Sophia Chesmer

Sophia Chesmer is a second year Master of Public Health Genetics student in the department of Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh. She completed her undergraduate degree at The Pennsylvania State University in 2024, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Disability Studies. Her experiences during her undergraduate years were formative of her passion to work within the disability community. She served as a peer mentor to college students with disabilities and as President of Penn State’s Best Buddies chapter. As she learned about disability culture through academic and experiential pursuits, Sophia found herself motivated to promote advocacy and create partnerships with people identifying with disabilities.

Currently, Sophia is involved with Best Buddies Pittsburgh as a volunteer and hopes to work with the organization in a leadership capacity upon graduation. As a professional, Sophia intends to work with agencies, policymakers, and her community to improve health and genetic literacy for the promotion of self-advocacy and collaboration within clinical and public health settings. She looks forward to developing as a leader, advocate, and friend to individuals with disabilities.