Meet the Staff at Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine

Debra-Lynn Day-Salvatore, MD, PhD, FAAP, FACMGG

Clinical/Medical Geneticist, Department Chair

Dr. Day-Salvatore received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Her residency training was in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Cleveland Clinical Foundation, and she completed two years of post-graduate training in Medical Genetics at UMDNJ. Dr. Day-Salvatore is also a molecular biologist with a Ph.D. and Masters from New York University Medical Center's Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences specializing in pharmacogenetics. She is recipient of the UMDNJ Foundation's Excellence in Teaching Award for 1994-95, has been consistently voted a Top Doctor by NJ physicians, has authored or co-authored more than 50 scientific papers and book chapters, has made several guest appearances on radio and television, and has lectured both nationally and internationally. She is director of the Regional Center for Newborn Screening and Genetic Services for central New Jersey, chair of the New Jersey metabolic task force, and is a principal clinical trials investigator and consultant for lysosomal storage disease therapies. She is best known in the international lysosomal community for her interest in the management and treatment of lysosomal storage diseases during pregnancy and recognized nationally for championing newborn screening.

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Ryan Kuehl, M.G.C., CGC

Licensed, Certified Genetic Counselor and Supervisor

Ryan is a graduate of Providence College, with honors, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Biology. In 2019, he received his Master's degree in Genetic Counseling from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Ryan’s thesis explored the role of patient religion/spirituality on patient preference for discussion and religious/spiritual actions by their genetic counselor within the framework of a prenatal genetic counseling session among patients receiving care at either a religiously affiliated or non-religiously affiliated hospital. He provides counseling services to pediatric, adult, and prenatal patients. Ryan is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors.

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Gabriella Voso, MS, CGC

Licensed, Certified Genetic Counselor

As a Genetic Counselor at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, Gabby provides genetic counseling services to pediatric, adult, and cancer patients. She graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Cell and Molecular Biology. She received her Master of Science degree in Genetic Counseling from the Augustana-Sanford Genetic Counseling Program. Her graduate thesis consisted of a retrospective chart review to assess genetic counseling referrals following pregnancy loss.

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Chloe Koeppen, MS, CGC

Licensed, Certified Genetic Counselor

Chloe graduated from Carthage College with a Bachelor of Arts degree, double majoring in Psychology and Neuroscience. In 2024, she earned her Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling from Rutgers University. Currently, she serves as a Genetic Counselor at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, where she provides comprehensive genetic counseling services to both pediatric and adult patients. For her capstone project, Chloe authored a children’s book titled Rare But Just Right: My Sweet Sibling and I, designed to support siblings of individuals with Congenital Hyperinsulinism, a rare genetic disorder. She is an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors.

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Melissa Fernandes, MS, CGC

Melissa graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Behavioral Neuroscience. She received her Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling from the Boston University Genetic Counseling Program. Her capstone project explored barriers and facilitators to neurogenetic counseling for Hispanic/Latine adults, with the goal of informing strategies to improve accessibility for this community. Melissa currently provides genetic counseling services to adult, pediatric, and neurogenetic patients at Saint Peter’s University Hospital.

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Trinity Caratenuto

Genetic Counseling Assistant

Trinity graduated from Monmouth University with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Marine and Environmental Biology and Policy. After discovering her passion for connecting with people and the science of genetics, she decided to pursue a career in Genetic Counseling. Currently, Trinity works as a genetic counseling assistant.

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Andrea Siering, MS, RD, CSP

Nutritionist

Andrea is a Registered Dietitian, who is Board Certified as a Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition. She currently works with children and adults who are affected with metabolic disorders and require restricted diets, specialty metabolic formulas, and medical foods to stay healthy and thrive. Before joining the Department of Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Andrea worked as an inpatient dietitian at Saint Peter’s University Hospital on the Pediatric and Pediatric Intensive Care Units. She has a wide variety of experience in Pediatrics, including oncology, feeding disorders, diabetes, epilepsy requiring the ketogenic diet, and critical care. She is a graduate of Drexel University where she received her Masters of Science in Human Nutrition. Andrea completed her dietetic internship at New York Presbyterian-Hospital. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as the Pediatric Nutrition and Dietitians in Nutrition Support Practice Groups. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The College of New Jersey.

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Mary Lou Mickalauskas, RN, BSN, CEN

Nurse

Marylou is a registered nurse with more than 30 years’ experience, 28 of them at Saint Peter's University Hospital. Graduating from Borough of Manhattan Community College with an Associates of Science degree in Nursing, her primary focus was in emergency nursing. She has maintained board certification in Emergency Nursing, as well as Advanced Cardiac Life support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. In 2013, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, summa cum laude from Walden University, also achieving the Presidential Commendation for Academic Achievement Award. Marylou joined the department in 2003 as an infusion therapy nurse for lysosomal storage disorders and since has expanded her role to include triage and intake coordinator for the department.

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Donna Farren-Chavez, MS

Intake Coordinator

Donna Farren-Chavez is a board-certified genetic counselor who is currently working as our Intake Coordinator. Donna initially joined the staff as a genetic counselor in 1992 upon graduating from Sarah Lawrence College. She worked with prenatal, pediatric and adult patients and assisted the Craniofacial Team during her years with Genetics. After taking some time to be with her family, she is welcomed back to her new role using her experience as a genetic counselor to assist in triaging patients for our various clinics.

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Mirian Franco

Patient Navigator

Mirian joined Saint Peter’s in 2022 as the Receptionist Registrar for the Department of Genetics, and swiftly advanced into the Patient Navigator role in 2023, thanks to her innate organizational skills and administrative abilities. As the Patient Navigator, Mirian is responsible for coordinating follow-up appointments and assisting patients in completing their recommended studies. She has returned to school with a focus on Allied Health Pre-Professional to prepare for the Nursing Program. Mirian is bilingual in English and Spanish.

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Jorge Orellana-Plaza

Senior Registration Representative

Jorge joined the Department of Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine, in 2024, as Senior Registration Representative.  In his previous employment, as a Unit Clerk at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, he learned to navigate across units by offering support to patients and families, helping to make their stay more comfortable and enjoyable.  Jorge is a graduate of Kingsborough Community College-CUNY where he received his Associate of Science degree in Fine Arts.  Particularly in the Rehabilitation Unit, he was able to leverage his artistic talent and creativity to support patients during their therapy sessions.  He is committed to providing the highest level of service and takes great pride in representing Saint Peter’s.  Jorge is fluent in English and Spanish.

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Erin Savage

Education and Outreach

Erin is the Education, Outreach and Grant Coordinator for the Department. Erin organizes student and resident rotations, sets up physician and community outreach, and maintains academic relationships for departmental growth. Erin supports grant requirements for New Jersey Mandated Newborn Screening and tends to special projects at the direction of Dr. Day-Salvatore. Erin has her Bachelor of Arts from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey and has worked in development for five years. She joined Saint Peter’s in 2015.

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Amida Sagastume

Financial Coordinator

Amida Sagastume joined the Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department in 2007, after working in the Pediatric Multispecialty Department as its medical biller and coder for six years. She has been a certified medical coder with the American Academy of Professional Coders since 2005 and obtained her bachelor’s degree from Thomas Edison State University in Trenton in 2023. Amida manages the overall billing process and medical authorizations for testing and enzyme replacement infusions. She works closely with the hospital’s Managed Care Department, Central Billing Office and Finance Office.

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Yolanny Santos

Administrative Assistant

Yolanny began working at Saint Peter’s in 2015 in the Department of Pediatrics as a receptionist registrar before joining the Department of Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine as the administrative assistant in 2017. Yolanny left Saint Peter’s in 2019 to expand her skill sets, and we welcomed her back in 2022. Yolanny’s previous employment as a medical assistant and her experience in administration supports her strong work ethic. Her philosophy centers around the role she can play in helping others find solutions. She is committed to excellence in service and takes pride in representing Saint Peter’s to the community.

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Marian-Joy Dionisio

Practice Coordinator and Telehealth Systems Analyst

Marian-Joy “May” began her employment with Saint Peter’s University Hospital in 2002 as a unit secretary for the Perinatal Evaluation and Treatment (PET) Center of Labor and Delivery. In 2008, while working full time, May obtained her Certified Coding Associate (CCA) credential from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) in medical billing and coding from Lincoln Technical Institute in Edison, NJ, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration – Healthcare Management from American InterContinental University. In 2010, May became a department secretary for the Institute for Genetic Medicine, which was a pediatric sub-specialty at the time. She has since seen the practice evolve into the Department of Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine in 2013, allowing her to also grow into the role of practice coordinator in 2016. May now manages the day-to-day operations of the practice, supporting its unique database and workflows, serving as liaison to other hospital departments, administration, and outside affiliates. She continuously strives for growth, excellence, and comradery, coining the office’s now well-known nickname, the “Gene Team.”

In 2017, May worked tirelessly with Information Technology on a pilot program for telemedicine, enabling the department to go live with tele-genetics in 2018. Due to the success of the program, she became a telemedicine subject-matter expert, assisting with the expansion of telemedicine throughout Saint Peter’s. In 2023, in addition to her full-time role with Genetics, May earned the title of telehealth systems analyst, working with the hospital’s vice president/chief information officer and chief medical information officer to manage and support the organization’s telehealth platform.

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