PHILADELPHIA— 10 researchers will each receive an unrestricted grant for medical research at Uplifting Athletes’ Young Investigator Draft on January 31, 2026, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Uplifting Athletes is a nonprofit organization that unites student-athletes nationwide and professional athlete ambassadors with their local rare disease communities. Together, they raise awareness, inspire hope, and generate funds to support the approximately 1 in 10 Americans impacted by rare diseases. Over $1.2 million in grants have been awarded throughout the program’s history.
The Young Investigator Draft is inspired by the NFL Draft but shifts the focus from selecting potential talent on the football field to recognizing the next generation of promising young medical researchers in rare diseases. It is one of several signature initiatives created by Uplifting Athletes to raise awareness and research funding for rare diseases, which affect approximately 30 million individuals in the United States.
“Research funding is critical to advancing discovery of critical treatments and improving outcomes for people impacted by rare diseases who need it most. We are thrilled to partner with 10 patient advocacy organizations, and we are overjoyed to celebrate the 2026 Draft class,” said Brett Brackett, President of Uplifting Athletes. “These world class researchers represent so much promise for tomorrow, and we are honored to have them on our team.”
Grant submissions for the Young Investigator Draft are evaluated by an expert panel of scientific advisors prior to the selection of each year’s Draft Class. Every researcher is nominated by a patient advocacy organization (PAO) recognized by Uplifting Athletes as a priority partner, with grants equally co-funded by Uplifting Athletes and the nominating PAO.
The 2026 Young Investigator Draft class includes:
Researcher: Dr. Sunanjay Bajaj
Category of Research: Rare Muscular and Neurological Disorders, Rare Genetic Disorders
Institution: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Nominated and Co-Funded by: CSNK2A1 Foundation
Researcher: Dr. Jeronimo Lukin
Category of Research: Rare Genetic Disorders
Institution: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Nominated and Co-Funded by: DDX3X Foundation
Researcher: Dr. Firyal Ramzan
Category of Research: Rare Muscular & Neurological Diseases, Rare Genetic Disorders
Institution: University of Waterloo (ON, Canada)
Nominated and Co-Funded by: Cure VCP Disease
Researcher: Dailey Nettles, PhD
Category of Research: Rare Muscular & Neurological Diseases, Rare Genetic Disorders
Institution: Medical University of South Carolina
Nominated and Co-Funded by: CHAMP1 Foundation
Researcher: Dr. Jingliang Zhang
Category of Research: Rare Muscular & Neurological Diseases, Rare Genetic Disorders
Institution: Purdue University
Nominated and Co-Funded by: The FamilieSCN2A Foundation
Researcher: Dr. Emilie Korchak
Category of Research: Rare Muscular & Neurological Diseases, Rare Genetic Disorders
Institution: UConn Health
Nominated and Co-Funded by: Foundation for USP7 Related Diseases
Researcher: Dr. Katherine Forsyth
Category of Research: Rare Autoimmune Disorders, Rare Cancer, Rare Blood Disorders
Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Nominated and Co-Funded by: Castleman Disease Collaborative Network
Researcher: Dr. Melissa DeLeeuw
Category of Research: Rare Muscular & Neurological Diseases, Rare Genetic Disorders
Institution: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nominated and Co-Funded by: SLC6A1 Connect
Researcher: Dr. Da (David) Zhang
Category of Research: Rare Genetic Disorders
Institution: Columbia University Medical Center
Nominated and Co-Funded by: Team Telomere
Researcher: Dr. Timothy Barry
Category of Research: Rare Blood Disorders, Rare Genetic Disorders, Rare Cancer
Institution: Boston Children’s Hospital
Nominated and Co-Funded by: SDS Alliance
The 2026 Young Investigator Draft audience will include student-athlete leaders from Uplifting Athletes’ collegiate chapters across the country, notable professional athletes, biopharmaceutical representatives, healthcare professionals, and those directly impacted by rare diseases and their families. The Young Investigator Draft is family-friendly, and VIP tickets include a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Eagles’ stadium.
For more information or to purchase tickets for the Uplifting Athletes 2026 Young Investigator Draft, please visit https://charity.pledgeit.org/YID2026.
About Uplifting Athletes
Uplifting Athletes is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 that harnesses the power of sport to build a community that invests in the lives of the more than 30 million people impacted by rare diseases in America. Since its inception, Uplifting Athletes has raised more than $12 million by engaging athletes in order to help people impacted by rare diseases for today, tomorrow and the future.