Lauren Westerfield, MS, CGC
Certified Genetic Counselor, Clinical Instructor, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Languages: English
Departments:
Get to know Lauren Westerfield, MS, CGC
As a genetic counselor, I aim to balance the medical, emotional/social, and logistical needs of families facing the possibility of a genetic condition or birth defect affecting their current or future pregnancy. My goal is to help families navigate the process in a way that respects their values, beliefs, and goals as part of the multidisciplinary care team at the Texas Children’s Maternal Fetal Medicine department, Fetal Center, and Family Fertility Center. It is rewarding to be able to empower families to be active participants in their medical care and to support them in difficult times.
Clinical Interests
Complex fetal anomalies, Genetic disorders, Medical ethics
Education
| School | Education | Degree | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburgh | Masters | Master of Science, Genetic Counseling | 2013 |
| Florida State University | Bachelors | Bachelor of Science, Psychology | 2011 |
Organizations
| Organization Name | Role |
|---|---|
| National Society of Genetic Counselors | Member; Prenatal Special Interest Group – Member |
| Texas Society of Genetic Counselors | Member |
Board Certification
American Board of Genetic Counseling
* Texas Children’s Hospital physicians’ licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician’s office and were not verified by Texas Children’s Hospital.
Research interests
Fetal whole exome sequencing, Single gene non-invasive prenatal screening
Zemet R, Krispin E, Johnson RM, Kumar NR, Westerfield LE, Stover S, Mann DG, Castillo J, Castillo HA, Nassr AA, Sanz Cortes M, Donepudi R, Espinoza J, Whitehead WE, Belfort MA, Shamshirsaz AA, Van den Veyver IB. Implication of chromosome microarray analysis prior to in-utero repair of fetal open neural tube defect. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2023 June;61(6):719-272 PMID 36610024
Sagaser KG, Malinowski J, Westerfield L, Proffitt J, Hicks MA, Toler TL, Blakemore KJ, Stevens BK, Oakes LM. Expanded carrier screening for reproductive risk assessment: An evidence-based practice guideline from the National Society of Genetic Counselors. J Genet Couns. 2023 Feb 9. PMID: 36756860.
Kernie CG, Wynn J, Rosenbaum A, de Voest J, Galloway S, Giordano J, Stover S, Westerfield L, Gilmore K, Wapner RJ, Van den Veyver IB, Vora NL, Clifton RG, Caughey AB, Chung WK. Information is power: The experiences, attitudes and needs of individuals who chose to have prenatal genomic sequencing for fetal anomalies. Prenat Diagn. 2022 Jun;42(7):947-954. PMID: 35476893.
Edwards SD, Schulze KV, Rosenfeld JA, Westerfield LE, Gerard A, Yuan B, Griogorenko EL, Posey JE, Bi W, Liu P. Clinical characterization of individuals with the distal 1q21.1 microdeletion. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A. 2021 May;185(5):1388-1398. PMID: 33576134
Arian S, Erfani H, Westerfield LE, Buffie A, Nassef S, Gibbons W, Wan den Veyver IB. Prenatal Testing In Pregnancies Conceived By In Vitro Fertilization With Pre-implantation Genetic Testing. Prenat Diagn. 2020 Jun;40(7):846-851. PMID: 32297346
Szot JO, Campagnolo C, Cao Y, Iyer K, Cuny H, Drysdale T, Flores-Daboub JA, Bi W, Van den Veyver I, Westerfield L, Liu P, Leung TND, Choy KW, Chapman G, Xiao R, Siu V, Dunwoodie SL. Biallelic mutation of NADSYN1 causes multiple organ defects and expands the genotypic spectrum of Congenital NAD Deficiency Disorders. The American Journal of Human Genetics. 2020; 106(1): 129-136 PMID: 31883644
Donepudi R, Westerfield L, Stonecipher A, Nassr A, Espinoza J, Sanz Cortes M, Belfort M. A family affair - Severe Fetal and Neonatal hemolytic anemia due to novel alpha-spectrin mutations in two siblings. Am J Med Genet. 2020;182A:561–564. PMID: 31854503