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.

Kristen Wong, MS Genetic Counseling

Kristen is originally from East Tennessee where she cultivated her love for science, the mountains, and college football.  She then went on to complete her undergraduate studies in Genetics at Clemson University. Her interest in genetics and desire to work with patients brought her to the University of Michigan where she earned her Master’s in Genetic Counseling. Since graduating, she has joined the team at the University of Utah as a genetic counselor in both pediatric neurology and neuromuscular clinics. Outside of the clinic, she enjoys baking, hiking, and travelling to new places.

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.

Kelsee Parry, MS 

Kelsee Parry spent her entire childhood at a soccer field whether it was practicing, playing, or watching her siblings she always had a ball at her feet. The majority of her weekends were spent traveling to tournaments all over the country. At the age of sixteen she spent the summer playing at Manchester United in England. Upon returning to the U.S. she began playing for The Real Salt Lake Women’s Team. She continued playing for RSL while attending the University of Utah obtaining two bachelor’s degrees in psychology and human development. Her soccer career came to an abrupt halt after sustaining too many concussions and being forced to retire. Kelsee’s focus then turned solely to academics. She continued on to receive a master’s degree in human development and is currently working on her dissertation pertaining to the subject of post traumatic growth to complete her Ph.D. After spending three years administering neuropsychological testing she made the move to clinical research and found a strong passion for advancing medicine.

Kelsee reconnected with soccer through coaching and in 2017 founded a non-profit organization called Everybody Plays. The non-profit provides scholarships to low income children helping them play competitive soccer.

In her free time, she loves to read, hike with her dog Harley, and work on her dissertation.

Shelby Murdock

Shelby was born and raised in Lancashire England and moved to the United States in 2013. During that time she has pursued a well designed path into medical research landing her on the UPIN team in Pediatric Neurology. Her love for medicine grew early in her life when she had the pleasure of growing up with a brother with Cerebral Palsy, who is her cause of interest and reason for moving forward with research. Outside of work Shelby enjoys hiking, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.

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.

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!