Jennifer Keating

Jennifer is an ABGC certified genetic counsellor who completed her Master of Science in Human Genetics at Sarah Lawrence College. She practiced as a prenatal and cancer genetic counsellor at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY for 5 years before joining the Sick Kids Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine as a laboratory genetic counsellor in the Genome Diagnostic Laboratory in 2019. In 2020 she joined the Department of Dermatology as a genetic counsellor in their Café-au-lait Macules (CALM) Screening Clinic. She is a clinical supervisor for the University of Toronto MSc Program in Genetic Counselling.

Research

Keating's past poster presentation at ACMG included a case review of an asymptomatic women who was found to have spinal muscular atrophy type IV, through routine carrier screening and an institutional retrospective study, that revealed a higher rate of variants of uncertain significance on hereditary cancer panel testing performed on patients from the Bronx. She was also an author on a retrospective paper that determined the percentage of chromosomal abnormalities detected through prenatal diagnosis that are not detectable through cell-free fetal DNA analysis. In the future Keating will be contributing to a study that aims to repatriate whole exome/genome sequencing to Ontario laboratories.

Education and experience

• 2005–2009: Honours Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science, Trent University, Peterborough, ON
• 2010–2012: Masters in Human Genetics, Joan H. Marks Human Genetics Program at Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY, USA
• 2013–present: Board certified by American Board of Genetic Counseling

Achievements

• 2009: President’s Honour Roll - Trent University, Peterborough, ON
• 2009: Dean’s Honour Roll - Trent University, Peterborough, ON
• 2011: Joan H. Marks Scholarship - Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY, USA
• 2018–2019: Appointed to the Community Outreach Committee - New York State Genetic Task Force

Shani H, Goldwaser T, Keating J, Klugman S. Chromosomal abnormalities no currently detected by cell-free fetal DNA: a retrospective analysis at a single center. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, (2016) 214(6):729.e1-729.e11. c