Rebecca Schmitt received her PhD in Human Genetics from Virginia Commonwealth University in May of 2019, investigating genetics and environmental factors that influence Drosophila ethanol sedation. She subsequently started a postdoctoral position with Jason Doles, PhD at Mayo Clinic exploring hereditary myopathies. It was here where Rebecca first started learning and studying GNE myopathy and its causes. She is still continuing this work after the Doles lab moved to Indiana University in 2022.