ASPIRE Medical Research Program Leadership

Thangam Venkatesan

Dr. Thangam Venkatesan, MD

Faculty Director, Professor

I am honored serve as the Faculty Director for this program. I have worked with learners at all levels of the educational trajectory and am deeply passionate about guiding the careers of youth who wish to pursue medicine. I look forward to collaborating with these students and guiding them towards successful biomedical research careers.

As Abraham Lincoln once said, “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” I am excited to work with ASPIRE students and help them achieve their full potential.

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Aaron Thomas

Aaron Thomas

Program Coordinator

"Working with our students has been the privilege of a lifetime.  They are the smartest, most driven, most self-assured humans I have ever encountered.  Some say it’s a privilege to be in this program, but in serving them, the privilege is mine."

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2025 Cohort

Adrian Ferreira 

Adrian Ferreira

Hometown: Humacao, PR 

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Rachel Belote

 
Jayden Milligan 

Jayden Milligan

Hometown: Columbus, OH 

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Ruth Barrientos

 
Ana Lane Mingo 

Ava Lane Mingo

Hometown: New Albany, OH 

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Katy Lenz

 
Shekinah BuaBua 

Shekinah BuaBua

Hometown: Lynn, MA 

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Robert Baiocchi

 
Khoa Cao 

Khoa Cao

Hometown: Vietnam 

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: iGEM

 
Kevin Li 

Kevin Lin

Hometown: Twinsburg, Ohio

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Brian Foster

 
Sena Mekonnen 

Sena Mekonnen

Hometown: Pickerington, OH 

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Yael Vodovotz

 
Massar Yade 

Massar Yade

Hometown: Canal Winchester, OH 

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Steve Oghumu

 
Mohamed Mukhtar 

Mohamed Mukhtar

Hometown: Dublin, OH

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Bhakthi Deshpande

 
Isha Bangura 

Isha Bangura

Hometown: Columbus, OH 

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Amanda Toland

 
Seolbin Lee 

Seolbin Lee

Hometown: Blue Ash, OH

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Christopher Coss

 
Muhamed Omar 

Mohamed Omar

Hometown: Columbus, OH

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Joshua Joseph

 
Mykenna Roy 

Mykenna Roy

Hometown: Mayfield, OH

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Marybel Gonzalez

 
Demi Ajibade 

Demi Ajibade

Hometown: Maineville, OH

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Kym Gowdy

 
Will Gyimah 

Will Gyimah

Hometown: Dublin, OH

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Sarah Peters

 
Chi Ibe 

Chi Ibe

Hometown: Englewood, OH

Summer 2025 Research Mentor: Dr. Madison Kackley

 

ASPIRE cohorts group photos

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2025 ASPIRE program cohort
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Top L-R: David Torres, Joshua Jeyandran, Vince Kawana, Sean Matambo, Julie Martinez, Morgan Mack, Liam Garrison
Bottom L-R: Aaron Smith, Minna Mohamed, Bella Donnelly, Fikir Arega, Nallely Segura, Muskan Moni, Journee Byrd Allen
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The 2023 ASPIRE program cohort
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The 2022 ASPIRE program cohort
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The 2021 ASPIRE program cohort (from L-R): Dhairy Patel, Hayat Mekonen, Leslie Simon, Matthew Estrada, Rahwa Ghenbot, Rebecca Worthington, Alexandra Martinez-Mendez, Lauren Delfunt, Esther Pascal and Mamadou M'Bello Diallo. 
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The 2019 ASPIRE cohort (from L-R): (top)  Abdul Kaba, Nick Hamilton, McKinley Shawver, Andrea Ballinger; (bottom) Elvia Lozano Ortiz, Meron Yishak, Jahara Wakeel, Julia Catalano, Naniel Woode
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The 2018 ASPIRE cohort (from L-R): Leslie Jones, Dunni Adekunle-Adegbite, Jonaye Freeman, Mark Fongheiser, Sofia Herrera, Ladan Navari, Diana Hallak, Salma Shire
 

Meet our ASPIRE alumni