Shreya Udupa

Shreya is a second-year medical student at McGill University, having completed the Med-P program before entering medical school. Rare diseases have always held a profound fascination for Shreya, driving her curiosity to explore the depths of the medical world. Joining RareDIG wasn’t just an opportunity for her to learn more; it was a chance to actively contribute to the club’s mission. Shreya’s interest in advocacy and equity motivates her to make a meaningful impact. Shreya is the current president of RareDIG for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Theodore Butskhrikidze

Theodore is a second-year medical student at McGill University, having completed the Med-P program prior to entering medical school. He is deeply committed to promoting equitable access to education and has demonstrated this passion by organizing informational sessions, developing educational volunteer opportunities, and creating educational materials for students and residents. As the Vice President of Communications for RareDIG, he is dedicated to advancing the organization's mission of raising awareness about rare diseases. Theodore is eager to contribute to fostering a deeper understanding of these conditions and advocating for improved healthcare for all.

Lynn Dabboussy

Lynn is a Med-P student at McGill University with a deep passion for raising awareness about rare diseases and their impact. As Vice President of Communications, she is dedicated to sharing her knowledge with her peers and furthering this important mission. Lynn is excited to contribute to the RareDIG team, where she aims to make a meaningful impact and support positive change in the field.

Elie Fadel

Elie is a Medical student at McGill University and this year's VP Communications for RareDIG. Elie decided to join RareDIG because of the very honorable mission of this initiative. When thinking about rare diseases individually, they do indeed seem very infrequent in the population. However, importantly, when looked at collectively, these diseases are not as rare as one may think. Thus, Elie is very honored to be part of an initiative that puts rare diseases at its core, and is always happy to contribute to the team!

Ana Maria Stamatescu

Ana Maria is a third-year medical student at McGill University. She completed the Med-P program at McGill prior to entering medical school. She is passionate about RareDIG's mission of being a voice for people with rare diseases, as these patients often face immense hurdles in receiving quality healthcare. Ana Maria is excited to join the RareDIG team as VP Finance this year and to contribute to the organization of another enriching RareDIG Day!

Emma Rodriguez

Emma is a third-year medical student at McGill University who completed the Med-P program before starting medical school. Her journey through medical education and active participation in research projects has ignited a deep interest in medical genetics, with a particular focus on neurogenetics and congenital malformations. This passion has drawn her to RareDig's mission, where she is dedicated to raising awareness about rare diseases, advocating for individuals affected by them, and promoting education to enhance patient care.

Nadia Feng

Nadia is a first-year medical student at McGill University, having completed the Med-P program. She is thrilled to join the RareDIG team as VP Finance, where she looks forward to supporting initiatives that amplify the voices of individuals affected by rare diseases. Committed to advocating for underserved patient communities, Nadia aims to bring attention to those whose conditions are often overlooked within the healthcare system. She is passionate about promoting a deeper understanding and advancing research into the complexities of rare diseases.

Valeria Sygal

Valeria is a third-year medical student at McGill University. Since the very beginning of her medical journey, she has been engaged in several activities aimed at raising awareness about rare diseases in various specialties. She joined RareDig during her first year of medical school with the hope of continuing to promote the crucial importance of sensitizing the general public and her fellow colleagues to the challenges posed by rare diseases. She firmly believes that every aspiring medical professional should possess a foundational awareness of rare diseases to improve patient care. As the VP of Professional Development, Valeria will work to establish this year's mentorship and shadowing program, providing students with the opportunity to explore diverse medical specialties while gaining insight into the realm of rare diseases.

Ariane Lajoie

Ariane is a second-year medical student at McGill University who began her journey through the Med-P program. She joined RareDIG to connect with others passionate about advocating for rare disease awareness and to help bring this important cause to the forefront of medical education. As VP of Professional Development, she’s excited to lead the doctor shadowing program, giving students a unique chance to explore different specialties and gain insight into rare disease care. Ariane looks forward to creating new opportunities for learning and supporting her peers in their journey to become compassionate future physicians.

Alec Vong

Alec is a medical student at McGill University. He completed a Bachelor of Science in physiology prior to entering medical school and joined RareDIG during his second year. Through his research on therapeutics for rare genetic diseases, he found their pathogenesis to be both intriguing and a catalyst for creativity and innovation in developing new therapies. He joined RareDIG to spark greater interest in rare diseases among other students and to help raise awareness.

Hifza Randhawa

I am currently a second-year medical student at McGill University. I have always found rare diseases to be intriguing, because they allow us opportunities to better understand intricacies in how the human body works, from updating our knowledge on larger physiological systems to identifying key cellular pathways. I am also fascinated by how insights gained from studying rare diseases are also translatable to a multitude of more common diseases, which allows for a large treatment potential. Being a part of RareDIG allows me to gain more knowledge, as well as participate in advocating for patients affected by rare diseases. As one of the VP Events, I look forward to working with my colleagues to organize events centered around advocacy and education about rare diseases.

Alex Chapleau

Alex is a PhD student in Neuroscience at McGill University. Having grown up in a family affected by a rare neurodegenerative disease, Alex knows first-hand of the struggle patients and their loved ones face. She has been involved with various PAGs over the years, most notably, the United Leukodystrophy Foundation since 2008. Alex also spent 3 summers working for Easter Seals as a supervisor at their overnight camp for children with physical disabilities, helping her campers achieve greater independence, accessibility and integration. Her experiences have driven Alex to pursue a career in rare disease research which she is currently fulfilling in the laboratory of Dr. Bernard. Alex is one of the students spearheading the creation of a rareDIG research chapter in order to better bridge the fundamental “bench to bedside” link in patient care and advocate the importance and value of researching orphan disorders.

Siavash Kermani Koosheh

Sia is a medical student at McGill University. He completed his bachelors in Neuroscience at the University of Winnipeg and is currently finishing a Master's degree at the Integrated program in Neuroscience. During his time in graduate school, Sia first became aware of the collective high prevalence of rare diseases and the lack of resources and support offered to patients and their loved ones. After hearing about RareDIG in his first-year medical class, Sia decided to join the newly formed research branch. With the advent of molecular genetic sequencing, rare diseases are being discovered and diagnosed at an unprecedented rate. Improving awareness of current rare disease science is pivotal to being able to provide accurate and timely diagnoses as well as propel the field forward with increased interest in rare research.

Julia Macintosh

Julia is a PhD student in Neuroscience at McGill, researching rare forms of severe neurodevelopment disorders. Prior to starting her PhD, she completed a BSc in Anatomy and Cell Biology and Pharmacology and an MSc in Neuroscience. It was during her master’s degree studying rare forms of pediatric neurodegeneration that she first learned about the collective prevalence of rare diseases. Motivated by this experience, she joined RareDIG to help improve awareness of rare diseases and the need for rare disease research.