Facility San Jose Medical Center Department of Genetics Address 5755 Cottle Road - Bldg. 1 San Jose CA 95123 Map & Directions Telephone Office: (408) 972-3300 E-mail your doctor View your preventive services

Department Hours

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Closed	8:30 am 5:00 pm	8:30 am 5:00 pm	8:30 am 5:00 pm	8:30 am 5:00 pm	8:30 am 5:00 pm	Closed

My Biography

I am a medical geneticist who has been with the Genetics Department at Kaiser Permanente in San Jose since 1985. During that time the specialty of medical genetics has undergone tremendous growth and increased complexity with an explosion of information. I feel privileged to be working in this field at a time when new information about health and disease is becoming available at an unparalleled rate. In some ways this makes my work more difficult but it means I have more knowledge and tools at my disposal to help my patients.

As a clinical geneticist, I work with inherited disorders and birth defects involving every part of the body. My patients are of all ages including babies, children and adults as well as pregnant women and couples. My role is to evaluate and assess a person's medical condition. This may include reviewing medical records, performing physical examinations, recommending and interpreting a variety of medical and genetic tests, educating and counseling the patient about his/her situation, and communicating with other health care providers.

I feel responsible for ensuring that my patients understand the reason for, and the outcome of, their evaluation in emotional terms, not just physical. They need to understand the pros and cons of various options and choices. I strive to do this by speaking in terms they can understand and with compassion and sensitivity.

In addition to my regular functions I have several areas of special interest and experience. I am the director of the Kaiser Permanente Regional Huntington Disease Predictive Testing Program. I am also a medical advisor to the Northern California Chapter of the Huntington Disease Society of America. I am very active in the area of population screening for cystic fibrosis, a fatal inherited lung disease. I also direct the Kaiser Permanente Regional Cystic Fibrosis Prenatal Screening Program which is the largest program of its kind in North America. I have special interest and experience with Noonan syndrome and in teratology, the area of medicine that deals with environmental causes of birth defects.

I am the author of numerous research papers on medical genetics and birth defects and have made many presentations at scientific meetings. This incluldes invited lectures on a variety of topics including the role of medical genetics services in managed care and applications of the Human Genome Project. I have also served in an advisory capacity for numerous professional organizations and governmental agencies including the American Academy of Pediatrics, The National Institutes of Health, and The Centers for Disease Control. My work also includes being a reviewer for several medical journals.

My interest in genetics and birth defects began in college with the opportunity to work with special needs children and adults in a variety of settings including residential institutions and classrooms for autism, mental retardation and other birth defects. I supplemented this with independent study work in the area of rights for the retarded. In looking back, it is extremely gratifying to know that the road I traveled to get here has been extremely satisfying and fulfilling professionally and personally. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to work in an area of medicine that is both cutting-edge but also deals with the most basic of human needs. I look forward to the future with equal enthusiasm and with the goal of continuing to improve the services which I offer to my patients.

When I'm not at work, I love spending time with my children and my dog. I enjoy hiking, skiing, camping, gardening, reading, and music.

My Credentials

Medical school	Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
Internship	Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Residency	Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Fellowship	University of British Columbia School of Medicine, Vancouver, Canada
Board certification	Clinical Genetics, American Board of Medical Genetics
Board certification	Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics

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