Speed Mentoring Sessions

Dr. Akanchha Kesari is a board‑certified Clinical Molecular Geneticist and Laboratory Geneticist and Genomicist (LGG) accredited by the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG), with more than 20 years of experience in genomics and over 16 years in clinical laboratory leadership. She currently oversees and holds CAP/CLIA and NYS Department of Health licensure for whole‑genome‑sequencing–based diagnostic testing for rare Mendelian disorders and cardiovascular conditions at the Illumina Clinical Services Laboratory in San Diego, CA. She also provides clinical oversight for Illumina’s NIPT services in the Foster City, CA laboratory. Dr. Kesari has served in this role for the past five years.

Before joining Illumina, Dr. Kesari was the Clinical Laboratory Director for Global Laboratory Services at PerkinElmer Genomics. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Professor of Human Genetics at Emory University and Director of the Molecular Genetics Laboratory at the Emory Genetics Laboratory.

Dr. Kesari holds Clinical Laboratory Director licenses from the Departments of Health in New York, California, and Florida. She is an active member of multiple professional organizations, including the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). She also serves as an expert contributor to several ClinVar working groups.

A specialist in next‑generation sequencing (NGS) for the diagnosis of human genetic disorders, Dr. Kesari has authored more than 50 peer‑reviewed publications in leading journals such as the American Journal of Medical Genetics, American Journal of Human Genetics, and Annals of Neurology. Prior to her work in clinical diagnostic laboratories, she spent extensive time in research at Children’s National Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health, where she completed her ABMGG fellowship.