Dr. Kristen Lancaster is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Genetics and Genomics within the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina and serves as Director of Medical Genetics Education. She is board-certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics in Clinical Genetics and Genomics and by the American Board of Pediatrics in General Pediatrics.
Dr. Lancaster earned her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She completed her General Pediatrics residency and Chief Residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, followed by fellowship training in Medical Genetics and Genomics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has also received additional training in medical education through the UNC Academy of Educators and in advocacy and health policy through the American Society of Human Genetics.
As a Clinical Geneticist, Dr. Lancaster provides genetic evaluation and management for patients across the lifespan in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Her clinical interests include craniofacial differences, congenital anomalies and dysmorphology, chromosomal disorders, skeletal dysplasias, vascular and overgrowth conditions, and pediatric cancer predisposition syndromes. She serves as the Clinical Geneticist for several multidisciplinary teams at MUSC including the Cleft and Craniofacial Center, Pediatric Cancer Predisposition Clinic, and Vascular Anomalies program
Dr. Lancaster’s scholarly interests are closely connected to her clinical practice and focus on the integration of genetics into clinical care. She is particularly interested in how genetic diagnoses can inform the care of children with craniofacial differences and other complex congenital conditions, improving access to diagnosis and treatment for individuals with rare diseases, and how emerging therapies are changing the role of the clinical geneticist.
A major focus of Dr. Lancaster’s academic work is medical genetics education. As Director of Medical Genetics Education, she contributes to genetics education across medical student, residency, and genetic counseling curricula. She has also helped develop MUSC’s new ACGME-accredited Medical Genetics and Genomics residency program and will serve as the program’s inaugural Program Director. Her educational interests include case-based and clinically relevant approaches to genetics education and developing a strong genetics education program that helps physicians and other health care professionals recognize when genetics is relevant to patient care and incorporate genetic information into clinical decision-making.
Dr. Lancaster is also involved in rare disease advocacy and efforts to improve access to genetic care. She serves on the South Carolina Rare Disease Advisory Council and is a member of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, American Society of Human Genetics, Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics, and American Academy of Pediatrics.