About us
We founded GeneMatters with a passion to improve patient access to genetic counseling.
That spark ignited our scalable genetic counseling service.
Our service is delivered via our proprietary telegenetics platform. We partner with hospitals, health networks, clinics, academic research centers and genetic testing labs; providing a customized solution.
We’re excited to meet with you to learn how we can work together to increase timely access to genetic counselors.
The need for genetic counseling
With exponential expansion of research and clinical knowledge in genetics, more patients are in need of genetic counseling. In addition, acceleration of the volume of test choices adds to the complexity, requiring focused clinical expertise of genetic counselors to guide informed decisions.
Scope and complexity of genetics field1
55,915
tests
11,415
conditions
16,454
genes
516
labs
Growth drivers
Large-scale precision medicine initiatives
Empowered patients driving answers
New DNA analysis technologies
Genomic research growing exponentially
Society guidelines based on genomic research
1 NCBI The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR®)Accessed 1/17/19 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gtr/
We answer this need
The current genetic counseling infrastructure can't match the trajectory without an updated model to extend the reach of genetic counselors. Patients currently may face long wait times or not have access to a genetic counselor in their area. Organizations may need support to provide appropriate coverage or to staff for fluctuating demand. We are here to help.
Role of a Genetic Counselor
A genetic counselor is a healthcare professional with specialized training in genetics and counseling. Genetic counselors help patients understand genetic risk based on family or personal health history, help them decide if genetic testing is right for them, and make recommendations for appropriate tests. Following testing, a genetic counselor helps a patient understand and interpret the results of genetic testing in order to make informed healthcare decisions.
Patients may need genetic counseling for a variety of medical reasons, such as:
- Having a family history of a genetic condition and wanting to know their risk or their children’s risk
- Being diagnosed with a genetic condition
- Wanting to assess if they have an undiagnosed condition that may be genetic
- Having a family member recently diagnosed with a genetic condition and wanting to understand their personal risk
- Planning to get pregnant or are having difficulty getting pregnant
- Receiving abnormal results from a routine pregnancy screening
- Wanting to learn more about screening options for diseases more common in certain ethnic groups
Certifications and licensure
All of our genetic counselors have Master’s degrees through programs recognized by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling and are board-certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling and/or Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors. We have genetic counselors to provide services in all U.S. states, including states that require an additional license to practice. Our genetic counselors also receive continual training and education to stay abreast of the rapidly advancing field of genetics.
Our Leadership
To partner with you, we built a team with deep expertise in genetics—from our founder, Jill Davies, a pioneer in the field of genetic counseling, to our seasoned genetic counselors, senior leaders and advisors. We have genetic counselors across all medical specialties, with licensure in every U.S. state.
We also brought together leaders that understand health care business needs and a seasoned technology team to develop our intuitive online platform. As a portfolio company of Invenshure, we have the investment and resources to quickly scale to meet growing demand.
Most of all, we all share the passion for helping patients—they are who drive us every day.
Jill Davies, MS, CCGC, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Jill Davies is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer for GeneMatters. Jill has more than 20 years’ experience in the genetics field, with leadership in clinical services, telehealth, product development, business development and operations. Prior to founding GeneMatters in 2016, Jill was Director of Genetics at the Medcan Clinic in Toronto where she developed and delivered leading-edge clinical genomics services. She has a special interest in the role of genomics in primary care and preventive medicine as well as the use of technology to enable access to genomic information and services.
Mark Sylvester, Chief Financial Officer
Mark is currently the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for GeneMatters and Invenshure, LLC. Previously, Mark was the CFO at The Emily Program, where he oversaw accounting, finance, payroll, and financial analytics. During his tenure, Mark sat on the board of directors, was a member of the senior leadership team, structured a debt and equity recapitalization, and was instrumental in business development during a period of rapid growth. Mark received his J.D. from the University of St. Thomas School of Law and B.A. from Saint John’s University.
Brent Backhaus, Chief Technology Officer
Brent Backhaus is Chief Technology Officer for GeneMatters, leading technical implementation for our telegenetics platform. Brent was the CTO at VRAD from its original incorporation through preparation of IPO, and is lead inventor on the VRAD patent portfolio. He also holds the position of COO for Verata Analytics and is the founder of Living Window. Brent earned SB and SM degrees in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Kiley Johnson, MS, LCGC, Senior Director, Clinical Operations
Kiley Johnson is Senior Director of Clinical Operations for GeneMatters. Prior to joining GeneMatters, Kiley was a genetic counselor at Mayo Clinic for 8.5 years where she had a broad range of clinical experience and was integral to the development of the Individualized Medicine Clinic, focused on utilizing new clinical technologies for patient care. Her clinical experiences furthered in the world of telemedicine as a Senior Genetic Counselor with InformedDNA. Kiley also has prior experience with Ariosa/Roche Diagnostics where she was a Medical and Scientific Liaison for 2 years, educating clinicians on Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT). Kiley's special interest is bringing new genomic technologies to patient care, with an emphasis on patient education and patient-centered decision making.
Kaylene Ready, MS, CGC, Senior Director, Product Development
Kaylene is Senior Director, Product Development for GeneMatters. Kaylene has extensive experience in product development strategy and execution in the genetics industry. As Product Director for Counsyl, she managed the hereditary cancer product portfolio, working to expand access to genetic testing in the oncology and preventative settings. She was also instrumental in launching their first online results delivery platform. Her clinical experience as a genetic counselor includes MD Anderson Cancer Center and Counsyl, bringing a strong background in oncology and reproductive genetics. Throughout her career, Kaylene has been passionate about education and patient access, and has served in leadership positions in the Texas Society of Genetic Counselors and the National Society of Genetic Counselors.
Darlene Haven, Senior Director, Marketing
Darlene Haven is Senior Director of Marketing for GeneMatters. Prior to joining GeneMatters, Darlene led Medical Marketing for Be The Match, where she directed market strategy for global cancer center services, improved referrals for cancer patients through medical education and market development, and directed marketing implementation for the clinical research program and other divisions. Her career in healthcare marketing spans oncology pharmaceuticals, healthcare services and medical devices, leading commercialization strategies, market analysis, product development and clinical education. Her passion is to improve patients’ access to care.
Craig Fuller, Senior Director, Business Development
Craig Fuller is Senior Director of Business Development for GeneMatters. Craig brings more than 20 years of sales leadership in pharmaceutical and clinical lab industries, including Boston Heart Diagnostics, Berkeley HeartLab, BabyGenes and KOS Pharmaceuticals. He has started and grown high-performing sales teams, and held positions of increasing responsibility in business and channel development. He enjoys building partnerships with clinicians, hospitals, managed care and strategic business planning.Our Team
Alison Payne - MS, LCGCGenetic Counselor |
Andy AltepeterSenior Software Engineer |
Carolyn Wilson - MS, LCGCGenetic Counselor |
Cheri Schoonveld - MS, LCGCGenetic Counselor |
Cherie Rao - MS, LCGCGenetic Counselor |
Erik AndersonSystems Administrator |
Erin Ash - MS, LCGCGenetic Counselor |
Fiona Curtis - MSc, CCGC, CGCGenetic Counselor |
Hanah CytronGenetic Counseling Assistant |
Irelyn Shepard - MS, LCGCGenetic Counselor |
Jennifer MacLean - MS, CCGC, CGCGenetic Counselor |
Judit AlfoldiSoftware Engineer |
Kelly Morse - MS, LCGCGenetic Counselor |
Kim Reisiger - MS, CGCGenetic Counselor |
Madaline TalamantesGenetic Counseling Assistant |
Marie Injeyan - MSc, CCGC, LCGCGenetic Counselor |
Mate SzedlakSoftware Engineer |
Michelle Hearn, MS, LCGCGenetic Counselor |
Norbert BaloghSoftware Engineer |
Rawan Awwad - MS, LCGCGenetic Counselor |
Steve SheldonSystems Administrator |
Tammy MillerManager of Marketing and Communications |
Zoltan RibiSoftware Engineer |
Advisory Board
Heather Zierhut, MS, PhD, CGC, Chair
Heather Zierhut is the Assistant Professor and the Associate Director of the Graduate Program of Study in Genetic Counseling at the University of Minnesota. Heather brings expertise through involvement in clinical, research, laboratory and public health. Heather has served as National Society of Genetic Counselors Access and Service Delivery Committee Chair where she developed a passion for increasing efficiency and access to genetic counseling. Heather serves as Senior Advisor for GeneMatters to provide expertise on the integration and implementation of innovative, evidence-based genetic counseling services and testing into new and growing markets.
Colleen Caleshu, ScM, CGC
Colleen Caleshu leads the genetic counseling team at the Stanford Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease and is a Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford University. Her clinical work focuses on inherited arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies. Colleen’s research interests include genetic test interpretation, integration of genetic counselors into cardiology, psychosocial aspects of cardiovascular genetics, and mindfulness training in genetic counselors. She served as vice-chair of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) Education committee and as Chair of the NSGC Cardiovascular Special Interest Group.
Gillian Hooker, PhD, ScM, LCGC
Gillian Hooker is VP of Clinical Development for the Nashville-based Health IT firm, Concert Genetics. She holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics, her ScM in Genetic Counseling and has studied outcomes of genetic counseling and testing in several different settings. She is past-chair of the NSGC Practice Guidelines Committee and currently serves on the NSGC Board of Directors.
Thomas Musci, MD, FACOG, FACMG
Thomas Musci is Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at BioCeryx, Inc., a molecular diagnostic platform company. He is the former Chief Medical Officer of Ariosa Diagnostics, now part of Roche Diagnostics. Dr. Musci is board-certified in clinical genetics and maternal fetal medicine and was tenured faculty at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. He has served on genetic policy committees for both American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG).
Paul Owen
Paul Owen is Chief Executive Officer, OneOme. Prior to OneOme, Paul led global commercialization for Invitae, a San Francisco-based hereditary disease diagnostics company. Prior to Invitae, Paul served as Vice Chair of Global Business Development for Mayo Clinic and leader of Mayo Medical Laboratories’ global commercial team – one of the world’s largest full-service reference labs. Prior to that, Paul held leadership roles at what is now Zimmer-Biomet and at Boston Scientific, both highly competitive, cutting-edge, and fast-paced organizations.
Sara Pirzadeh-Miller, MS, CGC
Sara Pirzadeh-Miller is the Assistant Director for the cancer genetics program at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and Fort Worth, TX. The program, which employees 14 genetic counselors, serves over 4,000 patients per year in hereditary cancer risk assessment through more than 20 locations in North Texas, including one of the largest service lines for indigent populations in this space nationally. Under her leadership, the program has received numerous grants to increase access to services using group counseling, telehealth, and other alternative service delivery models. She was a former Cancer SIG chair and recently was awarded the Cultural Competency Award by the National Society of Genetic Counselors.
Brittany Thomas, MS, CGC
Brittany Thomas is the Genetic Counselor Supervisor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Brittany leads the team in the development and delivery of new laboratory tools, educational strategies and operational plans. Recently she has worked to establish clinical utility of multi-gene cancer panels. She also recently co-edited the only textbook on laboratory genetic counseling.
Connect
- Contact Us
- Schedule an Appointment
- 807 Broadway St NE,
Suite #350
Minneapolis MN, 55413 - 1-866-741-5331
- 612-314-7482
- info@gene-matters.com
