A “Don’t Miss” Event for men and women in any age or stage of life. The discussion will cover genetic risk assessments, screening guidelines and tests, prevention strategies and other tools and resources for the Ashkenazi Jewish Community. Panelists include Dr. Melissa Frey and Dr. Ravi Sharaf, Co-Directors of the Cornell Weill Center for Genetics and Personalized Cancer Prevention, genetic counselors Sari Brusso, MS, CGC and Hillary Rieger, MS, LCGC, and Bet Torah congregant Doug Yolen sharing his personal story. Please register below.

The event is open to the Westchester community with registration. 

About the Panelists:

Sari Brusso

Sari Brusso earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, where she majored in Genetics and minored in Disability Studies. She went on to complete her graduate training in Human Genetics at Sarah Lawrence College. Sari currently works as a Prenatal Genetic Counselor at BronxCare Health System, collaborating closely with maternal fetal medicine specialists, obstetricians, and midwives to support patients throughout pregnancy. She is passionate about advancing Jewish genetics education and increasing awareness of genetic testing within the community.

Melissa K. Frey

Dr. Melissa Frey is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and the Director of the Genetics and Personalized Cancer Prevention Program at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Frey graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Duke University and earned her medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College, graduating with honors in research. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine / NewYork-Presbyterian, where she served as the Chief Resident. She subsequently completed her fellowship in gynecologic oncology at New York University Langone Medical Center and received a master's degree in Clinical and Translational Investigation at Weill Cornell Medicine Graduate School of Medical Sciences.

Dr. Frey provides care for all aspects of gynecologic oncology, including surgical management and chemotherapy for gynecologic cancer.  Dr. Frey specializes in the management of individuals with hereditary cancer syndromes (e.g., BRCA1, BRCA2, RAD51C, RAD51D, BRIP1, PALB2, and Lynch syndrome).  Dr. Frey’s research focuses on cancer genetics and healthcare delivery and has received numerous awards for her clinical excellence, surgical expertise, and medical research. 

Hillary Rieger

Hillary Rieger is a pediatric and adult genetic counselor at University of Kentucky HealthCare. Prior to becoming a genetic counselor, she worked for several years at Mount Sinai Seaver Autism Center researching genetic etiologies and treatments for neurodevelopmental conditions. She then pursued master’s degrees in Genetic Counseling and Medical Humanities and Bioethics at Northwestern University. During her time at UKHealthCare, she has established a multi-specialty internship program for individuals interested in pursuing careers in genetics, served as a member of the Clinical Ethics Committee and is a founding member of the Pediatric Ethics Committee, and supervises medical students, residents, and genetic counseling students. Additionally, she serves as a board member for the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC), is a founding member of the Kentucky Society for Genetic Counseling, and is a board member of Beyond Barnard, her alma mater. She considers herself a lifelong learner with a passion for mentorship and fostering the growth and success of others.

Ravi Sharaf

Ravi Sharaf, MD, MS is a gastroenterologist and health services researcher with a clinical focus on the care of patients with hereditary cancer syndromes.

He is the Director of Genetics and Personalized Cancer Prevention Program at Weill Cornell Medicine and an Associate Professor of Medicine, with appointments in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, as well in the Divison of Epidemiology in the Department of Population Health Sciences. His research focuses on optimizing the delivery of genomic medicine, studying the comparative and cost effectiveness of alternate cancer prevention strategies, and tailoring cancer prevention to individual risk. His research is funded by the National Cancer Institute and the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

He completed his internal medicine training at Columbia University Medical Center-New York Presbyterian Hospital. At Stanford University Hospital and Clinics, Dr. Sharaf completed his fellowships in gastroenterology and clinical cancer genetics, and obtained a Masters of Science degree in Epidemiology.

Doug Yolen

Doug Yolen learned he had diabetes in 2017 at age 28, a surprising health discovery due to his age, physical fitness and diet, and no family history. Three years later, he also discovered that the optic nerve in his eye was thinning, causing increasing color blindness. After a series of tests and multiple physician appointments, Doug was told to undergo genetic testing in addition to what he had done previously with the normal Jewish genetic panel when he married his wife, Jennifer Rhodes. It proved that he had a milder form of the genetic condition known as Wolfram Syndrome, newly considered common among individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. WFS1 was not present on the panel that Doug had done before his marriage or kids, as it was only recently categorized as significant. While extremely rare in the non-Jewish population, its estimated carrier frequency among Ashkenazi Jews is approximately 1 in 30 - 40 individuals. Doug and Jen now live in Mount Kisco with their three kids, Clark (6), Audrey (3.5), and Elliott (6 months) and are proud members of the Bet Torah community.