Eriskay Liston

Genetic Counsellor
Department of Paediatrics

Eriskay Liston is an ABGC-certified genetic counsellor in the Department of Paediatrics and is the Director of SickKids' Precision Child Health initiative. She received her Master of Science in Human Genetics from Sarah Lawrence College in 2003, and joined SickKids first as a clinical counsellor and coordinator in the Genome Diagnostic laboratory in 2011, and transitioned to the genetic counsellor for the Cardiac Genome Clinic in 2015. 

In her current role, she contributes to the strategic direction and operation of the Precision Child Health initiative, with a focus on the translation of genomic medicine into clinical care. Eriskay is a member of Genomic Research Genetic Counsellors at SickKids, and a Lecturer in the M.Sc. Genetic Counselling Program at the University of Toronto. Her areas of research and interest include genomic medicine, education and knowledge translation, as well as facilitating and supporting our precision health approach to care through fostering collaboration and team work. 

Research

Liston’s research focus is on the genetic contribution to cardiac disease as well as investigating the role of genetic counselling, and genetic counsellors, in effectively achieving a precision health strategy. Over the past five years, she has been part of a major initiative, the Cardiac Genome Clinic, using whole genome sequencing to identify the genetic cause for cardiac disease and how we can effectively integrate WGS into clinical care.

Education

• 2000: Bachelor of Arts in Biology, Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, QC
• 2003: Master of Science in Human Genetics, Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY, USA
• 2007–Present, Board Certified by American Board of Genetic Counseling

Experience

• 2003–2010, Genetic Counsellor, Department of Obstetrics and Paediatrics, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY
• 2011–Present, Genetic Counsellor, Department of Genetic Counselling, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
• 2011–Present, Lecturer, supervisor, course coordinator, MSc Program in Genetic Counselling, Dept. of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON

1. Reuter M, Chaturvedi R, Liston E et al. (2020). The Cardiac Genome Clinic: implementing genome sequencing in pediatric heart disease. Genetics in Medicine. 0: 1-10. 2. 
2. Papaz T, Liston E et al. (2019). Return of genetic and genomic research findings: experience of a pediatric biorepository. BMC Medical Genomics. 12: 1-9. 3. 
3. Reuter M, Jobling R, Chaturvedi R et al. (2019). Haploinsufficiency of vascular endothelial growth factor related signaling genes is associated with tetralogy of Fallot. Genetics in Medicine. 21: 1001-1007. 4. 
4. Stavropoulos J, Merico D, Jobling R et al. (2016). Whole Genome Sequencing Expands Diagnostic Utility and Improves Clinical Management in Pediatric Medicine. NPJ Genomic Medicine. 1: 1-9. 5. 
5. Bowdin S, Cohn R, Krantz I et al. (2016). Recommendations for the integration of genomics into clinical practice. Genetics in Medicine. 18: 1075-1084.