Colleen Campbell, PhD, MS, LGC, clinical associate professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, has been elected 2024 President of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC). In 2023, she will serve as President-Elect, and then Past President in 2025. Campbell completed her term as Secretary/Treasurer for the NSGC at the end of December 2021. She also serves as the Director of Genetic Counseling Operations at University of Iowa Health Care and the Assistant Director of the Iowa Institute of Human Genetics.

In announcing her election to the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Director Barry London, MD, PhD, pointed out that Campbell was “instrumental in the passage of legislation leading to the licensure of Genetic Counselors in Iowa.” This achievement in 2018 was the result of a three-year campaign led by Campbell. The legislation established a baseline set of expectations for genetic counselors and the creation of a review board, dramatically decreasing the risk of fraud and harm to the people of Iowa and increasing the security and scope for those practicing genetic counseling.

Campbell sent the below statement on her election:

I am honored to have been elected to serve as the President of the National Society of Genetic Counselors. I feel very privileged and fortunate to have had terrific mentors, colleagues, and incredible opportunities in Internal Medicine, CCOM, UIHC, and the State of Iowa that led to this honor. As President I look forward to continuing to help advance the profession and improve access to genomic medicine for all. My overall vision is for genetic counselors to be trusted leaders instrumental in the implementation and delivery of genetic and genomic services throughout medicine. I look forward to promoting workforce expansion and integration throughout medicine to meet growing demands, while simultaneously continuing to pursue state, federal, and payer policies. I see a role for NSGC to advance genetic counseling as a respected and fundable research area. As President, I will build on my experience in Iowa to focus on improving integration of genetics and genomics into healthcare through improved access to genetics services, research, and education, on a national scale.

The professional goal I am most proud of is growing the genetic counseling workforce in the state of Iowa and creating a community of genetic counselors. I love that some of the individuals we engaged as undergraduate students through our various education outreach programs have become successful genetic counselors. It is especially meaningful when we are able to hire them to work alongside us watching them grow and engage the next generation of students. I will extend my local work to increase diversification of our profession and assist those from underserved backgrounds to gain entry and success in the genetic counseling profession.