Overview
Barbara Harrison is a genetic counselor and a clinical assistant professor at the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC. She studied biology at the University of Maryland and earned her master's degree in genetic counseling at the University of Pittsburgh. At Howard University Hospital she meets with patients about conditions like cancer and pregnancy, and she helps lead community outreach and education for the university's Center for Sickle Cell Disease. Her students include future genetic counselors, medical students, and resident doctors, and she teaches them about genetics, testing, counseling, and ethics. She has also served on the board of directors of the American Board of Genetic Counseling, the group that certifies genetic counselors.
Why She Matters
Harrison has pointed out that people often want medical care from people who look like them, and that genetic counseling is no exception. In 2020 she co-founded GOLDEN, a network that raises awareness of the field and mentors Black students who want to become genetic counselors. She also chairs an advisory committee for the Warren Alpert Foundation's effort to increase diversity in genetic counseling. Counselors of color are still rare in the field, so each new mentor and each new counselor widens who can get help. Her career shows that a job can be about changing who gets a seat at the table, not only what happens once you are there.
