I need to deal with.

Most of the time, genetic counsellors do “detective-style” work in order to prepare for clinics with patients and their families. We use multiple sources of information to find out about patients and their families, as well as their medical histories which we use to tell us their risk of having, or inheriting, a genetic condition.

Twice a week, I have clinics where I see patients and educate them about genetics, and talk to them about how it affects them and their family. I write letters to patients informing them of their genetic risk and also to summarise their clinic appointments.

I usually have lunch around 1pm with friends, and I leave work at around 4:30pm.