Liesl Broadbridge is a Ph.D. student in Health Communication and a Rutgers Presidential Fellow, with a primary research focus on enhancing communication between patients and healthcare providers. As a certified genetic counselor, her interest in health communication originated from her practical experience in clinical settings, and this firsthand exposure continues to shape her research questions. Liesl obtained her Sc.M. in genetic counseling from Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health (2021) and completed her B.S. in biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison (2016). During her undergraduate, Liesl worked as a research assistant in Dr. Anna Huttenlocher's laboratory, where she investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying tissue regeneration following injury. Following graduation, she completed a post-baccalaureate research fellowship with the National Human Genome Research Institute at the NIH, focusing on genetically inherited forms of Leukemia under the guidance of Dr. Paul Liu. Currently, Liesl is advised by Dr. Kathryn Greene in the School of Communication and Information where she also works closely with Dr. Maria Venetis and MD/Ph.D. researchers at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Outside of her research interests, Liesl is also active in rare disease patient advocacy. She works closely with the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases, using her research training to help gather essential data needed to advocate for state and federal legislative and regulatory reforms aimed at improving the health care experience for rare disease patients.