I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and I moved to Columbus in 2015 to begin my undergraduate degree at THE Ohio State University. I graduated in 2019 with a BS in Biology and began working in lab as a research associate at Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. After three years of working in the lab I decided I wanted to pursue my Ph.D. and applied to and was accepted into the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at Ohio State in 2022. I am currently working in Dr. Gina Sizemore’s lab on the mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis, specifically to the brain. My lab focuses on how certain phenotypes of the tumor may be promoting the migration and seeding of tumor cells in the brain, and how that is affecting the overall tumor microenvironment of this specific metastatic site. I love working in research as I learn every day and additionally, I am not only able to gain knowledge for myself but contribute to the greater understanding of the terrible and prevalent disease of cancer.
I'm from Ridgway, PA. I graduated in 2018 from Thiel College with a Bachelor's of Science in Neuroscience and a Bachelor's of Art in Biology. I moved to Columbus, OH in October 2018 and soon begun working in the lab of Dr. Jack Yalowich in the College of Pharmacy. I will matriculate into the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program in June 2021. I have had varied research experiences and worked on various projects in immunology, pharmacology, and neuroscience, and am planning to further pursue research in the field of immunology.
I was born and raised in Columbus, OH and attended Westerville South HS. During the summers following my Junior and Senior years, I was an apprentice in a molecular pathology lab that was led by Dr Thomas Prior. After earning my BS in biochemistry from Oakwood University, I moved to Brooklyn, NY and eventually began working as a lab technician at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, under Dr. David Weinstein, MD, PhD. Two years later, Dr. Weinstein founded GliaMed; a biotech company based on the novel interaction between an astrocytic ligand (CD81) and neuronal receptor (EPHA5) that re- established homeostasis following ischemic injury or disease. GliaMed also developed a set of small molecules, called regenerative immunophilin ligands (RIL), that facilitated stem cell-mediated regeneration in multiple composite tissues, after injury. While managing the RIL program, I completed the coursework for my MS in cell & molecular biology at Long Island University.
After GliaMed successfully exited, I briefly accepted a position at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, then went to Firmenich; a Swiss-based flavor & fragrance company. I re- wrote the protocol for isolating olfactory neuronal receptors and using calcium imaging to identify receptors of interest. My protocol dramatically improved throughput and was patented then used in The Gates Foundation’s mal-odor suppression initiative for developing countries. After three years, I accepted another position as a manager for the BioWatch program. While there, I led teams of two-to-four technicians who assayed environmental samples, from high-traffic areas in NYC, for the presence of bio-terror agents.
I finally grew tired of bench work, returned to Columbus, OH, and enrolled in OSU’s Fisher School of Business Full Time MBA Program. While matriculating, I co-founded a biotech company, called ReNovo Pharmaceuticals, that was based on unpatented RIL intellectual property. ReNovo won Rev1’s Spring 2016 Concept Academy and in 2017, was chosen among the first seven companies, from over 220 global applicants, for inclusion in Alexandria’s inaugural Launch Labs NYC Program. We changed the name to Lyganex Bio then merged with Rivertown Therapeutics; another startup that was co-founded by my mentor, Dr. David Weinstein. I served as the VP of Research for Rivertown.
Recently, I accepted a Process Developer position with the Cell Therapy Lab at The James Cancer Center. Here, I perform translational research for experimental cell-based therapies that will be used as phase I trials. While performing my duties, I will pursue my doctorate in Translational Research. My goal is to promote bioscience innovation by providing ancillary support; either as a biotech board member/C-suite officer, venture capitalist, or director of an incubator.
I was raised in Middletown Ohio and attended high school there until 2018. Interested in the sciences, I attended Wittenberg University in Springfield Ohio and completed my Bachelors in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, with a minor in Mathematics, in 2022. During my time there I worked as a teaching assistant in various biology and chemistry labs, alongside holding my position as a front desk receptionist at Urgent Care clinics. I then matriculated into the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Master of Science program at Wright State University in Dayton Ohio. The thesis-based master’s program drew me to cancer research. More specifically, MDM4, a negative regulator of the p53 tumor suppressor gene, and its possibly oncogenic isoforms in the context of melanoma. I utilized existing and novel techniques such as RT-PCR, RT-qPCR, and MinION flow cell sequencing to complete my thesis and first-author publication in 2024. Alongside my thesis, I held a position as a patient care technician at The Little Clinic and had to privilege to help with our genomics in real time outreach program for high school students interested in the sciences. My love for science and research has lead me to the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program here at The Ohio State University where I look forward to continuing cancer research.
I grew up in Akron, Ohio and moved to Boston for college. I graduated from Northeastern University in 2023, where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering with a concentration in Cell & Tissue and a minor in Mathematics. I had the opportunity to do 3 co-ops in Cambridge at the Broad Institute (CMap Group), KSQ Therapeutics (Target Discovery team), and Tango Therapeutics (Immunology team) during my time at Northeastern. After graduation, I worked at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Pan Lab studying the relationship between hypoxia and immune checkpoint inhibitors in the context of head and neck cancer. My scientific career has been very rewarding so far and my experiences in both academic and industry settings have shaped my interest in immuno-oncology. I’m looking forward to learning from the curriculum, my peers, and the faculty of the BSGP and excited to see what’s next for me!
I am from Harvard, IL, located halfway in between Chicago and Milwaukee. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. During my time there, I studied abroad in Wittenberg, Germany, where I interned in a molecular cardiology lab at Martin Luther Universität. The focus of the research project was to find a way for cardiomyocytes to repair infarcts rather than collagen. Upon graduation from Wittenberg, I began as a research assistant in Dr. Paul Janssen’s laboratory here at The Ohio State University. During my time here, I have focused on skeletal muscle twitch kinetics of murine models in preclinical trials for innovative treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Combining my research experience has led me to be interested in the molecular and physiological aspects of cachexia in heart failure patients. I look forward to the training I will receive by the highly respected faculty at OSU.
I was born in Santa Ana, California, and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2017 with a degree in Mathematics, specialization in Physiology, and a minor in biology. During my undergraduate years, I was involved in research in the Mathematics Department creating stochastic models for epithelial cancer growth. Simultaneously, I was performing cell culture experiments in the Department of Medicine to better understand the progression of human diseases. After graduating, I became a research technician, where I continued my passion for biomedical sciences and where I began to apply my mathematical skills into bioinformatics. We are interested in studying the heterogeneity of cardiopharyngeal mesoderm, an embryonic population, which has a unique bipotent ability to generate cardiac and skeletal myogenic progenitors. We aim to generate Mesp1+ cranial skeletal myogenic progenitors and to determine their cell fate through single-cell RNA sequencing. Research has allowed me to be in an environment where I am consistently being challenged and learning. I have found this experience to be very rewarding. I hope to apply my knowledge to biomedical research as a lifelong career. My research interests are biomedical informatics, cancer biology, and immunology. I’m looking forward to learning from and being mentored by distinguished faculty in biomedical sciences.
I am currently a Research Associate in Dr. Bumgardner’s transplant immunology lab at Ohio State University. Our research investigates our novel antibody suppressor CXCR5+CD8+ T cells and their ability to inhibit alloantibody produced after transplant and prolong graft survival. I recently moved to Columbus from Fort Collins, Colorado where I previously worked as a Research Associate in a mycobacterium tuberculosis lab at Colorado State University. I graduated with my Master’s of Science in immunology, microbiology and pathology in 2019 and my Bachelor’s of Science in biological sciences in 2018, both from CSU. My personal research interests are in autoimmune diseases, liver and GI diseases and disorders, immunology and bioinformatics. I hope to utilize my skills and experience in the immunology field with new knowledge in bioinformatics throughout the BSGP.
I am from South Lyon, Michigan. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Hope College. I completed minors in both chemistry and mathematics. My undergraduate research was focused on lipid metabolism and gene regulation, specifically looking at a set of genes and their roles in transcriptional regulation of OLE1 by unsaturated fatty acids. After graduating, I spent a year as a technician at the University of Michigan for the Dickson laboratory investigating the role of the microbiome in critical illness and respiratory disease. My personal research interests lie in the areas of microbiology and immunology. I am particularly interested in microbial pathogenesis and the role that microbes play in the function of our immune system. I am also interested in studying the role of the microbiome in disease.
In adult skeletal muscle, myogenesis counteracts acute and chronic damage by promoting muscle regeneration and subsequent growth. When muscles regenerate following injury or exercise, mRNA translation becomes de-repressed, thus allowing for muscle differentiation and repair. The cumulative effect of activating myogenesis and translation to promote the repair of damaged myofibers is enhanced rates of protein synthesis, which can consequently result in increases in muscle fiber cross-sectional area (hypertrophy). I work in the Accornero lab, where we work to understand regulation of gene expression and post-transcriptional control of protein synthesis during muscle stress and pathologic conditions. My project is aimed at understanding how post-transcriptional RNA modifications and translational control of protein synthesis contribute to reparative growth in hypertrophic and dystrophic skeletal muscles.
I grew up on a farm outside Mt. Gilead, OH, and graduated from Miami University (OH) in 2023 with degrees in Biology and Data Analytics, with a focus in Bioinformatics, along with a minor in Computer Science. During my undergraduate studies, I worked in a genetics lab where I conducted RNASeq analysis on gene expression during mouse ocular lens development, a project that was later published. At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, I developed bioinformatics tools, including an algorithm to simulate genomes from parental genomes and an AI model to predict the pathogenicity of SNPs and indels. My initial motivation to pursue biomedical science stemmed from familial health issues, which led me to focus on rare diseases that often lack dedicated research. I discovered a passion for bioinformatics after a scholarship introduced me to the field, and now I am particularly interested in applying machine learning and AI to research rare diseases, especially in immunological and neuromuscular areas. My goal is to lead my own lab, conducting impactful research and mentoring future scientists. I see the BSGP as a critical step in transitioning from a student to a researcher, where I will gain the skills necessary for success. Outside of academia, I’m an avid outdoors enthusiast—I recently hiked the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia over five months—and I also enjoy skateboarding, skiing, and cooking. I’m excited to collaborate with faculty and my peers and we grow into biomedical researchers.
I was born in Denver, CO but later moved to Fort Wayne, IN where I spent most of my childhood. I attended Indiana University in Bloomington, IN where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry with High Distinction. I was an active member in the IU Run Club and IU Democrats while also working as a Medical Scribe in the Emergency Department at the IU Health Bloomington Hospital. My experiences would lead me to pursue a career in neuroscience research by joining a biotechnology startup in San Francisco shortly after graduation. As a Research Associate at System1 Biosciences, I helped drive the company’s mission of better modeling neurodevelopmental diseases and neurological disorders as a platform for therapeutic development. Through my work, I became interested in exploring the genetic factors contributing to disease and experimental therapeutics. I’m very excited to begin my training as a physician-scientist through the MSTP at The Ohio State University.
I’m originally from Solon, OH, a suburb of Cleveland. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. After graduation, I was a lab technician at UPitt, where I collected and processed patient blood samples to study genetic susceptibility to pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. I have also worked as an inpatient hospital care attendant at UPMC. For the last 4 years, I have been a lab technician for Dr. Alexander Yatsenko at Magee Women’s Research Institute in Pittsburgh. My research focused on studying the genetics of male infertility through whole exome sequencing of patients with non-obstructive azoospermia, bioinformatics, and transgenic mouse models. Going forward, I have a strong interest in studying molecular genetics, and I’m glad to be pursuing it here with the talented OSU community.
I’m from Westerville, OH. I attended Purdue University for my undergraduate studies. During my time at Purdue, I received my both Bachelors of Science and Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Biochemistry. My undergraduate research focused on the structure and functional analysis of deubiquitinases, specifically from viruses and bacteria. In June of 2021 I will be starting in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program where I hope to pursue my research interests involving degenerative and autoimmune diseases.
I was born in Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh) and grew up in Faridabad (Delhi-NCR), India. With a strong academic foundation in biological sciences, I have always been passionate about gaining an in-depth understanding of biology. This passion led me to pursue B.Sc. in Zoology (Hons) at Acharya Narendra Dev College (ANDC), University of Delhi. The dynamic curriculum at ANDC broadened my scientific perspective and laid a solid foundation for future research. In 2019, I completed my master’s degree in Zoology from Miranda House, University of Delhi, where I developed a deep interest in cancer biology. To further enhance my research skills, I spent four years at the School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. In 2023, I joined Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at The Ohio State University, where I currently work in Professor Naduparambil Jacob’s lab. Our lab focuses on investigating radiation-induced toxicity and developing therapeutic regimens to mitigate these effects while enhancing health span and cancer treatment efficacy. I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to gain advanced knowledge and training that will help me progress in my career.
I grew up in beautiful San Francisco, California. As a high school student, I saw first-hand how my grandfather's cancer was treated, with an arsenal of pills that were supposed to cure his disease, yet they harnessed even more dreadful effects than cancer itself. My frustration with how his cancer was treated led to my interest and a long-term goal of developing targeted medicines with lower toxicity to normal cells. After graduating high school, I attended University of California Santa Cruz where I worked in Dr. Todd Lowe’s non-coding RNA lab. My project focused on elucidating the potential protective roles that tRNA halves play in response to critical stresses such as aging and further understanding other non-canonical roles that tRNAs can play in a cell. During my summers as an undergrad, I also interned at the biopharmaceutical company Boehringer-Ingelheim (BI) in Fremont, California. In 2015, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering and a minor in Bioinformatics. Following graduation, I took a 2 year scientist position at BI where I worked on technology development for improving continuous processing for biologics manufacturing. At BI I worked on perfusion bioreactors, media development, and automated scale down models for perfusion. My experiences in both academia and industry have given me a passion for solving problems in science with a particular interest in cancer immunotherapies and chemical engineering. It is my aspiration to build upon these skills at Ohio State and work collaboratively with talented engineers, physicians, and cancer biologists. By understanding how cells become cancerous, I hope to use my graduate education to develop and utilize technologies that will help improve cancer treatment.
I grew up in Ashburn, Virginia and attended Shenandoah University where I obtained a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology. During my time at Shenandoah University, I spent 2 years studying fungal endophytes within the American and Chinese chestnut trees to identify fungal species that may contribute to chestnut blight resistance. The goal of the chestnut project is to one day restore the American chestnut tree to its former glory. In 2017, I did a summer research project at The Ohio State University in their Research Experience for Undergraduates (OSU REU) in the lab of Dr. Craig Burd. In Dr. Burd’s lab, I cloned fluorescence tags onto Growth Regulation by Estrogens in Breast Cancer 1 (GREB1). Growing evidence shows that GREB1 is an important component of cell proliferation in cancers of the breast, ovaries, and prostate and may be a useful therapeutic target. After graduating from Shenandoah, I started a post-baccalaureate fellowship at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). At NCI, I started in the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics (LCBG)’s Mouse and Genotyping Core Facility and then moved to the Laboratory of Pathology (LP) during my second year. In LP, I studied how Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases (TIMPs) affect invasion and metastasis while optimizing advanced 3D organotypic cultures to study how TIMPs, specifically TIMP2, could be used to treat metastatic disease.
I grew up in Somerset, NJ, where my fascination with science began early. I pursued this interest academically by attending Rutgers University, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Genetics in 2021. My undergraduate years were marked by a growing passion for cancer research and the development of innovative therapeutics. Following my undergraduate studies, I continued my education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, where I completed a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences in 2023. My Master's thesis was focused on PTEN-deficient breast and ovarian cancers, specifically exploring the potential for synergy between combination drug therapeutics to improve treatment outcomes. Motivated by my experiences and research during my Master’s program, I decided to pursue a PhD at Ohio State University, where I am currently delving into the field of cancer immunology. My research now centers on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell products for the treatment of lymphoma, aiming to advance our understanding and application of these promising therapies. My journey through biomedical research has been driven by a commitment to unraveling the complexities of cancer and developing effective treatments. I am excited to continue contributing to this field and to advance our knowledge and therapeutic strategies in cancer immunology.
I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri and received a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia in December 2021. As an undergraduate at Mizzou I worked in the lab of Dr. Maggie Lange in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology where I researched the effects of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides on TLR9 signaling pathways. Additionally, I spent a summer working in the lab of Dr. Henry Wan researching the development of novel vaccines for different influenza A strains. After graduation, I began working as an Assistant Scientist at Eurofins BioPharma in Columbia, MO until I moved to Columbus, OH to begin graduate school in June 2022. I am primarily interested in the areas of virology and immunology and am looking forward to continuing my scientific training at The Ohio State University.
I was raised in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I attended Cardinal Stritch University, where I majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry and Biotechnology. During my college years I worked various jobs ranging from Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), laboratory assistant to the Department of Natural Sciences at Cardinal Stritch, and student intern at the BloodCenter of Wisconsin. My junior year of college, I secure two internship at the Medical College of Wisconsin Program for Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE) and Summer Research for Undergraduate Research Experience (SPURE) with Dr. Richard Robinson. My projects focused on host and pathogen interaction with an emphasis on immune response. This work will be useful in helping people with compromised immune systems fight off mycobacterium infections. My Research interests are focused around translational medicine. The objective of my research is to develop novel treatments for pathogenic bacterial species.
I was born in Utica, New York and I have lived in Central New York for much of my life. I am a Clarkson University graduate in Bimolecular Science. I graduated in the spring of 2019 with honors and is a McNair scholar. During my time as an undergraduate, I conducted research at Clarkson University, The Trudeau Institute, and Mississippi State University. My research interests pertain to the intersection of immunology, microbiology, and applied genomics and the interdisciplinary use of these fields to understand and combat disease. I am most interested in vaccine development, antibiotic resistance, and pathogen-host recognition and response.
I was born and raised in Alpine, Utah, a small but growing town in central Utah located right up against the Wasatch Mountains. I attended Brigham Young University, where I studied Biochemistry and earned my Bachelor of Science degree in April of 2018 while also minoring in Music. My research in Biochemistry began in June 2011 as a junior in high school where I received an internship working with Dr. Daniel Simmons of the Department of Biochemistry at Brigham Young University. His work aligned with my interest in studying pathology and novel enzyme processes. I was able to continue to work with Dr. Simmons throughout my high school and college studies assisting in and leading multiple projects studying cyclooxygenase and nucleobindin. Following graduation in 2018, I was hired to work as a lab specialist with Dr. Simmons at his startup research company, Intronex. My greatest contribution at Intronex was developing a process to purify an enzyme from the cyclooxygenase family and measure its activity. I also spent a summer in 2017 with Dr. Randy Jensen at the Huntsman Cancer Institute studying hypoxia in meningiomas and gliomas and how hypoxia affects radiation treatment in these cancers. I’ve loved the time I’ve spent doing research and it has motivated me to continue to pursue a career in medical research. I have a particular interest in studying immunology and cancer biology, and I look forward to the training I’ll receive under the amazing faculty in the program.
I’m from Centerville, Utah. I attended Brigham Young University and graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Genetics, Genomics, and Biotechnology in April 2019. I worked for a year at Myriad Genetics as a lab tech, before I switched back to an academic setting by joining Dr. Clement Chow’s lab as a lab tech at the University of Utah. I am excited to start my graduate education at Ohio State. My research interests include gene therapies, pediatrics, and rare disease.
I am originally from Sri Lanka, graduated in 2008 with my Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. I worked as a Forensic Medicine Medical officer and then as a neonatology medical doctor in Sri Lanka and also acquired clinical and translational research experience during the stay in USA. I am pleased to get accepted to Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program and currently a member of Dr. Namal Liyanage’s Lab in Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, Wexner Medical Center. Lab’s primary research interest is understanding the innate and adaptive immune system in viral infections such as SARS-COV-2 and HIV in terms of exploring novel strategies to prevent and control these infections. Our work has been focusing on understanding the immunopathology of HIV/TB, co-infections and development of preventive strategies and therapeutics, Elucidating the post viral metabolic derangements in SARS- COV-2 infected patients especially focusing on the innate immune cell subsets related to cardio metabolic effects. My personal research interests are understanding and comparing the chronic pediatric immune responses following perinatal HIV infection and ART treatment.
I grew up in Jackson Township in Canton, Ohio. I graduated from The Ohio State University in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. During my senior year as an undergrad, I volunteered in Dr. Christin Burd's lab studying melanoma on the genetic level, which led me to develop a passion for biomedical research. In the year following my graduation, I joined Dr. Hazem Ghoneim’s lab at OSU as a research assistant, where we study CD8+ T cell function and epigenetics during chronic infections and cancer. I focused primarily on the chronic stimulation of human T cells, and the impact of environmental signals on their differentiation and development of exhaustion. I am excited to join the BSGP program to further my graduate research on CD8+ T cell biology to reveal novel therapeutic targets for improving the immune response to chronic infections and cancer.
Originally from Iran, I earned my master’s degree in biotechnology from the University of Tehran, where my research concentrated on creating recombinant proteins for targeted drug delivery. I'm thrilled to be here as a BSGP student. Currently, at OSU, I am part of Dr. Wu's lab, where our research is deeply focused on the mechanisms of cytokinesis and plasma membrane repair. This work is vital as it relates to the regulation of the cell cycle, which is a fundamental process governing cell division and growth. The cell cycle's proper regulation is crucial to preventing diseases like cancer, where uncontrolled cell division leads to tumor development and metastasis. The importance of understanding the cell cycle cannot be overstated. The 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Leland H. Hartwell, Tim Hunt, and Sir Paul Nurse for their groundbreaking discoveries of key regulators of the cell cycle, highlighting the critical role this process plays in cellular biology and its potential as a target for cancer therapy.
I completed my undergraduate studies at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and I graduated magna cum laude in May of 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a minor in French. My research under the mentorship of Dr. John Gunn focuses on microbial pathogenesis and experimental therapeutics. Our laboratory studies the human-specific pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, which causes typhoid fever, an acute systemic disease that remains endemic in developing regions. The spread of S. Typhi has been shown to be driven by asymptomatic chronic carriage of the bacterium in the gallbladder, as chronic carriers can intermittently shed the bacterium in feces and transmit the disease by contaminating food or water (think Typhoid Mary). Our lab has shown that chronic carriage of S. Typhi is mediated by the formation of adherent bacterial communities called biofilms on the surface of gallstones. These biofilms are highly resistant to antibiotic therapy; therefore, the treatment option for chronic carriers is currently limited to surgical removal of the gallbladder, an intervention which is costly, invasive, and particularly high-risk in typhoid-affected areas. My project therefore aims to identify, characterize, and test novel anti-biofilm therapies capable of preventing and/or disrupting Salmonella biofilms that could be further developed as preventative or therapeutic measures for chronic S. Typhi infections. Currently, I am testing small molecule-based, antibody-mediated, and enzymatic strategies against Salmonella biofilms and am investigating the mechanisms by which these agents compromise biofilm formation and structural maintenance.
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and as a senior in high school started working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the Biomedical Sciences Department. While working full-time, I eventually obtained my BS in Biological Sciences from Cal State Hayward (now called “East Bay”). After 14 years at the Lab, I left for Washington, DC, to attend Georgetown University, where I got an MS in Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases. Since then, I have worked in the DC region, for the Department of Homeland Security, Northrop Grumman, the Department of Health and Human Services (with a month-long assignment at the CDC), and most recently the National Intelligence University, where I am an Assistant Professor. During this time I also completed an MS in Biodefense from George Mason University and will complete an MS in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University before starting at OSU in the autumn. My experience and interests lie in infectious diseases and countermeasures against them, and I’m looking forward to taking advantage of all of the amazing research OSU has to offer in Biomedical Sciences.
I was born and raised in Libya, I attended the Medical University College of Medicine, and obtained my M.B.B.S degree in Medicine with excellent grades and honors. I then joined the department of Pathology, as a teaching assistant, where I started to pursue my graduate studies which resulted in earning an MD in pathology with four Co-author publications. During my graduate studies, I participated in numerous research projects and taught a variety of courses to pathology Undergraduate students at my home institution of Medical University, Benghazi, Libya. In 2017, I worked as a research associate at The Ohio State University (OSU) in the Oncology department for two years. Since then, I have been working and contributing to many research projects in Dr. Beane's lab at the biomedical research tower One of the lab projects is mainly about the research in melanoma and sarcoma pathology for the identification of novel therapeutic targets and correlation with associate diseases. Treatment of metastatic melanoma and Sarcoma patients with autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) & peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLC). study confirms the robustness of TIL therapy in metastatic melanoma and the potential role of neoantigen-specific T cell reactivity. My long-term aim is to pursue a career as an academic scientist in the field of cardiovascular integrating translational research with my clinical practice in pathology. I am grateful for the opportunities provided by my program and look forward to growing in my skillset as a research scientist as part of the biomedical science graduate program.
I was born in Loudonville, Ohio, a small farm-town located in Ashland County. I attended The Ohio State University, where I studied Biology and received my Bachelor of Science degree in May 2019. During my time at Ohio State I worked as a teaching assistant for general chemistry courses and participated in research. I joined Dr. William Carson’s lab, which has an immune-based focus on cancer treatments, in the fall of 2017 as an undergraduate research assistant and then was awarded the Pelotonia Fellowship in June 2018. My project focused on targeting an immunosuppressive cell type known as Tumor-associated macrophages, in order to reduce immunosuppression and migration of suppressive cells in the tumor microenvironment. My research experience has inspired me to pursue a career in medical research with a focus on immunology and cancer biology.
I am from Butler, Pennsylvania, and I attended the University of Pittsburgh from which I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology in 2018. During my undergraduate education, I participated in the University of Michigan Cancer Research Summer Internship. I worked under the guidance of Dr. David Beer studying the tumor immune microenvironment in esophageal adenocarcinomas. After graduating from Pitt, I accepted a position in the laboratory of Dr. Mark Shlomchik in the Department of Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh. In Dr. Shlomchik’s lab, I assisted in development of novel methods of personalized TCR-T cell immunotherapy for cancers using preclinical murine models. Through these experiences, I have realized my passion for biomedical research focusing on the fields of immunology and cancer immunotherapy. I hope to continue pursuing my interest in these fields and their application in personalized medicine while in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at the Ohio State University.
I am from Dublin, Ohio and graduated from Hope College in May 2024 with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in German. During my undergraduate studies, I conducted research under Dr. Aaron Best, contributing to projects on international and Lake Michigan water quality. Additionally, I participated in a computational genomics project using machine learning to predict antibiotic resistance and susceptibility in E. Coli derived from Lake Michigan compared to clinical strains. I am particularly interested in Immunology and infectious diseases, and I am excited to improve my scientific skills here at The Ohio State University.
I was born in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2019. During my time at Ohio State, I worked under the guidance of Dr. Wael Jarjour in the Division of Rheumatology and Immunology. I completed an honors thesis working on the development of an extracellular vesicle-derived miRNA antagonist cocktail as a potential therapeutic treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus. Additionally, I spent a summer doing research under Dr. Mitchell Drumm at Case Western Reserve University. Upon graduation from Ohio State, I returned to spend a year doing research on cystic fibrosis and glycogen storage disease in Dr. Drumm’s lab. My beneficial and formative experiences in both of these labs led to my decision to pursue a career in research. I would like to return to my background in immunology in the future and hope to continue my education in the field of immunology and cancer immunotherapy while in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program.
I was born in Kolkata and raised in Singapore and Bangalore. I will be graduating from VIT University, Tamil Nadu, India with my Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology. As an undergraduate project student, I gained my research experience by working on developing an in vitro cell line model for Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency type 1. This project was done at the gene therapy lab under the guidance of Dr. Everette Nelson. My learning here is reinforcing my interest in biomedical research. I look forward to joining the program and gaining a significant amount of knowledge and experience; while having a lot of fun doing it. I am interested in studying autoimmune diseases and virology. I hope to further develop these interests with the help of the distinguished faculty at Ohio State University.
I was born and raised in Shiraz, Iran, the city of poets, literature, and flowers. I attended Tehran University of Medical Sciences, the oldest and most well-known medical center in Iran, where I earned a degree in Toxicology and Pharmacology in November of 2018. In August 2022, I moved to Columbus to enroll in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program. Now, my research in Dr. Ansa-Addo's lab is on elucidating cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate the functions of T cells. Specifically, we are interested in characterizing the roles of different subsets of regulatory T (Treg) cells present in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and their impact on cancer progression and the fate-commitment of antitumor T cells to exhaustion. Going forward, I am interested in pursuing research to understand how cellular and molecular regulators like RNA-binding proteins and chromatin-modifying proteins determine the functions of Treg cells in the TME.
I was born and raised in central Ohio, and I completed my bachelor’s in biology at the Ohio State University at Marion branch campus. During my time there, I was part of a Biochemistry and a Genetics undergraduate research lab for 3 years under Dr. Renee Bouley and Dr. Ruben Petreaca. I was also a member of the Academic Success Center where I participated as both an assistant to help connect students with tutors and as a tutor myself in Microbiology. In my final year of undergraduate studies, I became a founding member of the OSU Marion’s Pre-Professional Club. In this club, we helped young STEM students navigate college, CVs, MCATs, and other aspects of their STEM education. I joined the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at the Ohio State University shortly after graduating with my bachelor’s and I am interested in staying in the Microbiology and Immunology field. This program was my first choice, and I am so excited for the opportunities BSGP brings!
Born and raised in Maharashtra, India. I completed my bachelor’s degree in biotechnology in 2014. After that, I joined VIT University in Vellore, India for an MS in biotechnology, where research and core curriculum were given equal credits. In my master’s thesis, I tried to see the consequence of consuming profoundly used drug Metformin, along with easily available antioxidants and found out that this combination might lead to adverse effects on life span and other health parameters in mice. Following the MS program, I joined IISER, Pune and worked on neuro-epigenetics in collaboration with professor Vidita Vaidya’s lab at TIFR, Mumbai, where we focused on how epigenetic modifications play role in adult neurogenesis. After a year, I got an opportunity to work as a research associate at Boston University, School of medicine with professor Konstantin Kandror. I started off with finding how Insulin controls leptin production in adipocytes and majorly focused on molecular mechanisms leading to cellular clock resetting by Insulin. During this time, I attended, Dr. Willa Hsueh’s talk and got intrigued by the ongoing translational research at The Ohio State University, I decided to join her lab for my doctoral studies. Our lab works in the field of Immunometabolism; to figure out a way to understand and overcome inflammation driven complications. I am looking forward to be a graduate from such a diverse place and contribute in whichever small way I can to the field.
I’ve moved states often, but I’m most recently from Philadelphia, PA. I received my Bachelor of Science in nutrition from the University of Maryland and Master of Science in microbiology and immunology from Thomas Jefferson University. Though I am not currently in a lab, my research interests are in adaptive immunity.
I was born and raised in Columbus, OH. In 2019, I graduated from Washington and Lee University with a degree in Chemistry. As an undergraduate and for the year following my graduation, I worked with Drs. Peter White and Kim McBride at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, using bioinformatics techniques and computer programming to identify novel genetic mutations implicated in the etiology of congenital heart defects. My previous projects include the creation of a program that uses protein expression data from multi-level experiments to construct a genetic pathway for the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease propagated by diet and estrogen in rats; variant analysis on the genomic data obtained from whole exome and whole genome sequencing of over 1,000 patients and family members with heart defects; and the development of a web app to automate and improve the analysis of wound healing assays. I have proficiency in the coding languages Python and Bash, as well as, familiarity with R. My personal research interests involve utilizing how bioinformatics, data science, and computer programming to enhance our understandings of molecular and cellular mechanisms.
I am from Jacksonville, FL where I graduated from UNF with a BA in education. After teaching high school science classes for a year, I returned to UNF to earn an MS in Biology. Making that shift to molecular research led me to accept a position as a technician in a regenerative nephrology lab at Mayo Clinic. I plan to continue contributing and learning at the OSU Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program through research that makes a significant impact on patient care and focuses on the relationship of the human genome on the pathology of disease.
I am from Greenville, NY, I graduated from SUNY Geneseo in spring 2022 with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in the College Honors program. During my undergraduate years, I conducted research on Neurospora crassa, a model filamentous fungus. My lab focused on the molecular mechanisms controlling female sexual development, as well as the downstream effects of these phenotypic changes. I also participated in an NSF-funded REU, where I studied the replisome of Staphylococcus aureus. Both of these experiences helped solidify my desire to pursue a PhD in biomedical sciences. My current research interests are focused in microbiology and immunology, and I hope to join a lab where I can study human disease in the context of microbial pathogenesis. I am looking forward to continuing my scientific education at OSU, and training under the exceptional faculty here.
I grew up down the street in Dublin, Ohio, so I have wanted to be a Buckeye my whole life. However, for college experience was unique in that I choose to do a 6-year BS/MD program. I finished my BS at Kent State in 2 years and moved onto medical school at NEOMED. However, after 2 years I decided that medical school was not the right choice for me. After returning home, I worked at Nationwide Children's Hospital in the Center for Childhood Cancers and Blood Diseases for Dr. Dean Lee. His lab focuses on various NK cell therapies and CAR-NK cells. Then for a year, I worked in Dr. Lapo Alinari's lab in the Comprehensive Cancer Center. This is where I helped finish up experiments on a CD73 CAR T cell for Mantle Cell Lymphoma. While my journey to the BSGP program was long winded, it helped me discover my love for research and Immunology. I now currently work on vaccine research for new Covid 19 variants and Kaposi Sarcoma.
I was born and raised in Buck County PA, which is about 45 minutes north of Philadelphia. I attended Washington & Jefferson College, a small school just south of Pittsburgh, where I earned degrees in Chemistry and German Language in May of 2017. During undergrad, I had the opportunity to research with Dr. Michael Leonard on an organic synthesis of a naturally occurring serine-protease inhibitor that helps cyanobacteria avoid the detoxification process of water. I also had the chance to research with Dr. Robbie Iuliucci on an analytical chemistry study where we stabilized polymorphic drugs with paramagnetic relaxation agents to speed up characterization by solid-state NMR spectroscopy. After graduating from W&J, I attended Georgetown University where I completed the special master’s program in physiology and earned my M.S. in physiology. I then began working as a research assistant for Dr. Gina Sizemore here in the radiation oncology division at The Ohio State University studying the effects of PDGFRB signaling in the tumor microenvironment of metastatic breast cancer. These experiences have made me excited to begin working towards my PhD with the talented faculty at OSU.
I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. I attended The Ohio State University where I graduated with a BS in mathematics with a specialization in biology. In my undergrad, I worked in Dr. Naleef Fareed’s lab focusing on racial and health disparities research in the Department of Biomedical Informatics. This experience inspired me to pursue my Ph.D. I started in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at Ohio State in the summer of 2023. I am on the BMI track continuing my research in Dr. Fareed’s lab. I am currently working on projects focused on electronic health record systems, digital health, patient portals, and user centered design.
I grew up in Dublin, Ohio. I attended The Ohio State University where I studied Human Nutrition with a specialization in Nutrition Sciences on a pre-medicine track and earned my Bachelor of Science degree in May 2021. After graduating, I joined Dr. Sameek Roychowdhury’s lab as a research assistant where we focused on translational therapeutics and cancer genetics research. I am continuing my PhD training in Dr. Roychowdhury’s lab where I will continue to focus on translational therapeutic research and characterizing novel FGFR structural alterations found in patients. Our research is patient focused, so I am excited to continue my research in a clinically driven lab.
