About the Program

The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) offers a two-year ACGME accredited fellowship in Laboratory Genetics and Genomics. This program prepares fellows to interpret a wide range of clinical cytogenetic and molecular genetic tests for the diagnosis and management of human genetic disorders and cancer. Fellows gain experience in all aspects of sample preparation, analyses and reporting by rotating through three clinical genetics laboratories at the University of Iowa.

Fellows are exposed to many indications for genetic testing by attending pediatric, adult, prenatal and cancer genetics clinics and leukemia tumor boards at UIHC. They will also participate in test validation, quality control, and regulator compliance activities within the laboratory. 

This training program satisfies the requirements for the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG) examination in Laboratory Genetics and Genomics

Education/Conferences

Pediatric Fellows Core Curriculum 

This is a weekly meeting offered to all pediatric subspecialty fellows and residents. By participating in this activity, the participant should be able learn skills regarding fellowship survival, teaching, reflective practices, leadership, as well as critical literature review and responsible conduct in research.

Genetics Journal Club

This is a weekly meeting. By participating in this activity, the participant should be able to identify new diagnostic methodologies and strategies in clinical genetics. The participant should have an awareness of the way in which the application of these to our patient population can be facilitated. 

Clinical and Molecular Genetics Case Review Conference

This is a weekly meeting. By participating in this activity, the participant should be able to describe and review roundtable discussion of the current inpatient / outpatient cases in the areas of cancer, connective tissue, general genetics and metabolic genetics, as well as reviewing current cytogenetic cases. 

Laboratory Genetics and Genomics Lecture Series

  1. Overview of human genetics
  2. Chromosomal basis of disease I
  3. Chromosomal basis of disease II
  4. Molecular basis of disease
  5. Basics of laboratory testing- cytogenetics
  6. Basics of laboratory testing- molecular genetics
  7. ISCN/HGVS nomenclature
  8. Prenatal genetics
  9. Microdeletion/duplication syndromes
  10. Cytogenetics of hematologic neoplasms
  11. Molecular analysis of hematologic neoplasms
  12. Constitutional NGS- bioinformatics pipeline
  13. Variant interpretation CNV
  14. Variant interpretation SNV
  15. Clinical lab QC and regulatory compliance
  16. Clinical genetics/dysmorphology
  17. Genetic counseling
  18. Hereditary cancer syndromes
  19. Inborn errors of metabolism
  20. Newborn screening

Schedule

Fellows spend their two years within an integrated clinical cytogenetics and molecular genetics laboratory setting. Fellows rotate in the Shivanand R Patil Cytogenetics and Molecular Laboratory, Molecular Pathology Laboratory, and Molecular Otolaryngology and Renal Research Laboratories all located at the University of Iowa. This allows for exposure to many test methodologies utilized in clinical genetics laboratories including:

  • Constitutional cytogenetics
  • Cancer cytogenetics
  • FISH
  • CMA
  • Sequencing assays
  • Quantitative and qualitative molecular assays
  • Fragile X testing
  • NGS and exome/genome sequencing

During training, fellows will undertake a two-week rotation in Biochemical Genetics at UIHC and the Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory