Meet Emily

Emily Newman, 2026 Genetic Counseling Student Intern

Emily joins the CACNA1A Foundation as a Summer Intern, bringing with her a passion for genetic education, rare disease advocacy, and supporting individuals and families affected by genetic conditions. She is entering her second year in Kean University's Genetic Counseling Graduate Program in New Jersey, where she is developing her clinical and advocacy skills with the goal of becoming a genetic counselor.

Emily's connection to the CACNA1A community began through the Moore family, whose daughter, Madison, lives with a CACNA1A-related disorder. After meeting the family and babysitting their daughter for the past year, Emily developed a close relationship with the family and gained a deeper understanding of the experiences and challenges faced by families living with CACNA1A-related disorders. This personal connection inspired her interest in creating a summer internship with the CACNA1A Foundation and deepening her involvement in rare disease advocacy.

This summer, Emily is excited to learn from the CACNA1A community and contribute to the Foundation's mission of supporting individuals and families affected by CACNA1A-related disorders. She looks forward to using her background in genetics to aide families in their understanding of complex genetic concepts and assist in the creation of the CACNA1A variant repository.