Ralph S Blume, MD

Joanna L. Urli is an ABGC-certified genetic counselor practicing within the fields of Maternal Fetal Medicine and Gynecologic Oncology. She received her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from The University of Alabama and her Master of Science degree in Genetic Counseling from Boston University School of Medicine in 2019. Joanna has worked in both reproductive and oncology genetics throughout her career, and she enjoys being able to counsel patients in both of these fields. She has particular interest in increasing access to genetic testing and in exploring the overlap between reproductive and oncology genetics.

Dr. Christine Kim Garcia is the Frode-Jensen Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Her laboratory studies the genetic basis of lung disease, including pulmonary fibrosis. She is the Chief of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine Division within the Department of Medicine, a member of the Center for Precision Medicine and Genomics and an affiliate of the Institute for Genomic Medicine.

Naomi Berezin is an Assistant Professor of Surgery and Critical Care at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She specializes in both emergency and elective general surgery to treat such conditions as gallbladder disease, hernias, diverticulitis, and bowel obstruction, as well as the care of critically ill surgical patients. Dr Berezin's two passions are patient care and medical education. "I liked working with my hands as a child," says Dr. Berezin, who continued that interest in college at New York University where she studied English literature and music, before going on to complete the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program at Columbia University. "Working with my hands is what drew me to surgery." Dr. Berezin talks to patients about their diagnosis and treatment using language they can grasp. "I like to draw pictures for my patients so they can understand what I am talking about," she says. "I'm a visual learner and I've found that doing this enables patients to participate in their care. People ask really insightful questions when they are included in shared decision making." Dr Berezin teaches medical students and residents and is involved in courses on palliative care and surgical board preparation. Dr. Berezin is a member of a number of professional societies including the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and American College of Surgeons. She is dually board-certified in both General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care. After graduating from Sackler School of Medicine, Dr Berezin went on to complete her general surgery residency training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center. She then completed a trauma and surgical critical care fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center before embarking on her career at Yale School of Medicine.