Vanessa Horner, PhD

Vanessa Horner, PhD, FACMG, is dual certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics in the subspecialties of Clinical Cytogenetics and Clinical Molecular Genetics. She holds additional certifications in molecular genetic testing, molecular oncology, and cytogenetics from the New York State Department of Health. She earned her PhD in genetics and development from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and completed her clinical fellowship training at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. After completing her fellowship, Dr. Horner joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI in 2014, where she rose to the rank of Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. She also served as the Director of Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics Services at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH), where she led clinical operations for genetic testing services related to both constitutional and acquired conditions.

As an educator, she has taught medical students and residents, developed courses in medical genetics, and mentored numerous trainees. She served as Program Director for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Laboratory Genetics and Genomics Fellowship Program at the University of Wisconsin from 2019-2024. She is also a member of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), where she has been involved in developing technical standards for the reporting of genetic data. She has served on various national committees, including the ACMG’s Laboratory Quality Assurance Committee.

With a career blending clinical service, research, education, and leadership, Dr. Horner is committed to advancing the integration of genomics into clinical practice and continuing to improve patient care through cutting-edge genomic technologies.