Spring 2020 Newsletter
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Contents:
Why did you decide to enroll at Lehigh?
Who were your favorite professors at Lehigh?
Erica (Bauerlein) Blouch is proud to report that she and her husband, Drew Blouch (’05, B.S. Mech. Eng.) are the parents of their own genetic experiment: 6 year old identical twin boys. As Ms. Blouch explains:
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Alumni Profile
Genetics: More than just the color of your eyes
Most individuals think of genetics as some characteristic inherited from their parents, such as hair or eye color, height, weight or whether their ear lobe is connected to their cheek or hanging loosely. But in today’s world of medicine, genetics is crucial when treating cancer, or heart disease, or whether a child will be born with a devastating disease or syndrome passed on by generations past.
All students who declare a major in one of the Department of Biological Sciences programs are required to take two of our core classes: Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics. Our students learn very quickly how important the subject of genetics is in so many aspects of our lives.
Erica (Bauerlein) Blouch
top: Erica Bauerlein and Drew Blouch, '05 bottom: Erica (Bauerlein) Blouch, M.S. |
(’05, B.S. Molecular Biology) took this important understanding of genetics to a whole new level. Erica earned her Master’s in Genetic Counseling at Brandeis University. She has worked at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center for almost ten years and is one of the senior members of the staff. Erica is also a member of the faculty of the MGH Institute of Health Professions and teaches a course on Cancer Genetic Counseling.
The role of a genetic counselor is well-suited for someone with a solid interest and understanding of molecular genetics, as well as the ability to translate this complex information into language that patients, doctors, and lay people can understand. The field is rapidly growing with more job openings than masters-trained students who graduate each year. Let’s learn more about Erica’s path to being a genetic counselor.
Tell us about your educational path after graduating from Lehigh.
While studying at Lehigh, I was most captivated by the biology classes that were relevant to medicine. And although many of my friends were pre-med, that had never been in my career plans. The Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) program at UNC-Chapel Hill was a first-year PhD program that allowed students to explore different paths to biomedical sciences and seemed like a great fit for someone that was undecided like myself. However, throughout the year, rather than choosing a specialty, I came to realize just how long and rocky the path in academia can be. It was a hard decision to leave the IBMS program, but looking back, was one of the best decisions I made.
While at UNC, I had a cancer genetic counselor as a guest lecturer in one of my classes, and I was immediately captivated by the profession. It is almost cliché in the genetic counseling community, but the combination of basic
molecular biology and interaction with patients was very appealing. After leaving UNC, I was lucky enough to shadow some genetic counselors while living and working in Boston and was able to see them working in various areas of medicine. These experiences solidified my decision to get my MS in Genetic Counseling from Brandeis University.
Can you explain genetic counseling?
Genetic counseling is the process of helping a patient understand their inherited risk for disease. This can apply to both children and adults, for a wide range of diseases, such as birth defects and congenital disorders, developmental diseases in childhood, adult and pediatric cancers, cardiovascular disorders, and many more. Genetic counselors can work in hospitals or doctors’ offices, genetic testing laboratories, medical research facilities, or in the public health capacity. If anyone is interested, the National Society of Genetic Counselors has a website for prospective students to learn more about the profession.
Help our readers understand your work at Massachusetts General Hospital.
At Mass General Cancer Center, I work with cancer patients and their families to identify which families have an inherited risk for cancers or tumors. Most cancers are not hereditary, so I evaluate their family history and interpret genetic testing results to help patients understand their personalized risk of developing cancer. I see patients that have breast, ovarian, or gastrointestinal cancers and I have an expertise in familial endocrine tumor syndromes.
As of the 2019-2020 school year, I have also started teaching cancer genetic counseling at the Mass General Institute of Health Professions (IHP) in the Genetic Counseling program. It has been a great experience to help train the next generation of genetic counselors. With so many advances in genetics and genomics, these students are training for almost a different career than the one that I started in 10 years ago.
Looking back at your time at Lehigh and the career decisions you made, is there any advice you can give to today’s generation of Lehigh students?
Students in the biological sciences have so many career options to consider and explore. It is a helpful reminder that not every biology major will end up with a “doctor” in their title. Before pursuing genetic counseling, I ultimately explored many other areas of allied and health sciences, as well as public health and health policy. A strong undergraduate degree in biology would be a great starting point for any of these careers.
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