The ABMGG recognizes the many volunteers advancing our mission. This includes volunteers who serve on the Board of Directors, participate on committees or working groups, and serve as either an item writer or a 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.

Click here to learn about our current Board of Directors roster.

The call for nominations for the 2027 Board of Directors is underway. Click here for more details on how to apply.

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, PhDIrene De Biase, MD, PhDMadhuri Hegde, PhDShama Jari, MDLaura Pollard, PhDMargarita Saenz, MDBarrie Suskin, MD
Margaret Adam, MDKristen Deak, PhDJudith Hobert, PhDAllison Jay, MDPriya Prasad, MDAnna Scott, PhDMatt Taylor, MD, PhD
Caroline Astbury, PhDMariana DiStefano, PhDSuzette Huguenin, PhDMarco Leung, PhDNat Robin, MDDan Sharer, PhDStephanie Wallace, MD
Rachel Burnside, PhDRebecca Ganetzky, MDAnna Hurst, MDRong Mao, MDNancy Rose, MDAlpa Sidhu, MD, PhDMyra Wick, MD, PhD
Yang Cao, PhDJulie Gastier-Foster, PhDAyuko Iverson, MDAnne Mardy, MDRoss Rowsey, PhDErin Strovel, PhDJennifer Winters, PhD
Kristina Cusmano-Ozog, MDKevin Glinton, MDColleen Jackson-Cook, PhDYi Ning, PhDKatie Rudd, PhDAkila Subramaniam, 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: https://www.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.