MDF is excited to highlight the work of five MDF interns, who have been working across several departments throughout this Summer! 

We are elated that Annalise, Danny, Juan, Natalie, and Sunny, have dedicated themselves to the MDF mission of Community, Care, and a Cure. We appreciate all of their enthusiasm to improve our support of the DM community! 

Meet our Amazing Interns!

Annalise returned to MDF this year after her first internship in 2022 to develop and support the first ever Myotonic Dystrophy In Motion Awareness Month program! Born and raised in Berkeley, CA, she loves biking around the area and listening to film soundtracks. She is going into her fourth year at UC Davis majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Public Health. She has done an excellent job supporting the In Motion program during the month of July and shared her excitement to continue working on resources during the last weeks of her summer internship.

What project(s) are you working on?

Annalise has a great passion for health literacy, community support, and accessibility. She shares that her work with MDF has been a great intersection of her education and passions. In her first experience interning with MDF she was focused on developing toolkits for people living with myotonic dystrophy. Her favorite projects this summer included coordinating the pairings for the Buddy Networking program and coordinating events during Myotonic Dystrophy In Motion month, as well as contributing to the creation of toolkit updates.

What inspired you to join MDF?

MDF’s supportive culture and community centered approach motivated her to return to MDF and keeps her motivated to put forth her best work.

What have you enjoyed about working at MDF?

When asked about what she has enjoyed about working with MDF, Annalise emphasized the values of the organization and how they align with her own. She also shared that the environment is supportive and she feels that everyone is rooting each other on while working passionately on projects with great care for the myotonic dystrophy community.

Danny is studying Biology and Statistics at UC Davis. He is apt at data wrangling and enjoys the challenge of creating meaningful data visualizations. He has served this summer as the Myotonic Dystrophy Family Registry (MDFR) Data Intern. When he isn’t studying or working on projects for MDF, he enjoys learning languages (especially Mandarin and Korean), or playing basketball with friends.

What project(s) are you working on?

While working for as the MDFR Data Intern, Danny has been analyzing de-identified data in the registry for common trends. He has been especially looking the geography of participants to identify where and what resources may be needed.

What inspired you to join MDF?

Danny shared that the opportunity to apply his education in a way that may positively impact people living with myotonic dystrophy was a huge motivator for him.

What have you enjoyed about working at MDF?

During his time at MDF he has appreciated the kind, understanding, and passionate culture of the MDF Team. He is excited to stay connected to MDF's work and the advancements made towards the MDF mission of Community, Care & a Cure!

Juan Arboleda joins MDF as a Public Health Resource Development Intern. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a minor in Disabilities in Society from the University of Florida. During his undergrad years he worked in the Disability Center on campus and became passionate about advocacy, self-advocacy, and accessible environments. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree, he started his journey in myotonic dystrophy research as a technical assistant in the lab of Eric T. Wang. In 2020, Juan joined the Genetics & Genomics graduate program in the UF Genetics Institute and is currently a PhD candidate. He is the co-founder and president of the NeuroGenetics Student Organization (NGSO) at UF and aims to inspire young scientists through outreach and service. This past spring, the NGSO coordinated interactive lab tours for patients and families attending the 2024 MDF Regional Conference in Gainesville. We are so excited to have Juan’s dedication and expertise on the MDF team.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

During his time at MDF he is excited to apply his technical training at school and hone his community centered communication skills. He is working to update the MDF toolkit and is excited to repackage information in the toolkit based on community feedback so it is even easier to understand and consume.

What inspired you to join MDF?

He is excited to contribute to the work that MDF does, sharing that the culture of care at MDF and efforts to bridge researchers, care providers, and community excite him.

What have you enjoyed about working at MDF?

Juan enjoys making science more accessible and fun for people. His position with MDF provides the opportunity to apply his education and experiences with advocacy in a new way.

Natalie Sinsheimer
Development Intern

Natalie has served this summer as MDF’s Development Intern. She previously studied ballet in England and performed as a professional ballet dancer. During her time as a dancer, she became interested in how the body works, which brought her to Stanford University to study human biology. In her free time you may find Natalie skiing, dancing, or going on spontaneous adventures with friends. Natalie has tidied up her work and is returning to Stanford to continue her studies. We are so grateful for her time and enthusiastic contributions to MDF’s mission of Community, Care, & a Cure.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

Natalie spent this summer working on expanding resources to be used in grassroots fundraising. We are excited to apply her work for future grassroots fundraising!

What inspired you to join MDF?

Natalie has followed MDF’s work due to her own personal connection to DM and was excited to explore her interests in healthcare and community support.

What have you enjoyed about working at MDF?

She enjoys opportunities to apply her education in new settings and learn about community engagement and accessibility.

Sunny (Supriya) Mula
Research Grants Intern

Sunny serves as MDF's Research Grants Intern at MDF. She returned to her hometown, San Jose, California, after recently finishing an undergraduate degree to work at a research lab studying brain-immune system interactions in disease. In the future, she hopes to work as a physician-scientist to help treat and find new therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders, much like many of the researchers funded by the MDF.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

Currently, Sunny works alongside Dr. Nadine Skinner to analyze past MDF-awarded grants and better understand advances in the DM research field. In addition to updating our records on information about the grants' completion and outcomes, she is creating summary reports on the MDF grant-funded research from each year. From these reports, we hope to understand what types of research areas increase our knowledge of DM and further the development of potential therapeutics.

What inspired you to join MDF?

Sunny was inspired to join MDF because of her interest in becoming a physician-scientist and serving individuals living with neurodegenerative disorders. Joining MDF has provided the opportunity to understand how research can serve patients and the wider community.

What have you enjoyed about working at MDF?

In the past few months with MDF, Sunny has enjoyed meeting the community of DM researchers and seeing how committed they are to the DM community. Seeing their drive to help others through their research has been a great inspiration for her continued research pursuits.