Vanderbilt MGC Class of 2027

Lilian Chen

Lilian grew up in Johnson City, Tennessee, and graduated from college in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in biology and psychology. As an undergraduate, she worked as a Community Engagement Advocate where she facilitated various volunteering events for college students. She also served as a peer academic advisor for the psychology department.

Following graduation, she spent her gap years as an advocate with Oregon’s Sexual Assault Resource Center where she provided support to survivors of sexual assault across the Portland metro area. Additionally, she was a coaching mentor at Youthline, a teen-to-teen crisis line, where she guided and supported youth volunteers in developing clinical skills to assist their peers in crisis.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking, participating in activities that celebrate her Cantonese heritage, and looking at cats.

Sophie Cohen

Sophie Cohen grew up in Middleton, Massachusetts before moving to Nashville to complete her undergraduate education at Vanderbilt University. She graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in both molecular/cellular biology and medicine, health and society, with a minor in sociology. As an undergraduate, she engaged in research focused on reclassifying variants in genes contributing to heart arrhythmias. Sophie also volunteered as a crisis counselor through the Crisis Text Line and supported students through various teaching positions at Vanderbilt and the broader Nashville community. She also worked as a lifeguard and lifeguard instructor at the Vanderbilt Recreation Center and spent her summers caring for campers of all ages as a camp counselor.

Since graduating, Sophie continued her undergraduate work as a research assistant. Outside of work, she volunteered with Alive Hospice and interned for the NBIA Disorders Association. She also continued teaching as both a religious school teacher and a lifeguard instructor.

In her free time, Sophie loves cooking, reading, going to concerts, traveling, and catching up with friends and family.

Victoria Khouri

Victoria Khouri grew up in Hendersonville, Tennessee. She graduated from McGill University in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and immunology. During her undergraduate studies, she worked as a research assistant investigating inflammation markers in Cystic Fibrosis on lung cells. Additionally, she volunteered for a Montreal based Crisis Call Center as well as worked at a special education school in the greater Montreal area. In her free time, Victoria enjoys baking, reading, and taking dance classes.

Helen Kiser

Helen Kiser is from Maryville, TN, and graduated from Clemson University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Genetics and a minor in Biological Sciences. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in Clemson’s Creative Inquiry program, where she conducted research focusing on creating novel resources based on the mitochondrial genome for endangered or understudied marine creatures. Through this opportunity, she was able to present her research nationally and internationally, as well as have two manuscripts accepted for publication.

Outside of Clemson, Helen volunteered with Camp Spearhead’s Weekend Program in Greenville, SC. There, she led groups of people, ages ranging from 8 to 80, with special needs through pre-planned day activities. For two summers, she also worked as a camp counselor for Camp Webb’s Adventure Camp in Knoxville, TN.

In her free time, Helen enjoys cooking, baking, hiking, and hanging out with friends and family.

Makayla Marsh

Makayla Marsh graduated from the University of North Florida in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology. During and after her undergraduate studies, she interned at the Southeastern Zoo Alliance for Reproduction and Conservation (SEZARC), where she performed hormone analysis using ELISA assays and contributed to a research manual focused on Syngnathidae conservation.

Most recently, she has worked as a Hematology/Oncology Genetics Clinic Coordinator at UF Health in Jacksonville, FL. In this role, she supported patients from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, which strengthened her passion for health equity and solidified her commitment to expanding access to genetic services for underserved communities.

Beyond her clinical work, Makayla served as the Secretary and Educational Chair for the UCSD Genetic Counseling Club, where she helped build community and promote educational outreach for aspiring genetic counselors, and volunteered as a crisis counselor for the Women’s Center of Jacksonville’s Rape Recovery Team.

In her free time, Makayla enjoys music, weightlifting, playing video games, painting, and trying new creative outlets.

Rose Thomas

Rose Thomas is from Spartanburg, South Carolina. She graduated from Wofford College in 2023 with a B.S in Biology and a concentration in Medical Humanities. While at Wofford Rose was able to expand her passion for community service by volunteering at St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic in Spartanburg. In her junior year Rose got the opportunity to study public health in London and Jamaica and volunteer at schools and hospitals there too. These experiences strengthened her passion for expanding healthcare access to all people.

Post graduation Rose worked at a genetics lab in Spindale, North Carolina called Cohesion Phenomics. Her first year there she worked as a lab tech and learned all about the technical side of genetic testing and sequencing analysis. Her second year there she also started working as a GCA and learned more about the logistical side of genetic counseling. Post graduation she also started volunteering with the Crisis Text Line.

In her free time Rose loves to read (favorite books include Betty by Tiffany McDaniels, Babel by R.F Kuang, and Circe by Madeline Miller), over analyze Taylor swift lyrics, play piano and bake.

Kailee Ward

Kailee Ward is from Papillion, Nebraska, and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology, and minors in psychology and art. During her undergraduate studies, she co-founded the Pre-Genetic Counseling Club at UNL, served as an undergraduate teaching assistant for general genetics, acted as a pre-health peer mentor, and worked as a grant research assistant in a population genetics research laboratory.

After graduation, Kailee took on the role of clinical research coordinator at the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Clinic at the University of Iowa Health Care, where she assisted patients with clinical care and research enrollment. She also worked as a Genetic Counseling Assistant for the Inherited Neuropathy Consortium, supporting research efforts to identify new genetic causes of hereditary neuropathy.

One of her most significant experiences was leading the natural history analysis for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1E (CMT1E). In this role, she collaborated with research scientists to investigate the disease mechanisms of this condition. Kailee is passionate about patient support systems and strives to connect CMT1E patients to foster a supportive and understanding community. In her free time, Kailee enjoys baking, crocheting, rock climbing, and playing with her cat, Poe.

Tori Winter

Tori Winter grew up in West Concord, Minnesota and graduated from Carleton College in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and with a minor in German. During her time as an undergraduate student, Tori worked as a teaching assistant in a genetics laboratory, taught swimming lessons, and volunteered as a Crisis Counselor at Crisis Text Line. After graduation, Tori worked as a genetic counseling assistant at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Additionally, she taught swimming lessons for Rochester’s Accessible Recreation Program, teaching children with disabilities.

In her free time, Tori enjoys staying active outdoors, reading, listening to music, and recently took up jiu jitsu.