• portrait of Jessica Lawrence
  • Lecturer and clinical supervisor

    Max Rady College of Medicine
    Biochemistry and Medical Genetics
    Basic Medical Sciences Building
    University of Manitoba
    Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0W2

    Phone: 204-787-8820
    Fax: 204-787-1419
    jlawrence4@hsc.mb.ca

Teaching philosophy

Jessica has a keen interest in student coaching, teaching, and mentoring. She believes that empathy, cultural competency, and active listening are the cornerstones of successful clinical practice and encourages her students to build on their skills in these areas through experiential learning and provision of feedback using a reciprocal engagement model of student supervision.

Biography

Jessica Lawrence (she/her) is a board-certified genetic counsellor who specializes in pediatric metabolics, ocular genetics, and general genetic counselling. Her graduate research work focused on the rates of Lynch syndrome among unselected women with endometrial cancer in an effort to promote universal Lynch syndrome screening for women with endometrial cancer. 

Jessica spent her first year as a certified genetic counsellor working in Edmonton with the Royal Alexandra Hospital Eye Clinic and Maternal Fetal Medicine department and at the University of Alberta Hospital. Her clinical focuses included genetic counselling for inherited ocular disorders, prenatal indications, and general genetics. Jessica transitioned to the Genomics Lab with Shared Health Manitoba in late 2020, where she gained an understanding of the complexities of molecular and cytogenetic testing techniques, coordinating genetic testing, and creating and modifying genetic testing guidelines. 

In 2023, Jessica moved to her current position with the Shared Health Manitoba clinical metabolics team. In her current role, Jessica enjoys seeing patients from diverse backgrounds for a variety of clinical indications, primarily pediatric metabolic conditions, inherited ocular conditions, primary immunodeficiencies, and general genetics patients. As the student shadowing/volunteer coordinator, she is passionate about student coaching and mentorship and enjoys having prospective and current genetic counselling students observe or participate in her clinics.

Education

Master of Science in Genetic Counselling, McGill University (2019)

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Genetics, University of Manitoba (2016)

Awards

Association of Genetic Counselling Program Directors Outstanding Fieldwork Supervisor Award (2024) 

Contact us

Biochemistry and Medical Genetics
Room 336 Basic Medical Sciences Building
745 Bannatyne Avenue
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9 Canada

204-789-3458