“Due in part to my medical background and to my passion for Judaism I knew that bringing JScreen to my community was something very important to me. Taking care of children in the pediatric ICU has exposed me to numerous genetic diseases as well as knowing people in my own community whose families have
At JScreen, we believe that a combination of education, access to state-of-the-art testing technology, and personalized support by qualified medical professionals are key to preventing devastating genetic diseases and helping people live healthier lives. As the only national non-profit program offering genetic testing and counseling, we help fulfill that mission every single day.
One of the most common questions we hear at JScreen is some version of, “Are you sure that I don’t need to get my blood drawn?” The answer is yes! The DNA that comes from blood is the same as the DNA from saliva, so the accuracy of both types of tests is the
23 years ago, this past March my husband, Jim and I lost our firstborn, Corey to Niemann-Pick Type A Disease, a severe and currently incurable neurodegenerative disorder. Corey passed away at the young age of 2 ½. Today, Corey would have been 25 years old. While the years have passed, and time has
Twenty-six years ago, our father was diagnosed with Gaucher disease. A “simple” broken shoulder turned into years of getting the wrong treatments and one false diagnosis after another until one doctor encouraged further genetic testing. It was at that point, Gaucher disease became a huge part of our family. For the last twenty-six years,
“What’s the point?” We spend a lot of time talking about how genetic testing has the potential to save lives by giving us information that can be used to prevent cancer, lower risks, and diagnose it at earlier (and more treatable) stages. But people who have already been diagnosed with cancer may feel that
While walking through Target the other day, we passed a 23andMe testing kit display. I made a comment about how the display was half empty to my husband, who replied “Classic. You go to Target to pick up some hand soap and cereal and you walk out with your entire genetic map!” I laughed
“The Convention of Wives is a captivating story about friendship, marriage and survival, but also opens our eyes to the impact of genetic disease and emerging treatments. A delightful and timely read!” — Karen A. Grinzaid, MS, CGC, Assistant Professor and Executive Director of JScreen at Emory University About Debra Green Debra Green has
As a genetic counselor at JScreen, I will often hear my male patients express concern for their partners, daughters, mothers, and sisters, without realizing how it may affect them. One of the most common misconceptions about genetic testing for cancer is that it’s only a test for women. So let’s take a minute to expose
What’s the Difference Between Ancestry DNA Testing and Carrier Screening? “I don’t need any more genetic testing – I had that one ancestry test and I’m pretty sure they tested me for everything I need.” Unfortunately, it’s very possible that the ancestry test didn’t include as much testing as you might have thought.