DuPont and Chaubey Take on National Leadership Roles

08.05.16
DuPont and Chaubey Take on National Leadership Roles

August 5, 2016 – In addition to their daily responsibilities of identifying chromosomal abnormalities in patients with a variety of concerns from intellectual disability to cancer, Greenwood Genetic Center’s (GGC) Cytogenetics Laboratory Senior Director, Dr. Barb DuPont, (pictured left) and Director, Dr. Alka Chaubey (pictured right) are representing the field of cytogenetics on a national level through leadership in two organizations.
DuPont has been elected vice-president of the American Cytogenetics Conference (ACC). She will serve in this role for two years, after which time she will become president.

The ACC is an educational organization comprised of over 300 cytogeneticists from the US, Canada, and Europe. Their biannual conference is centered on the sharing of ideas and discussions of new discoveries in the field of cytogenetics, providing scientific sessions for learning, as well as time for networking with colleagues.

“The ACC is a wonderful organization which gives us an opportunity to exchange ideas, learn new technologies, and work on solving problems in the laboratory,” shared DuPont. “It is a privilege to serve this organization and work with many world renowned cytogenetics professionals.”
Chaubey has been selected to join the Board of Directors for the Cancer Genomics Consortium (CGC) beginning with their annual meeting this weekend in Denver.
The CGC is an international group of clinical cytogeneticists, molecular geneticists, and molecular pathologists who are interested in applying microarray technologies to cancer diagnosis and cancer research.

Chaubey has a strong interest in microarray technology, which detects very small changes within the DNA. She was involved with the validation of the first and only FDA-cleared microarray test and led GGC to be the first lab in the country to clinically offer this test.
“Microarray is a powerful tool to diagnose patients with a variety of genetic disorders including intellectual disability, autism, birth defects, and now, cancer,” said Chaubey. “Identifying small changes within the DNA of cancer patients can provide valuable information to assist in providing a prognosis, as well as guiding treatment decisions.”

“One of the ways GGC stays on the cutting edge of technology is through our involvement in various national and international scientific organizations,” said Dr. Steve Skinner, Director of GGC. “We are proud to have Dr. DuPont and Dr. Chaubey in these leadership roles where they will not only keep up with advances, but will help guide them.”

Meet the Shenal Family

Our daughter, Ryleigh, was diagnosed with a rare chromosomal deletion shortly after she was born in 2010. Since we received her diagnosis, the Greenwood Genetic Center has become part of our family. They made certain that we did not feel alone, and they continue to provide ongoing, compassionate care for our child. The impact they have had on our family and others across the globe everyday is immeasurable. We can't imagine walking this journey without...

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