Staff Highlight - Carmen Gonzalez-Recober

Get to know the Penn FTD Center staff! Learn more this month from Penn FTD Center Carmen Gonzalez-Recober in the responses below!

What is your role at the Penn FTD Center and how long have you been working at the center?

I have been working at the FTD Center since June 2021. My path at the center began as an intern for the speech focused team, due to my experience in college with language research, and I soon became a clinical research coordinator for them. I later transferred over to our UNICORN team which focuses on multiple facets of data collection on patients with neurodegenerative disease and have since become a senior research coordinator. I am also the primary coordinator for our Wearables Study and Conversation Study which focus on collecting physiological data (ex. Heart rate, body temperature) while completing brief conversations and computerized tasks. 

What inspiration/joy do you find within the role?

My time at FTD Center has not only taught me about neurodegenerative diseases themselves, but also about how many people there are around the world who are dedicated to working daily to find treatments for these difficult diseases. Watching all the staff at our center put in so much effort into making all patients and families feel supported throughout the difficult situations they are facing has made me extremely grateful to get to be a part of this team. I hope to carry this compassion with me for the rest of my life as I continue to work in fields where advocating and providing support for others is the core goal. 

What is your favorite thing to do in Philly?

While I wasn’t raised in Philadelphia, it has quickly become one of my favorite cities in the world because of all it has to offer. Summertime is my favorite time in the city as it becomes so full of life with all its outdoor offerings. One of the best ways to spend the afternoons decompressing is by going on long walks along the Schuylkill Trail. When it’s nice out, you will even see people doing yoga classes on the grass, having picnics, or just lounging around. I also love heading with friends to some of the many parks or rooftops and grabbing a bite to eat. On Saturday mornings, going to the Rittenhouse Farmers Market is great because you can help support local vendors and get lots of fresh foods.