Capstones to Careers: Luis Peña Martínez

Luis Peña Martínez is a recent graduate of the M.H.Sc. in Medical Genomics Program who is currently working as a Program Analyst for the Ontario Ministry of Health within the Laboratories and Genetics Branch. This branch of the Ministry oversees all genetic testing in the province, including all clinical and diagnostic sequence testing, as well as all other testing methods, such as biochemistry, hematology, pathology, etc. Luis is involved in analyzing genetic testing applications data and composing a testing directory to guide policy development for provincial testing, and is thereby shaping the future of genetic testing in Ontario.

Luis did not even consider working in policy development until he was introduced to it in the MMG 3005Y: Ethical and Legal Implications course during his second year in the MedGen Program. When he learned about the current genetic testing practices in Ontario, and how many tests are being ordered out of province or out of country, he became passionate about improving genetic testing policies. As Luis explained, “out of province and out of country genetic testing programs are a safety net for testing not available locally. They provide access to testing otherwise unavailable for patients, but these programs are costly, take a toll on taxpayers' money, and need to be closely regulated.”

During his practicum, Luis aimed to create a genetic testing directory, a catalogue of genetic tests to guide health care providers by making them aware of all the tests available within the province, and help streamline the application process for out of province/out of country testing. To accomplish this, Luis analyzed all the data from genetic tests ordered in Ontario since 2012 to determine the current process of genetic testing in the province (that’s over 120,000 tests!). In addition, he compared testing in Ontario to other provinces and countries worldwide to understand how provincial testing could be improved. Luis gained skills in data analysis, policy development, risk assessment, and program management throughout his practicum.

Luis was hired on as a program analyst at the Ministry of Health in order to continue his work in genetic testing policy development. His role has expanded to include assessing out of province/out of country applications, developing algorithms to aid in application assessments, and preparing and contributing to expert panel meetings. Luis is excited to continue growing in his role, and will use all the skills he has gained in the MedGen program and beyond to expand in the realm of public policy by taking on more challenging and varied projects. As he explains, “I add value in the branch by being an expert in genomics, but genetics is only one of the tools I gained during my time in the MedGen Program”. Luis highlighted how cutting-edge the information he learned during the program was, explaining that he works with genetic testing experts to answer questions about new DNA testing technologies, such as RNA testing and whole genome and whole exome sequencing.

Luis encourages current and future students to use the practicum as an opportunity to explore fields and careers they may be interested in. In his words: “If there’s a certain area that you’re considering pursuing or you’re curious about, this is the perfect chance – I took the chance to explore policy development and I loved it, apply and see what happens!”

We wish you all the best Luis, and we’re excited to see what you do next!

Image provided by Luis Peña Martínez