Cohort 14

Areeba Aamer
Lab PI & Mentor: Arjun Masurkar, NYU Langone Health
Major: Biology, Psychology

Areeba Aamer is a senior at Hunter College where she is pursuing a degree in Honors Biology (BA) with a concentration in psychology. She works at Dr. Arjun Masurkar’s lab at NYU which focuses on Alzheimer’s disease. She utilizes proteomics, Neun staining, imaging, and data analysis to quantify the amount of plaque and degeneration in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Her interest is the study of neurodegenerative diseases in adults and children. These stem from her fascination with human development, brain plasticity, memory, and learning. She was an editor for the Friends of MSF – Médecins Sans Frontières chapter at Hunter College. She wrote articles regarding the work of Doctors without Borders, maternal mortality, and the protection of medical institutions. She currently serves as the Vice President of the club and aids the writers with the creation of the newsletter. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, she intends to apply to medical school and in the future, treat patients with these neurological conditions.

Vivian Block
Lab PI & Mentor: Conor Liston, Rachel Rahn, Weill Cornell
Major: Biology, Psychology

Vivian Block is a fourth-year student at Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, where she is pursuing a degree in Biological Sciences (BA) and Psychology (BA). She has been engaging in research at the Conor Liston Lab at Weill Cornell, studying the effects of early immune activation and stress on depression-like behaviors on rodent models. She is interested in the way that neurons contribute to the progression of psychiatric disorders, as well as how research on rodent models can be translated to human subjects. Vivian also spent the last year working as a Medical Assistant and engaging in patient care. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, Vivian intends to attend medical school and become a physician scientist. As a future physician, Vivian hope to mentor future women in STEM. 

Janie Chan
Lab PI & Mentor: Nancy Du, Weill Cornell
Major: Biological Sciences, Studio Art

Janie Chan is a fourth year student at the Macaulay Honors College at CUNY Hunter College on the pre-med track. She is double majoring in Biological Sciences (BA) and Studio Art (BA) and is expected to graduate in May 2025. She is researching the modes of metastasis for pancreatic cancer in transgenic mice at the Nancy Du lab at Weill Cornell Medicine. She ultimately wishes to pursue a career as a physician scientist to indulge in her desire to make a human impact while also appeasing her interest in research. She engages in her love for medicine by working as a medical assistant and shadowing doctors at Mount Sinai Morningside’s Emergency Department. She explores other clinical experiences at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and is a part of the board of a nonprofit which aims to tackle health misinformation around communities in NYC. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, she plans to obtain a medical degree and work alongside healthcare professionals to provide better therapeutic treatments for cancer and women’s health.

Rania Darwish 
Lab PI & Mentor: Valentina Foassati, New York Stem Cell Foundation
Major: Biochemistry, Human Biology

Rania Darwish is a fourth year student at CUNY Hunter College in the Macaulay Honors College program where she is pursuing a degree in Human Biology (BA) and a minor in Arabic studies. She is the recipient of the Barry Goldwater Research Scholarship, which is one of the most prestigious national undergraduate scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics. Her research has allowed her to engage in neuro-endocrine research at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, focusing on the effects of stress on behavior and metabolism. Rania also serves on the Undergraduate Student Government at Hunter, allowing her to advocate for her student body. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, she intends to pursue medicine to further her knowledge of biology as a physician-scientist.

Publications:
Mary R. Shanley, Yuka Miura, Christopher A. Guevara, Amanda Onoichenco, Rufina Kore, Emine Ustundag, Rania Darwish, Lauren Renzoni, Ashley Urbaez, Ella Blicker, Alec Seidenberg, Teresa A. Milner and Allyson K. Friedman “Estrous Cycle Mediates Midbrain Neuron Excitability Altering Social Behavior upon Stress”

Danielle Elterman
Lab PI & Mentor: Dana Sylvan, Hunter College
Major: Statistics, Quantitative Biology

Danielle Elterman is a student at Hunter College where she is pursuing a degree in Statistics with a concentration in Quantitative Biology (BA). In her studies, Danielle is focusing on mathematical application in the scientific field, and she is furthering her knowledge alongside Professor Dana Sylvan. With the McNulty Scholarship, she is able to dive into research in Applied Statistics and Probability and spatial analysis. She is also a recipient of the Yalow Honors Scholar merit scholarship, which has allowed her to pursue her studies and expand her interests in the mathematical and scientific field. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, she intends to apply to graduate school programs to further her knowledge and experience, as well as work towards gaining more skills in conducting research.

Alanna Fields
Lab PI & Mentor: Benjamin Kleaveland, Jacob Fyda, Weill Cornell
Major: Biochemistry

Alanna Fields is a third year Macaulay Honors student at CUNY Hunter College. She is pursuing a degree in Biochemistry (BA) and a certificate in Human Rights. During the summer of 2023, Alanna participated in the Undergraduate Summer Research Program at the New York Genome Center. Working in the Zhu lab, she conducted research in single-cell genomics and explored different methods to optimize the RNA library preparation process. She is now a researcher at the Kleaveland lab at Weill Cornell, where she studies the structure of the Cyrano long noncoding RNA to better understand its role in target-directed microRNA degradation. In the summer of 2024, Alanna split her time between her research at the Kleaveland Lab and her internship with the National Organization for Women NYC to advocate for women’s rights. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, Alanna intends to apply to graduate school, where she will combine her passions for human rights and science to work towards a better future.

Tasmina Hassan
Lab PI & Mentor: Daniela Schiller, Ella Podvalny, Mount Sinai
Major: Computer Science, Biological Sciences

Tasmina Hassan is a senior at the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College where she is pursuing a double major in Biology (BA) and Computer Science (BA). After graduation, she will be attending  University of Rochester School of Medicine, as a part of the Early Assurance Program. Tasmina was previously a part of the Hunter Evolutionary Bioinformatics Lab, under Dr. Weigang Qiu, where she studied how to computationally model virus mutations. Through this lab, Tasmina was published in “Novelty Search Promotes Antigenic Diversity in Microbial Pathogens” in the journal, “Pathogens.” She also interned in the Rodent Behavior Core laboratory under Dr. Adam Mar, where she performed a variety of behavioral assays, including in an ALS study. This past summer, Tasmina interned at the ASRC in the Jia Liu lab where she studied the effect of ultrafine particles on the crosstalk between microglia and oligodendrocytes. Currently, Tasmina is a part of the Daniela Schiller lab at Mount Sinai, where she will be studying single neuronal responses in the hippocampus to incoming threats. 

Haeun (Christine) Kim
Lab PI & Mentor: Hermann Steller, Jose Rodriguez, Rockefeller
Major: Biology, Women, Gender, and Sexuality

Haeun (Christine) Kim is a fourth-year student at Hunter College where she is pursuing a degree in Biology (BA), a minor in Women Gender Studies, and a certificate in Business. She is a College Assistant for Hunter’s Yalow Honors Scholars Program where she manages a variety of administrative tasks and hosts developmental workshops and events for scholars. Haeun has been a member of the Strang Laboratory at Rockefeller University since September 2023. She is researching the impact of PI31 on proteasome function and its link to neurodegenerative diseases using Drosophila melanogaster as the model organism alongside her mentor Dr. Joe Rodriguez. She spent June and July 2024 at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA where she researched axonal transport using the giant squid axon with PI and mentor Dr. Scott Brady. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, she intends to apply to graduate school to pursue research in biomedical science and ultimately become a professor. 

Nur Lyba (Lyba)
Lab PI & Mentor: Virginia Pascual, Juan Rodriguez Alcazar, Weill Cornell
Major: Biological Sciences

Nur Lyba is a senior at Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology with a minor in Public Health. She was a 2023 Tri-Institutional Minority Society SPUR Scholar, conducting research on antigen-presenting cells and their trafficking to the thymus at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. This past summer, she was an Emerging Fellow at The Rockefeller University, where she contributed to the development of CURE, an innovative course aimed at making biomedical research more accessible. As a recipient of the John P. McNulty Scholarship, Lyba is currently researching therapeutic targets for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus at Weill Cornell Medicine. Currently, she serves as the President of Macaulay Fit, where she promotes awareness of healthy eating and fitness. She is also deeply committed to advocating for underserved communities, volunteering at a free health clinic on weekends. As an aspiring physician, she is dedicated to integrating nutrition and research to provide culturally-sensitive care for diverse patient populations. Recently, Lyba was accepted into the University of Rochester School of Medicine through the Early Assurance Program.

Fahima Miajee
Lab PI & Mentor: Joshua Levitz, Luca Posa, Weill Cornell
Major: Chemistry

Fahima Miajee is a fourth-year student at Hunter College where she is pursuing a degree in Biochemistry (BA) and a minor in English. She is a Thomas Hunter Scholar, a recipient of the John P. McNulty scholarship, and a neuroscience and biochemistry researcher. At the Levitz Laboratory at Weill Cornell Medicine, she has worked under Dr. Hermany Munguba to study the effect of chronic stress on the extracellular matrix of the brain and its protein components. She will continue working there under Dr. Luca Posa this semester. Her interest in English stems from her love of English literature and her multilingual background. Ms. Miajee has also shadowed Dr. Gabriela Manzano Nieves and learned lab techniques at the Liston Lab at Weill Cornell and worked as an intern at the Museum of the City of New York in the past three years. She worked as an analytical intern to develop potency assays for gene therapy research at Lexeo Therapeutics in summer 2024. After completing her undergraduate studies, she intends to pursue a Ph.D. in a field related to biochemistry.

Tyjanae Orr
Lab PI & Mentor:Conor Liston, Gabriela Manzano Nieves, Weill Cornell
Major: Psychology with a concentration in neuroscience

Tyjanae Orr is a Senior at Hunter College double majoring in Clinical Psychology (BA) and Studio Arts (BA). She is in the process of organizing research methods to study the effects of early life stress at the Conor Liston Lab with Dr. Manzano Nieves at Weill Cornell.  With the support of the McNulty Scholars Program, Tyjanae researches how stress and trauma affects the adolescent mind. 

Ms. Orr aims to use her skills in psychology and art to help children with developmental disabilities, children who have experienced trauma to regulate their emotions, and learn coping skills.

Although Tyjanae devotes a significant amount of time to research, she maintains her passion for the arts. Her creativity has proven to be a valuable asset in her STEM work. Her need for creativity has allowed her to visualize data and create models to represent research methods. 

In the summer of 2024, Tyjanae attended the American Medical Student Association conference in Washington DC. At AMSA she engaged in workshops and panels for mental and reproductive health, social substance abuse and primary health care. Ms. Orr prepares to pursue a Ph.D program in Clinical Psychology and masters in Art Therapy.

 Cedrica Samuels
Lab PI & Mentor: Steven Greenbaum, Hunter College
Major: Mathematics, Physics

Cedrica Samuels is a fourth-year student at Hunter College, pursuing a double major in Mathematics and Physics (BA) while also undertaking a joint BA/MA program in Mathematics. She has been honored with the McNulty Scholarship and the MARC Scholarship, which support her research endeavors. Cedrica has dedicated a year to researching Mathematics, specifically in Number Theory, under the guidance of Professor Andrew Obus. Her research has included an in-depth examination of Space-Filling Curves, with the aim of advancing knowledge that may contribute to future academic and practical applications. Currently, Cedrica is engaged in a Physics Laboratory focusing on Chemical Physics. Her research involves evaluating materials for fuel cells and lithium batteries using solid-state NMR Spectroscopy for diffusion and T1 measurements, as well as EPR methods. She is also contributing to the development of a sustainable and eco-friendly electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries, utilizing Type V Deep Eutectic Solvents. Her project specifically investigates Eutectogels composed of ‘green’ materials, thymol and camphor, with varying amounts of DBS to assess the efficiency of the molecular compound. Cedrica’s passion for Mathematics and Physics arises from a deep-seated curiosity about the fundamental mysteries of the physical world. Upon completing her undergraduate studies, she plans to pursue graduate education to deepen her expertise in Physics and aims to advance toward a career as a researcher in Medical Physics.

Isabel Stec
Lab PI & Mentor:  Ward Wheeler, American Museum of Natural History
Major: Computer Science

Isabel Stec is a senior at Hunter College where she is pursuing a degree in Computer Science (BA) and minors in Math and Logic. As a recipient of the John P. McNulty Scholarship, she is currently a researcher in the Wheeler Lab at the American Museum of Natural History. Under the guidance of Dr. Ward Wheeler, Isabel is working on the optimization of PhyG, a program designed to produce phylogenetic graphs from input data and graphs. Her work focuses on the optimization of model parameters for use with genomic and quantitative phylogenetic analysis through expectation-maximization techniques. Over the summer, Isabel was a National Science Foundation-REU intern at the American Museum of Natural History working on an algorithm to optimize the branch lengths of phylogenetic trees using a method akin to Newton’s method. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, she intends to join the job market and continue doing research.

tahda queer
Lab PI & Mentor: Anna Pun, Baruch College, CUNY
Major: Mathematics, Philosophy, Women and Gender Study

tahda queer is a senior at Hunter College, City University of New York, majoring in mathematics and the Thomas Hunter Honors Program, while minoring in philosophy. tahda is a recipient of the Goldwater scholarship and is engaged in research on algebraic combinatorics through both the NYC Discrete Mathematics REU and an academic year REU named QED(Queens Experiences in Discrete Mathematics). Prior to this, tahda participated in a summer REU at UC Santa Barbara in 2022, resulting in an paper published by the Journal of Applied and Computational Topology. tahda was also a student researcher at the Summer Undergraduate Applied Mathematics Institute (SUAMI) in 2023, where they successfully disproved a published conjecture and contributed new theorems to colorful Turán’s problems. As a co-organizer of the Online Undergraduate Resource Fair for the Advancement and Alliance of Marginalized Mathematicians(OURFA2M2), tahda is passionate about both math research and humanizing mathematics. tahda is grateful for being a part of the McNulty community, where they found like-minded individuals and a sense of belonging.

Jiada Valenza
Lab PI & Mentor: Andrew Reinmann, Kelsey Parker, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center
Major: Environmental Studies

Jiada Valenza is a senior at the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College majoring in Environmental Studies: Earth Systems Science (BA) and minoring in English. Through McNulty, she is researching biogeochemical cycles in soil, invasive species, and urban ecology with Dr. Andrew Reinmann’s Lab at the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center. Last summer she compiled global case studies on the electric transition for Greater Sydney’s councils as a research intern at Resilient Sydney. Her past research experiences have included studying historic urban heat with Dr. Kara Murphy Schlichting at Queens College and using remote sensing data to identify volcanic eruption precursors with Dr. Matthew Pritchard at Cornell University. Outside of research, she is passionate about making STEM more accessible by tutoring middle school math as a Teach for America Ignite Fellow. Following her undergraduate studies, she hopes to further her education and pursue a career in environmental consulting or engineering, directly working to assess and improve environmental and community resilience.