Trainees


Current Trainees:
 

Makayla Braunlin

Makayla Braunlin

PhD Track: Biology

Mentor: Anuradha Janakiraman

Topic: Elucidating the role of an inner membrane protein in the maintenance of E. coli cell envelope integrity

Date Joined: 9/2021 (completed 2/26)

Liliana Margent

Liliana Margent Guerrero

PhD Track: Biochemistry

Mentor: Daniel Keedy

Topic: Structural flexibility, ligand binding ability, and allostery of the clinically relevant striatal-enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase

Date Joined: 11/2022 (completed 2/26)

Giovanni Crump

Giovanni Crump

PhD Track: Biochemistry

Mentor: Ronald Koder

Topic: Elastin self-assembly and phase separation: biological function and biomaterial design

Date Joined: 9/2023

Meghan Halloran

Meghan Halloran

PhD Track: Biomedical Engineering

Mentor: Steven Nicoll

Topic: Cellulose-based hydrogels for soft tissue bulking applications: pelvic health and reconstructive surgery

Date Joined: 9/2023

Gilbert Reyes.2

Gilbert Reyes

PhD Track: Biochemistry

Mentor: Zimei Bu

Topic: Molecular biophysics of cell adhesion protein complexes

Date Joined: 09/2023

Brandon Webley
Brandon Webley

PhD Track: Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology 

Mentor: Mark Emerson

Topic: Nrl gene regulation and cone cell photoreceptors

Date Joined: 03/2024

Denice Moran Ramirez
Denice Moran Ramirez

PhD Track: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology

Mentor: Mark Emerson

Topic: Transcription factor binding site sequences and gene regulation of the developing retina 

Date Joined: 03/2024

Leah Epstein
Leah Epstein

PhD Track: Biochemistry

Mentor: Kevin Gardner (ASRC, Chem & Biochem)

Topic: Biochemistry and structural biology of bacterial protein environmental sensors

Date Joined: 03/2024

Vishal Persaud
Vishal Persaud

PhD Track: Biochemistry

 Mentor:   Shana Elbaum-Garfinkle

Topic:       Tunable multiphase dynamics of liquid-liquid condensates

Date Joined: 05/2024

Atara Israel
Atara Israel

PhD Track: Biomedical Engineering

Mentor: Ryan Williams

Topic: Machine learning for design of singe-wall carbon
nanotube sensors of anthracycline accumulation

Date Joined: 05/2024

Zoya Shifique
Zoya Shafique

PhD Track: Electrical Engineering

Mentor: Yingli Tian

Topic: Deep learning for tumor detection by medical image analysis

Date Joined: 05/2024 (transferred to another traineeship program)

Yilam Ng Cen
Yilam Ng Cen

PhD Track: Biology

Mentor:  Prabodhika Mallikaratachy

Topic:     Design and function of bivalent oligonucleotide aptamer assemblies that bind B-cell markers

Date Joined: 05/2024

Not pictured:

José Ortiz-Soto, Chemistry, Mentor Marilyn Gunner (Physics)

Damon Turney, Physics, Mentor Ronald Koder (Physics)

Binh Nguyen, Chemical Eng, Mentor M. Lane Gilchrist (Chemical Engineering)

Surya Marjit, Biomedical Engineering, Mentor Christopher DelRe (Chem & Biochem)

Alexandra Gomezcoello, Chemistry, Mentor Mark Biscoe (Chem & Biochem)

Tanubrata Dey, Biology, Mentor, Bao Vuong (Biology)

Nicole Fana-Brito, Biochemistry, Mentor David Jeruzalmi (Chem & Biochem)

Kyle Donnery, Biomedical Engineering, Mentor Marom Bikson (Biomedical Engineering)

Lyna Ait Akii, Mentor Bingmei Fu (Biomedical Engineering)

Endrit Vllahiu, Biochemistry, Mentor George John (Chem & Biochem)

Last Updated: 06/21/2026 05:33