SteadyStrand was founded with a simple mission: to make complex science clear, approachable, and useful. We specialize in genetic counseling, consulting, and content development, helping people navigate challenging medical and scientific topics so it can be understood, communicated, and applied with confidence.

Our Founder, Erica Hirsch, is a Licensed Certified Genetic Counselor with over 20 years of experience in human genetics. She holds an M.S. in Genetic Counseling from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a B.A. in Earth Sciences from Tulane University. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two children, and golden retrievers.

Erica began her career in clinical laboratory genetics, working as a technician and later supervising the biochemical genetics laboratory at Tulane University’s Hayward Genetics Center, in New Orleans. There, she helped manage confirmatory newborn screening and diagnostic testing for metabolic disorders. After earning her master’s degree in New York City, she moved into prenatal genetic counseling, working in both hospital and private practice Maternal-Fetal Medicine settings. She enjoyed working closely with patients to explain genetic risks and testing options, ensuring they felt informed, supported, and confident in their decisions.

For over a decade, Erica then served as a Senior Counselor and Information Specialist at the NIH’s Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD). There, she responded to thousands of public inquiries, built and curated a robust resource library, and authored hundreds of plain-language summaries to help patients, families, and clinicians better understand the genetic causes, inheritance, symptoms and treatment options for conditions relevant to every branch of medicine.

SteadyStrand brings this experience together to support individuals, clinicians and organizations. Whether providing patient-focused genetic counseling, creating accessible educational content, or consulting on science communication projects, SteadyStrand meets people wherever they are and provides guidance that is clear, compassionate, and tailored to their needs.

We’re here to help make genetics make sense.