User:LaPoint

I am a biomedical writer-editor with experience writing about rare diseases. I have degrees in molecular biology and bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, taught intro biology and microbiology at the university level, and performed research in a nutrition lab (adipocyte biology). Before this, I went to culinary school and worked as a chef. I am also trained as a master gardener.

I have a particular interest in contributing to knowledge about rare neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., leukodystrophies, lysosomal storage diseases). I have worked with rare disease specialists, researchers, and family advocacy groups and hear a lot of stories about parents frantically trying to find information about a child's diagnosis. Family doctors do not generally receive training in rare diseases and seldom see a patient with one, so they are not typically good resources for families. Wikipedia is a good way to provide information to these families and their primary care doctors.