Ashley is originally from Akron, OH. She obtained a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!). She went to Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine for medical school. She then returned to Ohio for residency at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital where she also completed a Pediatric Chief Resident year.

Her research interests include neonatal nutrition, human milk feeding, simulation and medical education. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring Nashville restaurants, hiking, reading, and going to concerts/live music events.

Matthew grew up in Purcellville, Virginia at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He completed his bachelor’s degree at the College of William and Mary with a double major in biology and psychology while spending the rest of his time researching thyroid hormone receptor/importin interactions and playing the euphonium in the school band. After spending a year as an emergency department scribe, he moved down to Norfolk, Virginia to attend Eastern Virginia Medical School. He remained in Norfolk after finishing his MD to complete his pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. He is excited continue his training in pediatric infectious disease and also to be closer to the mountains again.

Natalya was born and raised in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area in Western Nevada. She grew up competing in gymnastics and specialized in competitive tumbling during college. As a four-year member of the U.S. National Gymnastics Team, she competed in the World Games, World Championships, and many other international/national competitions in tumbling. When her feet were firmly planted on the ground, she pursued her undergraduate degree in Biology in Nevada. Her thesis focused on utilizing mouse hybridoma technology for the development of a Cryptococcus diagnostic assay for use in HIV clinics worldwide. After medical school at the University of Nevada, she moved up north to Wisconsin for her pediatrics residency (lured by the promise of lyme and Blastomycosis). As far as she knows, she remained tick-free and Blasto-free as she discovered her interests in antimicrobial stewardship, opportunistic infections, and vaccinology during residency. She won two prestigious resident teaching awards as well. In her free time, she loves to kayak, exercise, cook, and play with her two pups.

Adrienne grew up in rural Pennsylvania and later studied medical anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh. She traded the rolling hills for the endless sunsets of Phoenix to attend A.T. Still University School of Medicine in Arizona & to complete her pediatric residency training at Phoenix Children's. Longing for rivers and forests, Adrienne set out for middle Tennessee to complete her fellowship in pediatric endocrinology with her husband, Roger the cat, and a backseat full of houseplants!

Here at Vanderbilt, she is funded by a T32 grant to investigate the impact of sex hormones on lipid metabolism and completed the LGBTQ+ Health Certificate Program in 2024. She spends much of her spare time tending her vegetable garden & indoor jungle, as well as taking both outdoor & culinary adventures with her loved ones.

Rachel is from Powder Springs, Georgia, and she graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a B.S. degree in Biology. She then received her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. From there, Rachel went on to complete her pediatric residency at University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. She has a special interest in PCOS, obesity, and diabetes, and her current research is focused on genetic testing in pediatric obesity.

In her free time, Rachel enjoys weight-training, reading sci-fi novels, and exploring new creative pursuits like painting. She particularly loves to sing and enjoys exploring the music scene in Nashville.

Kaitlyn grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee and was number three of her parents' seven children. She ventured over to middle Tennessee for her undergraduate education at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville where she majored in biochemistry and minored in mathematics. During her gap year, Kaitlyn gave back to the community she grew up in by tutoring students at the community college less than a mile from her childhood home. She attended East Tennessee State University in Johnson City for medical school.

Kaitlyn enjoys spending her free time with her husband, Eric, their two dogs (Luna and Trixie, short for Bellatrix), and cat (Minnie, short for Minerva). She enjoys yoga, games of all varieties, reading, crocheting, and bingeable tv.

For most of her life, Amanda grew up surrounded by corn fields and dairy farms in rural Pennsylvania, about 30 minutes from Gettysburg. However, she recently relocated with her family to the backwoods of West Virginia after her super cute nephew was born. Amanda attended Elizabethtown College where she majored in Biochemistry. After college, she moved to Hershey, PA to begin her medical training at the Penn State College of Medicine. Highlights of her time in medical school included a trip to Iquitos, Peru as a Global Health Scholar (fortunately, she only saw one tarantula—it was no longer living), forming a band with a few other medical students, developing a passion for education and obtaining her M.Ed. degree, and meeting a wonderful group of friends who would cruise down rivers on their inflatable kayaks.

For fun, Amanda likes to hike, kayak, watch the Philadelphia Eagles when they are winning, listen to and play funk music on her bass guitar, drum set, or keyboard, and spend time with her friends and family (mostly her super cute nephew).