What we do and how we do it
Our Mission
Promote genetic education for current and prospective genetics professionals in Tennessee and surrounding states
Host annual education conference and workshops
Increase patient access to genetic counseling services
Support National Society of Genetic Counselors federal advocacy activities
Provide support and resources to help TN genetic counselors secure licensure
Provide genetic resources to patients, clinicians, and students
Advise patients and clinicians considering a genetic counseling appointment
Connect prospective genetic counseling students with education and shadowing opportunities
Support organizations and research geared toward improving the lives of our patients
Offer grants for genetics-focused research
Offer grants for prospective students applying to genetic counseling graduate programs
Membership
All genetic counselors or genetics professionals who work in the state of Tennessee are eligible for membership. In order to become a member, please contact us. If you currently do not work as a genetic professional but live in the state of Tennessee and would like to join, please contact us and the executive committee will review your request.
TNGCA Leadership
Smita Rao,
PRESIDENT
Smita is a certified, licensed genetic counselor practicing in the USA for the past 20 years. Her experience ranges from adult genetics clinics in University settings to Industry Lab reporting genetic counselor, adjunct faculty for teaching and to sitting on Boards for start-up healthcare companies. Smita is an entrepreneur and leads a genetic counseling consulting company based in Nashville, TN that provides comprehensive cancer and cardiac genetic care to patients over telemedicine. Her research interests focus on new service delivery models in genetic counseling, and international collaborations for genetic counselors and genetic counseling students abroad. She is the incoming President of TNGCA and the current co-chair of the International SIG of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC).
Alise Blake, MS, CGC
VICE-PRESIDENT
After completing her MS in Genetic Counseling at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 2019, Alise began her work as a pediatric oncology genetic counselor at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. She has been in this role for the last five years and loves the diversity it provides through patient care, education, and research. Alise decided to continue her education at the University of Memphis and enrolled in a doctorate of education in Higher Education - She will graduate in 2026. Alise has served on the TNGCA Awards Committee for the last three years and she is excited to step into the role of TNGCA Vice President.
Roya Mostafavi MS, CGC
SECRETARY & TREASURER
Roya Mostafavi, MS, CGC is the current TNGCA Secretary/Treasurer. Roya obtained her Masters of Science in Genetic Counseling from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in 2012. She started her genetic counseling career at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis where she performed inpatient consultations, initiated an outpatient genetic counseling clinic, and implemented a genetic testing utilization management program. After 6 years in pediatric genetics, Roya transitioned to pediatric oncology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she worked in both the Survivorship and Cancer Predisposition clinics. In 2023, Roya returned to Le Bonheur where she currently serves as the Director of Genetic Counseling. Roya is also a part-time Instructor in the College of Medical Education at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Roya is a native Memphian and is passionate about increasing access to genetic counseling in Tennessee.
Katie lang, MS, CGC
COMMITTEE DIRECTOR
Katie is a licensed, board-certified genetic counselor. She received an MS in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University and an MS in Genetic Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University. After graduation she completed a cancer genetic counseling fellowship at the Fisher Center for Familial Cancer Research at Georgetown. Katie ran one of the country’s largest community hospital-based cancer genetic counseling programs at Northside Hospital in Atlanta before joining Vanderbilt. She is currently the Medical Director of Genetic Medicine and has run the Hereditary Cancer Clinic at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center since 2020.