Jonathan Roberts

Wellcome Connecting Science | Various | Empowering People: Genetic Counselling in Focus

Fostering resilience

Dr Jonathan Roberts is a Pre-Registration Genetic Counsellor at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. He is also a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Society and Ethics Research team at the Wellcome Genome Campus. Jonathan’s research explores how genomics can be made more accessible, focusing on family storytelling and genetics in popular culture.

He discusses the psychological dimensions of genetic counselling, the importance of empathy and the experience from both the counsellor and the patient perspective. In preparing for a new case, Jonathan sees the importance in taking the time to understand someone else’s story and their motivations.

Portrait

Chrystal Ding, 2019

Jonathan’s portrait was taken at the Wellcome Genome Campus. His experience of working in the genetic counselling clinic has helped shape the research that he does. He investigates ways to make genomics more understandable and accessible to all. By exploring genetics in popular culture and the stories we tell ourselves as families and societies, Jonathan finds evidence for playful, creative tools and language choices that are sensitive to people’s experiences but can be used to improve access.