Simons Searchlight Staff
Matthew Armstrong, MS Boston Children’s Hospital
Matt Armstrong earned a BA in Natural Sciences from the Woods College of Advancing Studies at Boston College in 2020. He then pursued a master’s in biomedical studies at Drexel University graduating in 2022. Previously Matt worked with the autism population in the labs of cognitive neuroscience at Boston Children’s Hospital where he served as project coordinator for the CRUSH and KISS projects for two and a half years. Currently, Matt serves as a clinical research specialist working on the data behind Simons Searchlight. In his spare time Matt loves to Swim, Hike, Surf and Ski, Matt enjoys going to sporting events, listening to musical soundtracks and playing the drums.
Gabi Burkholz, MSPH Boston Children’s Hospital
Gabi Burkholz earned her BA in Politics and Health: Science, Society, and Policy with minors in Legal Studies and Social Justice/Social Policy from Brandeis University in 2021. She then went on to obtain an MSPH in Health Education and Health Communication from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2023. She has a wide array of clinical and field experience including studies related to children’s health, global health, infectious disease, and LGBTQ+ sexual health. Currently, Gabi works as a Research Outreach Coordinator at Boston Children’s Hospital working on communications and outreach for Simons Searchlight. In her free time, she enjoys watching reality competition shows, listening to podcasts, reading, doing brain teasers, and going to Red Sox games at Fenway Park.
Katina Calakos, PhD Boston Children’s Hospital
Katina is a neuroscientist who joined the Simons Searchlight team in February 2023. She helps collect, maintain, analyze, and report clinical data to support the Simons Searchlight mission. She previously spent over a decade conducting research studies of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions. Katina earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Yale University, and her B.A. in Neuroscience & Behavior at Barnard College. In her free time, Katina enjoys cooking, traveling, dancing, and spending time with her family and friends.
Wendy Chung, MD, PhD Boston Children’s Hospital
Wendy Chung serves as the principal investigator of Simons Searchlight, overseeing all aspects of Simons Searchlight development, with an emphasis on genetic research components of the project, which characterizes behavior and brain structure and function in participants with genetic variants believed to play a role in autism spectrum disorders. As principal investigator of Simons Searchlight, she is leading the effort to manage the research program in individuals with autism and other rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorders, evaluating opportunities to develop new treatments including medications such as arbaclofen, and developing novel outcome measures to evaluate the efficacy of these treatments. She is involved in identifying novel genes for autism and characterizing the clinical features associated with these novel genes.
A clinical and molecular geneticist, Chung received a B.A. in biochemistry and economics from Cornell University, an M.D. from Cornell University Medical College, and a Ph.D. in genetics from Rockefeller University. She is currently the Chief of Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital and on the faculty at Harvard Medical School, where she performs human genetics research. At Boston Children’s Hospital, she clinically assesses children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities and uses advanced genomic diagnostic methods, including whole-genome sequencing, to identify the underlying genetic basis for neurological conditions. In her work, she strives to facilitate the integration of genetic medicine into all areas of healthcare in a medically, scientifically and ethically sound, accessible and cost-effective manner.
Chung has received the American Academy of Pediatrics Young Investigator Award, a career development award from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and is a member of the Dade County Hall of Fame. A renowned teacher and mentor, she has won many awards for teaching, including the Charles W. Bohmfalk Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching, the American Medical Women’s Association Mentor Award, and the Columbia University Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching. In 2014, Chung delivered a frequently viewed TED Talk, “What We Know About Autism.”
Elisheva Dubin, MS, CGC Boston Children’s Hospital
Elisheva graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a masters in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling. Upon graduating, Elisheva worked in numerous fields of genetics including but not limited to oncology, carrier screening and cardiology. As she explored a diverse set of specialties, she discovered her passion was connecting with individuals in the neurodiverse community. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Erica Jones, MA Boston Children’s Hospital
Erica holds a Master’s degree in Communication with a focus on Integrated Marketing from Suffolk University in Boston, MA. She has built a career in nonprofit, education, and communications, specializing in crafting compelling narratives and strategic messaging to amplify underrepresented voices and causes. With expertise in outreach campaigns, partnership development, and event strategy, Erica excels at creating innovative communication solutions that drive measurable impact. Passionate about the power of storytelling, she empowers organizations to connect with audiences and achieve lasting results. Erica is excited to bring her communication expertise to the dedicated team at Simons Searchlight. Outside of work, Erica enjoys exploring nature, cooking, live music, and traveling.
Misia Kowanda, PhD, MSc, CGC Geisinger
Misia graduated from McGill University with a PhD in Biology, where she was focusing on molecular biology and genetics, with the humble fruit fly being her model organism. Before she went on to get a master’s in genetic counseling from Sarah Lawrence College, she worked on a natural history study for individuals with Peroxisomal Biogenesis Disorders. Her Genetic Counseling master’s project focused on environmental exposures of people with Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. In her free time, she enjoys running, dancing and hiking.
Andrew Lewis, BS Geisinger
Andrew Lewis graduated from West Chester University with a BS in Biology and a concentration in Cellular and Molecular Biology. There, he completed his thesis project on the expression levels of DNA mismatch genes throughout Zebrafish development. This sparked an interest in genetic research, and Andrew joined the Simons Searchlight team in 2024 as a Genetic Counseling Assistant and Research Assistant. In this position, he currently facilitates family registration, lab report review, and community outreach. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys spending time in nature, watching sports, attending live music events, and playing bass guitar.
Jamie Lundy, CGC, MS Geisinger
Jamie Lundy graduated from Lycoming College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology in December 2018. She then attended the University of Pennsylvania for her Master of Science in Genetic Counseling degree and graduated in May 2021. Her thesis project focused on parental perceptions and opinions of their child’s genetic testing for hearing loss. Jamie joined the Simons Searchlight team in 2021 as a genetic counselor working on variant interpretation and helping families navigate the complexities of their genetic information and genetic testing results. While not working on Simons Searchlight, Jamie is a clinical genetic counselor in pediatric neurology. Outside of work, Jamie enjoys playing with her dog, reading and traveling.
Emily Palen, CGC, MS Geisinger
Emily graduated from Hamilton College with a BA in Neuroscience and a minor in English in 2014. She then went on to receive her MS in Genetic Counseling from Boston University in 2016. She worked at Geisinger’s Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute from 2016-2021 and then Bionano Laboratories until she joined the Simons Searchlight team in the fall of 2024. She is passionate about translating complex genetic information into accessible and useful information for families of individuals with neurodevelopmental differences. In her free time, Emily loves reading, embroidering, and cooking.
Astrid Rasmussen, MD, PhD Boston Children’s Hospital
Astrid Rasmussen earned her MD at the Faculty of Medicine, Universidad La Salle in Mexico City, Mexico followed by residency training in Medical Genetics, and MS in Medical Sciences, and a PhD in Biological Sciences from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and two of Mexico’s National Institutes of Health. She joined the faculty of the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery in Mexico City a physician scientist focused on hereditary neurodegenerative diseases, in particular the Spinocerebellar Ataxias and Huntington’s disease, as well as hereditary cancer syndromes. After moving to the United States for post-doctoral training, she transitioned to work on genetics of autoimmune disorders, focusing on Sjögren’s disease and systemic lupus erythematosus. After 20 years, she circled back to monogenic neurological disorders, this time to autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders by joining Simons Searchlight as senior project manager. In her free time, Astrid enjoys traveling, spending time with family, cooking, and reading.
Aidan Sandhoefner, BS Geisinger
Aidan graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a BS in Cognitive Science and a minor in Linguistics. There, he wrote his senior honors thesis on the role of parents’ mental state language on their children’s language production and cognition and later served as a lab manager for a study of episodic memory in typically developing toddlers. After two years teaching English at a public school in Madrid, Aidan has returned to the United States and he currently works as a psychometrist technician at Geisinger’s Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute in Pennsylvania. While in that position, Aidan jumped at the chance to join the Simons Searchlight team and has been assisting with family registration and biospecimen collection since June of 2023. When he’s not at work, Aidan enjoys spending his time cooking, foraging, knitting and playing racquetball.
Kaitlyn Singer, MS Geisinger
Kaitlyn Singer earned her BS in Health Science with a Pre-Professional focus from Lock Haven University in 2011 and then completed her MS in Biomedical Anthropology at Binghamton University in 2014. During her time at graduate school, she was involved in research that looked at the effects of modernization on health as well as working on a multi-focus research project that studied Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. After graduate school, she worked as a Oncology and Hematology Clinical Research Coordinator. When Kaitlyn is not working, she enjoys being with her friends and family, trail running or hiking, attending concerts, traveling, reading and attempting new recipes.
Cora Taylor, PhD Geisinger
Cora Taylor is an assistant professor and clinical psychologist at Geisinger and principal investigator for Simons Searchlight. Prior to coming to Geisinger, Dr. Taylor completed her graduate training at the University of Tennessee, and a research and clinical postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University. She has expertise in the diagnostic evaluation of children with a range of developmental concerns. At Geisinger, Dr. Taylor conducts research, and leads the phenotypic battery selection and administration on a variety of current research protocols at Geisinger, with a focus on the phenotypic characterization of individuals with rare genetic conditions. Dr. Taylor has experience in engaging families and family-based organizations for rare genetic conditions in research through online participation that is offered internationally to interested patients and families.
Lauren Walsh, MA Geisinger
Lauren Walsh received a BA in Cellular Neuroscience from Colgate University in 2015 and an MA in Psychological and Brain Science from Boston University in 2016. She has research experience on a range of studies from animal models to clinical genomics. Lauren currently works as a project manager at the Geisinger in Pennsylvania, where she works in part on both Simons Searchlight and SPARK. In her free time, Lauren enjoys watching football, cooking, and doing crossword puzzles.
Curtis Weaver, BS Geisinger
Curtis Weaver graduated from Bucknell University with a degree in Biology in May 2019. He also obtained a minor in Spanish. After working with firefly genomes as a senior, he became interested in the applications of genetic research. He was hired through Geisinger as a Research Assistant for the Simons Searchlight and SPARK projects and is planning on eventually obtaining a graduate degree. In his free time, he enjoys reading, playing field hockey, and playing video games with friends.