Pre-doc Preparatory Program (P3) in Translational Research

Alumni Spotlights

Our alumni share a common passion for advancing rare disease research and building careers that integrate science and patient care. Each story reflects why they joined the P3 program—to strengthen research skills, gain insight into translational science, and connect with a supportive community of peers and mentors.

Carrie McColley

2025-2026 P3 Scholar

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Carrie McColley

2025-2026 P3 Scholar

Carrie is a research coordinator for the University of Utah Pediatric Neurology (UPIN) research program, where she oversees key aspects of clinical research, including informed consent, IRB submissions, and study visits. Her work spans a range of pediatric neurology studies and clinical trials focused on conditions such as leukodystrophies, muscular dystrophies, and epilepsy. Passionate about advancing care for patients with rare neurologic disorders, Carrie aspires to become a pediatric neurology genetic counselor specializing in neuromuscular diseases. Outside of work, she enjoys baking and spending time on the yoga mat.

Carrie joined P3 to build connections within the neurology field and engage with peers pursuing graduate studies. Through the program, she expanded her professional network and developed greater confidence in navigating complex discussions and sharing her ideas with others. Carrie credits P3 with helping strengthen her communication skills and prepare her for the next stage of her career. She is currently planning to apply to graduate programs, with the goal of beginning her training in Fall 2027.
Samuel Otey

2025-2026 P3 Scholar

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Samuel Otey

2025-2026 P3 Scholar

Samuel is a Clinical Research Coordinator at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the Strategic Therapies for Overcoming Reactive iMmunology (STORM) Lab where he leads research investigating the role of neuroinflammation in rare pediatric diseases including Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, pediatric catatonia, and Down Syndrome Regression Disorder (DSRD). As an aspiring physician, Samuel hopes to use research to improve patient-centered care and advocate for greater access to innovative treatments to improve patient outcomes.

Samuel applied to the P3 program to learn from experts in translational research, specifically those with an emphasis in rare disease. Upon joining the P3 cohort, he was delighted to meet a group of peers with similar interests and was inspired by the creativity and care for patients he witnessed. The P3 curriculum solidified his interest to pursue a career in medicine and fueled his passion for patient advocacy.
Sruthi Subramanian

2025-2026 P3 Scholar

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Sruthi Subramanian

2025-2026 P3 Scholar

Sruthi is a research assistant at Stanford University working in Dr. P.J. Utz’s immunology lab, where she studies autoantibody profiles across a range of diseases and investigates the sex bias of autoimmune conditions in women. She also collaborates with Dr. Christy Tise to improve variant reclassification workflows in clinical settings, with the goal of helping patients in the rare disease community receive accurate diagnoses and timely care.

Sruthi joined the P3 program to gain a deeper understanding of the bench-to-bedside translational research pipeline and to learn from clinician-scientist mentors whose career path she hopes to follow. Through the program, she built meaningful connections with mentors and peers who she considers role models and future colleagues. Sruthi is excited to carry forward what she learned in P3 as she works toward becoming a clinician-scientist dedicated to caring for patients with rare disorders while advancing research that bridges laboratory discovery with clinical impact.
Morgan Weberg

2025-2026 P3 Scholar

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Morgan Weberg

2025-2026 P3 Scholar

Morgan is a Clinical Research Coordinator for the FamilieSCN2A Foundation, a rare disease patient advocacy organization dedicated to accelerating research and improving the lives of individuals affected by SCN2A-related disorders. She manages the therapeutic pipeline, including early-stage drug candidates and clinical research opportunities, and develops educational resources such as research newsletters and patient-facing materials. Through her work with TASCO (Team for Accelerating Science and Clinical Outcomes) and the Patient Engagement Committee, Morgan is committed to empowering patients and families by increasing access to information about clinical research and therapeutic development.

Morgan joined the P3 program to advance her professional development and strengthen her communication and advocacy skills. Through training in study design, ethics, regulatory frameworks, and drug development, she gained a deeper understanding of translational research and the challenges of bringing therapies to patients. She shared she benefited greatly from the mentorship of Dr. Laura Adang, as well as from the insights of numerous physicians, physician-scientists, researchers, and other healthcare professionals during participation in career panel sessions. As the P3 Social Ambassador, she fostered a sense of community among scholars while expanding her professional network. As the only scholar representing a patient advocacy organization, she also contributed a unique perspective to program discussions and activities. She is currently applying to allopathic medical programs and aims to impact healthcare through patient-centered engagement, advocacy, and translational medicine.
Mariam Yousuf

2025-2026 P3 Scholar

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Mariam Yousuf

2025-2026 P3 Scholar

Mariam is a Clinical Research Coordinator at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the Strategic Therapies for Overcoming Reactive iMmunology (STORM) Lab, where she leads multicenter research collaborations, oversees translational biomarker studies, and manages the Neuroimmunology Biorepository. Her work focuses on neuroinflammation in rare pediatric diseases, including Down Syndrome Regression Disorder. As an aspiring physician, Mariam hopes to integrate engineering, translational research, and patient care to improve outcomes for patients and families navigating complex medical conditions.

Mariam joined the P3 program to deepen her understanding of translational research and the unique challenges of studying rare diseases. Through the program’s multidisciplinary curriculum, patient advocacy panels, and engagement with peers and mentors, she gained a broader perspective on how collaborative research can move scientific discoveries toward meaningful clinical care. P3 strengthened her commitment to pursuing medicine while continuing to contribute to translational research and patient-centered innovation.
Lilia Kazerooni

2024-2025 P3 Scholar

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Lilia Kazerooni

2024-2025 P3 Scholar

Lilia is the lead Clinical Research Coordinator and Lab Manager for the Strategic Therapies for Overcoming Reactive iMmunology (STORM) Lab at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She manages multi-center collaborations and neurodiagnostic studies focused on Down syndrome and the role of neuroinflammation in comorbid conditions. Passionate about serving underserved communities, Lilia strives to bridge gaps in healthcare access and advocate for diversity and representation in research. As an aspiring physician-scientist, she aims to integrate inclusive healthcare values into her future practice.

Lilia joined P³ to strengthen her foundational research skills and gain insight into the unique considerations of rare disease research. She describes P³’s diverse curriculum and global guest speakers as instrumental in her personal and professional growth. The program inspired her to pursue a career in medicine as a compassionate physician, creative scientist, and dedicated patient advocate.
Vanessa Smith

2024-2025 P3 Scholar

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Vanessa Smith

2024-2025 P3 Scholar

While participating in P³, Vanessa was a genetic counseling student at Vanderbilt University, conducting her thesis through the GLIA-CTN Myelin Disorders Biorepository Project at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her research focused on identifying and evaluating clinical outcome assessments for individuals with Beta-Propeller Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration (BPAN). After graduating in May, she accepted a position at CHOP to continue BPAN research and support the genomics core within the Leukodystrophy Center. Vanessa is passionate about integrating research into her career as a genetic counselor to serve and empower rare disease communities.

Vanessa applied to P³ to deepen her understanding of translational research and bridge gaps in her genetic counseling training. Through the program, she expanded her knowledge of research in clinical settings and valued opportunities to attend conferences, connect with her cohort, and network with professionals. P³ reinforced her commitment to patient-centered research and inspired her to pursue a career focused on advancing care for rare disease communities.
Aaliyah White

2024-2025 P3 Scholar

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Aaliyah White

2024-2025 P3 Scholar

Aliyah is a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Leukodystrophy Center of Excellence at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she supports studies on rare neurodegenerative diseases, including projects focused on Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome. She aspires to become a surgeon and values how her role at CHOP deepens her understanding of how translational research transforms scientific discoveries into meaningful improvements in patient care.

Aliyah joined P³ to explore how research can shape clinical decision-making and enhance patient outcomes. The program broadened her perspective on the interplay between research and medicine and inspired her to integrate both into her future as a physician. One of the most rewarding aspects for Aliyah was connecting with a passionate, supportive community of peers and mentors committed to advancing science and care.
Laura Lentini

2023-2024 P3 Scholar

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Laura Lentini

2023-2024 P3 Scholar

Laura is a clinical neuroscience research coordinator at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, Canada, specializing in leukodystrophies, particularly POLR3-related leukodystrophy. In addition to coordinating research, she has led studies examining the impact of this disease on caregivers. Laura aims to leverage her research experience to build a career in healthcare.

Laura applied to P³ seeking guidance and deeper insight into rare disease translational research—from study design to clinical trials. She found that P³ went beyond technical training, offering professional skill development, opportunities to present research, engagement with advocacy groups, and exposure to diverse career paths. Laura describes the program as transformative and credits its strong community for making the experience highly applicable to a career in science and beyond.
Brianna Pierce

2023-2024 P3 Scholar

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Brianna Pierce

2023-2024 P3 Scholar

Brianna is a PhD student in the Neuroscience Graduate Group at the University of Pennsylvania, where she continues to develop her research interests in the mechanisms underlying rare neurodegenerative disease. With a decade of experience spanning evolutionary and developmental genetics, pediatric brain tumors, and rare disease research, she brings a broad and integrative scientific perspective to her graduate work. Brianna earned her BS in Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics from the University of Maryland before joining the Neurometabolic Disorders Research Lab at Children's National Hospital, where she investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying rare neurometabolic disorders — including Mitochondrial Membrane Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration (MPAN), Leukoencephalopathy with Calcifications and Cysts (LCC), and Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) — and had the opportunity to mentor an exceptionally talented cohort of young scientists. She hopes to build a career in rare disease research, working closely with family groups, clinicians, and fellow researchers to advance understanding of these disorders and build a better future for those they impact.

Brianna applied to P3 at the recommendation of her mentor, Dr. Jamie Fraser. A pivotal moment came at the 2023 LCC Family & Research Conference, where she connected with families living with rare disease and was deeply moved by their passion and commitment — an experience that inspired her to explore what a meaningful career in rare disease research could truly look like. Through P3, Brianna found peers, mentors, and new possibilities. Conversations with fellow scholars and invited speakers broadened her understanding of the interconnected community of families, clinicians, and researchers working to advance rare disease science. The P3 experience helped shape her vision of a research career built on meaningful connection — one where her work remains grounded in the needs and experiences of patients and caregivers, and continues to contribute to the growing field of rare disease research.
Ellen Winter

2023-2024 P3 Scholar

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Ellen Winter

2023-2024 P3 Scholar

Ellen is a Clinical Research Coordinator II at Mass General Hospital’s Center for Rare Neurological Diseases, where she helps manage a gene therapy clinical trial for Canavan disease and conducts independent research on corticospinal tract lesions in adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) to improve pediatric screening. Her work builds on prior experience developing cellular models for fibrolamellar carcinoma, a rare pediatric liver cancer.

Ellen joined P³ to connect with clinicians, researchers, and advocates dedicated to improving outcomes for rare disease communities. She valued the program’s comprehensive approach to translational research and its emphasis on patient-centered care. Ellen credits P³ with deepening her understanding of what it means to be a physician-scientist, a foundation she plans to carry forward into medical school.
Emma Kotes

2022-2023 P3 Scholar

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Emma Kotes

2022-2023 P3 Scholar

Emma is the lead coordinator for the GLIA-CTN Myelin Disorders Biorepository Project at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, overseeing enrollment of children with leukodystrophies across multiple sites and managing outcomes assessments for natural history studies. She also leads CHOP’s electronic health record extraction project to track key milestones such as g-tube placement and loss of ambulation, and supports the specialized BPAN clinic by facilitating natural history and quality-of-life surveys. Emma plans to attend medical school and pursue a career as a pediatrician.

Emma joined the P3 program to better understand how research fits into her future medical career. She credits P3 with providing mentorship, guidance, and the skills needed to explore the role of clinical research in shaping patient care. The experience strengthened her commitment to becoming a physician-scientist and enriched her professional journey.
Nico Modesti

2022-2023 P3 Scholar

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Nico Modesti

2022-2023 P3 Scholar

Nico is a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Leukodystrophy Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, supporting research projects on Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome. His work includes managing a large natural history study that retrospectively examines neurologic and systemic manifestations of the disorder, as well as contributing to CHOP’s baricitinib clinical trial, which helped pave the way for the medication’s commercial availability.

Nico joined P³ to learn more about the rare disease community and gain insight into the path toward becoming a physician-scientist. He describes P³ as an exceptional experience that provided mentorship, professional development, and guidance beyond expectations. Nico values the connections he made and looks forward to reuniting with his cohort as they advance in their careers.
Lana Prieur

2022-2023 P3 Scholar

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Lana Prieur

2022-2023 P3 Scholar

Lana is a clinical research coordinator at Penn Medicine’s Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Center, where she leads coordination for studies including AMS05, iMSMS, VGL, and IGNITE, recruiting patients with multiple sclerosis and ALSP. She also serves as a phlebotomist for the neurology clinic, drawing blood for hundreds of patients, and facilitates new patient review meetings to set care plans. As an undergraduate at Penn, Lana fenced for the Quakers and conducted research at Platt Labs, publishing a study on leadership and group dynamics in online settings. She plans to become a physician specializing in neurology or emergency medicine and hopes to research ways to improve telehealth interactions.

Before joining P³, Lana pursued fellowships focused on improving telemedicine and became a Rhodes nominee, Fulbright semifinalist, and Thouron finalist. She realized her proposal was translational but lacked a deep understanding of the field. P³provided the grounding she needed, teaching her what it takes to make research and change happen—including institutional, political, financial, and emotional considerations. Lana describes the program as transformative, giving her greater maturity and understanding to approach her goals, and she is grateful for the mentorship and enthusiastic peer community.

Alumni Spotlights

Carrie McColley

Samuel Otey

Sruthi Subramanian

Morgan Weberg

Mariam Yousuf

Lilia Kazerooni

Vanessa Smith

Aaliyah White

Laura Lentini

Brianna Pierce

Ellen Winter

Emma Kotes

Nico Modesti

Lana Prieur