Beyond our Board of Directors, ABMGG recognizes the many volunteers advancing our mission. This includes volunteers who join Board members on task forces or working groups, or serve as an item writer or subject matter expert for examination development.

If you are interested in volunteering with the ABMGG, please complete the Microsoft Form at the bottom of this page.


Board of Directors

Directors serve two consecutive 3-year terms. They must be diplomates of the ABMGG and actively participating in the Continuing Certification Program. Directors should have at least five years of professional experience in their specialty. They may have served previously on the board, but at least six years must have transpired since their prior term. 

Leadership experience in other medical genetics and genomics organizations is preferred. Current or prior leadership roles in a medical genetics and genomics training program is preferred, as is a volunteer experience with the ABMGG.

Item Writers

Item writers develop questions for the item pool used for the ABMGG secure examinations (initial certification exams, in-training (ITE), and for the CertLink Longitudinal Assessment component of continuing certification). We are glad to offer item writers credit towards their Continuing Certification requirements.

Each item writer will develop 5-10 multiple-choice questions per year on assigned topics. New item writers are encouraged to participate in an educational session to learn how to construct items in board-style format. Item writers will receive a waiver of up to 5 CME credits for each year of successfully completing assignments. 

2025 Item Writers
Jude Abadie, PhDJudith Hobert, PhDNancy Rose, MD
Margaret Adam, MDSuzette Huguenin, PhDRoss Rowsey, PhD
Caroline Astbury, PhDAnna Hurst, MDLaura Pollard, PhD
Rachel Burnside, PhDAyuko Iverson, MDAnna Scott, PhD
Yang Cao, PhDShama Jari, MDBarrie Suskin, MD
Irene De Biase, MD, PhDAllison Jay, MDMatt Taylor, MD, PhD
Mariana DiStefano, PhDMarco Leung, PhDStephanie Wallace, MD
Julie Gastier-Foster, PhDYi Ning, PhDJennifer Winters, PhD
Kevin Glinton, MDPriya Prasad, MDTim Wood, PhD

Working Committees

Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Task Force:

Competency-based medical education (CBME) focuses on an outcomes-based, rather than a time-based, approach to the implementation and evaluation of training curricula. CBME involves assessment of learners using discrete competencies or observable abilities (Entrustable Professional Activities or EPAs). The member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) are committed to this approach to assessments of learners and the ABMGG has developed a Task Force and Writing Groups for each specialty to coordinate activities.

CBME Task Force Roster

Co-Chairs: Melissa Merideth, MD and Marzia Pasquali, PhD

Clinical Biochemical Genetics Writing Group:

  • Co-Chairs: Dan Sharer, PhD and Erin Strovel, PhD
  • Members: Mimi Blitzer, PhD, Kristina Cusmano-Ozog, MD, Sarah Elsea, PhD, Aneta Kaczmarczyk, PhD, and Tim Wood, PhD

Laboratory Genetics and Genomics Writing Group

  • Co-Chairs: Kristen Deak, PhD and Nicole Hoppman, PhD
  • Members: Kristy Crooks, PhD, Dona Kanavy, PhD, Alaa Koleilat, PhD, Marco Leung, PhD, and Heather Mason-Suares, PhD

Medical Genetics and Genomics/Medical Biochemical Genetics Writing Group

  • Co-Chairs: Don Basel, MD and Rebecca Ganetzky, MD
  • Members: Katrina Dipple, MD, PhD, Laura Duque Lasio, MD, Nat Robin, MD, Debra Regier, MD, PhD, Margarita Saenz, MD, and David Stevenson, MD
Professionalism in Practice Working Group

ABMGG is committed to upholding the values of Professionalism in practice. The Professionalism Working Group (PWG) has worked to highlight the core values of professionalism and to ensure that both trainees and diplomates are active in this important area.

The PWG has also shared a set of professionalism-related resources featured here: abmgg.org/professionalism-resources/

2025 Professionalism in Practice Working Group Roster
  • Katrina Dipple, MD, PhD
  • Peter Hulick, MD
  • Sarah Elsea, PhD
  • Azra Ligon, PhD
  • Laura Sack, PhD
  • Esteban Symonds, MD
  • Darrel Waggoner, MD

**Note: Submission of this Volunteer Request form may not always result in placement in a volunteer group as our volunteer needs vary from year to year. For example, while we may not need more item writers in a particular year, we keep a list of those who are interested when positions become available in the future.