Dr. Allisandra Rha is among 10 rare disease researchers to be awarded a grant at Uplifting Athletes’ Young Investigator Draft on Feb. 1 at Lincoln Financial Field
Uplifting Athletes, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the rare disease community, has announced that CHOC’S Dr. Allisandra Rha, will receive a $20,000 research grant as a member of Uplifting Athletes’ 2025 Young Investigator Draft Class.
Dr. Allisandra Rha is among a group of 10 researchers who will each receive an unrestricted grant for medical research at Uplifting Athletes’ Young Investigator Draft on February 1, 2025, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Uplifting Athletes is a nonprofit organization that unites student-athletes nationwide and professional athlete ambassadors with their local rare disease communities. Together, they raise awareness, inspire hope, and generate funds to support the approximately 1 in 10 Americans impacted by rare diseases. Over $1 million in grants have been awarded throughout the program’s history.
The Young Investigator Draft is inspired by the NFL Draft but shifts the focus from selecting potential talent on the football field to recognizing the next generation of promising young medical researchers in rare diseases. It is one of several signature initiatives created by Uplifting Athletes to raise awareness and research funding for rare diseases, which affect approximately 30 million individuals in the United States.
“It is an honor to partner with 10 patient advocacy organizations to advance rare disease research, and we are overjoyed to celebrate the 2025 Draft class,” said Brett Brackett, President of Uplifting Athletes. “These 10 incredible researchers represent so much promise for tomorrow, and we are honored to have them on our team.”
Grant submissions for the Young Investigator Draft are evaluated by an expert panel of scientific advisors prior to the selection of each year’s Draft Class. Every researcher is nominated by a patient advocacy organization (PAO) recognized by Uplifting Athletes as a priority partner, with grants equally co-funded by Uplifting Athletes and the nominating PAO. The PAO that nominated Dr. Allisandra Rha is the National Tay-Saachs & Allied Diseases Association (NTSAD).
The 2025 Young Investigator Draft audience will include student-athlete leaders from Uplifting Athletes’ collegiate chapters across the country, notable professional athletes, biopharmaceutical representatives, healthcare professionals, and those directly impacted by rare diseases and their families. The Young Investigator Draft is family-friendly, and VIP tickets include a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Eagles’ stadium.
Dr. Rha said, “Thank you to the National Tay-Sachs & Allied Diseases Association for nominating and trusting me to carry out this important work. This grant will support our ongoing efforts to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of genome editing for patients with GM1 gangliosidosis in neurons and cerebral organoids. With this grant, we are working towards the goal of helping those impacted by rare diseases.”
For more information or to purchase tickets for the Uplifting Athletes 2025 Young Investigator Draft, please visit https://charity.pledgeit.org/YID2025.
About Dr. Allisandra Rha:
Dr. Allisandra Rha is a molecular biologist at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, dedicated to advancing research and therapeutic development for lysosomal storage diseases. Dr. Rha received her PhD from Emory University, where she defined pivotal interactions underlying the neuropathology of protein misfolding disorders. As a postdoctoral fellow at Auburn University, Dr. Rha joined one of the research teams responsible for the clinical translation of gene therapies for GM1 and GM2 gangliosidosis. In her current role, Dr. Rha has spearheaded projects focused on variant-specific editing in GM1 gangliosidosis and Pompe disease. Her present work builds upon recent studies evaluating the efficacy of base editing as a therapeutic candidate for GM1 gangliosidosis, extending strategies to sophisticated cell culture models of neurodegeneration including cerebral organoids. Through her work, she intends to deliver on the hope and promises of therapeutics for patients with rare lysosomal storage diseases.
About Uplifting Athletes
Uplifting Athletes is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 that harnesses the power of sport to build a community that invests in the lives of the more than 30 million people impacted by rare diseases in America. Since its inception, Uplifting Athletes has raised more than $11 million by engaging athletes to positively impact the rare disease community through driving action, awareness, and funding research. To learn more about Uplifting Athletes, visit www.upliftingathletes.org.
About Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)
Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), a nationally recognized pediatric healthcare system based in Orange County, California, is committed to being a leading destination for children’s health by providing exceptional and innovative care. CHOC’s community includes two state-of-the-art hospitals in Orange and Mission Viejo and a regional network of primary and specialty care clinics serving children and families. CHOC offers several clinical programs of excellence providing the highest levels of care for the most serious pediatric illnesses and injuries, physical and mental. CHOC’s research and innovation institutes are focused on translating real patient needs into real-world treatments so every child can live the heathiest and happiest life possible. In affiliation with the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, CHOC collaborates to train future physicians, future pediatric specialists, conduct groundbreaking research, and develop innovative care coordination to serve the children in our community. For more information, visit choc.org or find us @chocchildrens on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Media Contact:
Denise Almazan (Children’s Hospital of Orange County)
(714) 509-8680
pr@choc.org
