Our mission-driven team is dedicated to developing the precision health workforce to build a world in which all people have access to the benefits of genetics and genomics.
Kelle Steenblock MS, CGC
Director, Institute for Genomics Education, Workforce & Leadership
Kelle Steenblock MS, CGC is the inaugural director of the Institute for Genomics Education, Workforce & Leadership at Sarah Lawrence College. Steenblock comes to Sarah Lawrence from InformedDNA, the nation’s leading applied genomics company whose mission is to optimize clinical decisions by leveraging current genomic expertise. Over 15 years and across five positions of progressive responsibility at InformedDNA—most recently Senior Vice President of Product Strategy—Steenblock has leveraged her unique set of skills to excel at data-driven strategic planning, successfully evolving ideas and visions into fully operational realities.
A certified genetic counselor with both clinical laboratory and industry experience, Steenblock is passionate about providing equitable access to genomic information in a way that drives improved healthcare outcomes for everyone. She sees Sarah Lawrence’s genomics institute as a necessary innovation at a critical time.
Certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling, Steenblock earned her MS in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University after receiving her BA in biology from Gustavus Adolphus College.
Kelly Athman, MS, CGC
Director, Thought Leadership
Kelly Athman, MS, CGC, is a board-certified genetic counselor with more than 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Her passion to increase patient access to impactful genomics education and precision medicine drives her as the new Director of Thought Leadership for the Institute for Genomics Education, Workforce & Leadership. Kelly’s experiences working within a health plan prior to pursuing a career in genetics, providing genetic counseling to patients in multiple care settings, and, most recently, directing the utilization management and medical affairs programs in an industry setting enable her to bring a unique perspective to the overall genomics workforce challenges in healthcare today.
Prior to joining the Institute, Kelly served in four positions of progressive responsibility at InformedDNA, including Senior Director of Medical Affairs, and held genetic counseling positions at Fairview Hospitals and Clinics, Children’s Mercy Hospital, and CentraCare Health systems. Kelly earned her M.S. in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology & Genetics and her B.A. in Psychology and Biology from the University of Minnesota.
Claire Davis, EDD, MS
Director, Curriculum & Co-Director, Genome Health Analysis
Claire Davis has worked with the Joan H. Marks Program in Human Genetics at Sarah Lawrence College for nine years in various capacities. She is also the co-director of the Genome Health Analysis master’s program, co-created with NYU School of Medicine, and the Director of Curriculum at the Institute for Genomics Education, Workforce & Leadership.
Claire previously worked as a cancer counselor and assistant director for the genetic counseling training program at Mount Sinai. She earned her doctorate in adult education from Teacher’s College, Columbia University, completing a dissertation on the professional learning of genetic counselors.
Carli C. Andrews, MS, CGC
Head of Program Development
As a board-certified genetic counselor and an alumna of Sarah Lawrence College (MS ‘19), Carli C. Andrews, MS, CGC, has a rich background in both clinical and industry settings. Andrews is dedicated to making genomic information accessible and impactful for diverse populations in her role as Head of Program Development for the Institute for Genomics Education, Workforce & Leadership. Carli's most recent role prior to joining the Institute was as a medical science liaison where she excelled in providing scientific and clinical expertise, supporting multiple teams including commercial operations and medical affairs, and engaging with the genetics community at national conferences.
Carli views her role at the Institute as a pivotal opportunity to drive forward the mission of advancing precision medicine through genomics education and workforce development. Coming into this role at a crucial time, she is actively involved in creating innovative educational programs designed to equip the current and next generation of genomic professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the evolving landscape of healthcare. Carli earned her MS in Human Genetics from the Joan H. Marks Graduate Program in Human Genetics at Sarah Lawrence College and her BS in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Bioinformatics from Towson University.
External Advisory Committee
Diane Baker MS '79
Former President, National Society of Genetic Counselors
Diane Baker is a pioneer and leader in the field of genetic counseling. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence’s Joan H. Marks Graduate Program in Human Genetics– a leader in genetic counselor education –she went on to become a founding member of the genetic counseling program at the University of Michigan, serving as its director and a premier member of its faculty. During this time, she served on the boards of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, the American Board of Medical Genetics, the American Board of Genetic Counseling, and the American Society of Human Genetics, and completed a Congressional Policy Fellowship in the U.S. Senate. She is co-editor of the first textbook in Genetic Counseling, A Guide to Genetic Counseling. Diane is a volunteer with National Institutes of Health patient charities and cooks for a men’s shelter in Washington, D.C.
Dawn Barry
Dawn Barry is a veteran of the biotech industry and an advocate for girls and women in STEM professions. Her current company, Luna, has received numerous awards from notable institutions including the Word Economic Forum and Fast Company for redesigning the biomedical research model by bridging collectives of people with industry and researchers for dynamic studies and trials.
Prior to Luna, Barry spent 12 years helping build Illumina, where she ultimately served as the Vice President of Applied Genomics and led pioneering teams in precision medicine, translational genomics, population genomics, and clinical screening, among others. Dawn’s accomplishments include being named PharmaVoice100 Life Science Leaders 2022, San Diego Business Journal’s 2017 Business Woman of the Year, TEDxSanDiego 2016 speaker, and Girl Scouts San Diego Cool Women 2019 recipient.
Eric Dishman
CEO, DishStrong Innovation, LLC
Originally trained as a communication scholar, Eric Dishman's life mission became healthcare and biotech innovation by career and medical necessity. He has spent 35+ years doing, leading, and teaching health innovation and trying to personalize and precision-ize healthcare for himself as a 23-year cancer patient and for thousands of cancer patients he has advocated for. His first health technology projects and startup attempts were for Paul Allen's think-tank, Interval Research. Much of Eric’s career was at Intel Corporation, where he grew from a researcher studying the needs of frail seniors and patients/families struggling with Alzheimer's, cancer, and chronic disease management to an Intel Fellow and founding Vice President of the Intel Health & Life Sciences Group. He was responsible for global strategy, R&D, and growth in the sector across 50+ countries.
In 2016, the persuasive skills of former NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and President Obama took Eric to Bethesda to become the founding director of the All of Us Research Program focused on diversifying research participants and data to inform precision health. Eric recently stepped down from his federal position to return to cancer patient advocacy, writing, backcountry skiing, as well as joining health-focused boards, teaching, and doing occasional consulting projects on precision health and strategic planning.
Eric’s ways of thinking about healthcare are captured well in two of his TED talks: beyond mainframe healthcare from 2009 and healthcare as a team sport from 2013.
Gillian Hooker
Chief Scientific Officer, Concert Genetics
Applying her background in molecular and clinical genetics, genetic counseling, and behavioral science, Gillian Hooker is committed to overcoming the barriers to effective translation of genome science at the patient, provider, and system levels. As Chief Scientific Officer, she oversees Clinical Content Development and Analytics for Concert. In her previous roles as a researcher in academic and government settings, Gillian has worked with numerous transdisciplinary teams on the front lines of genomics, developing and evaluating methods for delivering genomic information to patients and their providers. Having served as the associate director of a genetic counseling training program, Gillian also brings significant experience in genetics education and outreach.
Gillian completed her doctoral degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University and her master’s degree in Genetic Counseling at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health/National Human Genome Research Institute Genetic Counseling Training Program. She has been actively involved in the National Society of Genetic Counselors, serving on multiple committees and and served as its president in 2020.
Freda Lewis-Hall
Chief Patent Officer and EVP, Pfizer Inc.
During her 35-year career in medicine, Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall has been on the frontlines of health care as a clinician, a researcher, and a leader in the biopharmaceuticals and life sciences industries. The common thread throughout has been her passion to advocate for health equity and improved outcomes for all patients. Before joining Pfizer in 2009, Dr. Lewis-Hall held senior leadership positions with Vertex, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pharmacia, and Eli Lilly and Company.
Prior to joining industry, she served as Vice Chairperson and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Howard University College of Medicine and was an advisor to the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Lewis-Hall graduated from Johns Hopkins University and earned her medical doctorate at Howard University College of Medicine. Dr. Lewis-Hall appears regularly on health-related television programs in major global markets, including CBS-syndicated shows such as The Doctors and Dr. Phil. She also shares health and medical information through GetHealthyStayHealthy.com. She currently serves on numerous boards including SpringWorks Therapeutics, Dell Medical School, Harvard Medical School, FasterCures, the Foundation for the NIH, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
Ryan J. Taft
Vice President, Scientific Research, Illumina
Ryan J. Taft, PhD, is Vice President, Scientific Research at Illumina Inc., where he leads a portfolio focused on the deployment of genomic technologies for patients worldwide, especially the use of whole genome sequencing as a platform for genetic testing. At Illumina his activities include oversight of the Illumina Clinical Services Laboratory’s clinical whole genome sequencing test, pediatric and adult clinical trials, bioinformatic innovation, and novel application development. At Illumina Dr. Taft also leads a philanthropic program, iHope, that provides patients across the globe pro bono access to clinical whole genome sequencing. Dr. Taft has helped describe more than a dozen novel genetic disorders, and is credited with being one of the first to use short-read whole genome sequencing of a family to resolve an undiagnosed disease. He holds various other positions including serving as a Genetic Alliance board member and as an advisor to several rare genetic disease focused technology companies and non-profits.
Prior to joining Illumina Dr. Taft was a Group Leader at the Institute of Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland. He obtained his PhD in Genomics and Computational Biology, which received a Deans’ Commendation for Academic Excellence from the University of Queensland on a US National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of California, Davis on a Regent’s Scholarship. Dr. Taft has received several awards, including a Biocom Life Science Catalyst Award for innovation in the life sciences and the 2021 International Alumnus of the Year award from the University of Queensland.