December 16, 2025

Genetic Intervention Family Testing Services - GIFTS - Will Screen Surviving Family Members At Risk of Inherited Conditions to Save Lives

New Program Marks First Instance of a Medical Examiner's Office Testing Living Patients

NEW YORK, NY - The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) today announced a trailblazing next step in its ongoing work to prevent sudden and unexpected deaths. The new Genetic Intervention Family Testing Services (GIFTS) program will screen at-risk family members of those who die from inherited conditions at no cost, helping to close a critical gap in services and connect loved ones to treatment that can save lives.

"During this season of giving, our GIFTS program offers a bold vision for the future of forensic science and medicine as a life-saving mission," said New York City Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jason Graham. "The launch of genetic testing for living patients at OCME raises the bar of excellence and sets a new standard of care across the country, while ensuring an innovative service reaches those family members most in need of help."

Sudden death in living family members can be prevented when a genetic cause of death is found in their loved one who died suddenly and unexpectedly. The GIFTS program launches the ability of OCME to test surviving family members for genetic conditions that cause untimely deaths and expands the existing capacity of the agency to provide genetic counseling and make referrals for preventive treatments that save lives.

OCME is already home to the first and only Molecular Genetics Laboratory within a medical examiner's office in the country, established in 2003. The fully accredited laboratory currently can test more than 300 genes for a range of diseases including cardiovascular and neurological conditions such as cardiac arrythmia syndromes and epilepsy to provide family members with answers about what happened to their deceased loved one.

GIFTS will expand the genetic testing and counseling capabilities of OCME to include at-risk surviving blood relatives through a $600K investment from the city. The funding supports four laboratory scientists, an additional genetic counselor, equipment, and supplies.

"The Office of Chief Medical Examiner performs critical work and interacts with families and loved ones at some of life's most challenging times. For a select number of their cases, a genetic condition may be discovered. The GIFTS program will offer families of those cases new information about genetic conditions that could ultimately be life-saving," said New York City Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Suzanne Miles-Gustave. "OCME continues to lead the nation with this novel program and continues to find additional ways to support New Yorkers. Thank you to Dr. Graham for his leadership and to OCME for their ingenuity in building these efforts on top of their core services."

The OCME Molecular Genetics Laboratory reviews at least 500 sudden and unexpected deaths each year and finds a genetic cause in approximately 100 cases. All blood relatives found to be at risk through genetic counseling are recommended to get genetic testing and then be clinically evaluated off site based upon their test results.

GIFTS will bring the ability to test surviving family members in house at OCME, followed by a connection to clinical colleagues as needed, removing a crucial barrier to care for at-risk loved ones. The Molecular Genetics Laboratory has received a clinical laboratory permit from New York State to perform confidential and convenient testing using a non-invasive oral swab, with testing expected to being in early 2026.

About OCME

Established in 1918 as the nation's first comprehensive medical examiner office, OCME provides the highest quality of service across the forensic sciences to support communities during times of profound need. The agency operates the largest and most advanced DNA public crime laboratory in North America and houses laboratories in toxicology and histology, in addition to the nation's only public molecular genetics laboratory. OCME is home to the country's largest forensic pathology training program, having produced more than one-fifth of the nation's board-certified forensic pathologists since 1990. OCME also houses a department of forensic anthropology and maintains a division of specially trained experts to respond to any and all mass fatality events and disasters.