Penn Medicine has announced a $9.5 million grant from the Warren Alpert Foundation in support of efforts to increase diversity in the field of genetic counseling.

According to Penn Medicine, 95 percent of genetic counselors are white women, and underrepresentation of those from diverse backgrounds can strain critical dialogue between genetic counselors and patients, whose health outcomes are often improved through interaction with medical professionals they can relate to more personally. To address the issue, the Alliance to Increase Diversity in Genetic Counseling grant will support forty underrepresented students in five genetic counseling programs over five years, with ten students selected annually to receive full tuition support and a cost-of-living stipend. The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's Master of Science in Genetic Counseling Program will lead the effort, joined by Genetic Counseling master's programs at Boston University School of Medicine, Rutgers University, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

"Supporting innovative organizations dedicated to understanding and curing disease through groundbreaking research, scholarship, and service is why we are delighted to award Penn with this generous grant from the Warren Alpert Foundation," said the foundation's executive director, August Schiesser. "Recruiting and training underrepresented individuals in genetic counseling will increase the numbers of professionals in the field, leading to an increase in access to community-based genetic education and genetic counseling services delivered by individuals who reflect different populations."