Tara Newcomb, MS LCGC

Tara grew up in South Dakota and moved to Utah after attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; earning her Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry. She attended the University of Utah and graduated with in her Masters of Science in Genetic Counseling. She has worked with pediatric neurology and neuromuscular clinics at the University of Utah since 2010 as a genetic counselor as well as a research coordinator.  In her free time she enjoys running and spending time outdoors with her family.


Melissa McIntyre, PT, DPT

Melissa McIntyre is a physical therapist and clinical evaluator with the Utah Program for Inherited Neuromuscular Disorders (UPIN) at the University of Utah. Through UPIN, her work focuses on research and clinical care of neuromuscular disorders affecting both adult and pediatric populations. Melissa knows the assessment of motor function and change is a complex task where no one outcome measure is appropriate for all individuals or disorders. Her ambition is to continually advance and improve the ability to assess motor function and change in neuromuscular diseases.

Melissa is involved with multiple projects focusing on validation and development of novel outcome measures in neuromuscular disorders, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Myotonic Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy. In addition to her work on multiple clinical trials, Melissa looks to minimize the barriers patients face when engaging in independent recreation and physical activity regardless of their physical limitations. As is the case with outcome measures, there is no one size fit all when it comes to adaptive sports.

Melissa received her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from the University of Utah and is currently pursuing a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Utah. In her free time, she enjoys any activity that takes her to the mountains.


Amelia Wilson, PT, DPT

Amelia Wilson was born and raised in Wisconsin and then came out to the University of Utah for her undergrad and graduate studies. Amelia returned to Wisconsin after physical therapy school and worked in school based and inpatient settings and then worked in Nashville TN in outpatient orthopedic physical therapy. She has experience working with adults and children with a variety of medical diagnosis including neurologic, orthopedic and developmental conditions. Amelia found her way back the mountains of Utah and joined UPIN as a physical therapist and clinical evaluator in January of 2018.  She enjoys rock climbing, trail running and hiking.


Becky Crockett

Becky Crockett was born and raised in the beautiful Midwestern state of Indiana. Shortly after college, a thirst for adventure and open skies drew her to her current home state of Utah. She enjoys taking advantage of Utah’s legendary mountain trails by mountain biking, hiking and camping. She has two faithful companions, her dogs Juno and Ozzie, and two slightly less faithful companions, her children Zoe and Isaac.  Becky’s professional life has included a brief, 30-year stint in Family and Preventive Medicine where she developed her research coordinator skills. Today, Becky continues to flex her research coordinator muscles (as well as her humor muscles!) for her coworkers at UPIN.


Teresa Janecki


Sterling Meisner, MS

Sterling has had a love for science and research for as long as she can remember. After high school, her curiosity led her to the University of Utah, where she received a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. From there, her passion for research only grew and she went on to receive a master’s degree in human performance and a publication in The International Journal of Science and Engineering. Today, she is a clinical research coordinator at the University of Utah, where she enjoys the opportunity to be a part of the UPIN team and work on a few exciting neuromuscular disorder research studies! In her free time, you can find her riding her bike around town, lifting heavy things, and playing in the mountains around Salt Lake City.


Sarah Moldt

Sarah Moldt spent most of her life eating her way through Southern California. She first started her career in research during her undergraduate years at the University of California – San Diego (Go Tritons!) developing a clinical trial education program for Asian American and Pacific Islanders. Now she works as a research coordinator at the U, with trials in several neuromuscular dystrophies such as FSHD, SMA, and Duchenne.

Crystal Neate

Crystal Neate has a love and passion for health. But the story neither starts nor ends here. Born in Scottsdale, Arizona in the spring, this desert flower was transplanted from the Valley of the Sun to the Wasatch Mountains of Salt Lake City where she flourished and evolved into the adventurous and competitive active person she’s become.

She enjoys the great outdoors and all things natural, and is a natural athlete to boot. She has traveled extensively; from climbing Hawaii’s Maunakea to camping in the Florida Everglades and has enjoyed lounging leisurely in Boston commons to snorkeling in La Jolla cove.

After graduating from the University of Utah with a degree in Health Promotion and Education, she started working in neuro-vascular research before joining UPIN, and is pursuing a MPH with an emphasis in epidemiology and global health. She will then fulfill her lifetime love of learning by getting her doctorate in naturopathy and hopes to one day have a holistic practice.

When not working in the health field, she’s tending to her herb gardens, taking in neglected animals, and creating new concoctions in the kitchen. If asked to describe herself, she’d say “I’m a la cross between Jimmy Buffet and Martha Stewart” and “A Utah Man am I !”

Michael Papadakis

Mike Papadakis is a Utah native with an education in Exercise Science and Psychology. In addition to being a total nerd, his interests include soccer, capoeira, and spending time with his two dogs.


Nicole Willis

Nicole Willis is originally from Pennsylvania, but came out here for school at the University of Utah. Not being certain on what she wanted to major in, she found a passion for hot yoga and began teaching while in her Undergraduate. She graduated with a major in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Exercise Science and shortly after graduation, fell into the occupation of research. Outside of work you can catch her travelling, or up in the mountains; hiking, camping or trail running with her pup.


Layla Amador, Student

Layla Amador was born in Southern Utah but quickly began moving around the western United States. The U’s focus on research drew her back and she is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Anthropology.


Matthew Conder- Student

Matthew Conder has been a Research Assistant at the University of Utah since 2014 and currently works in the UPIN group. He has been on the study staff for studies in the areas of Neurology, Pediatrics, and Cardiology. Matthew is also a currently licensed Paramedic and works part time doing EMS response in various locations in Salt Lake, Utah, and Tooele Counties. Previously to working at the University of Utah he also worked as a Quality Control Team Lead, acting Lab Manager, and Lab Analyst for a nutraceutical manufacturing company. In the past he has also worked extensively in politics working as a campaign manager for a U.S. Congressional House race, and various other campaigns. He served a mission for the LDS church in Paraguay where he learned Spanish.  When Matthew does slow down and finds free time he enjoys dancing and finding any excuse he can to get outdoors.

Logan Mathie, Student

Logan Mathie is currently a senior at the University of Utah and is a pre-med student majoring in Health, Society, and Policy. He enjoys working at UPIN and helping forward the research on Muscular Dystrophies. When he’s not at work or at school, he enjoys spending time with his wife outdoors and at sporting events.

Emily Woolsey, Student

Emily Woolsey is working towards a double major in biology and chemistry with a hope to go into neurology after medical school. Currently, she’s working on a study involving kids with myotonic dystrophy. This includes helping them in the MRI and encouraging them to keep going when they get tired!