(January 2, 2025) Greenwood, SC – Nikhil Sahajpal, PhD, has completed a fellowship in Laboratory Genetics and Genomics (LGG) at the Greenwood Genetic Center (GGC) and joined the Center’s faculty as an Assistant Director in the Diagnostic Laboratories.
Before joining GGC, Dr. Sahajpal earned a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences in India. He worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Augusta University in Georgia where he was involved in investigating molecular and cytogenetic methodologies for prenatal, pediatric, and oncology applications. He also played a key role in establishing COVID-19 FDA/EUA-approved diagnostic testing and research at Augusta University.
Sahajpal began his LGG fellowship at GGC in the summer of 2022 supported by a grant from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) Foundation. At GGC he trained in the implementation and interpretation of molecular and cytogenetic diagnostic tests and led the development and validation of a novel test, optical genome mapping, for use in clinical settings.
“Dr. Sahajpal has excelled in every aspect of his training, and as a direct result of his work, we have been able to offer this innovative and novel test, optical genome mapping, to help identify chromosomal changes that are not detectable by other methods,” said Mike Friez, PhD, Director of GGC’s Diagnostic Laboratories. “We are pleased that he has chosen to remain at GGC where he will play an integral role in expanding testing capabilities and providing answers for more families.”
“I am honored, delighted, and excited to join GGC as a faculty member to support the exceptional faculty and staff to advance clinical diagnostic testing in South Carolina,” said Sahajpal. “I am grateful to the ACMG Foundation for supporting my LGG fellowship which provided me with this unique opportunity to learn from a very interdisciplinary network of laboratory, research, and clinical scientists and providers. I feel fortunate to be able to contribute towards GGC’s mission of providing state-of-the-art testing tools along with compassionate care for patients and families affected with genetic disorders.”
GGC’s LGG training program includes intensive education in laboratory technologies, clinical genetics, and diagnostic laboratory management. Since the program began in 1989, 43 fellows and residents have completed the Center’s program and gone on to practice clinical genetics or take leadership roles in genetics laboratories.