Specialty Genetics Facility San Francisco Medical Center Genetics Department Address 450 6th Ave 3rd Floor San Francisco, CA 94118 Map & Directions Telephone Appointments, cancellations, advice and messages: San Francisco: (415) 833-2998 Oakland: (510) 752-6298 Sacramento: (916) 614-4075 San Jose: (408) 972-3300 Fresno: (559) 324-5330 Modesto: (209) 735-3344 E-mail your doctor View your preventive services

Department Hours

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

Please note that my office hours may be different from my department’s hours of operation.

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My Biography

I found my love for Genetics during my undergraduate studies at UC Davis, where I learned to calculate lod scores via fruit fly breeding experiments and sequence orchid genes the "old fashioned way" using radioactive nucleotides. Part of my education also included an internship in the Medical Genetics department at UC Davis, where I was first introduced to the field of genetic counseling. My deciding moment to become a genetic counselor occured during a home visit, when a young mom let me hold her newborn baby with Down syndrome. Although molecular lab work had been interesting, I knew from that point on, that my passion was to work with families who were dealing with genetic conditions.

After completing a graduate program in genetic counseling at UC Berkeley, I joined the Genetics department at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco. I am proud to say that I love my job and my co-workers! Here, I truly feel that physicians and other health professionals work together as a team, providing patients coordinated and compassionate care.

One of the main advantages of working at Kaiser Permanente is that I do not have to spend time debating with an insurance company about why genetic testing and services should be authorized. Here, medical professionals have much more autonomy in making decisions. In fact, Kaiser Permanente was one of the first medical groups in the nation to readily approve genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility genes for at-risk patients.

In addition to the work environment here, I also appreciate the diversity of the Kaiser Permanente members in San Francisco. As a native, born and raised in the city, I enjoy being immersed in this community, with its many cultures. I see many Cantonese speaking patients, and I am especially interested in multicultural issues in health care. I also have a special interest in cancer genetics, cardiovascular genetic diseases, and adult onset disorders.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and two young boys. My husband and I enjoy going on scuba diving trips, though we have yet to dive in the cold waters off the California coast! Our last big trip (pre-kids!) was a live-aboard dive expedition on the Great Barrier Reef. Post-kids, we squeeze in a dive or two during annual trips to Hawaii with the grandparents. I thrive by eating fresh fruits and vegetables from our local farmers market, swimming, and treating myself to occasional spa days.

Other Languages: Cantonese
Undergraduate Education: BS in Genetics, University of California at Davis
Graduate Education: MS in Health & Medical Sciences, Genetic Counseling, University of California at Berkeley,
Board Certifications: American Board of Genetic Counseling
Professional Affiliations: American Society of Human Genetics; National Society of Genetic Counselors
Began Practice: 1996
Joined Kaiser Permanente: 1996

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