As a Behavioral Neuroscience major at Northeastern University, Chelsey has always been interested in the sciences. After being raised by her mother and grandmother her entire life, Chelsey was devastated when her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. She spent most of her time for five years in the halls of Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women’s Hospital accompanying her grandmother to and from appointments and procedures. When the time came to attend college, Chelsey was thrilled that the hospital that had treated her grandmother was right down the street from her dorm. She began volunteering at Dana-Farber during her freshman year and soon realized that she wanted to become a doctor. On campus, Chelsey conducts molecular research studying kappa opioid receptors and investigating opioid therapeutics. For the past three years, she has volunteered at various hospitals throughout Boston, such as Brigham and Women’s, Dana-Farber, and Mass General Hospital. In 2007, Chelsey was awarded a Community Service Leadership Award for her commitment to helping others. In 2008, she was accepted to the Early Acceptance Program at Tufts Medical School.

The internship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute was one of the most rewarding experiences of Chelsey's life. She was able to shadow a world-renowned doctor in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, Dr. Mark Kieran. While at Dana-Farber, she was able to watch brain surgery on a child and discuss future treatment plans with an entire family. She also worked on a publication about Low Grade Gliomas and their precursors. This research is the first of its kind and, when completed, the hope is that it will provide answers to help doctors better diagnose patients and plan their treatments.

Chelsey is currently finishing her senior year at Northeastern University, before beginning Tufts Medical School in September 2010.