Laboratory Director: Gary L. Harton, BS, TS(ABB), received his Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University in 1987. Following a year of research on the AIDS virus, he joined the Genetics & IVF Institute in 1988 and was instrumental in forming the Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Laboratory at GIVF in 1991. Mr. Harton has been involved in developing each of the tests currently offered in the PGD lab for both single gene defect testing by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and chromosomal testing by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and has been an author on over 20 peer reviewed scientific articles. He is certified by the American Board of Bioanalysis (ABB) as a Technical Supervisor, Molecular Diagnostics, and is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis International Society and is an active Steering committee member, ESHRE PGD Consortium.

Laboratory Supervisor: Melissa Reeves, BS, received her Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1999 and joined the Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Laboratory at GIVF the same year. She is trained extensively in both PGD for single gene defects by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PGD for chromosomal anomalies by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). She became the Laboratory Supervisor in 2003 and currently oversees a staff of 6 technologists and is responsible for all aspects of the daily running of the PGD laboratory at GIVF. Mrs. Reeves is currently enrolled in the Master’s degree program in Genetics at George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Laboratory Staff: Julie Oliver, BS, Kristina Redford, BS, Clsp(CG), Gary Harton, BS, TS(ABB), Melissa Reeves, BS, Nicole Mackey, BS, Petra Staszak, BA, Stacie Turpin, BSMT, MT(ASCP), Yen Vu Smearman, BS. This dedicated staff of medical laboratory specialists brings over 50 years of clinical and research experience to the GIVF PGD laboratory.

Clinical Staff Members

Medical Director: Harvey J. Stern, M.D., Ph.D., is a board certified pediatrician and medical geneticist with subspecialty certification in clinical, biochemical and molecular genetics. Dr. Stern received his undergraduate degree in molecular biology from Columbia College and went on to complete a Ph.D. in Human Genetics from the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. He attended medical school at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. After a residency in pediatrics at Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC, Dr. Stern completed a fellowship in medical genetics at UCLA. He formerly directed the Biochemical and Molecular Genetics Laboratory at Children's National Medical Center. Dr. Stern joined Genetics & IVF Institute in 1995 and is the director of the prenatal and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) programs.

Genetic Counselor: Sarah Zornetzer, MS, received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in Biology. After a year as a psychiatry research assistant, she attended the Medical College of Virginia and received a Masters of Science in Genetic Counseling. Ms. Zornetzer has been an integral part of our reproductive genetics clinical staff for almost two years focusing on prenatal genetics, including our new First Trimester Screening program. She is an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors.

Genetic Counselor: Shelby Duffer, MS, CGC graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Masters of Science in Genetic Counseling and holds an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Mary Washington. Shelby gained national Board Certification in 2002, the same year she joined Genetics and IVF. She started working with patients interested in PGD soon after joining the practice. As a counselor, Shelby’s focus is on helping patients navigate the complex medical decisions that are required to participate in PGD testing. She is active in public education about genetics, has been a guest lecturer at Johns Hopkins University, and does presentations for various medical and community groups. She is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and has previously worked with the Medical College of Virginia, Eastern Virginia Medical School, and in private OB practice. Her main interests are the genetics of reproduction, fetal development and infertility.

Genetic Counselor: Mary Sands, M.S., CLSp(CG) joined Genetics & IVF Institute in 2004. She interned at University Hospitals of Cleveland and received a Master of Science in Genetics from the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland Ohio . Prior to her experience in the genetic counseling field, Mary earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the College of Wooster in 1997, and certification as a Clinical Laboratory Specialist in Cytogenetics in 1999. She brings unique clinical expertise from past training and employment at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, including laboratory proficiency, instruction and supervisory responsibilities of their Prenatal Cytogenetics Laboratory. She is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, where she has presented original research in the field of reproductive medicine.

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