Staff
UDNF Team
F. Sessions Cole | he/him
Acting Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Cole is a neonatologist who began studying rare diseases with genomic methods during his fellowship in the laboratory of the late Harvey R. Colten, M.D. He has participated in the discovery of new genetic causes of structural birth defects and of respiratory failure in full-term infants, expanded phenotypes of known genetic diseases, and suggested novel therapeutic strategies. His research has been continuously supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a Principal Investigator for more than 25 years. Most recently, he led the NIH-funded Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Clinical Site at Washington University from 2018-2021. He currently co-chairs the UDN’s Sustainability Working Group and is leading the UDN’s Therapeutic Matching Committee aimed at identifying therapies for rare disease patients.
Danielle Carnival, Ph.D. | she/her
Advisor
Danielle Carnival, Ph.D. is a national leader in health, research, and policy. She led the White House Cancer Moonshot from 2021- 2025 which delivered more than 125 federal actions and steps from more than 250 private sector organizations to improve the experience and outcomes for people facing cancer. At the same time, she led a White House team to drive policy and programmatic progress in the areas of research and regulatory infrastructure, public health, and biosecurity, among others. As the inaugural CEO of I AM ALS, Dr. Carnival provided strategic leadership and management for the patient-driven organization that aims to provide key resources to the community and create opportunities for patients to lead progress and cures. As Vice President of the Biden Cancer Initiative, she led organizational, program, policy, and partnership development.Dr. Carnival also worked at the White House from 2010-2017, where she leveraged her scientific expertise to make progress in the areas of health and biomedical research policy, STEM education, and advancing equity and promoting diversity in STEM fields. She was integral in developing the framing and goals for the Cancer Moonshot, managed the team executing on those goals, led multiple White House Science Fairs and the White House Cancer Moonshot Summit, and contributed to signature reports and recommendation implementation from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and the President's Job Council. Danielle Carnival earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Georgetown University and a B.S. in Biochemistry from Boston College.
Sarah Marshall, MSW | she/her
Community Program Manager
Sarah Marshall has a dual role at the UDNF both as Community Program Manager and a PEER member since 2018. Her work in undiagnosed and ultra-rare disease is fueled by the lived experience of caring for a child who has been undiagnosed and also by the inspirational work and stories of others in the undiagnosed community. With a Master’s Degree in social work, she is no stranger to advocacy work. For over 20 years, she has worked directly with women, children and families in health care circles to achieve optimal outcomes for all. In addition to working directly with patients, Sarah has leadership experience in health care and legislative advocacy, strategic planning and non-profit organizations.
If you are interested in joining the UDNF team, please send a cover letter and resume to info@udnf.org.