Our 3rd UK annual event is aimed at women and men who have a PALB2 gene mutation and who would like to get further information about the gene. We shall cover the latest research, latest guidelines for PALB2 risk management, new treatment options, emotional support and where gene carriers and their families can find more information. Due to the panel being UK based, our target audience for the talk will be the UK carriers, although everyone is welcome. Age 16+.
Agenda: Expert Panel and Q&As with participants (facilitated by Yulia)
- PALB2 gene – latest updates in research and risk management (Professor Marc Tischkowitz)
- PALB2 gene carrier journeys – Joanna Callaghan and Donna Power
- Q&As received in advance of the call and with call participants (Yulia Baynham, PALB2 carrier)
Thank to you everyone who contributed to this meeting, you can watch it here
Joanna Callaghan is a filmmaker based in the UK. She creates distinctive films which explore philosophical & ethical issues from a female point of view. She often mixes fiction, documentary, photography & performance, presenting characters & stories that reflect the diversity & complexity of women’s experiences. She is Professor of Filmmaking at the University of Sussex.
Joanna is a carrier of the PALB2 gene and has had breast cancer twice. She is currently making a documentary film about her experiences.
Donna Power is a business consultant in healthcare, with a background in women’s health and non-profits. Since being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, and finding out that she had PALB2 during treatment, she has been dedicating time in health advocacy for genetic mutations and genetic testing. She has created the campaign #notjustbrca alongside her sister Jade, who also has the gene and has undertaken a preventative double mastectomy.
Yulia Baynham, Palb2 gene carrier Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in January 2019, Yulia underwent comprehensive treatment. During that time, she was tested positive for PALB2 gene alteration with a pathogenic variant (meaning the gene was hereditary). Yulia is the organiser of the events and will facilitate the sessions. She is a Board Trustee of the Olive Tree Cancer Support Group, charity based in Crawley and Horsham areas of West Sussex, that supports those impacted by cancer and their families. She is also a senior contributor and a patient representative to CanRisk programme led by the University of Cambridge and funded by Cancer Research UK.
Dr Anju Kulkarni is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist and Lead for the Cancer Genetics service at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. She graduated from Imperial College School of Medicine and trained at specialist level in both Medical Oncology and Clinical Genetics. Anju leads multidisciplinary specialist clinics for BRCA1/2 gene mutation carriers and rarer hereditary cancer conditions (including PALB2). She holds several regional and national roles, including council member of the UK Cancer Genetics Group and medical advisor to the UK Genetic Counselling Registration Board.
| Professor Marc Tischkowitz is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist and Lead for the Cancer Genetics service in East Anglia. He trained in Medical Oncology and Medical Genetics before moving to Canada, where he was in the Faculty at McGill University for six years before coming to Cambridge in 2011. Much of his research has been on the PALB2 and hereditary breast cancer predisposition but his interests cover all areas of hereditary cancer and translating the recent advances in genomic technology into clinical practice.He is a founding member of the PALB2 Interest Group |