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Ozlem Goker-Alpan, MD


Dr. Ozlem Goker-Alpan is the founder and president of LDRTC, a nonprofit organization that focuses on Lysosomal disorders and other rare diseases. Dr. Goker-Alpan founded LDRTC in 2013 with a vision that quality care to individuals with rare diseases is provided by offering clinical care, and translational research under one roof. Dr. Goker-Alpan received her medical degree in 1990 from Marmara University School of Medicine in Istanbul, Turkey with the highest honors as first in her class.

She trained in Pediatrics and then served as a Pediatric Chief Resident at SUNY at Stony Brook, New York. She completed her first fellowship in Clinical and Biochemical Genetics at the National Institutes of Health, Greater Washington Medical Genetics Program in 1999, and worked as an adjunct scientist at the National Child Health Institute. Her second fellowship focused on Lysosomal disorders and Gaucher disease at the Clinical Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH. She coordinated the NIH Gaucher Clinic at the Medical Genetics Branch of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).

As an established clinician and translational scientist in rare genetic and lysosomal storage disorders, her pursuit is to provide individualized care and treatment for patients with LDs and rare diseases. Under her supervision, LDRTC has completed multiple scientific projects exploring immune pathways and lysosomal functions to develop new diagnostic and monitoring tools in LDs and GBA-related Parkinsonism. She serves on the scientific advisory boards of multiple pharmaceutical companies and patient advocacy organizations. Her continuing effort is to educate and train the new generation health care providers in Lysosomal disorders.

Administration

Uyensa Beese
Uyensa BeeseOperations Director / Treasurer

Clinical Team

Leah Svarny, PA-C
Leah Svarny, PA-CPhysician Assistant
Yoleny Argueta, LPN
Yoleny Argueta, LPNLicensed Practical Nurse
Dunya Allahwerdy, RPh
Dunya Allahwerdy, RPhLicensed Pharmacist
Bobby Sandhu, LPN
Bobby Sandhu, LPNLicensed Practical Nurse
Hudda Ali, CMA
Hudda Ali, CMACertified Medical Assistant
Rosmery Cambices, CPhT
Rosmery Cambices, CPhTCertified Pharmacy Technician
Sapphire Truong
Sapphire TruongPatient Care Coordinator
William Hylton, CMA
William Hylton, CMACertified Medical Assistant

Clinical Research Team

Lauren Noll
Lauren NollClinical Research Site Manager
Arooj Agha
Arooj AghaClinical Research Coordinator
Pantea Ghadakpour
Pantea GhadakpourClinical Research Coordinator

Translational Research Team

Margarita Ivanova, PhD
Margarita Ivanova, PhDDirector of Translational Research Unit
Julia Dao
Julia DaoBiology Technician
Neil Kasaci
Neil KasaciLaboratory Technician