Teresa Smolarek, PhD

Director, Genetics and Genomics Diagnostic Laboratory, Division of Human Genetics
Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

teresa.smolarek@cchmc.org

About

Biography

Research areas I study include genetics, genomics, cancer genetics, molecular genetics and cytogenetics. I have a strong interest in identifying the genetic causes of inherited disorders and cancer using different technologies, including SNP microarray analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis and standard chromosome analysis.

I was inspired to pursue this field of research by the impressive researchers Drs. Anne Marie Block and Avery Sandberg. Also, the courses I took in high school and college led me to these specific research interests.

Throughout my career, I have received notable recognitions, including receiving a first-place poster competition award at the Cancer Genomics Consortium meeting in Denver, Colorado in 2017. My poster centered on analyzing genomic copy number changes in leukemic cells from patients with iAMP21.

I have more than 20 years’ experience in human genetics and first joined Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 1999. My research has been published in a number of respected journals, such as Genetics in Medicine, Cancer Genetics, The Journal of Pediatrics, Pediatric Blood Cancer, American Journal of Human Genetics, American Journal of Medical Genetics and Journal of Clinical Immunology.

Interests

Genetic basis of pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM); cancer genetics; clinical cytogenetics

Research Areas

Human Genetics

Publications

The challenges and opportunities of offering and integrating training in clinical molecular genetics and clinical cytogenetics: A survey of LGG Fellowship Program Directors. Deignan, JL; Aggarwal, V; Bale, AE; Bellissimo, DB; Booker, JK; Cao, Y; Crooks, KR; Deak, KL; Del Gaudio, D; Funke, B; Van Ziffle, J; Vance, GH; Vnencak-Jones, CL; Williams, ES. 2024; 2.

51. Rare SRY-positive derivative X chromosome in female fetus with apparently normal development. Brewer, C; Coyan, A; Jones, B; Yu, HJ; Smolarek, T; Liu, J. Cancer genetics. 2023; 278:16.

TRLS-11. A PHASE 1 STUDY OF SAVOLITINIB IN RECURRENT, PROGRESSIVE, OR REFRACTORY MEDULLOBLASTOMA, HIGH-GRADE GLIOMA, DIFFUSE INTRINSIC PONTINE GLIOMA, AND CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) TUMORS HARBORING MET ABERRATIONS: A PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR CONSORTIUM TRIAL. Salloum, R; Huang, J; Stewart, CF; Fuller, C; Smolarek, T; Lenzen, A; Waanders, AJ; Baxter, P; Lindsay, H; Robison, N; Fangusaro, J; Onar-Thomas, A; Fouladi, M; Dunkel, IJ. Neuro-Oncology. 2023; 25:i81.

Further expansion and confirmation of phenotype in rare loss of YWHAE gene distinct from Miller-Dieker syndrome. Baker, EK; Brewer, CJ; Ferreira, L; Schapiro, M; Tenney, J; Wied, HM; Kline-Fath, BM; Smolarek, TA; Weaver, KN; Hopkin, RJ. American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part A. 2023; 191:526-539.

Identification of Biallelic dystrophin gene variants during maternal carrier testing for Becker muscular dystrophy and review of the DMD exon 49-51 deletion phenotype. Ulm, EA; Nagaraj, CB; Tian, C; Smolarek, TA. Molecular Genetics and Genomic Medicine. 2023; 11:e2088.

Characterization of a rare mosaic unbalanced translocation of t(3;12) in a patient with neurodevelopmental disorders. Hu, X; Baker, EK; Johnson, J; Balow, S; Pena, LD M; Conlin, LK; Guan, Q; Smolarek, TA. Molecular Cytogenetics. 2022; 15:10.

Genetic Testing in Patients with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Experience of 511 Patients at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Du, X; Glass, JE; Balow, S; Dyer, LM; Rathbun, PA; Guan, Q; Liu, J; Wu, Y; Dawson, DB; Walters-Sen, L; Smolarek, TA; Zhang, W. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2022; 52:4828-4842.

Trisomy 9 mosaic syndrome: Sixteen additional patients with new and/or less commonly reported features, literature review, and suggested clinical guidelines. Li, M; Glass, J; Du, X; Dubbs, H; Harr, MH; Falk, M; Smolarek, T; Hopkin, RJ; Zackai, E; Sheppard, SE. American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part A. 2021; 185:2374-2383.

Characterizing temporal genomic heterogeneity in pediatric low-grade gliomas. Lazow, MA; Hoffman, L; Schafer, A; Osorio, DS; Boué, DR; Rush, S; Wright, E; Lane, A; DeWire-Schottmiller, MD; Smolarek, T; Drissi, R; Finlay, JL; Fouladi, M; Fuller, C. Acta Neuropathologica Communications. 2020; 8:182.

Aneuploid embryo transfer: clinical policies and provider opinions at United States fertility clinics. McGowan, R; Pilipenko, V; Smolarek, TA; West, E; Tolusso, LK. Fertility and Sterility. 2020; 114:110-117.

Our Response to the IV Fluid Shortage