UK PALB2 information session 30 Sept 2021

Our 2nd UK annual event is aimed at women and men who have a PALB2 gene mutation and who would like to get further information about the gene. We shall cover the latest research, international guidelines for PALB2 risk management, new treatment options, and where gene carriers and their families can find more information. Due to the panel being UK based, our target audience for the talk will be the UK carriers, although others are welcome.
Our first session from 2020 can also be found on YouTube. Please do listen to it first as useful background information.

Panellists
Yulia Baynham, Palb2 gene carrier Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in January 2019, Yulia underwent comprehensive treatment. During that time, she was tested positive for PALB2 gene alteration with a pathogenic variant (meaning the gene was hereditary). Yulia is the organiser of the event and will facilitate the session. She is also a Trustee of the Olive Tree Cancer Support Group, charity based in Crawley and Horsham areas of West Sussex, that supports those with cancer and their families.


Professor Marc Tischkowitz is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist and Lead for the Cancer Genetics service in East Anglia. He trained in Medical Oncology and Medical Genetics before moving to Canada, where he was in the Faculty at McGill University for six years before coming to Cambridge in 2011. Much of his research has been on the PALB2 and hereditary breast cancer predisposition but his interests cover all areas of hereditary cancer and translating the recent advances in genomic technology into clinical practice.

Professor Andrew Tutt is a Director of the Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre at the ICR and the Breast Cancer Now Research Unit at Guy’s Hospital King’s College London. He is a Clinician Scientist with two research laboratories and a clinical trials programme, and he cares for women with breast cancer as a Consultant Oncologist, and as a member of the multidisciplinary Breast Units at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trusts.
He has a particular research interest in BRCA1/2 and PALB2 associated breast cancers and leads a clinical trial programme focusing on TNBC and cancers associated with functional deficiencies in BRCA1 and BRCA2. His translational laboratories at both the ICR and KCL, study BRCA1 and BRCA2 associated and Triple Negative forms of breast cancer (TNBC).

Jennifer Wiggins is a registered genetic counsellor (UK) who has worked in clinical genetics since 1996. She is currently a senior genetic counsellor at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
She developed ‘The Beginner’s Guide to BRCA1 and BRCA2’ and ‘The Beginner’s Guide to Lynch syndrome’ and published the genetic counselling book ‘Getting the Message Across: Communication in Diverse Populations in Clinical Genetics’ which examines barriers to communication with genetic patients and discusses techniques for ensuring patients’ understanding of their genetic assessment is optimised. She was on the committee of the Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors (AGNC) and is currently on the Board of the GCRB.

Dr Anju Kulkarni is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist and Lead for the Cancer Genetics service at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. She graduated from Imperial College School of Medicine and trained at specialist level in both Medical Oncology and Clinical Genetics. Anju leads multidisciplinary specialist clinics for BRCA1/2 gene mutation carriers and rarer hereditary cancer conditions (including PALB2). She holds several regional and national roles, including council member of the UK Cancer Genetics Group and medical advisor to the UK Genetic Counselling Registration Board.

Dr Vishakha Tripathi is a Consultant Genetic Counsellor at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. She has varied background ranging from special needs teaching, medicine and genetic counselling. She currently leads the hereditary breast and ovarian cancer service (HBOC) at Guy’s and through this work contributes to research in all areas of cancer genetics. Nationally, Vishakha has been Chair of the Genetic Counsellor Registration Board (GCRB) and is a member of the Clinical Genetics, Clinical Reference Group for NHS England. She also leads a successful cancer genetics course which has trained numerous family history nurses and clinicians in cancer care.