Dr. Kristi Borowski spent two weeks at the UHL for a laboratory rotation as part of a combined Maternal Fetal Medicine/Genetics Fellowship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Prior to entering this four-year program in 2004, Kristi completed an obstetrics and gynecology residency through Mayo Clinic in Minnesota after earning her medical degree at the University of Wisconsin.

"This is the first time we have had a Genetics Fellow work with the Newborn Screening Lab, and we will have a Molecular Genetics Fellow arrive in February." says Marcia Valbracht, UHL newborn screening supervisor. "It is beneficial for all when the doctors and geneticists visit the Lab. When they understand our challenges, it helps with the communication process."

The fellowship program combines work in medical genetics clinics with rotations through three types of clinical laboratories: cytogenetics, molecular genetics and biochemical genetics. The UHL is considered a biochemical genetics lab.

"I am spending time in Tandem Mass Spec (MS/MS) and Newborn Screening to understand the testing that leads to the diagnosis of inherited metabolic diseases such as phenylketonuria and MCADD, which I will see in genetics clinics," Kristi says. Children born with MCADD (Medium Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency) lack the enzyme to convert fat to energy.

"I hope to have a better understanding of how MS/MS works and the system that provides the newborn screening results; for example, how positive screens are evaluated and reported out."

During the rotation, Kristi worked with the UHL Newborn Screening team, including Marcia Valbracht, Val VanZee and Mike Ramirez.

"I plan to use my genetics training in prenatal diagnosis," she says. I realized in residency that this is the area I was interested in. I also have had the opportunity to participate in genetics research and plan to continue that in the future as well."