Genetic counselling in Australia

Genetic counselling is one of the rarest jobs in Australia with only 230 employed nationwide.

Genetic counsellors work in many areas of medicine, including paediatrics, prenatal, infertility, neurology, cancer and cardiology. Many counsellors work directly with patients, while others carry out research in public laboratories and for industry. Some are employed in health education.

The Murdoch Children's Research Institute has a not-for-profit genetic testing lab, the Victorian Clinical Genetic Services (VCGS), that carries out tests for hundreds of genetic conditions impacting adults and children.

Lisette Curnow is one of the longest-serving genetic counsellors at VCGS with 18 years of service. She works closely with doctors, lab technicians and families every day.