Blake Vuocolo, MS, CGC

Certified Genetic Counselor

Baylor College of Medicine

Blake Vuocolo is a certified research genetic counselor in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.  She graduated from the Baylor College of Medicine genetic counseling program in 2022, where she completed her thesis work on exploring families' experiences with accessing follow-up hereditary cancer care in underserved pediatric populations through the KidsCanSeq study. Her current work is similarly focused on improving genomic care for medically underserved and underrepresented patient populations with rare disease throughout Texas. She serves as the genetic counselor for the Texome Project, which offers exome sequencing to children and adults who have financial barriers to obtaining clinical testing. Additionally, she is involved with Project GIVE, a research study that offers virtual genetic evaluation and whole genome sequencing to children in the Rio Grande Valley along the Texas-Mexico border, which lacks adequate access to genomic services. Her areas of interest include understanding genomic access barriers, implementing technology to improve provider understanding of genetics, and making genomic services accessible worldwide in a sustainable and culturally sensitive way.

Kayla Banks, MS, CGC

Community Research Project Director

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy

Kayla Banks is a board-certified genetic counselor working in the advocacy space as Director of Community Research and Genetic Services with Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD). In her role at PPMD, Kayla manages a sponsored genetic testing program designed to provide access for individuals and families affected by dystrophinopathy. Additionally, she assists in the curation of The Duchenne Registry, a patient report database for Duchenne, Becker, and carriers. Kayla and her colleagues on PPMD’s genetics and registry team provide support to families and providers in the form of education regarding DMD variants, genotype/phenotype correlations, and therapeutic approaches. Kayla has a special interest in DMD variants with “mild” or variable phenotypes, and variant interpretation in the absence of family history or a symptomatic individual.

Sandra Darilek, MS, CGC

Certified Genetic Counselor, Associate Professor

Baylor College of Medicine

Sandra Darilek is a board-certified and licensed genetic counselor who has worked in reproductive genetics for over 20 years.  She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics and Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine.  Ms. Darilek is co-manager of the Prenatal Genetic Counseling Service at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital and is chief of the Baylor College of Medicine Consultagene Clinic.  She specializes in providing reproductive genetic counseling for patients seeking preconception, prenatal, fertility and preimplantation genetic testing.  In addition to her clinical responsibilities, Ms. Darilek is actively involved in the training and supervision of genetic counseling students at Baylor College of Medicine as well providing lectures for several other genetic counseling programs.  She is also involved in the training of MFM, REI and medical genetics fellows at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital.  She has served on the Board of Directors for the National Society of Genetic Counselors and Texas Society of Genetic Counselors and is also involved in the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and American Society of Reproductive Medicine.  She is passionate about patient access to reproductive healthcare and genetic counseling.