Faculty, Students & Alumni

Meet Our Team

Sundos Al-Husayni

Sundos grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from Northeastern University with a B.S. in Health Science and a minor in Biology. As an undergrad, she worked as a newborn hearing technician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, performing hearing screens and counseling families whose babies do not pass. She found her calling while working as a GCA at the Manton Center, a rare disease study, at Boston Children’s Hospital. She is passionate about addressing health disparities and working with immigrant communities, having been involved in initiatives to address language barriers in the local Boston community. In her free time, Sundos enjoys keeping her hands busy with tatreez (traditional Palestinian embroidery) and crochet projects, as well as spending time in nature.

Olivia Benson

Olivia Benson (she/her/hers) grew up on the South Shore of Massachusetts. She received a BS in Forensic Science with a concentration in Biology and minor in Criminal Justice from the University of New Haven. During her undergraduate years she began to develop a passion for solving complex cases which she is excited to bring to the genetic counseling field. One undergraduate memory she is most proud of is participating in a philanthropic club and raising over $100,000 for the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Following graduation, she worked as a Research Technician at MGH Radiation Oncology and a Genetic Counseling Assistant at MGH Center for Genomic Medicine. In her free time she enjoys painting and being creative. She also loves traveling around New England, reading at the beach, and trying new restaurants and coffee shops. 

 

Maura Boerio

Maura grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and moved to Houston, Texas in 2017 to attend Rice University. There, she studied Cell Biology and Genetics, inspiring her to join a cardiovascular genetics laboratory after graduating. For three years, she worked on multiple clinical research studies that explored the genetic causes of heritable aortic disease. She still collaborates with the lab, and her current research focuses on cardiovascular complications faced by patients with ACTA2 variants. She is also passionate about disability justice and patient advocacy, realized through her time spent volunteering at Gigi’s Playhouse as a tutor for children with Down syndrome as well as through working with individuals who have rare cardiovascular genetic conditions. She hopes to stay connected with these communities while at BU. Maura is a singer and dancer who can often be found engaging in these activities in her free time, in addition to exploring the Boston food scene. She is very grateful to be starting this next chapter of her career at the BUGCP. 

Makayla DeCesare

Makayla DeCesare (she/her) is originally from Salem, NH, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Roger Williams University.  During her undergraduate years, she also minored in psychology with a focus on neuroscience and child development.  After graduation, Makayla spent time as an SAT and chemistry tutor before transitioning to a role as a medical assistant in a primary care office.  Her professional passion lies in patient care, particularly with pediatric patients, and in her free time, Makayla indulges her nerdy side by reading, writing, paying Dungeons & Dragons with friends, and collecting Pokémon cards.  At home, she shares her life with two mysterious cats named Jett and Gotham.

Chloe Evans

Chloe grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii and graduated from Northeastern University with a BS in Behavioral Neuroscience in 2023. While at Northeastern, she was heavily involved in the Genetic Counseling Student Interest Group, Lifespan and Emotion Development Lab, and the Northeastern Shakespeare Society; she also had the pleasure of working as a GCA at the Fetal Diagnostic Institute of the Pacific in Hawaii and at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. After graduation, she returned home and worked with the UH Internal Medicine Residency Program and had the opportunity to assistant direct multiple theatrical productions with local community theatres. In her free time she can be found directing theatre, rock climbing, or eating sweets. 

Erin Hennessey

Erin graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2017 with a degree in Biology. She then worked as a research technician at Mass Eye & Ear, where she developed high-throughput assays for variant classification in IRD genes. In 2021, she joined the BU PiBS PhD program. She currently works in the Kotton lab, where her research focuses on ABCA3-associated childhood interstitial lung disease.

 

Alanna Horowitz

Alanna is originally from Newton, Massachusetts. In 2022, she graduated from Johns Hopkins with a degree in Public Health and a minor in Bioethics with a focus on informed consent and health literacy. In addition to starting at BUGCP she’s also pursuing her MPH in health communication. Before starting graduate school, she worked at Beth Israel Lahey Hospital in Burlington, MA as a genetic counseling assistant in their cancer genetics program and as the coordinator for the cancer survivors programs in the hospital. She also works part time as a staff member of Yachad which is a program for adults with disabilities in Brookline, MA. In her spare time she likes to crochet, paint, and plan trips to faraway places! She’s also a voracious reader and is on a mission to read a book by an author from every country in the world.

Haylie McSwaney

Haylie is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and graduated from Penn State University in 2022 with a major in biology and a minor in psychology. In her time at Penn State, she was very involved with THON, raising money for childhood cancer research and treatment, and Camp Kesem, a free annual summer camp and yearlong support for kids impacted by a parent’s cancer. She spent two years after graduation as a genetic counselor assistant at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and a Helpline Volunteer at Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) and is very excited to take the next step in her education as a part of the Boston University Genetic Counseling Program. In her free time, she loves crocheting and reading and is a huge movie lover. Haylie also has two boston terriers Rosie and Stella, who are very excited to be the BU terrier mascots during her time in the program. 

Kim Nguyen

Kim Nguyen is from Tampa, Florida, and graduated from the University of South Florida in 2024 with a B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology, and a B.A. in Psychology. During her time as an undergrad, she worked as a research assistant in a study exploring dementia knowledge and understanding among Florida’s elderly, LEP (limited English proficiency) Asian-American populations, where she got to closely interact with the local Vietnamese-American community. In addition, she co-founded a Pre-Genetic Counseling Club at the University of South Florida and served as its president. Kim was an intern at Advocate Genetics, where she explored existing barriers faced by Asian-Americans in genetic testing & counseling, culminating in the creation of an English-Vietnamese GC Glossary. During her time with Advocate Genetics, she also explored her interest in cross-cultural/international genetic counseling by interviewing genetic counselors working in different countries in a collaborative project. She and her colleagues wanted to better understand the field’s unique issues and challenges in different countries. Kim has also volunteered as a Travelers’ Aid Volunteer through her local crisis center at the Tampa International Airport, where she provided support and resources to travelers and individuals in distress. Kim aspires to fight healthcare disparities and the stigmas that exist within the Vietnamese and Southeast Asian communities. As someone whose family was deeply impacted by medical trauma, she is deeply passionate about efforts to address medical trauma, especially in underserved communities. In her free time, she likes to read, crochet, play Stardew Valley, and occasionally dabble in bookbinding.

Wajiha Syed

Wajiha is Pakistani-American and grew up in the California Bay Area. Wajiha graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a B.S. in Public Health Sciences and is pursuing an MPH in addition to genetic counseling at BU. While at UCI, Wajiha was a research assistant for an adolescent biobehavioral development lab and investigated teen mental health, risky behavior, and eating habits. Additionally, Wajiha was an orientation coordinator for UCI, creating and facilitating programs for over ten thousand incoming students and their families. To complete the program’s required public health practicum, Wajiha interned at a center for LGBTQ+ health and HIV care, providing essential nutrition services to community members affected by HIV. To relax, Wajiha enjoys live music, roller skating, crafting, and cooking with friends.

Kim Ta

Kim grew up in Orlando, Florida (less than 10 miles from Disney World!) and graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2022 with her Bachelor’s in Health Sciences (Pre-Clinical Track). She also minored in Biology and Music. During her time in undergrad she was a teaching assistant for preventive health care where she lectured about autoimmune disorders. She was also part of a nonprofit organization that allowed for students to be part of a unique environment to learn and perform in ensembles outside of their school from world class clinicians. After graduating she went back to volunteer at Give Kids the World, where she met many families who shared their stories with her and it inspired her even more to pursue genetic counseling. Upon applying she was selected to be part of John Hopkins’ Genetic Counseling Summer Internship, where she learned about the impact that genetic counselors have on the preventative side of people’s health. She worked on updating John Hopkins’ Hospital patient-facing website on genetic conditions such as Huntington Disease, Klinefelter syndrome, and Mucopolysaccharidosis. Growing up as a Vietnamese ad hoc interpreter supporting her family, she hopes to become a genetic counselor who brings awareness to people of all backgrounds and advocates for those in underserved communities. In her free time she likes going to concerts and soccer matches, playing puzzle/word games, going for walks, binging Korean dramas and anime series, and playing with her dogs, Lucky and Ghost. She has never left home or seen snow and is excited to start her new journey in Boston.

Yeabsira Tufa

Yeabsira is originally from Ethiopia and has been living in Maryland for a significant portion of her life. She graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in Biology. After graduating, Yeabsira worked as a research coordinator at Johns Hopkins, where she contributed to research aimed at improving cognition to promote the health and well-being of older adults. She then transitioned to a Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. In this role, she was part of natural history studies using a genotype-first approach to uncover novel insights into complex genotype-phenotype relationships. Alongside this work, Yeabsira also volunteered for organizations such as Facing Hereditary Cancer Empowered (FORCE) and provided crisis counseling. In her free time, Yeabsira enjoys reading, hiking, cooking, watching TV shows and movies, spending time with friends and family, and playing with her dog, Hopu.

Lina Waughman

Lina is originally from Woodinville, Washington, a small winery town northeast of Seattle. She graduated from Gonzaga University with a B.S. in Biology, as well as minors in Comprehensive Leadership and Spanish. Before coming to BU, she worked for Seattle Children’s Hospital as a lab assistant in their Therapeutic Cell Production Core and as a Genetic Counseling Assistant for their Lab Genetic Counseling team. Outside of work or school, she loves reading, cooking, exploring new movies, and when the weather allows, sailing and hiking! Becoming a genetic counselor is a goal she have been working towards for a long time, and she is so very excited to be here at BUGCP!

Megan Yoder

Megan grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated with a B.S. in Genetics from the University of Georgia. While at UGA, she was involved in Special Olympics and UGA Miracle, a fundraising group that championed for children being treated at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She also served as a peer tutor and mentor for students in the Honors College, and spent much of her time volunteering with victims of domestic violence at the local shelter. After graduating, she worked as a genetic counseling assistant at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital where she was able to gain clinical experience in several pediatric speciality clinics, prenatal, cancer and inpatient settings, solidifying her interest in the field. In her free time, Megan enjoys running, engaging in contemplative dialogues on reality television, and keeping her Goodreads and Letterboxd updated frequently.

Yusra Yusuf

Yusra Yusuf was raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and earned her B.S. in Health Sciences from the University of Minnesota Rochester. During her undergraduate years, she held numerous leadership roles, including serving as the Rochester Student Association’s Student Body President, where she frequently collaborated with the university’s chancellor, the mayor, and community leaders to enhance student life. Yusra also worked as a float patient care assistant at the Mayo Clinic and as a Resident Assistant (RA) on campus. Yusra’s passion for mentoring and her commitment to diversity and inclusion were evident during her time as an undergrad student. She volunteered as a mentor/tutor for the Somali American Social Service Association and worked with youth across various subjects.  Yusra was an active member of her university’s diversity and inclusion committee and served on the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Board. In undergrad, she was recognized with the President’s Award for Student Leadership, Gilman Scholar, and Distinguished Capstone Award. Additionally, Yusra completed a genetic counseling internship at the Mayo Clinic.  Yusra’s pursuit of diverse learning experiences landed her in a study abroad program in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where she completed an internship at a traditional Thai medicine clinic. Her fluency in both English and Somali further enhances her ability to connect with diverse communities. Prior to studying abroad. After graduating, Yusra worked as an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapist, supporting young children with autism and learning disabilities. In her free time, Yusra enjoys painting, spending quality time with loved ones, traveling, and indulging in her favorite drink, an iced vanilla latte. Her travels this year have taken her to Sydney and Melbourne, Australia!