Pre-doc Preparatory Program (P3) in Translational Research
Pre-doc Preparatory Program (P3) in Translational Research
ITMAT Education (ITMAT Ed) at the University of Pennsylvania and the Leukodystrophy Center of Excellence (LCE) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia provide aone-yearPre-Doc Preparatory Program (P3) in Translational Research to formalize the education and training of research coordinators, genetic counseling assistants, research technicians, and others currently involved in the leukodystrophies who plan to pursue further education through medical or graduate school. Research staff, referred to as P3 Scholars, are expected to be provided with two hours of protected time each week to pursue formal education in clinical and translational research. Most of the sessions will be held online via Zoom with opportunities to connect in person at meetings and events. NIH funding is provided to support program costs for participants, including travel awards to program meetings and events.
GLIA-CTN Site PIs: Scholar Nominations and Conditions of Enrollment for October 2025 - May 2026 are due July 18.
GLIA-CTN Research Coordinators (Scholars): Applications for October 2025 - May 2026 are due August 1.
GLIA-CTN Sites PIs and Research Coordinators are encouraged to email Jessica German, MSEd with questions.
This program lays the foundation for understanding practical aspects of rare disease translational research. Scholars are introduced to clinical study design, ethical considerations in clinical research, data management, the pre-clinical drug development process. Scholars will build and practice professional skills throughout the academic year though communication workshops (VitalTalk) and workplace interaction coaching sessions, meet with advocacy group leaders, practice presenting their research in progress, and learn about career pathways through panel discussions.. P3 Scholars are introduced to these topics through asynchronous and synchronous learning environments. The content of the course includes seminars, case studies, scholar presentations, journal article-reviews, panel discussions, hands-on workshops, and scientific meetings.
Upon completion of the program, scholars will be able to:
Assess the fundamentals of clinical and translational research, including the design and execution of standard operating procedures, experimental plans, and analysis
Interpret ethical principles and the regulatory framework to the planning and execution of research as they relate to protocol privacy and confidentiality
Apply resources, concepts, skills, and behaviors from professional development workshops to personal and professional goals
Recognize the breadth of career opportunities in clinical and translational research to inform career goals
Develop and present scientific research in progress to the academic community and beyond
Currently a research coordinator, genetic counseling assistant, or research technician involved in Global Leukodystrophy Initiative Clinical Trials Network (GLIA-CTN) activities at your site. Exceptions may be made for other entry-level research staff who plan to pursue graduate or medical school education in the future.
Interested in growing a career in research and seeking professional development opportunities. The curriculum is targeting future leaders in translational research.
Able to attend and participate in the program on Fridays from 11am to 1pm EST beginning October 2025 through May 2026 (Note that timing might shift for some in person events.)
Site Investigator support and approval of conditions of enrollment.
The program is open to U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents only.
Application Process
Applicants are encouraged to speak with their Principal Investigator(s) about this opportunity to ensure protected time. Investigators may nominate 1-2 participants by submitting a Scholar Nomination Form and Conditions of Enrollment. Nominations for 2025-2026 close July 18. After the investigator's nomination is submitted, nominees must submit their application by August 1.
Principal Investigator's should contact Dr. Laura Adang or Jessica German for the Scholar Nomination Form and Conditions of Enrollment.
Acceptance into the Program
Applications will be evaluated by P3 Leadership in consultation with the relevant consortium sites. Applicants will be notified by mid/late August regarding the selection committee’s decision. We anticipate accepting 1-2 scholars per site.
1 paragraph personal statement describing your professional goals, how your participation in the P3 curriculum will help you meet your goals, and lastly, we encourage you to share your personal journey and experiences that will help shape the ITMAT community.
Applicants, please add headers with your name to the applicable documents.
To submit an online application, you will need to create a CollegeNet account and follow the steps below
Create a CollegeNet account. After logging into CollegeNet, select “Online Application”.
Enter your Personal Information. Save and continue to Program Information.
Choose “Perelman School of Medicine - Masters and Certificate Programs”
Select: “ITMAT Pre-doc Preparatory Program in Translational Research, non-deg”
Select "Fall 2025" term.
You can enter information in stages, at your own pace, and access the application any number of times until submission.
Once the application has been fully submitted, check the status of the submission.
Lilia Kazerooni, 2024-2025 P3 Scholar
About Me: I am the lead Clinical Research Coordinator and Lab Manager for the Strategic Therapies for Overcoming Reactive iMmunology (STORM) Lab at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. I manage multi-center collaborative efforts for the STORM Lab as well as several neurodiagnostic study investigations focusing on Down syndrome and the role of neuroinflammation in the development of comorbid conditions. Additionally, I am passionate about working with underserved communities and bridging gaps in access to healthcare. As an aspiring physician-scientist, I aim to incorporate the values of inclusive healthcare into my practice and advocate for marginalized groups by championing diversity and representation in research.
Describe why you applied to the program and your experience in the program: The Pre-doc Preparatory Program (P3) in Translational Research offered the opportunity to not only improve my foundational research skills, but also understand the unique considerations of conducting research with individuals with rare disease. Through its diverse curriculum with presentations from distinguished guest speakers world-wide, P3 supported my personal and professional development. This outstanding program has both prepared me and inspired me to pursue a career in medicine as a compassionate physician, creative scientist, and dedicated patient advocate.
Vanessa Smith, 2024-2025 P3 Scholar
About Me: While participating in the P3 Program, I was a genetic counseling student at Vanderbilt University and conducted my research thesis through the GLIA-CTN Myelin Disorders Biorepository Project at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. My thesis focused on identifying and evaluating clinical outcome assessments for individuals with Beta-Propeller Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration (BPAN). This program contributed to my passion for research and desire to integrate it into my career as a genetic counselor. After graduating this past May, I accepted a position at CHOP to continue my work on BPAN research and support the genomics core within the Leukodystrophy Center.
Describe why you applied to the program and your experience in the program: I have long been passionate about rare diseases and neurogenetics, and the P3 program offered a valuable opportunity to bridge gaps in my genetic counseling training by deepening my understanding of translational research. Through the program, I expanded my knowledge of the research process, particularly as it applies to clinical settings. One of the highlights of my experience was attending conferences, where I had the chance to learn about cutting-edge research, connect with fellow cohort members, and network with professionals across the research community. This experience has further solidified my commitment to pursuing a career in genetic counseling that is focused on conducting patient-centered research that serves and empowers rare disease communities.
Laura Lentini, 2023-2024 P3 Scholar
About Me: I am a clinical neuroscience research coordinator working at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. We specialize in research on leukodystrophies, most notably POLR3-related leukodystrophy. While my role is to coordinate our research, I have also led several studies looking into the impact of this disease on caregivers. My aim is to take my knowledge and experience within research to continue to build a career in healthcare.
Describe why you applied to the program and your experience in the program: I applied for the Pre-doc Preparatory Program (P3) in Translational Research looking for guidance and more insight into rare disease translational research, from study design, to execution, through to clinical trials. However, this program went beyond the scope of simply conducting research, but showcased ways to be successful in it! Developing professional skills, presenting research projects, meeting with advocacy groups, and learning about various career paths in science, all the while building a community of diverse backgrounds and research interests is what made this program so applicable to a career in science and beyond, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of it!
Ellen Winter, 2023-2024 P3 Scholar
About Me: I am a Clinical Research Coordinator II at Mass General Hospital’s Center for Rare Neurological Diseases. I have had the privilege of assisting in the management of our gene therapy clinical trial for Canavan disease, which has allowed me to connect with patients from around the world. In addition, I have conducted independent research investigating the prevalence of corticospinal tract lesions in adults and children with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), which aims to improve pediatric screening for cerebral ALD. This work builds upon my prior experience developing novel cellular models for fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC), a rare pediatric liver cancer.
Describe why you applied to the program and your experience in the program: I was excited to participate in P3 to connect with clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates engaged in improving outcomes for the rare disease community. The program offered an unrivaled opportunity to study all phases of translational research, from bench to bedside, and how to ensure patients are centered at every stage. I am confident this has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be a physician-scientist, which will serve as the foundation of my identity formation during medical school.
Emma Kotes, 2022-2023 P3 Scholar
About Me: I am the lead coordinator for the GLIA-CTN Myelin Disorders Biorepository Project at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. I oversee enrollment of children with Leukodystrophies across multiple sites helping to facilitate record collection and outcomes assessments for natural history. Within CHOP, I am also the lead on our electronic health record extraction project for children with leukodystrophies as we track milestones such as g-tube placement, hip surgery, and loss of ambulation. I also support our specialized BPAN clinic once a month for children with a neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation disorder and am facilitating natural history and quality of life surveys for this cohort. I eventually want to go to medical school and became a pediatrician in some capacity.
Describe why you applied to the program and your experience in the program: Because I knew I wanted research to fit into my medical career but was still unsure how. P3 offered the mentorship, guidance, and skillset I needed to better understand clinical research and how it might influence my career as a physician scientist. I am grateful for the experience P3 has provided me on my professional journey!
Nico Modesti, 2022-2023 P3 Scholar
About Me: I am a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Leukodystrophy Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia specifically supporting research projects in Aicardi Goutières Syndrome. My main work involves a large natural history study that retrospectively extracts the neurologic and systemic manifestations of the disorder. I also work on CHOP's baricitinib clinical trial, which paved the way for the medication to become available commercially.
Describe why you applied to the program and your experience in the program: I hope to also contribute as a physician-scientist interested in rare diseases in the future. P3 was an amazing opportunity to not only learn about how special the rare disease community is, but also to understand the path required to reach my career goals. The advice, professional development, and mentorship provided along the way are what makes the program go above and beyond. It was an honor to be a part of the most recent cohort, and I look forward to reuniting with my cohort again throughout our careers!
Lana Prieur,2022-2023 P3 Scholar
About Me: I am a clinical research coordinator at Penn Medicine's Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Center. There I am the lead coordinator for the AMS05 and iMSMS studies and the VGL and IGNITE studies, recruiting patients with multiple sclerosis and ALSP. Additionally, I am a phlebotomist for our general neurology clinic where I have so far drawn more than 300 patients' blood over the span of 4 months. I also facilitate our division's New Patient Review meeting to set care plans for new patients at our multiple sclerosis clinic. As an undergraduate at Penn, I fenced for the Quakers and was a researcher at Platt Labs where I validated new research tools for online study during COVID lockdowns and my research article on leadership and group dynamics in an online setting has been published in Frontiers in Psychology. I plan to become a doctor specializing in either Neurology or Emergency Medicine and to research how to improve online telehealth interactions.
Describe why you applied to the program and your experience in the program: Before I became a P3 scholar, I applied to fellowships to research improving telemedicine. I ended as a Rhodes nominee, Fulbright semifinalist, and Thouron finalist, but I still wanted to do the research. I realized that my proposal was translational, yet I did not know much about the field. The P3 program provided me with an excellent grounding on what was needed to make research and change happen –including the need for institutional, political, financial, and even emotional support. I hadn’t considered these before and can now approach my goals and apply my learning with greater maturity and understanding. I am grateful I had the opportunity to learn from such knowledgeable, talented faculty and with such an enthusiastic group of peers.
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Lilia Kazerooni, 2024-2025 P3 Scholar
Vanessa Smith, 2024-2025 P3 Scholar
