Coffee Breaks with CGC Mentors

Are you a trainee or early-career (1-3 years after training) CGC member looking to broaden your perspective by making professional connections with colleagues at different institutions? Do you have questions related to your training or career development, or would you find it helpful to speak with an expert CGC member in your field who can provide guidance and insight? If so, we invite you to join us for the CGC Early Career Initiative Committee’s 2026 Coffee Break with CGC Mentors, an opportunity to connect with experienced professionals, ask questions, and build meaningful relationships within the CGC community.

What are Coffee Breaks with CGC Mentors?

These mentoring sessions, lasting one hour and facilitated by a CGC mentor, have a limit of six trainee/early career CGC members per session. Sign ups are on a first-come basis and are limited to foster effective small group engagement.

If you aren’t a CGC member, you can become a member today!

• Genomics and biotech startup
• LGG fellowship
• Clinical Genomics, Cancer Molecular Diagnostics in academic institute
• Working in commercial laboratories
• Academic to Industry transition
• Career development

Dr. Xia Wang, PhD, ABMGG, is the Co-Founder and Chief Diagnostic Officer of AiLife Diagnostics. He was previously director of NGS and Bioinformatics at Baylor Genetics, and assistant professor at the Department of Human and Molecular Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine. His research interests include the ML/AI technology for genomic variant interpretation, discovery of novel disease genes for Mendelian disorders, in-depth interpretation of NGS data, and molecular genetic studies of eye diseases. He has published peer review articles in top academic journals including Nature Genetics, The American Journal of Human Genetics, Genetics in Medicine, Journal of Medical Genetics, Human Mutation, etc.       

Potential Discussion Topics:

• Genomics and biotech startup
• Startup leadership
• AI-Driven innovation in NGS analysis

Xia Wang, PhD, ABMGG
AiLife Diagnostics

Alaa Koleilat, PhD, FACMG, attended the University of California, Los Angeles and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She completed a Master of Science in Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Mayo Clinic with a concentration in clinical and translational science. The primary focus of her doctoral research included an interdisciplinary approach to genetic hearing loss and hearing loss screening technologies. Her interest in human genetics and specifically diagnostics led her to complete training in the Laboratory Genetics and Genomics fellowship program through the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics at Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Koleilat is a driven scientist and laboratorian committed to research and contributing to the scientific community, dedicated to educating the next generation of leaders in science and medicine, and passionate about answering the complex diagnostic questions regarding the influence of genetics in human disease. Her research interests span both inherited disorders and cancer genetics and exploring ways to improve current genetic testing technologies. Lastly, Dr. Koleilat is passionate about mentorship and is engaged in initiatives to increase representation of minorities in the genetics workforce.

Potential Discussion Topics:

• Career building during laboratory genetics and genomics (LGG) fellowship training
• LGG fellowship application
• ABMGG board preparation

Alaa Koleilat, PhD, FACMG
Knight Diagnostic Laboratories Oregon Health & Science University

Aiko Otsubo, PhD, FACMG, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Michigan, specializing in cytogenetics and molecular genetics. She serves as Associate Director of the Cytogenetics Laboratory and Program Director for the Laboratory Genetics and Genomics (LGG) Fellowship. Originally trained as a plant cytogeneticist, Dr. Otsubo earned her PhD at Purdue University.

During her postdoctoral training, she studied centromere biology and chromosome segregation in mice before transitioning to human genetics. She completed her LGG fellowship at Indiana University in 2021 and joined the University of Michigan in 2022. She is passionate about clinical case sign-out and improving genetic diagnostics using approaches such as optical genome mapping and whole genome sequencing. As LGG Fellowship Program Director, she finds it especially rewarding to see fellows grow into confident, independent laboratory geneticists. She is also an active member of CGC committees and working groups.

Potential Discussion Topics:

• Career building during laboratory genetics and genomics (LGG) fellowship training
• LGG fellowship application
• ABMGG board preparation

Aiko Otsubo, PhD, FACMG
University of Michigan

Lu Wang, MD, PhD, FACMG, is an Associate Member Molecular Pathologist and the Medical Director of Molecular Pathology in the Department of Pathology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (SJCRH). Dr. Wang is a board-certified clinical molecular geneticist and cancer cytogeneticist. She received her MD and PhD degrees from Shandong Univ. Cheeloo College of Medicine and Shanghai Institute of Hematology, Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ. School of Medicine in China, and completed her post-graduate training at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City.

Dr. Wang had been a faculty member in the Department of Pathology at MSKCC from 2010 to 2017, and joined the faculty at SJCRH in late 2017. Her clinical-translational research focuses on leukemia genomics/genetics and genomic profiling of rare tumors with an emphasis on clinical translation of potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets as well as clinical tests development. Dr. Wang’s lab-based research focuses on functional characterization of oncogenic gene fusions. Dr. Wang also actively collaborates with researchers locally, nationally and internationally, providing molecular genetics/genomics expertise to clinical consultations and to a variety of research projects. Dr. Wang has authored 100+ peer-reviewed original research articles as well as ~20 additional publications including cases reports, invited reviews and commentary and book chapters.

Potential Discussion Topics:

Build a career as clinician-scientist to advance molecular diagnostics 

Lu Wang, MD, PhD, FACMG
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Bryan Krock, PhD, FACMG, is currently Vice President of Genetics and CLIA Laboratory Director of the liquid profiling laboratory at Caris Life Sciences. In his 7 years at Caris, Bryan has held a variety of leadership roles. His interests include genomics of solid tumors, the identification of novel cancer biomarkers, liquid profiling for therapy selection and diagnosis of solid tumors, and institutional leadership.

Prior to joining Caris, Dr. Krock was an Assistant Professor of Pathology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and an Assistant Director in the Division of Genomic Diagnostics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In this role, Dr. Krock focused on genomic diagnostics for inherited conditions in a pediatric population. Prior to this role, Dr. Krock completed an ABMGG Clinical Molecular Genetics fellowship at the University of Utah/ARUP Laboratories. His earlier training includes a postdoctoral fellowship at The Howard Hughes Medical Institute and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and PhD studies at Texas A&M University.

Potential Discussion Topics:

• Academic jobs and commercial laboratory Jobs
• Building teams in laboratory genetics

Bryan Krock, PhD, FACMG
Caris Life Sciences

Dr. Madhuri Hegde, FACMG, is the SVP and Chief Scientific Officer of Revvity, responsible for setting the strategic scientific direction of the Company. As both a medical geneticist and American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG) certified diplomat in clinical molecular genetics, Madhuri is also the head of Revvity Omics and its global network of laboratories offering innovative, omics-based services in more than 155 countries worldwide. Madhuri is a passionate and perpetually curious leader whose team is committed to delivering cutting-edge products to Revvity customers, while keeping a close eye on innovation and bringing those developments to market. Madhuri is energized by bringing people and teams together to make a difference and harness science to positively impact human health.

Making the switch from academia to industry in 2016, Madhuri joined Revvity from Emory University in Atlanta, where she served as Executive Director of the Emory Genetics Laboratory and as a professor of human genetics and pediatrics. Before that, she spent several years at the Baylor College of Medicine where she was faculty in the Department of Human Genetics and Director at Baylor Medical Laboratories. She also served several years as a laboratory director at Auckland City Hospital in New Zealand. Madhuri currently serves on the board and is an officer of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Foundation (ACMGF) and leads the ACMG’s International Outreach and Engagement Committee. She is also a member of the ABMGG Board of Directors, serves on Coriell Cell Repositories NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository Scientific Advisory Committee, co-chairs ClinGen’s PTEN committee and is a member of the NHGRI ClinGen Hereditary Cancer Executive Committee. She is an adjunct professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and at Georgia Institute of Technology; has either authored or co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications and eight book chapters; and presented well over 100 keynote and other invited presentations at major national and international conferences.

Exposed to science and the field of genetics at an early age, Madhuri’s decision to pursue a career in this field was heavily influenced by academics and other scientists in her family. She was born and raised in India and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in microbiology at the University of Mumbai. Madhuri also holds a PhD in applied biology and genetics from the University of Auckland and completed her postdoctoral studies and ABMGG certification at Baylor College of Medicine.

Potential Discussion Topics:

• Academic to Industry transition
• Career development

Madhuri Hegde, PhD, FACMG
Revvity Inc

Register for Coffee Break with CGC Mentors