Young Investigator Draft

About the Young Investigator Draft

The Young Investigator Draft is the result of Uplifting Athletes’ ongoing commitment to cultivate resources that accelerate scientific advancements for rare disease treatments and potential cures while facilitating the next generation of rare disease researchers.

Young Investigator Draft grants fund collaborative basic bench research in order to positively impact treatments and potential cures for the entire Rare Disease Community.

Uplifting Athletes has provided more than $1,020,000 in funding to 54 rare disease researchers through its first six Young Investigator Drafts.

Underrepresented Researchers in Medicine Initiative

In May of 2020, conversations began with industry partners about ways that life sciences can promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in medicine and medical research. The vision and purpose of the URM initiative is to engage with rare disease researchers from underrepresented backgrounds and leverage the mechanism of the Young Investigator Draft to fund and celebrate underrepresented researchers.

2024 Young Investigator Draft Class

Headshot of Dr. Anthony Anzell

Dr. Anthony Anzell

University of Pittsburgh

Cure HHT

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Headshot of Dr. Eleonora D’Ambrosio

Dr. Eleonora D’Ambrosio

Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Cure VCP Disease, Inc.

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Headshot of Dr. Marta Garcia-Forn

Dr. Marta Garcia-Forn

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

The DDX3X Foundation

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Dr. Noah Guiberson Headshot

Dr. Noah Guiberson

Weill Cornell Medicine

STXBP1 Foundation

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Headshot of Dr. Julian Halmai

Dr. Julian Halmai

University of California, Davis

Foundation for ARID1B Research (FAR)

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Headshot of Dr. Dan Kennedy

Dr. Daniel Kennedy II

Baylor College of Medicine

TBRS Community

  • Rare Autoimmune Disorders
  • Rare Blood Disorders
  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Headshot of Dr. Dorottya Laczko

Dr. Dorottya Laczko

University of Pennsylvania

Castleman Disease Collaborative Network

  • Rare Autoimmune Disorders
  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Dr. Anusha Sivakumar

Dr. Anusha Sivakumar

University of California, San Diego

The Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Headshot of Dr. Toloo Taghian

Dr. Toloo Taghian

UMass Chan Medical School

National Tay-Sachs & Allied Diseases Association

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Headshot of Dr. Andrea Wilderman

Dr. Andrea Wilderman

Baylor College of Medicine

TANGO2 Research Foundation

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Past Draft Classes

2023
Alex Felix

Alex Felix

University of Pennsylvania

STXBP1 Foundation

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Anna Stepanova

Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College

The Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Christopher Sande

Christopher Sande

University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania Team Telomere

  • Rare Blood Disorders
  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Jithma Prasad Abeykoon

Jithma Prasad Abeykoon

Mayo Clinic, MN

ECD Global Alliance

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Cancers
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Kelly Crowe

Kelly Crowe

Xavier University

Neuromuscular Disease Foundation

  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Melanie Mamau

Melanie Mumau

University of Pennsylvania

Castleman Disease Collaborative Network

  • Rare Blood Disorders
  • Rare Cancers
  • Rare Autoimmune Disorders
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Nishanthi Mathiyalagan

Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School

TANGO2 Research Foundation

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Riley E. Perszyk

Riley E. Perszyk

Emory University

GRIN2B Foundation

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Steven Baker

University of Utah

Association for Creatine Deficiencies

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Zain Awamleh

Zain Awamleh

The Hospital for Sick Children

TBRS Community

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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2022
Dr. Wu Chen

Dr. Wu Chen

Baylor College of Medicine

STXBP1 Foundation

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Dr. Karine Doiron

Dr. Karine Doiron

CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Université de Montréal

TBRS Community

  • Rare Cancers
  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Dr. Michael Gonzalez

Dr. Michael Gonzalez

University of Pennsylvania

Castleman Disease Collaborative Network

  • Rare Autoimmune Disorders
  • Rare Cancers
  • Rare Blood Disorders
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Dr. Gaurav Goyal

Dr. Gaurav Goyal

University of Alabama at Birmingham

ECD Global Alliance

  • Rare Blood Disorders
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Dr. Shu-Yi Liao

Dr. Shu-Yi Liao

National Jewish Health, Denver

Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research

  • Rare Autoimmune Disorders
  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Dr. Naomi Dirckx

Dr. Naomi Dirckx

John Hopkins University School of Medicine

TESS Research Foundation

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Dr. Maurizio Risolino

Dr. Maurizio Risolino

University of California, San Francisco

T.E.A.M. 4 Travis

  • Rare Blood Disorders
  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Dr. Sushant Kumar

Dr. Sushant Kumar

University of Pennsylvania

The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation

  • Rare Autoimmune Disorders
  • Rare Blood Disorders
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Dr. Ji Zha

Dr. Ji Zha

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Team Telomere

  • Rare Blood Disorders
  • Rare Cancers
  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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2021
Dr. Ukpong Eyo

Dr. Ukpong Eyo

University of Virginia

SLC6A1 Connect

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Dr. Timothy Hines

Dr. Timothy Hines

The Jackson Laboratory

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association

  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Dr. Qinglan Ling

Dr. Qinglan Ling

University of Texas Southwestern

Cure SURF 1 Foundation

  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Dr. Adele Mossa

Dr. Adele Mossa

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

DDX3X Foundation

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Dr. Neha Nagpal

Dr. Neha Nagpal

Boston Children’s Hospital

Team Telomere

  • Rare Blood Disorders
  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Dr. Peter M.J. Quinn

Dr. Peter M.J. Quinn

Columbia University

Cure Retinal Blindness Foundation

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Dr. Sarah Sheppard

Dr. Sarah Sheppard

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

LGD Alliance

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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2020
Dr. Joshua Brandstadter

Dr. Joshua Brandstadter

University of Pennsylvania

Castleman Disease Collaborative Network

  • Rare Autoimmune Disorders
  • Rare Blood Disorders
  • Rare Cancers
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Dr. Cheng Cheng

Dr. Cheng Cheng

University of California, Irvine

Cure VCP Disease

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Dr. Kathryn Hixson

Dr. Kathryn Hixson

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Malan Syndrome Foundation

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Dr. Abhishek Mangaonkar

Dr. Abhishek Mangaonkar

Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota

Team Telomere

  • Rare Blood Disorders
  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Dr. Jonathan Whittamore

Dr. Jonathan Whittamore

University of Florida

Oxalosis & Hyperoxaluria Foundation

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Dr. Benjamin Chan

Dr. Benjamin Chan

Yale University

Emily's Entourage

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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2019
Dr. Alberto Japp

Dr. Alberto Japp

University of Pennsylvania | Rare Autoimmune Disorders

Castleman Disease Collaborative Network

  • Rare Autoimmune Disorders
  • Rare Blood Disorders
  • Rare Cancers
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Dr. Brian Sworder

Dr. Brian Sworder

Stanford University | Rare Blood Disorders

Leukemia Lymphoma Society

  • Rare Blood Disorders
  • Rare Cancers
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Dr. Elizabeth Harrington

Dr. Elizabeth Harrington

Columbia University | Rare Genetics Disorders

Project ALS

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Dr. Eugene Hwang

Dr. Eugene Hwang

Children’s National Medical Center Washington D.C. | Rare Cancers

ABC2

  • Rare Cancers
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Dr. Shana McCormack

Dr. Shana McCormack

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia | Rare Genetics Disorders

Friedrich's Ataxia Research Alliance

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Dr. Brenda Gallie

Dr. Brenda Gallie

Hospital For Sick Children (Toronto) | Collaborative Leadership Award

Out of Sight Faith Foundation

  • Rare Cancers
  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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2018
Dr. Aimee Layton

Dr. Aimee Layton

Columbia University | Rare Genetics Disorders

Boomer Esiason Foundation

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
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Dr. Angela Waanders

Dr. Angela Waanders

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia | Rare Cancers

ABC2

  • Rare Cancers
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Dr. David Fajgenbaum

Dr. David Fajgenbaum

University of Pennsylvania | Rare Autoimmune Disorders

Castleman Disease Collaborative Network

  • Rare Autoimmune Disorders
  • Rare Blood Disorders
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Dr. Emily Lowry

Dr. Emily Lowry

Columbia University | Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders

Project ALS

  • Rare Genetic Disorders
  • Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders
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Dr. Alessia Stornetta

Dr. Alessia Stornetta

University of Minnesota | Rare Blood Disorders

Kidz1stFund

  • Rare Blood Disorders
  • Rare Cancers
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Dr. Phillip “Jay” Storm

Dr. Phillip “Jay” Storm

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia | Collaborative Leadership Award

ABC2

  • Rare Cancers
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Young Investigator Draft Sponsors

Diamond

CSL Behring Logo

Platinum

CSL Behring

Silver

Updated Amgen Logo 2024
Entrada Therapeutics Logo
Spark
Takeda
Worldwide Clinical Trials

Bronze

Agios Logo
B+Labs Logo
Bank of America Private Bank Logo
Beam Therapeutics Logo
The Bennett Family

Additional Supporters

Phrma logo
Ultragenyx

Media Partner

Logo for Patient Empowerment Network
Patient Worthy Logo