Current Students & Alumni
First Years (Started 2023)
Sophia Adelson (she/her) grew up in West Orange, New Jersey, and graduated from Wellesley College in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and French. As an undergraduate, Sophia served as the social media chair for Wellesley’s Blue Cancer Society, volunteered in a hospital playroom, and tutored students in grades K-12. Sophia began working as a research trainee with the Boston-based Genomes2People (G2P) research program the summer after her junior year, and conducted her senior honors thesis alongside the team the following year. For her thesis, Sophia explored how individuals in the Mass General Brigham Biobank talk to family members about their unanticipated genetic findings and how genetic counselors can support these conversations. Upon graduating, Sophia joined G2P full time as a genetic counseling assistant (GCA). In this role, she developed patient and research participant facing materials, recruited and enrolled individuals into clinical trials, and helped manage the daily operations of the Brigham Preventive Genomics Clinic. Passionate about teaching, Sophia also led the virtual educational program and curriculum for G2P trainees and served as a teaching fellow (TF) for the Harvard Catalyst Genomic Medicine in Clinical Practice online course. Working as a GCA and TF has shown Sophia the many roles a genetic counselor can have in clinic, research, and education, and has increased her enthusiasm to spend her career making genomic information and precision medicine more accessible to patients and the public at large. In her free time, Sophia enjoys hiking, barre classes, reading, spending time with friends and family, learning new board games, and traveling.
Carolyn Bell (she/her) is from Villanova, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Duke University with thesis distinction in 2020, receiving a B.S. in Neuroscience and minors in Chemistry and Biology. Growing up as a caregiver to her aunt with Spina Bifida fostered her appreciation for accessible, inclusive environments and led her to volunteer with Easter Seals, Project Sunshine, and hospice programs. In college, Carolyn found her passion for supporting individuals through challenging experiences and became a freshman advisory counselor and sexual violence prevention advocate. She was selected for a Bass Connections interdisciplinary research team that used a public health approach to develop and assess trauma-informed sexual misconduct policies, procedures, and prevention strategies. She received the Vertical Integration in Psychology fellowship to support her independent research, which culminated in two posters and a thesis and reviewed the distinct mechanism underlying freezing defense behavior, finding a significant association between freezing during trauma and the severity of post-trauma effects. Since graduating, she has expanded this research with the support of her mentor and grant funding, developing additional studies and co-authoring publications focused on personalizing treatment, educational materials, and psychosocial support for individuals who engage this defense response. Her interest in genomics, personalized medicine, and biology-based educational interventions to improve outcomes for populations with chronic, treatment-resistant symptoms inspired her to learn more about genetic counseling, connect with genetic counselors in a variety of roles, complete case series and other virtual events, and pursue the field. She also enjoys working with community organizations to tutor and mentor Spanish and English speaking students facing educational barriers. Carolyn can otherwise be found exploring with her dogs, Roo and Regina, tending to her 50+ tropical houseplants, listening to live music, roller skating, and spending time outdoors with friends.
Katie Comerford (she/her) is from Old Lyme, Connecticut, and graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.S. in Diagnostic Genetic Science (DGS) with a concentration in cytogenetics. She is passionate about creating safe, inclusive and empowering spaces in patient care and her communities. As an undergraduate, she was a teaching assistant, a student representative for the DGS program, and a volunteer with Girls on the Run, Relay for Life and Special Olympics. Katie’s senior year, she completed a 6-month clinical practicum in cytogenetics at the Yale University School of Medicine. Her senior research project encompassed analysis of chromosomal distribution of regions of homozygosity by oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization and she was a co-author on the publication documenting the results. Upon graduation, she joined the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center in a clinical research role working with patients diagnosed with advanced solid tumor malignancies. During her time at UCSF, she co-managed a team of clinical research coordinators, supported investigators’ independent research projects, and served as the principal liaison between industry sponsors and UCSF investigators. After UCSF, she joined Genentech, Inc., managing clinical trials studying novel cancer immunotherapy treatments. Outside of her day-to-day role at Genentech, she was a new hire mentor, a member of Enabling Patient Access and Inclusive Research committee, and led a national D&I program aimed to improve treatment center resources in underserved communities and increase awareness of barriers to accessing clinical trials as a treatment option. In her free time, you can find her hiking, listening to music and curating playlists, painting with watercolors, or reading.
Maheen Farooqi (she/her) is originally from Karachi, Pakistan, and moved to Waterloo, Canada, for undergraduate studies. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences from the University of Waterloo (2019) and a Master’s degree in Health Research Methodology from McMaster University (2022). During her time in Waterloo, Maheen developed a passion for understanding how to alleviate inequities in healthcare – an interest sparked by the influx of Syrian newcomers to Canada. Maheen worked with refugees, government officers and refugee clinic workers to research how to better serve the healthcare needs of refugee women in the area. She presented this work at the 21st Annual International Women’s and Children’s Conference. To further her research training, Maheen completed her Master’s thesis – this time studying how to improve existing definitions of the frailty syndrome to better identify frailty in ethnically diverse cohorts. This work is one of the largest longitudinal studies of frailty performed in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
During the course of her research, Maheen learned that just like frailty, there are many common hereditary conditions not well studied in ethnic minorities and low-income populations. She now hopes to combine her passion for clinical counseling with genetics research to address this gap. Maheen has interned with the cancer genetics team at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and volunteers as a phone counselor for the Crisis Support Services of Alameda County. Maheen lives in the Bay Area with her husband and 2-year old son. She enjoys traveling, cooking/baking, reading, and exploring all the natural trails California has to offer.
Emily Huang (she/her) is from San Jose, California, and graduated from the University of California, Davis in 2021 with a B.S. in Genetics & Genomics. As an undergraduate, she conducted research on alpha-synuclein induced proteotoxic stress & its linkage to the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Through her experiences in research, she learned of how much she loved teaching and interacting with her community. Her passions of genetics, teaching, and interacting with her community, led her to genetic counseling. After graduating, Emily was a volunteer caseworker for the American Red Cross, and worked with various nonprofits to provide shelter, food, and resources to community members who were recovering from local disasters. She also worked as a Medical Assistant at her local urgent care where she communicated closely with patients and providers. These experiences allowed her to familiarize herself with the type of care and awareness that's needed when approaching difficult conversations. To further develop her understanding of genetic counseling, Emily took part in the Genetic Counseling Immersive Program held by Color Health, met with numerous GCs in her area, and attended various conferences, such as the 2022 NCCGC (Northern California Coalition of Genetic Counselors) Conference. In her free time, she is waitressing at her family’s restaurant and spending time with her family. Some of her hobbies include bowling, puzzling, and exploring new food spots!
Sarah Huang (she/her) is from Lafayette, Colorado, and graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a B.S. in Human Biology & Society. As an undergraduate student, she worked as a Campus Tour Guide and an advisor for Pathway, a program supporting college students who identify as neurodiverse. She was also an editor and writer for FEM Newsmagazine and a member of the Student Alumni Association (SAA). Research has been a large part of Sarah’s journey: she worked as a second coder for a UCLA genetic counseling student’s capstone project studying the rare disease experience, and spearheaded a project developing a computable phenotype for Turner syndrome with the eXtraOrdinarY Kids Clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She further grew her love of genetic counseling through her involvement on the board of the Genetic Counseling Prospective Student Network (GCPSN) and being mentored by members of the Minority Genetics Professional Network. Sarah is passionate about disability justice, mental health in Asian American communities, and improving the accessibility of genetic counseling for diverse patient populations. In her free time, you can find her listening to music, drinking a matcha latte, hiking, writing in her journal, doing the NYT mini crossword, and exploring local farmer’s markets and bookstores.
Esha Mahal (she/her) grew up in Bothell, Washington, and graduated from the University of Washington in 2023 with a B.S. in Public Health-Global Health. During her time as an undergraduate, she helped conduct clinical research that aimed to hone treatments for pediatric patients with chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis. Esha's enjoyment of children also led her to work as a camp counselor for kids with disabilities. In this position, she gained insights into the lived experiences of people impacted by disability and strives to use those stories to inform her future practice. This experience sparked her interest in advocacy, which she had the opportunity to engage in as a student ambassador for the United MSD Foundation. Here, she heard from families and created resources to help them better understand the newborn screening process. In order to further her communication and counseling skills, she served as a crisis counselor with Crisis Textline, and had the privilege of interacting with youth experiencing homelessness as part of her senior capstone. As a genetic counselor, she hopes to increase awareness of the field in the South Asian community and is passionate about accessibility and ethics issues. In her free time, Esha enjoys making her own clothes, being outside with her dog, playing volleyball, and trying new things with friends.
Amanda Mitchell (she/her) grew up in Orange County, California, and graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2023. She majored in Molecular and Cellular Biology and minored in Psychology, as well as Leadership Studies. During her time as an undergraduate, Amanda helped conduct research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to investigate links between the anxiety phenotype and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). She also was involved in the Baltimore community through Thread, where she mentored a student from an underfunded, local high school for four years. Amanda was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Eta Epsilon Chapter, which partnered with Baltimore National Alliance on Mental Illness for fundraising and ambassador opportunities. After growing up as a competitive dancer, Amanda was inspired to analyze the leadership styles of competitive dance teachers and how these styles impact dancer well-being for her Leadership Studies Capstone Project. Amanda continued to dance in college on the Jaywalk Dance Team and served as Social Media Chair and Treasurer. Amanda has a heart for working with children; during her summers, she virtually instructed STEM subjects and programming games with Dreams for Schools. Some of Amanda’s other teaching experiences include being a lead one-on-one tutor for We Tutor-U and being a course assistant in the undergraduate Johns Hopkins business course, Foundations of American Enterprise. Upon having her own lived experience with a genetic diagnosis, Amanda has become passionate about guiding, empowering, and educating patients. She was able to put this passion into practice during her internship with the Johns Hopkins Human Genetics department. This virtual internship program affirmed Amanda’s interest in genetic counseling by exploring the field through lectures, career development activities, support group panels, and mentorship projects. In addition, she participated in the Columbia Pre-Genetic Counselor Experiential Practicum, where she had the opportunity to observe and reflect on genetic counseling appointments. As a genetic counselor, Amanda will strive to be an advocate and a partner to those navigating the intricacies of genetic information. In her free time, Amanda loves to bake, dance, sew, shop, hike, read, and explore coffee shops!
Jazmine Newson (she/her) is originally from Berkeley, California, and graduated from Gonzaga University in May of 2023. She has a bachelor’s degree in Biology and minors in Special Education and Entrepreneurial Leadership. Her work in the Honors Program allowed her to craft an interdisciplinary education that considered how science education can be taught in inclusive, culturally relevant and responsive, and accessible ways. For her Honors Senior Project, Jazmine combined her interests in science, inclusive pedagogy, and meaningful connection to author an undergraduate science class that demonstrated an authentic embodiment of equity-based teaching in the sciences. With a career in genetic counseling, she hopes to utilize people’s stories to “humanize the science” and assuage historical mistrusts in the healthcare system. Jazmine was awarded the Peter G. Pauw Award for Distinction in Biology for co-founding and leading the Gonzaga chapter of SACNAS (the Society for the Advancement of Native American and Chicanos in STEM) and supporting a diverse STEM community on the Gonzaga campus. Off campus, Jazmine supported and served children with developmental delays and disabilities and their families at Joya Child and Family Development Center. Through this experience, she hopes to provide her future patients with reassurance and insight into services, supports, and communities they may encounter in the future. In her free time, Jazmine enjoys making new friends, crocheting, dancing, cooking, and baking.
Leah Rossi (she/her) grew up in Mill Valley, California. She graduated from UC Davis in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Genetics and Genomics and minors in Human Rights and Public Health. As an undergraduate, she worked at the UC Davis Medical Center as a clinical trial research assistant for two years where she assisted with the coordination of on-going clinical trials within the division of pulmonology, critical care, and sleep medicine. Throughout her senior year, Leah served as president of the UC Davis Genetic Counseling Club where she led a team of officers in providing exposure, resources, and support to the UC Davis undergraduate community interested in pursuing genetic counseling. In addition, Leah was a member of the sorority Pi Beta Phi, a peer-mentor for AggieMentors, and as a campus tour guide. Leah’s interest in travel provided her with an opportunity to conduct research for eight weeks at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. There she was able to discover her passion for neurogenetics as she worked on Alzheimer's disease in organoids in Dr. Orly Reiner’s laboratory. With a career in genetic counseling, Leah intends to focus on building trust with patients through a safe and communicative environment with the hopes of making healthcare more inclusive for all. In her free time, you can find Leah spending time with family and friends, going to concerts (especially Taylor Swift shows), and exploring new restaurants in the Bay Area!
Armando Sánchez-Conde (he/him) is from St. Louis, Missouri, and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2022 with a B.A. in Environmental Biology and a minor in Psychology. He is a community-oriented person who has always been passionate about making a positive impact in his hometown. For the past couple of years, Armando has worked as a job coach for formerly-incarcerated individuals in the St. Louis area through the St. Louis University Transformative Workforce Academy. He has also frequently volunteered with Missouri Special Olympics and the St. Louis Special Needs Soccer Association (SPENSA), and has worked as a high school tutor and community soccer coach. As an undergraduate at WashU, Armando was a member of the men’s soccer team and an undergraduate teaching assistant for the Human Genetics course. In his junior year, Armando began conducting research at the Washington University School of Medicine exploring the importance of non-coding genetic variation on Differences in Sex Development (DSD) Phenotypes. He presented a poster of his work at the 9th International DSD Symposium in Bern, Switzerland in July of 2022. Following graduation, Armando worked as a clinical assistant at Kindbody - St. Louis, a fertility and reproductive health clinic. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer with friends, hiking, cooking, playing cards, and finding great places to eat!
Fiona Seung (she/her) is from Seattle, Washington, and graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. As an undergraduate, she was involved in systematic research that identified barriers to genetic testing and genetic counseling services within diverse Asian populations. This research experience solidified her interest in genetic counseling and helped her recognize her position to address the barriers that prevent her community from accessing said genetic services. Post-graduation, Fiona joined the Clinical Genomic Analyst (CGA) Team at the University of Washington Medical Center as a genetic counseling assistant (GCA) where she became familiar with laboratory genetic counseling roles and was introduced to ConnectMyVariant (CMV), a public health education initiative where she served as a Family Outreach Navigator. Within this role, she supported individuals with hereditary cancer risk by providing resources to locate relatives and communicate with those relatives about their own hereditary cancer risk and genetic testing. In her free time, Fiona enjoys going to live concerts and music festivals.
Caitlin Silva is from North Salt Lake, Utah, and graduated from Brigham Young University in 2023 with a B.S. in Genetics, Genomics, and Biotechnology. As an undergraduate, Caitlin participated in pharmacogenomics research investigating the effect of ancestry on drug-induced liver injury risk in patients with multiple sclerosis. Caitlin has volunteered with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for 14 years and has been involved with fundraising, advocacy, and research efforts on behalf of the cystic fibrosis community. She participated in five visits to Washington DC to advocate for legislation that improved medical management and care for patients with genetic conditions. This experience inspired her to remain involved in public policy efforts that benefit underrepresented patient populations. Additionally, acting as a liaison between policy makers and patients fostered Caitlin’s passion for translating scientific concepts to formats that are accessible and understandable for all audiences. She further developed these skills as a genetic counseling intern for the Johns Hopkins Summer Internship program where she created patient resources for the Johns Hopkins Cystic Fibrosis Clinic. After shadowing genetic counselors as an intern at the Intermountain Cardiovascular Genetic Counseling Clinic, Caitlin developed her own counseling skills as a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line and a therapeutic harp music volunteer at Primary Children’s Hospital. In her free time, Caitlin enjoys playing the harp, dancing, discovering local food trucks, and spending time with her family.
Arnhildur Tómasdóttir is from Kópavogur, Iceland. She graduated in 2022 from the University of Iceland with a Bachelor's in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. During undergrad, she worked as a research assistant in a genetics lab at the university. There she helped a Ph.D. student with their project on the mild hypothermia pathway, identifying new genes in the pathway as well as finding drugs that could activate this pathway without the cooling itself to get the clinical benefits of mild hypothermia and exclude the side effects that the cooling can cause. In her third year of undergrad, Arnhildur served as vice president of the student organization in her program, organizing networking events and advocating for students. To gain counseling experience, Arnhildur volunteered as a phone friend for the Icelandic Red Cross, where volunteers are paired with socially isolated individuals and call them once a week and give social support. After undergrad Arnhildur started working as a genetic counseling assistant at Landspítali University Hospital. There she got the opportunity to shadow genetic counselors and geneticists and gained valuable exposure to the field and the work genetic counselors do. In her free time, Arnhildur loves strolling through second-hand stores, running, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Allie Zahn (she/her) grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and considers herself a Bay Area transplant. She graduated from Santa Clara University in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and a minor in Public Health Sciences. As an undergraduate, Allie volunteered as an EMT for SCU’s student-led EMS organization, and she was elected to serve as the Health and Wellness Officer for her fellow EMTs. Through her EMT encounters Allie discovered her interest in caring for individuals enduring traumatic health-related events. After interning for The Health Trust, she experienced a first-hand understanding of the health issues facing members in her community, which formed her strong devotion to implementing community-based healthcare. After graduation, Allie worked at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease in San Francisco for 2 years where she researched the role of TREM2 in Alzheimer’s Disease-related Network and Synaptic abnormalities by conducting electrophysiology monitoring, genetic manipulations, and neuronal synaptic density measurements in a rodent model. Through this research she found a love for understanding the genetic components of disease, which, combined with her passion for helping patients, led to her interest in the field of Genetic Counseling. Allie is very passionate about increasing access to genetic counseling services to individuals who are typically excluded from the benefits of preventative healthcare. In her free time, you can find Allie rollerblading, listening to true-crime podcasts, spending time with friends and family, and taking photos (both film and digital)!
Second Years (Started 2022)
Olivia Anderson is originally from Toronto, Ontario, and graduated from the University of Georgia in 2021 with a B.S. in Genetics and a minor in Cellular Biology. During her time at UGA, she conducted research studying the processing of DNA transcripts in E.coli. Starting in undergrad, she gained exposure to genetic counseling and fertility treatment as the genetic counseling assistant at Advocate Genetics, a company specializing in reproductive genetic counseling. Olivia developed counseling skills volunteering with Kid’s Help Phone, a crisis text line for Canadian youth. She also volunteered with Team Impact, connecting chronically-ill children to college athletic teams, and EM•Power Donation, where she worked with families considering embryo donation. During her time at UGA, Olivia was a member of the swimming and diving team, having earned All-American accolades. She was also a member of the Canadian National Swimming Team for several years, including appearances at two Junior World Championships and two Swimming World Championships. Olivia is a certified spin instructor and enjoys hiking, watching movies, going to concerts, and spending time with her dog, Avon.