Rachel received her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in May 2017 and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) in August 2017. Rachel completed a genetic counseling fellowship in lysosomal storage diseases at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, focusing on diagnosis, management, treatment, and newborn screening for this group of complex diseases.

She currently provides genetic counseling services in the pediatric setting, continuing to specialize in lysosomal storage diseases as well as general genetics. She serves as the clinic coordinator for the Leukodystrophy Clinic at Lurie Children’s Hospital and is the primary coordinator for this center’s Krabbe Disease and X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy Newborn Screening Programs.

Dr. Laura Adang is an Assistant Professor of Child Neurology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia specializing in the care of children with leukodystrophies. Dr. Adang is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia’s Foundation Fellowship scholarship program and a graduate of the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Virginia, where she received both her MD and PhD. Her graduate work in the laboratory of Dean H. Kedes, MD, PhD characterized the immune evasion mechanisms of herpesvirus infections. Her work has been published in NEJM, Cell, and Journal of Clinical Investigations among others.

After graduating from the University of Virginia, she completed her pediatrics and child neurology residencies at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. She completed additional fellowship training in multiple sclerosis and leukodystrophies and a Masters of Translational Research at the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT) of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Her primary research focus is clinical trial readiness for leukodystrophies, including metachromatic leukodystrophy.

Florian S. Eichler, MD, is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School. He is the Director of the Leukodystrophy Service, the Center for Rare Neurological Diseases at MGH, and the Mass General Brigham Neurogenetics and Gene Therapy Fellowship. He runs a laboratory at MGH that explores the relationship of mutant genes to specific biochemical defects and their contribution to neurodegeneration. To develop novel treatments, his laboratory assesses the consequences of disease-causing genes. The laboratory identified two neurotoxic desoxysphingoid bases that accumulate in mutant transgenic mice and humans with hereditary sensory neuropathy type 1 (HSAN1). This work led to the first clinical trial of substrate supplementation therapy for patients with HSAN1 (NCT01733407).

Dr Eichler is the principal investigator of several NIH-funded studies on neurogenetic disorders as well as a gene therapy trial of adrenoleukodystrophy (NCT01896102) that reported on first successful outcomes in the New England Journal of Medicine. For this work, he received the Martin Research Prize from MGH and the Herbert Pardes Clinical Excellence Award from the Clinical Research Forum.

Amy Ladewski is a physician assistant within the department of digestive health at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL. She specializes in functional bowel and neurogastromotility disorders, in addition to managing general GI patients. She currently serves as the Vice President of the national non-profit organization GHAPP (Gastroenterology & Hepatology Advanced Practice Providers), with a mission to educate and help advance the careers of GI APPs. Amy serves as an adjunct teacher for the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine Physician Assistance program and was recently awarded preceptor of the year. With a background as a registered dietitian, she prioritizes nutrition counseling with her patients. Amy strives to develop collaborative and trusted relationships with her patients to empower them toward better health and wellness.

Dr. Chang is a Professor of Medicine and Vice-Chief of the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She serves as the Co-Director of the G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience at UCLA. She is also Program Director of the UCLA Gastroenterology Fellowship Program. Dr. Chang’s clinical expertise is in disorders of gut-brain interaction (also known as functional gastrointestinal disorders). Her research focuses on brain-gut interactions underlying irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), specifically, the pathophysiology of IBS related to stress, early life adversity, sex differences, genetic and epigenetic factors, and gut microbiome as well as the treatment of IBS. She has recently served as the Clinical Research Councillor of the AGA Governing Board. Dr. Chang previously served as President of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (ANMS) and is a member of the Rome Foundation Board of Directors.

Dr. Chey received a medical degree and training in internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. He completed a fellowship in gastroenterology and has remained as faculty at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he is currently the Timothy T. Nostrant Collegiate Professor of Gastroenterology. He holds a joint appointment in the Department of Nutrition Sciences.

Dr. Chey’s research interests focus on the diagnosis and treatment of functional bowel disorders and H. pylori infection. He has mentored more than 50 students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty, many of which are leaders in gastroenterology. He is a medical innovator and holds several patents. Dr. Chey is former Co-Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Gastroenterology and has authored more than 350 manuscripts, reviews, chapters, and books. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American College of Gastroenterology, Board of Directors of the Rome Foundation, Council of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society, and Board of Directors of the International Foundation of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.

Dr. Chey has been elected to “Best Doctors” since 2001 and received the Dean’s Outstanding Clinician Award and Dean’s Award for Innovation and Commercialization at the University of Michigan. He has also received the Distinguished Clinician Award from the American Gastroenterological Association. In 2020 he was awarded honorary membership to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the prestigious Berk/Fise Award from the American College of Gastroenterology.

Lucinda A. Harris, MS, MD, is currently Associate Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and Consultant, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. She graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency at the New York Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia University and her fellowship in Gastroenterology & Hepatology at The New York Hospital /Weill Medical College of Cornell University. She was on the faculty in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Weill Cornell Medical School before moving to her current position at Mayo Clinic.

At the Mayo Clinic she has been a past Co-Director of the Motility Group and has led a patient support group there for IBS. Dr. Harris is a current member of the Gastroenterology Fellowship committee and serves as the Department Education coordinator for Gastroenterology, supervising visiting GI fellows and medical students. She has actively been involved in mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows over the years.

Professionally, Dr. Harris is currently President of the Phoenix GI Society. She is also active in professional organizations as a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the American College of Internal Medicine. She is also a member of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society. Her special clinical and research interests are in IBS, gastroparesis, chronic constipation, and pelvic floor disorders as well as celiac disease and autonomic disorders. Dr. Harris has written and lectured extensively on these topics.

Dr. Cash is Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, where he is also the Dan and Lillie Sterling Professor of Clinical Gastroenterology at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School and the Endowed Director of the Chao-Ertan Directorship at Memorial Hermann Hospital Texas Medical Center. Dr. Cash received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration (Finance) with Honors from the University of Texas in Austin and earned his medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. He completed his internship, residency, and gastroenterology fellowship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, and served for 24 years in the United States Navy, retiring in 2014. Dr. Cash has authored over 200 articles and book chapters on a wide variety of gastrointestinal topics and his clinical interests include disorders of brain-gut interaction, colorectal cancer screening, artificial intelligence, and Barrett esophagus. He was recognized as one of the best gastroenterologists in Houston by Houstonia magazine in 2019 and a Top Doctor by Texas Monthly magazine in 2020 and 2021. In 2020 he was named a Rome Foundation Fellow and was recently appointed to the Rome V Functional Bowel Disorders Committee.

Dr. Camilleri is a consultant in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and is Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology, and Physiology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. His research interests include clinical enteric neurosciences, gut neurohormonal control, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, and pharmacology and pharmacogenomics; his work is funded by National Institutes of Health. He has received numerous awards and honors including the 2012 Ismar Boas Medal from the German Society of Digestive and Metabolic Disease, the 2012 American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Distinguished Mentor Award, the Janssen Research Award, the AGA Joseph B. Kirsner Award, the AGA Julius Friedenwald Medal in 2021, as well as honorary doctorates from the University of Antwerp (Belgium) and the University of Malta, and he was elected to the membership of the prestigious Association of American Physicians. Dr. Camilleri participates in educational and mentorship activities at Mayo Clinic and has mentored more than 80 national and international postdoctoral fellows and scientists. He maintains an active clinical practice in gastroenterology at Mayo Clinic, specializing in gastrointestinal motility disorders, gastroparesis, and functional GI disorders. He is Past-President of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society and the American Gastroenterological Association as well as former editor of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Neurogastroenterology and Motility.

Carolyn Ho is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Medical Director of the Cardiovascular Genetics Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Yale University and her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ho trained at Brigham and Women’s Hospital for both Internal Medicine residency and Cardiology fellowship before joining the staff of the Cardiovascular Division in 2001.

Dr. Ho’s research focuses on characterizing early phenotypes of sarcomere mutations in inherited cardiomyopathies, leading a large, multicenter registry of genetic cardiomyopathies, and developing clinical trials to diminish the progression of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The overall goal is to use genetic/mechanistic insights, careful clinical study, and collaboration to improve the care of patients and families with genetic heart disease.

Dr. Steve R. Ommen is a Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and a Consultant in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine. He serves as the Director of the Mayo Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Clinic, the largest and longest-standing dedicated HCM Center in the world. Mayo’s HCM clinic is recognized as a leader in clinical outcomes, research, and patient education. Dr. Ommen is also Co-director of the Structural Heart Disease program, Medical Director for AskMayoExpert, and Medical Director of the Center for Connected Care.

Dr. Ommen specializes in caring for patients with structural heart disease with a special emphasis on valvular heart disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). He directs Mayo Clinic’s Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy program, which is the world’s largest and longest standing program in this disease. He is a requested speaker globally and helped write international guidelines on the appropriate management of patients with HCM.

Dr. Ommen leads Mayo Clinic’s telemedicine team, a critical component in Mayo Clinic’s strategy to provide comprehensive care with a seamless patient experience. He oversees the development of products, services, and systems that bring health care to patients where they need it.

Additionally, he is active in advocating for the advancement of connected care through discussions and presentations at regional, state, and national levels so that these advancements in health care delivery can be made available to people and patients more broadly.

Dr. Ommen has earned many awards throughout his career including the Outstanding Achievement Award in Clinical Cardiology, the Mayo Award of Individual Excellence, the Mayo Award for Team Excellence, the Excellence in Teaching Recognition for Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and the Outstanding Course Director Award from the Mayo School of Continuing Medical Education. He has been recognized as one of the top 15 Digital Health care Executives.

Dr. Ommen received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University. His undergraduate medical education, Internal Medicine Residency and Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship were all completed at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.

Dr. Abraham is the Meyer Friedman Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center of Excellence at University of California at San Francisco. He is a board- certified cardiologist who is recognized for his expertise and contributions in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Advanced Echocardiography. He has had an HCM- centered clinical practice for the last 19 years across 3 institutions starting at the Mayo Clinic Rochester, Johns Hopkins and now at UCSF. Previously he served as the Founder- Director of the Johns Hopkins HCM Center of Excellence. His particular clinical interest is in the management of complex obstructive HCM and the use of advanced imaging in the diagnosis and monitoring of HCM patients. His clinical research program has been a leading site for clinical trials for emerging drug therapies and he serves on the steering and/or publications committees for some of these trials. He has over 150 peer reviewed publications focused on HCM, computational flow dynamics and deep learning, and has had continuous NIH and other research funding for over 20 years. He received the 2019 Richard Popp Teaching and Mentorship Award from the American Society of Echocardiography. He served or serves on the editorial boards of the JACC, JACC Cardiovascular Imaging, JASE and Circulation Imaging.

Dr. Erin Neil is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan, where she is the Director of the Pediatric Neuromuscular Program and Co-Director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinic. She serves as the Medical Director for the State of Michigan’s SMA Newborn Screening program, which includes administrative and clinical oversight for care of newborns diagnosed with SMA.

Dr. Neil completed medical training at the Kansas City University, College of Osteopathic Medicine; pediatric neurology training at the Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University/Children’s Hospital of Michigan; and Neuromuscular fellowship at University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas.

. Proud is the director of the Neuromuscular Clinic and Spinal Muscular Atrophy Center at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD), working collaboratively to provide a comprehensive approach to patients with neuromuscular diseases. She attended college at the University of Virginia where she majored in Neuroscience, and then studied at Eastern Virginia Medical School where she received her Doctorate of Medicine. Dr. Proud pursued general Pediatrics training in Atlanta, Georgia at Emory University and then trained in Neurology to receive special qualifications in Child Neurology at Stanford University. She remained at Stanford for her Neuromuscular Medicine fellowship and then returned home to Virginia to join her current practice as part of Children?s Specialty Group, serving the patients at CHKD in Norfolk, Virginia. During her subspecialty training at Stanford University, Dr. Proud participated in landmark clinical trials including one that supported FDA approval of the first treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). She has continued this interest at CHKD where she now serves as primary investigator for several clinical trials evaluating novel treatments for patients with various neuromuscular conditions. Her research focus is in the development and conduct of therapeutic trials for SMA and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Dr. Proud serves as the medical director for the CHKD Novel Therapeutics and Gene Therapy Center, with a commitment to optimizing clinical care and offering participation in clinical research to patients and families with rare disease.

Lauren Krupp, MD, Professor of Neurology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, directs the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Comprehensive Care Center at NYU Langone Health, which cares for individuals throughout the lifespan with MS and related disorders. Her clinical work focuses on children and adults with MS and her research interests include novel ways for measuring and treating fatigue, brain health, and cognitive function in the home and in the office. Dr. Krupp earned her MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, completed her residency in neurology at Albert Einstein and Montefiore Medical Center, and completed fellowship training in neuroimmunology and MS at the National Institutes of Health. Her research has been supported by National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and private foundations. Dr. Krupp has more than 175 peer reviewed publications, has worked closely with other national and international leaders in adult and pediatric MS, is the founding chair of the International Pediatric MS Study Group, and sits on steering committees of the US Network of Pediatric MS Centers, the International MS Cognition Society, and the International Pediatric MS Study Group. She is committed to furthering knowledge about MS and providing those with the disease, compassionate, comprehensive, cutting-edge care.

John DeLuca, PhD, is the Senior Vice President for Research and Training at Kessler Foundation, a Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and the Department of Neurology at Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School. He is board certified in Rehabilitation Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. DeLuca has been involved in neuropsychology and rehabilitation research for over 30 years.

He is internationally known for his research on disorders of memory and information processing in a variety of clinical populations including multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Dr. DeLuca has published over 350 articles, books and book chapters in these areas, has edited 6 books in neuropsychology, neuroimaging and rehabilitation, and is a co-editor for the Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. He has received over 38 million dollars in grant support for his research. Dr. DeLuca’s most recent research ventures include the cerebral mapping of human cognitive processes using functional neuroimaging, as well as the development of research-based techniques to improve cognitive impairment. He serves on the editorial boards of many journals and has received numerous national and international awards in recognition of his work.

Dr. Tanuja Chitnis is a Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Senior Scientist within the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), where she created the Translational Neuroimmunology Research Center focused on bringing bench discoveries to clinical trials for multiple sclerosis and related diseases. She is a board-certified neurologist specializing in multiple sclerosis (MS), with a dual appointment as senior neurologist at BWH and Director of the Partners Pediatric MS Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She also serves as the Director of the CLIMB Natural History of MS study at the Partners MS Center at BWH and follows over 2,400 MS patients longitudinally. Here she oversees a team of analysts and postdoctoral fellows working to identify biomarkers precision treatment in MS patients.

Between 2010-2018, Dr. Chitnis served as the elected Chair of the International Pediatric MS Study Group, where she has led several initiatives in the study of MS in children, including the launch of the first clinical trials in this population, leading to the first FDA-approved therapy for this disease. She has authored over 250 publications and reviews related to MS and demyelinating disorders, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Neurology, and Journal of Neuroscience. She receives grant funding from the Department of Defense, National MS Society, and other organizations. She is the recipient of several awards including the 2018 Milestones Award from the National MS Society.