Paula Gregory, PhD, received both her BS and MS degrees at the University of Southern Mississippi, and completed her PhD research on cancer cytogenetics at Tulane University. For her postdoctoral training, she worked with Professor Bill Brinkley at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and pursued further training with Professor Francis Collins at the University of Michigan (now Director of the NIH National Institute for Human Genome Research). There, she started the first Education Program within a Human Genome Center. In 1993, she initiated the Genetics Education Office of the NIH National Institute for Human Genome Research, as a national extension of her work at Michigan. While at the NIH, she started several new and innovative educational programs for the media, policy makers, students, faculty, and the public. Each year, she worked with high school teachers from all around the country. These efforts earned her the NHGRI Award of Merit (1994), NIH Director's Award (1997), the NIH Award of Merit (1998), and the Champions of the James Award (2000). She accepted a faculty position at the Ohio State University in 1997 and began research on cancer genetics education. In 2002, she joined the Department of Genetics as an Associate Professor. (Her husband studies gene therapy and is a faculty member of Tulane University.) She directs a High School Cancer Research Partnership program that is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and brings PCR technology into Louisiana high school biology classes. Students analyze normal and tumor cell DNA. They learn basic concepts of cancer genetics and discuss the ethical implications of predictive genetic tests and the impact this information may have on families.  Dr. Gregory's research interests lie in the area cancer genetics education and focus on students, teachers, health care professionals, and the public. Analysis of the educational efficacy of online materials is another focus. In addition, she collaborates with family therapy faculty in studies designed to measure family stress and distress associated with the genetic counseling and cancer predisposition gene testing experiences.

High School Students Learn How to Extract, Study Their Own DNA
Workshop for High School Biology Teachers
Using Forensics to Teach Genetics

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