Staff Highlight - Mary Kate Merenich

Get to know the Penn FTD Center staff! Learn more this month from Penn FTD Center Clinical Research Coordinator Mary Kate Merenich, B.S. in the responses below!

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

I joined the Penn FTD Center as a Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) in February of this year! At the center, my main role is to facilitate recruitment, scheduling, and administration of research activities for our observational studies ALLFTD and UNICORN. Between both studies, I coordinate research visits involving blood draws, MRIs, cognitive testing, genetic counseling, as well as lumbar puncture support to our physicians. I also process biofluid samples in our wet lab, oversee shipment of frozen biospecimens to study repositories, and manage participant data. As a CRC, I really enjoy the breadth of responsibility I have across the entire research process. I am involved from the very first point of contact with patient—recruiting and speaking with them about our studies— through consent, clinical visits, specimen processing, and data submission. I find it rewarding that my work spans both the human and operational sides of research; as I manage day-to-day details of a study, I get to know the people behind our data and hear their stories, which is what makes our work so meaningful. 

How do you hope to use this work in future opportunities?

Working at the Penn FTD Center has confirmed my love for the research realm, which is where I continue to see myself in the future. I come from an undergraduate background studying language and auditory neuroscience which has been deepened by my experiences at the FTDC engaging with patients where language deficits are a primary feature. The interaction between language and neurodegeneration is an area which I am interested in pursuing further on a graduate level. I hope to carry the experiences and skills I have gained as a CRC into a PhD and, eventually, a research career.

What is your favorite thing to do in Philly?

All of the other CRCs at the FTDC would tell you that I like to do EVERYTHING in Philly. Any community event, farmers market, outdoor concert, group run, new coffee shop or restaurant has my name written all over it. In this city, you can always find something fun to do with genuine company. Recently, my most common Philly activity has been going for runs along the Schuylkill River Trail as I prepare for the 2026 Philly Marathon. I am currently fundraising for this year's race with the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD)!