Heidi Cope

Heidi Cope is a Senior Research Genetic Counselor at RTI with expertise in genomic counseling and the use of genomic sequencing to diagnose rare diseases. Ms. Cope is the Associate Director of Early Check, a voluntary newborn screening program in North Carolina that uses genome sequencing to screen newborns for hundreds of genetic conditions. She is experienced in large-scale translational research implementation, including recruitment, consent, and return of results. 

Much of Ms. Cope’s career has been spent in multidisciplinary research groups seeking to use advanced technologies to find diagnoses for patients. Ms. Cope has experience utilizing genomic tools for variant annotation, prioritization, and interpretation. Before joining RTI, she was a genetic counselor at the Duke clinical site of the Undiagnosed Diseases Network. Ms. Cope is a Certified Genetic Counselor recognized by the American Board of Genetic Counseling. She is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, and the North Carolina Medical Genetics Association.