Allison M. Gregory, M.S., C.G.C.

  • Associate Professor of Molecular and Medical Genetics, School of Medicine

Biography

Allison Gregory first learned of genetic counseling when she was studying human biology as an undergrad at Stanford University. The challenges of understanding complex genetic concepts and helping all types of people understand them interested her, leading to graduate school at the Medical College of Virginia. Her first job was a traditional genetic counseling position in Los Angeles, working in a prenatal diagnosis clinic with pregnant patients and others with reproductive genetics issues.

After 7 years in Los Angeles, Allison was finally able to convince her husband to give up sunny Southern California and move back to Portland, her hometown. When she first met Susan Hayflick and Penny Hogarth, she was 6 months pregnant. Luckily, they were thinking about the long-term picture and hired her. Allison has been with the OHSU NBIA team for the last 12 years and has become passionate about the wonderful patients and families she meets as part of her work.

Allison’s job description has changed substantially year to year, depending on the needs of the team and the current focus. She has maintained the NBIA research repository since she was hired; it has grown to a database of over 500 affected individuals and has been a powerful tool for gene discovery. She has developed a skillset for performing the regulatory duties related to clinical research studies and human subjects. In addition, Allison enjoys writing and has co-authored several academic articles with the OHSU team and other collaborators. Currently, she has moved into a project manager role, helping to develop the NBIAcure.org website, a new database, and upcoming clinical studies.

Allison works part-time to have time at home with her husband and two sons, who are active basketball and baseball players. When she’s not spectating, Allison plays in a competitive tennis league. The entire family enjoys spending time at their cabin in Washington state, fly fishing, biking and enjoying the outdoors.

Education and training

    • A.B., 1994, Stanford University
    • M.S., 1996, Medical College of Virginia/ Virginia Commonwealth University

Memberships and associations:

  • National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) 1996 to present
  • National Library of Medicine, Expert Reviewer, Genetics Home Reference, 2004 to present

Publications

Selected publications

  • Gregory A, Westaway SK, Holm IE, Kotzbauer PT, Hogarth P, Sonek S, Coryell JC, Nguyen TM, Nardocci N, Zorzi G, Rodriguez D, Desguerre I, Bertini E, Simonati A, Levinson B, Dias C, Barbot C, Carrilho I, Santos M, Malik I, Gitschier J and Hayflick SJ. Neurodegeneration associated with genetic defects in phospholipase A2. Neurology 2008 71(18):1402-9. PMCID: PMC2676964
  • Morgan NV, Westaway SK, Morton JE, Gregory A, Gissen P, Sonek S, Cangul H, Coryell J, Canham N, Nardocci N, Zorzi G, Pasha S, Rodriguez D, Desguerre I, Mubaidin A, Bertini E, Trembath RC, Simonati A, Schanen C, Johnson CA, Levinson B, Woods CG, Wilmot B, Kramer P, Gitschier J, Maher ER, Hayflick SJ. PLA2G6, encoding a phospholipase A(2), is mutated in neurodegenerative disorders with high brain iron. Nat Genet. 2006. 38:752-754. PMCID:PMC2117328
  • Gregory A, Hayflick SJ (updated 7/2008). Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy. In: GeneReviews at GeneTests: Medical Genetics Information Resource (database online). Copyright, University of Washington, Seattle. 1997-2007. Available at http://www.genetests.org.
  • Research product: PLAN educational aids developed by Gregory A as part of the CETT (PMID 18496033) grant awarded in 2006. Developed and disseminated 3 sets of informational brochures for patients, non-expert clinicians, and genetics professionals.
  • Haack TB, Hogarth P, Kruer MC, Gregory A, Wieland T, Schwarzmayr T, Graf E, Sanford L, Meyer E, Kara E, Cuno SM, Harik SI, Dandu VH, Nardocci N, Zorzi G, Dunaway T, Tarnopolsky M, Skinner S, Frucht S, Hanspal E, Schrander-Stumpel C, Héron D, Mignot C, Garavaglia B, Bhatia K, Hardy J, Strom TM, Boddaert N, Houlden HH, Kurian MA, Meitinger T, Prokisch H, Hayflick SJ. Exome sequencing reveals de novo mutations in WDR45 causing a phenotypically distinct, X-linked domin
  • Kruer MC, Paisán-Ruiz C, Boddaert N, Yoon MY, Hama H, Gregory A, Malandrini A, Woltjer RL, Munnich A, Polster BJ, Palmeri S, Edvardson S, Hardy J, Houlden HH, Hayflick SJ, Defective fatty acid-2 hydroxylase leads to a novel form of NBIA. Annals of Neurology 2010 68(5):611-8. PMID: 20853438
  • Tuschl K, Meyer E, Valdivia LE, Zhao N, Dadswell C, Abdul-Sada A, Hung CY, Simpson MA, Chong WK, Jacques TS, Woltjer RL, Eaton S, Gregory A, Sanford L, Kara E, Houlden H, Cuno SM, Prokisch H, Valletta L, Tiranti V, Younis R, Maher ER, Spencer J, Straatman-Iwanowska A, Gissen P, Selim LA, Pintos-Morell G, Coroleu-Lletget W, Mohammad SS, Yoganathan S, Dale RC, Thomas M, Rihel J, Bodamer OA, Enns CA, Hayflick SJ, Clayton PT, Mills PB, Kurian MA, Wilson SW. Mutations in SLC39A14 disrupt ma
  • Tuschl K, Meyer E, Valdivia LE, Zhao N, Dadswell C, Abdul-Sada A, Hung CY, Simpson MA, Chong WK, Jacques TS, Woltjer RL, Eaton S, Gregory A, Sanford L, Kara E, Houlden H, Cuno SM, Prokisch H, Valletta L, Tiranti V, Younis R, Maher ER, Spencer J, Straatman-Iwanowska A, Gissen P, Selim LA, Pintos-Morell G, Coroleu-Lletget W, Mohammad SS, Yoganathan S, Dale RC, Thomas M, Rihel J, Bodamer OA, Enns CA, Hayflick SJ, Clayton PT, Mills PB, Kurian MA, Wilson SW. Mutations in SLC39A14 disrupt ma
  • Hayflick SJ, Kruer MC, Gregory A, Haack TB, Kurian MA, Houlden HH, Anderson J, Boddaert N, Sanford L, Harik SI, Dandu VH, Nardocci N, Zorzi G, Dunaway T, Tarnopolsky M, Skinner S, Holden KR, Frucht S, Hanspal E, Schrander-Stumpel C, Mignot C, Heron D, Saunders DE, Kaminka M, Lin JP, Lascelles K, Cuno SM, Meyer E, Garavaglia B, Bhatia K, de Silva R, Crisp S, Lunt P, Carey M, Hardy J, Meitinger T, Prokisch H, Hogarth P. Beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration: a new X-linked
  • Kruer MC, Paisan-Ruiz C, Boddaert N, Yoon MY, Hama H, Gregory A, Malandrini A, Woltjer RL, Munnich A, Gobin S, Polster BJ, Palmeri S, Edvardson S, Hardy J, Houlden H, Hayflick SJ. Defective FA2H leads to a novel form of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA). Ann Neurol 2010 68(5):611-8 PMID 20853438

Publications

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