Tag Archive for: meet the team

A graphic with nine headshots introducing new team members; text says: Meet the team sophie stein research support intern jeremiah paul fundraising support intern samy sharif science communications intern sara gerber research support intern sally leung research support intern jhanavi kotian science communications intern kait fedor development fellow vaishali jain fundraising support intern anna gould science communications intern

New Team Members Join Chelsea’s Hope for the Summer

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We are thrilled to introduce nine new team members who will be joining us this summer. Chelsea’s Hope was amazed when we had more than 500 applications for our 2025 internship program. As the organization seeks to expand its capabilities to achieve our mission, we have brought on as many team members as possible to work on a variety of projects and provide community assistance. This work is possible thanks to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and individual sponsors. 

Research Support Interns

Sophie Stein Sophie Stein is a rising senior at Cornell University pursuing a degree in Human Development. She has a special interest in medical research.

Sara GerberSara Gerber is a genetic counseling graduate student at Stanford University. She is passionate about rare disease research and advocacy, bioethics, and public health. 

Sally LeungSally Leung graduated from UC Irvine with a B.A. in Public Health Policy. She is excited to start a Master’s in Public Health program and is interested in exploring how healthcare inequities affect chronic and infectious diseases in medically underserved communities

Fundraising Support Interns

Jeremiah PaulJeremiah Paul is a rising senior at the University of Miami, studying Business and Computer Science. Diagnosed with a chronic illness at a young age, he understands the challenges faced by the Lafora community and wants to use his skills to support our cause.

Vaishali JainVaishali Jain is a rising junior at UC San Diego majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Global Health. She is passionate about health equity, community outreach, and advocacy.

Science Communications Interns

Samy SharifSamy Sharif is starting medical school in the fall and is eager to help with Lafora advocacy efforts. He wants to make a lasting impact by creating accessible resources and sharing powerful stories. 

Jhanavi KotianJhanavi Kotian is a senior at San Jose State University, majoring in Biological Sciences. She is eager to bridge the gap between families and the scientific community through effective, compassionate communication.

Anna GouldAnna Gould is a rare disease advocate who graduated from Washington University with a degree in Biology in 2024. She shares about her journey with Marfan Syndrome on her blog and is eager to bring her skills to help the Lafora community.

Organization Development Fellow

Kait FedorKait Fedor has a passion for nonprofit development and a drive to raise funds and support for the Lafora disease community. She earned her MS in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy from Bay Path University in 2024. 

New Team Members Committed to the Mission

Our expanded team remains committed to improving the lives of those affected by Lafora disease and helping accelerate the development of treatments. Please make everyone feel welcome as they assist with projects this summer, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

 

This is a graphic with a headshot of Niki Markou smiling in the center. The background is a purple gradient.

Director of Family Support Announcement

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This is a photo of Niki Markou, new Director of Family Support, smiling.Chelsea’s Hope Welcomes First Director of Family Support

We are thrilled to announce our first Director of Family Support is Niki Markou.

She will be responsible for helping to successfully plan, implement, and continually improve Chelsea’s Hope’s support, registry coordination, and patient community support programs. We created this new role to better serve our mission of improving the lives of those affected by Lafora Disease.

Meet the Team

You might know Niki from the Fighting the Rare documentary or her advocacy work. She is a powerful force in the Lafora Disease community! She has served as Marketing and Communications Director on the Board since she joined Chelsea’s Hope in 2020. Her daughter Angelina is the only patient diagnosed with Lafora Disease in Australia, and Niki frequently shares their story to raise awareness with news media, our partner organizations, and via Lafora Initiative.

She is a passionate advocate for her daughter, other Lafora disease patients, and the rare disease community. We hope you will join us in congratulating Niki on her new position! We are grateful for her commitment to improving the lives of those affected by Lafora and advancing the mission of Chelsea’s Hope.