Genetic Counselors Katie Garbarini, MS, CGC and Ashlynn Messmore, MS, CGC were both promoted to Clinical Assistant Professor, effective February 1, 2020.
Ms. Garbarini earned her BS in Biology (magna cum laude) with a Minor in Medical Spanish from James Madison University in 2014 followed by her MS in Genetic Counseling from UNC Greensboro in 2016. She received her certification as a Genetic Counselor and Diplomate of the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2016. She joined the UNC Department of Genetics as a Clinical Instructor in 2016. Since 2016, Ms. Garbarini has served as a Genetic Counselor for the UNC Cancer and Adult Genetics Clinic. She provides genetic counseling services, coordinates genetic testing, discusses results by phone and documents clinical findings for ~24 cancer genetics patients and 6 adult genetics patients per month. She also coordinates genetic counseling and testing for patients with a new diagnosis of breast cancer through the breast multidisciplinary clinic on a weekly basis. On a quarterly basis, she guides patients seeking genetic testing for Huntington’s disease through the UNC Huntington’s Disease Genetics clinic. Ms. Garbarini is the sole genetic counselor for the UNC Cardiovascular Genetics Clinic, serving 2-3 patients per week. She has participated in the development of a familial hypercholesterolemia genetic testing program as part of this clinical focus.
Ms. Messmore earned her BA degree (Highest Departmental Honors) in Human Biology and Society (Disabilities Studies Minor) at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2014. She then earned her MS degree in Genetic Counseling at the University of California, Irvine in 2016. While at UCLA, Ms. Messmore served as a Research Assistant in a Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics laboratory (2013-2105). She was appointed as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UC Irvine after earning her MS degree in June 2016. Ms. Messmore was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2016 and joined the Department of Genetics as a Clinical Instructor in October 2017. She is currently responsible for the following weekly clinics: Telemedicine Cancer Clinic with Nash UNC Health Care on Mondays; Cancer Clinic on Tuesday and alternating Fridays at UNC Cancer Hospital; Multidisciplinary Urology Clinic on Thursdays; and Adult Genetics Clinic on alternating Fridays. Additionally, she is involved with the Urology Tumor Board to provide guidance on genetics and the Molecular Tumor Board to review cases referred by oncologists to help guide further genetic testing.