Gabrielle Rushing, PhD, is the Science Program Director at the CSNK2A1 Foundation. She brings 6 years of patient advocacy experience and 12 years of research and project management experience to drive innovative research for rare diseases. She completed her PhD at Vanderbilt University, studying how neural stem cells contribute to TSC brain tumor development under the guidance of Dr. Rebecca Ihrie.
Gabrielle joins us from the TSC Alliance, a patient advocacy group dedicated to finding a cure for tuberous sclerosis complex. In her role as Director, Research, she established a Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) project to generate sequencing data for research and provide CLIA-certified results and genetic counseling back to participants, developed and launched a Self-Report Portal to collect patient-reported outcomes, and led the Natural History Database and Biosample Repository initiatives including growth by >1,300 biosamples in 3 years. Additionally, she championed efforts to utilize TSC natural history data to investigate potential disparities in care via collaboration with a TSC physician that resulted in a publication last year.
Prior to joining the TSC Alliance, Gabrielle served as Project Manager for the PREDICT (Pharmacogenomic Resource for Enhanced Decisions in Care and Treatment) program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she developed scientific content to develop point-of-care clinical decision support for drug-gene interactions. Gabrielle has previous experience working with nonprofits, including an internship at the TSC Alliance in 2017, where she participated in the March on Capitol Hill and co-authored the Voice of the Patient Report from the TSC Patient-Focused Drug Development meeting. Additionally, Gabrielle served as the Research Director for the Thisbe and Noah Scott Foundation from 2016-2019.
She currently resides in Nashville, Tennesee, with her partner Jeremiah and their three dogs, Honey, Willow, and Harper. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exercising, and trying new coffee shops.
