ABGC Spotlight: Sarah E. Witherington, MS, CGC – Strategy, Innovation and Expanding Access

Sarah E. Witherington, MS, CGC, is a board-certified genetic counselor and the director of solutions & strategy for genetics at Quest Diagnostics. She has extensive experience in laboratory genetics and industry applications through roles held in private pathology laboratories and global scientific organizations. Sarah earned her master’s degree in genetic counseling from Northwestern University in Chicago, IL, and has contributed meaningfully to the field through coauthored and published research on the expanding role of genetic counselors beyond clinical settings.

In this ABGC Spotlight, Sarah shares her journey from the lab bench to strategic leadership, highlighting the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and offering insights for genetic counselors seeking to expand their influence across the healthcare industry.

ABGC: Your career spans over 15 years in laboratory science and strategic leadership. What inspired your transition from hands-on lab work to leading life cycle business strategy for genetic products and services across oncology, urology, and women’s health?

Sarah E. Witherington, MS, CGC (SW): I typically start by describing how I got into genetic counseling. Post bachelor's degree, I worked in a pathology lab wearing all black scrubs in the basement with no windows. I quickly figured out that I needed social interaction and that a bench role wasn't for me. But I gained valuable insight into the diagnostics space and the day-to-day of a laboratorian running the tests we provide to patients. That gave me an advantage when looking at industry roles and later in transitioning into product management and business strategy.

When I think about what inspired the transition, I'd love to say it was highly intentional, but in reality, I saw there was a gap between the clinical and business portions that I could fill. It took some convincing that a person with the genetic counselor skill set really was a great fit for product and marketing roles — but since then, GCs now work in multiple roles cross-functionally that didn't exist previously.

ABGC: What does a typical day look like for you as director of genetics strategy & solutions at Quest Diagnostics?

SW: My favorite thing about this role is that there is no typical day! I cover three different time zones in my commercial region. Some days I fly, others I drive for six hours round trip, and in between that, I work from home. Travel is energizing to me. I get a view of genetics across 20 different states, and how clinicians are practicing can be very different depending on where they are located.  

ABGC: How do you foster collaboration between scientific, commercial and operational teams?

SW: Genetic counselors are great at connecting with people and problem-solving. I've been able to work in sales, medical affairs and in more operations-focused lab teams. This gives me a broader view across the business and the ability to understand each team's perspective. I'm not certain I would be as successful in my role without having experience in multiple departments in the laboratory. Listening, empathizing and frank discussion often lead to better solutions than what I invented in a bubble. 

ABGC: What’s one challenge in your current role that keeps you energized and motivated?

SW:  A big portion of clinical genetic counselors practice in metropolitan areas where large medical centers are readily available for patients. Most of the places I visit and talk about genetics, there are probably more farm animals or crops than people. Patients want to be seen in their community, and in the Midwest that means a lot of open space to cover. Patients should get the same standard of care no matter where they are physically located — but unfortunately, in many of our underserved or rural communities, that's not always the reality. In this role, I positively affect the care patients are getting on a large scale by helping providers in the Midwest provide genetics care. The patient in rural Arkansas should get the same care as someone in metro Denver or Chicago.

ABGC: What advice would you give to genetic counselors looking to move into strategic roles within genetics or diagnostics?

SW: Really take the time to consider if those types of roles are right for your life and skill set. A particular role could sound extremely interesting, but the work-life balance could be completely off, i.e., calls with the EU at 6 a.m. and China at 10 p.m. Talk with as many people as you can in the kind of role you are exploring. It's not only good to learn more, but for networking.