June 23rd Coffee Conversation

Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center (Forge) offers support knowledge, strength, and direction to all those touched by breast cancer.Forge's classes are for anyone who has ever been diagnosed with breast cancer, as well as their loved ones and the healthcare professionals that serve them.

Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center

A time of virtual gatherings to share, discuss, and celebrate journeys with breast cancer.

Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center hosts a virtual "Coffee Conversation" on select Wednesday mornings at 10:00 am central time that features a 30-minute interview with a survivor, co-survivor, or medical professional on a topic, followed by a time for conversation with participants. June 23rd's Coffee Conversation features Nancy Merner, PhD, Principle Investigator of Gene Machine at Auburn University. Dr. Merner pursued her graduate studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, where her dissertation focused on the genetics of hereditary breast cancer, deafness, and a specific form of sudden cardiac death (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, or ARVC). The most significant contribution of her doctoral studies came in 2008 with the discovery of TMEM43 as the cause of ARVC type 5.Dr. Merner pursued post-doctoral training in Montreal in the laboratory of Dr. Guy Rouleau, director of the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University. Her primary focus was in the application of next-generation sequencing techniques for the identification of genes associated with essential tremor, autism spectrum disorder, insensitivity to pain, and epilepsy. In 2012, Dr. Merner used exome sequencing to discover the first caus­ative ET gene, FUS.In 2014, Dr. Merner became a research assistant professor in the Harrison School of Pharmacy at Auburn University. She established a cancer genetics research program that focuses on identifying genetic risk variants of hered­itary cancer syndromes, particularly Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) Syndrome.Now as a faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine through the Omics Informatics initiative, Dr. Merner is continuing her quest to find HBOC susceptibility genes and has incorporated a comparative genomics approach by studying both dogs and humans affected by the disease. Dr. Merner’s program is symbolized by her big pink bus, which is known as The Gene Machine. The bus serves as Dr. Merner’s mobile outreach and research program that aims to engage the community through an education and trust building mechanism and offer research participation to individuals who would otherwise not have such opportunities. The Gene Machine travels all over the state to community events as well as scheduled education sessions and study enrollment appointments. The premise is to provide access. Alabama is a severely medically underserved state and Dr. Merner strives to bring research and education to the community for true inclusion.You can find out more about Gene Machine at <a href="https://genemachine.info/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://genemachine.info/</a><a href="https://seejanewritebham.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"></a><h3>***This event is free, but requires registration***</h3>If you are able to donate any amount to contribute to Forge's continued efforts to support our local breast cancer community, we greatly appreciate it. Donations can be made on the Forge website: <a href="https://forgeon.org/donate/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://forgeon.org/donate</a>About Forge's programs:At Forge, the core of our mission is to offer support, knowledge, strength, and direction for those impacted by breast cancer. In an effort to continue to safeguard the health of our community and team, Forge is offering virtual learning opportunities that can be accessed from the comfort of your own home, and for any in-person programs we may schedule, we will practice physical distancing and other CDC-recommended safety measures to keep our community healthy. As always, if you have any questions, need resources, or a listening ear, please feel free to communicate with us via the Forge Facebook page, by emailing info@forgeon.org, or by calling us at 1-800-811-8925. By registering to attend programs with Forge, you agree to receive further correspondence from us, such as program emails and event reminders.

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June 23rd Coffee Conversation

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June 23rd Coffee Conversation

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