Dr. Emily Epstein

Emily Epstein, L.M.S.W., is a Licensed Social Worker and one of the first nationally to formalize the role of Genetic Social Worker, which she created within the Genetics and Personalized Cancer Prevention Program (GPCP) at Weill Cornell Medicine. In shaping this novel position, she has advanced the integration of psychosocial care into hereditary cancer prevention, establishing new models for patient and family support within precision medicine.Ms. Epstein earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from New York University before completing her Master of Social Work at Fordham University. She is also a graduate of the City of Hope’s Intensive Course in Clinical Cancer Genomics, which provided her with specialized training in hereditary cancer genetics. Her work focuses on addressing the psychosocial implications of hereditary cancer and ensuring that emotional wellbeing is considered alongside genetic risk management.Her work includes providing evidence-based behavioral health …interventions, managing patients with complex needs, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to develop comprehensive care plans. She created and facilitates a supportive peer and psychoeducational group for individuals with hereditary cancer syndromes and plays a central role in cascade family testing and risk communication. She regularly speaks nationally and internationally on genetic social work, psychosocial barriers, and the psychosocial aspects of hereditary cancer care. She has contributed to peer-reviewed publications on cascade testing and continues to lead and contribute to research on integrating psychosocial support into hereditary cancer care.