Meet the UDN Helpdesk Team
What we do
The UDN Helpdesk Team is made up of a group of research assistants led by UDN Project Manager, Paul Mazur, located at the UDN Data Management Coordinating Center (UDN DMCC) at Harvard Medical School. They work with undiagnosed individuals and their families to help navigate the UDN case submission, evaluation, and research process. The research assistants are all current genetic counselors in training that are highly knowledgeable about rare diseases and passionate about serving this community.
Contact us!
The Helpdesk Team is here to help answer your questions! They can be reached by phone at 1-844-RING-UDN (1-844-746-4836) or by email at UDN@hms.harvard.edu. The Helpdesk is open Monday–Friday, 9am – 5pm ET. The Helpdesk is closed on national holidays.
Meet the Team
Paul Mazur is a Project Manager for the UDN DMCC. He brings proficiency in operations, expertise in communications, and project management to the UDN while serving the undiagnosed community to end the diagnostic and therapeutic odyssey. He does his job because it makes him feel more human. It provides him with an incredible window into the human spirit. The UDN allows him to work with others to end the odyssey for all patients and their families. He believes that innovation, collaboration, inclusion, integrity, and patient leadership are key.
Wajiha Syed is a graduate student at Boston University (BU) and part-time research assistant for the UDN DMCC. Wajiha is Pakistani-American and grew up in the California Bay Area. Wajiha graduated from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Sciences and is pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) in addition to genetic counseling at BU. While at UCI, Wajiha was a research assistant for an adolescent biobehavioral development lab and investigated teen mental health, risky behavior, and eating habits. Additionally, Wajiha was an orientation coordinator for UCI, creating and facilitating programs for over ten thousand incoming students and their families. For their public health practicum, Wajiha interned at a center for LGBTQ+ health and HIV care, providing essential nutrition services to community members affected by HIV. In their free time, Wajiha enjoys live music, rock climbing, crafting, and cooking with friends.