Scholars
Twenty scientists have been selected for OHC’s 2024 and 2025 Rare Disease Scholar Award to advance academic discoveries into clinical practice for rare diseases.
2025 OHC Rare Disease Scholars

Rachel Bailey, PhD – University of Texas
Gene Therapy to Cure an Ultra-Rare, Devastating Neurodevelopmental Metabolic Disorder of the SLC13A5 Citrate Transporter

Esther Becker, PhD – University of Oxford
New Small Molecules to Treat Spinocerebellar Ataxia

Joseph Buxbaum, PhD – Icahn School of Medicine
Treatment of the Autism-Spectrum Neurodevelopmental ADNP Syndrome with Small Molecule Drugs

Matthew Gentry, PhD – University of Florida
Advanced Brain Penetrant Enzyme Therapy to Treat Neurological Glycogen Storage Diseases

Albert La Spada, MD, PhD – University of California
Silencer RNA Therapy to Treat Rare, Juvenile-onset ALS Neuromuscular Disease, ALS4

Michael Lin, MD, PhD – Stanford University
A Genetically Programmed Therapeutic for Sensing and Killing Rare Brain Cancers

Pengfei Liu, PhD – Baylor College of Medicine
Precision Nucleic Acid Therapeutics for the Ultra-Rare CAMK2B Neurodevelopmental Disorder

David Segal, PhD – University of California
Treatment of the Autism-Spectrum Neurodevelopmental ADNP Syndrome with Nucleic Acid Drugs

Anthony Shum, MD – University of California
Gene Therapy for the Progressive, Debilitating, Multisystem COPA Syndrome

Mingshan Xue, PhD – Baylor College of Medicine
Gene Therapy for the Catastrophic CASK-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder