Anna Devine grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and as a high schooler discovered the profession of genetic counseling after a ninth-grade biology project on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks introduced her to the topics of medical ethics and oncology. She went on to graduate from Wake Forest University in 2023 with a double major in Biology and Psychology. During her time as an undergraduate, she worked as a research assistant in a neurobiology lab using behavioral assays to conduct chemesthesis research on Lumbricus terrestris. She also gained valuable clinical experience at a reproductive endocrinology clinic observing physicians, nurse practitioners, and embryologists. This experience expanded her passion for women’s health, genetic screening, and pre-implantation genetic testing.
After graduating from Wake Forest, she spent two years working as a patient coordinator and later the head oncofertility coordinator at a large reproductive clinic in New York City. Handling patient inquiries, being the lead of her team, and spending extensive time on patient education expanded her communication skills with individuals often facing emotionally challenging circumstances. She also spent time volunteering with FRAXA, a Fragile X Research Foundation, as a science writer and media creator. She communicated with the leaders at FRAXA as well as primary investigators to summarize their reports for donors and families.
In her free time, Anna loves yoga, reading, running, spending time with her family and friends, and living in Atlanta’s warm weather again! She is happy to answer questions from prospective students or anyone interested in the field.