Colleen Campbell, PhD, MS, CGC, director of Genetic Counseling Operations for University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, assistant director of the Iowa Institute of Human Genetics (IIHG), and UI clinical assistant professor in internal medicine, recently received the Strategic Leader Award from the National Society of Genetic Counselors. The award is presented annually to one individual who has done an outstanding job of promoting the genetic counseling profession as a recognized and integral part of health care delivery, through such avenues as education, research, and public policy.

Campbell’s work across a wide range of educational, outreach, and legislative efforts has helped to strengthen the genetic counseling workforce in the state of Iowa. She was instrumental in ensuring licensure requirements for genetic counselors in Iowa. The new state law will take effect Jan. 1, 2019, licensing and regulating these health care team members who advise patients and family members about hereditary health risks. Licensure is important for growth of the workforce in Iowa as it enables genetic counselors to work to the full scope of their practice. Campbell also is involved with the federal effort for Medicare recognition of genetic counselors as independent providers.

Under her leadership in genetic counseling operations, UI Health Care has significantly increased its genetic counseling staff working in all areas of health care. As the IIHG education division director, Campbell also focuses on creating education and outreach opportunities for students interested in careers in human genetics, including genetic counseling. These programs for high school and college students are designed to increase the genetics counseling workforce of the future. Campbell also is co-principal investigator on a major national grant to create and distribute educational information for the National Institutes of Health-led All of Us Research Program.