Month: May 2014

Calling all Genetic Counselors & Laboratory Technicians!

Please see the details below, and send a cover letter and resume to Adam Heaps: aheaps@clinicforspecialchildren.org.

 

Position: Part-time Genetic Counselor / Project Coordinator.

The position is part-time (3 days a week), Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The Clinic for Special Children is a non-profit medical and laboratory service for children with complex genetic disorders, primarily in the Mennonite and Amish communities.  The Clinic serves children and families by translating advances in genetics into timely diagnoses and accessible, comprehensive medical care, and by developing better understanding of heritable diseases.  More information about the Clinic’s mission, services and research can be found at www.clinicforspecialchildren.org.

The Clinic is looking for a highly motivated individual to join our team as a “Genetic Counselor / Project Coordinator.”  The individual would work closely with medical and laboratory staff to coordinate all aspects of a collaborative exome sequencing project.  The position will be available for 3 years pending funding.  Responsibilities will include: constructing family pedigrees from various sources, determining possible inheritance patterns, tracking project outcomes, tracking patient progress through the study, determining genetic risk for individuals and families, educating families about genetic testing technologies and genetic disease risk, ensure patients are properly consented and follow IRB and study guidelines.

An applicant must have:

• M.S. in genetic counseling
• Board certification by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC)
• Excellent clinical skills and the ability to explain complicated medical/genetic concepts in a simple way
• Experience with exome sequencing data, incidental findings and standard genetic reporting guidelines
• Experience and knowledge of various genetic technologies
• Excellent organizational, multi-tasking and teamwork skills

 

Position: Full-time Laboratory Technician

The position is full-time, Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The Clinic for Special Children is a non-profit medical and laboratory service for children with complex genetic disorders, primarily in the Mennonite and Amish communities. The Clinic serves children and families by translating advances in genetics into timely diagnoses and accessible, comprehensive medical care, and by developing better understanding of heritable diseases. More information about the Clinic’s mission, services and research can be found at www.clinicforspecialchildren.org.

The Clinic is looking for a highly motivated individual to join our team as a “Laboratory Technician.” The position will be available for 3 years pending funding. The individual would be responsible for completing various molecular assays in a timely fashion using established protocols. Responsibilities will include: Sanger sequencing, running microarrays, primer design, genotyping by high-resolution melting curve analysis, and DNA isolation from whole blood.

 An applicant must have:

• B.S./B.A. in biology, chemistry, biochemistry or a related field
• Strong knowledge and interest in the genetic causes of human disease
• Experience with molecular techniques and assays
• Experience working in a laboratory setting
• Excellent organizational, multi-tasking, record keeping and teamwork skills
• The ability to communicate clearly with medical/scientific professionals and families

 An applicant would ideally have:

•  Experience working in a CLIA certified laboratory
• Experience with Affymetrix CytoScan arrays

We’re happy to announce our 3rd Avery Fellow, Aarti Rao! Aarti comes to the Clinic from Swarthmore College with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Honors Sociology, Anthropology, and Biology. We were impressed by Aarti’s public health research within fifteen villages of Chura, Rajastan, a desert region in northern India. Aarti assessed the utilization of maternal and newborn health services, then developed and distributed “Emergency Birth Plans” for women in villages with high rates of infant mortality. Expanding on her work in public health, Aarti will help CSC to develop new measures of efficacy and educational tools for the children and families we serve.

The Avery Fellowship program is a vital component to the Clinic’s mission. By integrating talented students into our team for a yearlong program, we are sharing 25 years of advancements with the clinician-scientists of the future. In turn, talented students like Aarti are helping the Clinic to maintain a culture of innovation and growth. To learn more about the program, visit our research page: https://clinicforspecialchildren.org/research.

We are grateful for the many individuals and private foundations who have supported the Avery Fellowship. If you are interested in learning how you can support this program, please contact Matthew Sware at 717.687.9407.

It is often said that the Plain people of Lancaster County have something very important to teach us about community. We are fortunate at the Clinic for Special Children to be reminded of this each time a family comes to our office seeking care for a special child. It starts with our building, which was raised like a barn by donated materials and labor. We admire the families, neighbors, churches, and businesses that nurture young, vulnerable lives with the extraordinary support that takes form at our annual benefit auctions. Now in our 25^th year, we recognize more than ever how the spirit of community can turn a great idea into reality, for children in Lancaster County and throughout the world. To paraphrase our co-founder, we are “…better scientists, better physicians, and more thoughtful people” because of what we learn from the communities we serve.

Our community of supporters grew this year as we embarked on a project to celebrate the Clinic’s 25^th Anniversary. Many private donations and countless volunteer hours have made a beautiful garden come to life. We would like to publicly thank the local businesses that selflessly stepped forward. With no promise of headline news or advertising, these partners donated over $50,000 of design, labor, equipment, and materials for our garden:

Jim’s Landscaping – Design, site preparation, flagstone path, and plant material

L&L Restoration Stone Masonry – Masonry/Hardscaping

Huber’s Nursery – over 50 shrubs and perennials

Jordan Electric – outdoor lighting installation

Tomlinson Bomberger – design and installation of over 20 shrubs and perennials as well as a new Japanese maple tree

American Period Lighting – handmade brass light fixture and post

Garden Spot Village Retirement Community – mulch delivery, equipment, and volunteer leading

Miko Lawn & Landscaping – pruning, waste removal, and volunteer leading

Earth, Turf, and Blooms – volunteer leading

Tuscarora Hardwoods – 15 cubic yards of mulch

Isaac’s Famous Grilled Sandwiches – food for planting day

Subway of Greenfield – food for planting day

In truth, it is not just the Plain people who embody the spirit of community; this spirit is engrained within all of Lancaster County. On the Clinic for Special Children’s 25^thAnniversary, we thank our friends, new and old, who have stepped forward to support our mission. In the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

A very special thank you to Bob Goodhart, who helped us conceptualize the garden and make our planting day a great success for our volunteer families and staff.

You can read more about our planting day from the Lancaster Newspaper’s Sunday edition: http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/at-the-clinic-for-special-children-a-garden-and-hope/article_7c35d6dc-cdab-11e3-875d-001a4bcf6878.html.