UCSF’s innovative, collaborative approach to patient care, research and education spans disciplines across the life sciences, making it a world leader in scientific discovery and its translation to improving health.
Mónica Zegers is a postdoctoral scholar at the UCSF Dyslexia Center. She obtained a BA degree in Psychology and a professional degree in Clinical Psychology at Pontificia Universidad Católica of Chile. She earned her MA and PhD degrees in Human Development and Education at UC Berkeley.
Mariah L. Pospisil, MEd, is a lifelong educator and advocate for students with dyslexia. After receiving her AB degree in Psychology from Harvard College, Mariah earned her teaching credential and Master of Education as an Education Specialist, Mild/Moderate from Notre Dame de Namur University. As a teacher, instructional coach, and school leader, Mariah focused on implementing instructional and social-emotional interventions to support students with dyslexia throughout their K–12 educational journeys.
Heather Murphy Elgin, EdM, is a research coordinator for the UCSF Dyslexia Center’s Multitudes project. Prior to UCSF, she worked in educational research as an instructional coach, reading specialist, special educator, and classroom teacher in Cambridge, New York City, Washington, DC, and San Francisco.
Jet Vonk received her PhD degree in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences from the City University of New York Graduate Center, with a focus on neurolinguistics and cognitive science. She also maintains an affiliation with the Department of Epidemiology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, where she is currently obtaining a second PhD in Epidemiology.
Marni graduated from the University of Florida with a BS degree in Psychology – Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience and a minor in Zoology. At UF, she was a Research Assistant for a Neurocognitive Lab studying addiction. She also coded qualitative data on the impact of COVID-19 on college students, created a scientific poster for an international conference and wrote a manuscript that is currently under review for publication. Marni was Clinic Manager at a Neuropsychology Clinic where she gained experience scoring and administering neuropsychological tests.
Jana has continuously explored new passions and interests throughout her life. Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, her love for the outdoors and adventure was evident from an early age. Between camping and fishing with her family, she competed at a high level in the junior tennis circuit, eventually becoming a recruited athlete at Cornell University. It was there that she discovered her passion for genetics and its impact on people’s lives.