Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Genetic counselling is a clinical service for people who have or are at-risk to develop a genetic condition. It helps individuals understand and adapt to the medical and emotional impacts of the condition and better understand the impacts of the genetic condition on other family members. Genetic testing is a technology that can be used to identify a genetic explanation for a medical condition, and in some cases it can be used to figure out if other people in the family might be at-risk to develop the same condition. There are certain groups of people who are less likely to receive genetic counselling and genetic testing, even if they would benefit from it. At this point, there is not enough information about who these individuals are, and what barriers they face in accessing genetic counselling and testing. Our study will try to figure out how many people in Canada need genetic counselling and testing, if there are specific factors that lead to people being more or less likely to access genetic services, and identify ways to solve the barriers that people face in getting genetic counselling and testing. The ultimate goal is to make genetic counselling and testing more accessible and equitable to all patients and families who may need it.