Cathy joined OrACORe in July 2022 after graduating from Wellesley College with a degree in Mathematics. In 2019, Cathy interned at a nephrology lab at Columbia University that investigated low nephron numbers in newborn mice and observed the dynamics of autophagy (cell death) in the proximal tubule of the kidney. After returning to her home state of New Jersey during…

Lauren began working at OrACORe in June 2022 after graduating from Tufts University with a degree in Biology and Community Health. While an undergrad, Lauren did research out of Tufts Medical School that studied the importance of familial interactions at mealtimes and how these interpersonal relationships affect behavior. A summer position took her to Thermo Fisher Scientific where she partnered…

World Physical Therapy Day is a day to celebrate and appreciate the physical therapists (PTs) who work so hard for and with their patients. Today we recognize Dr. Safran-Norton, a BWH PT and collaborator on multiple OrACORe-based studies, to gain insight into how she morphed from building a passion for PT in high school to discovering an interest in research…

Dr. Faith Selzer lives by the motto "explore your passions and pursue them with zeal." After studying biology at the University of Virginia, Dr. Selzer (who prefers to be referred to by her first name) traveled to Gabon to support a Fang community's efforts to fish sustainably. As the Fang people welcomed Faith into their community and taught her about…

Aleks Kostic joined OrACORe as a research assistant after graduating from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and a minor in Dance in 2020. Throughout her time at OrACORe, Aleks led her co-RAs in running the OAPol Model, a computer simulation model that evaluates cost-effectiveness and quality of life of potential treatment strategies for knee…

Claire started at OrACORe in July 2020 after graduating from Northeastern University with a BS in Biology and a minor in Political Science. In her time at OrACORe, Claire led her co-RAs in the operation of the ORBIT registry and MeTeOR study. Outside of the office, Claire joined her colleagues in volunteering for the Youth Enrichment Services (YES) as a…

Zoe Zimmerman began working as an OrACORe research assistant in the summer of 2020 after graduating from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry. In her time at OrACORe, Zoe led her co-RAs in the operation of the TeMPO study, a research study investigating non-operative therapies for over 800 individuals with meniscal tears. Outside of…

Dr. Nazleen Khan’s passion for pharmacoepidemiology began as a public health major at the University of Maryland. Upon exposure to the transformative impact that a career in drug safety research can have on the world, Khan pursued a PhD in the field and developed an interest in drug interactions along the way. Now a T-32 postdoctoral fellow, Khan’s research bridges…

From studying history at Middlebury college to pursuing medicine post-undergrad, rheumatologist Dr. Gregory McDermott’s unconventional career journey is one that led him to become a physician-researcher whose clinical observations inform his research questions. In this blog post, Dr. McDermott muses on his transition from history to medicine, his passion for rheumatology, and his COMET T-32 research project involving ankylosing spondyloarthritis,…

Lacey Smith’s enthusiasm for taking a multifaceted approach to understanding interconnected systems started in college as an Anatomy & Physiology Teaching Assistant. After a lifechanging fellowship in Thomassique, Haiti, Smith was inspired to pursue medicine with a focus on health equity. Now a T-32 pre-doctoral fellow at OrACORe, Smith is redefining what it means to pursue a career in orthopaedic…