Laila Mnayer, MS, PhD, ABMGG, FACMG
Division Director, Molecular Pathology and Cytogenetics
Dr. Mnayer’s experience in clinical genetics and cytogenetics spans over 25 years. She trained initially in cytogenetics/oncology at The Royal Free Hospital in England as the recipient of a United Nations fellowship. She then studied clinical cytogenetics at Georgetown University Hospital as a WHO fellow. Dr. Mnayer subsequently obtained her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University in Miami, and completed a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship in clinical molecular genetics at the McDonald’s Foundation for Medical Genetics-Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. She also completed a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in clinical cytogenetics at Tufts New England Medical Center, and has received dual certification by the American College of Genetics and Genomics in Clinical Molecular Genetics and Clinical Cytogenetics. Dr. Mnayer has directed the Molecular Pathology and Cytogenetics Laboratories at Hartford Hospital since 2006, and has introduced myriad clinical assays and testing platforms during that time. She established clinical cytogenetics services in 2008, and subsequently introduced cytogenomic microarrays for the diagnosis of congenital abnormalities and tumor profiling. In 2017, Dr. Mnayer launched next-generation sequencing (NGS) for solid tumors and leukemias/lymphomas. More recently, she has expanded the NGS panels to incorporate newer molecular substrates for targeted therapies. Furthermore, very recently she introduced multiple Rapid Molecular Panels that run on the MassARRAY for the timely identification of biomarkers essential for targeted therapy in lung cancer, acute myeloid leukemia and others. Dr. Mnayer’s highly skilled team includes technologists, and individuals with expertise in bioinformatics, information technology, and administration. Dr. Mnayer also works closely with her colleagues in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, as well as the oncologists who rely upon the work performed in her laboratory, to ensure that the Molecular Pathology & Cytogenetics Laboratories at Hartford Hospital remain at the cutting edge of technology. She also participates in several tumor boards and disease management teams including intercity heme-oncology, breast, thoracic, and gynecology.
Dr. Mnayer is a fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMGG), a member of the Association of Molecular Pathology (AMP), a member of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), Children’s Oncology Group (COG), American Cytogenetics Conference (ACC), and a member of the Atlas of Genetics and Cytogenetics in Oncology and Haematology.
Dr. Mnayer serves on the advisory boards of several biotech and pharmaceutical companies including Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Eli Lilly, Novartis, Personal Genome Diagnostics (PGDx), and Asuragen.
