ASPIRE Medical Research Program Leadership
2026 Cohort
Christian Metiku
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Marybel Gonzalez
Colin Adams
Hometown: Akron, OH
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Zobeida Cruz - Monserrate
Nessa Cooper
Hometown: Spokane, Washington
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Sarah Peters
Katrin Marie Parker
Hometown: Ashland, Ohio
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Ruth Barrientos – Wood
Kamal Biswa
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Amanda Toland
Anthony Riad
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Jacek Kolacz
Patience Ogundare
Hometown: Columbus, OH
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Timothy M. Adesanya
Abigail Bempah
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Ruth – Alma Turkson Ocran
Renie Mensah – Bonsu
Hometown: Worthington, Columbus
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Susheela Tridandapani
Aisha Abdinur
Hometown: Columbus, OH
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Angela Harden
Chrissy Tassew
Hometown: Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Leah Pyter
David Issacs
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Georgios Kyriazis
Moussa Ba
Hometown: New York
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Sakima Smith
Reem Mohammed
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Nina Kragulijac
Caleb Araujo
Hometown: North Potomac, Maryland
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Priya Dedhia
Charlotte Frimpong
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Summer 2026 Research Mentor: Dr. Justin Kaspar
ASPIRE cohorts group photos
Meet our ASPIRE alumni
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Adrian Ferreira
Hometown: Humacao, PR
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Rachel Belote
Jayden Milligan
Hometown: Columbus, OH
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Ruth Barrientos
Ava Lane Mingo
Hometown: New Albany, OH
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Katy Lenz
Shekinah BuaBua
Hometown: Lynn, MA
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Robert Baiocchi
Khoa Cao
Hometown: Vietnam
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: iGEM
Kevin Lin
Hometown: Twinsburg, Ohio
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Brian Foster
Sena Mekonnen
Hometown: Pickerington, OH
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Yael Vodovotz
Massar Yade
Hometown: Canal Winchester, OH
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Steve Oghumu
Mohamed Mukhtar
Hometown: Dublin, OH
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Bhakthi Deshpande
Isha Bangura
Hometown: Columbus, OH
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Amanda Toland
Seolbin Lee
Hometown: Blue Ash, OH
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Christopher Coss
Mohamed Omar
Hometown: Columbus, OH
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Joshua Joseph
Mykenna Roy
Hometown: Mayfield, OH
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Marybel Gonzalez
Demi Ajibade
Hometown: Maineville, OH
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Kym Gowdy
Will Gyimah
Hometown: Dublin, OH
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Sarah Peters
Chi Ibe
Hometown: Englewood, OH
Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Madison Kackley -
Minna Mohamed
Hometown: Khartoum, Sudan
Major: Systems/Behavioral Neuroscience
Research interest: Understanding the effects of traumatic brain injuries on the brain and behavior as well as the hormonal mechanisms associated with them across different stages of development.
Joshua Jeyandran
Hometown: Delaware, OH
Major: Medical Anthropology
Research interest: I study ocular biomechanics, focusing on how the eye responds to external forces, the progression of diseases like glaucoma and keratoconus, and their disproportionate impact on ethnic minorities.
Nallely Segura
Hometown: Immokalee, Florida
Major: Biology
Research interest: My research focuses on using community-based approaches to analyze neighborhood factors and how they play a role in substance abuse (alcohol and tobacco) in Latino youth.
Aaron Smith
Hometown: Akron, OH
Major: Biology
Research interest: My research studies how viral infections in respiratory system drives asthma and the role allergic diseases have in influencing certain immune responses.
Vince Kawana
Hometown: Dublin, OH
Major: Biochemistry
Research interest: My research Focuses on understanding how interactions between oral microbes affect the transition of oral health disease.
Liam Garrison
Hometown: Portsmouth, OH
Major: Biochemistry
Research interest: My research Peptide delivery of cell-mediated immunotherapeutic STING agonist.
Muskan Moni
Hometown:Columbus, OH
Major: Neuroscience
Research interest: My research in Dr. Pitter’s radiation oncology lab investigates the mechanisms driving radiation resistance in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma & my research examined the timeline of induction and repair of radiation-induced DNA damage using immunofluorescence.
Fikir Arega
Hometown: Columbus, OH
Major: Neuroscience
Research interest: My research is on the development and optimization of operant behavioral testing using touchscreen chambers for research using mouse models.
Journee Byrd-Allen
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Major: Pyschology
Research interest: This summer, my research at Nationwide Children's Hospital focused on a systematic review examining stress and coping mechanisms in Black birthing communities, identifying effective interventions to improve birth outcomes, while also conducting a comprehensive literature review on racial disparities in the frequency of bullying and the dynamics of friendship formation and maintenance.
David Torres
Hometown: New Albany, Ohio
Major: Food Science & Technology and Sustainable Agriculture
Research interest: I'm conducting a systematic review on growth charts for children with genetic disorders and developing a survey to investigate how acculturation in immigrant families influences the eating habits of their children.
Morgan Mack
Hometown: Pataskala, OH
Major: Biology
Research interest: In the Gunderson lab, I focused on initiating lymphocyte formation in tumors to help improve breast tumor response rate to immunotherapy.
Sean Matambo
Hometown: Naperville, Illinois
Major: Pyschology
Research interest: Understanding the cellular mechanisms of cellular membrane repair.
Julie Martinez
Bella Donnelly
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
Major: Biology
Research interest: I’m involved in dental research studying different potential treatments to mediate the oral biological defects of X-linked hypophosphatemia. -
Ahmed Hamid
Amy Torres
Andrew Hardman
Anthony Kantaras
Ayinde Reese
Brukti Yohannes
Carol Mensah Bonsu
Devante Barnes
Dilasa Adhikhari
Idris Hakeem
Kwame Lartey
Leena Dughly
Mel Izem
Olivia Robinson
Tracy Afriyie
Zoe Lee
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Martha Admassu
Undergraduate Major: Neuroscience
Medical Interest: Pediatrics & OB/GYN
Hani Amro
Undergraduate Major: Neuroscience
Medical Interest: Neuroscience, Trauma, Critical Care
Diana Appiagyei
Undergraduate Major: Microbiology
Medical Interest: Cardiology / Cardiothoracic Surgery
Reagan Conrad
Undergraduate Major: Biology
Medical Interest: Pediatrics
Amy Dokiburra
Undergraduate Major: Molecular Genetics, pre-MD/PhD
Medical Interest: Neurology, OB/GYN, Dermatology
Selina Reyes Flowers
Medical Interest: PhD/MD
Faris Haroun
Undergraduate Major: Exercise Science
Medical Interest: Sports Medicine/Orthopedics
Ale Zaleta Lastra
Undergraduate Major: Neuroscience
Medical Interest: Neuro developments, sex differences in the brain, stress
Terri’Anna Lewis
Undergraduate Major: Health Sciences
Medical Interest: Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Alex Ochoa
Undergraduate Major: Public Health
Medical Interest: Family Medicine and Pediatrics
Shirleen Otieno
Undergraduate Major: Biology
Medical Interest: Psychiatry and Family Medicine
Abhek Poudel
Undergraduate Major: Neuroscience
Medical Interest: Neuroscience, Trauma, Critical Care
Varsha Prabu
Undergraduate Major: Psychology
Medical Interest: Reproductive Health, Primary Care
Katrice Stallworth
Undergraduate Major: Psychology
Medical Interest: Child and Adolescent Psychology / Social Psychology
Lauren Wilk
Undergraduate Major: Environmental Public Health
Medical Interest: Dentistry
Ferome Yadatta
Undergraduate Major: Biochemistry
Medical Interest: Psychiatry/Neurology