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2021 INDUCER FELLOWS
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Justin Beutel  Justin is a senior Biology and Psychology major, interested in exploring the intersection of biology and technology. He runs the SBU Synthetic Biology Society to introduce the discipline to students of all backgrounds. In his free time, he likes to work on android apps, web development or whatever project catches his eye. As part of Dr. Lu's lab, he's working on preliminary investigations for evidence of p22-phox tumor suppressor mutations affecting development of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. |
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Vanessa Diaz Almanzar  Vanessa is a senior from Long Island City, NY. She is majoring in Biochemistry, minoring in Health, Medicine, and Society. She is currently on the premed track. She hopes to use her improved research skills and experiences to find new ways to improve the lives of many. Vanessa is currently working in Dr. Bialkowska’s lab, where she is studying how to improve therapeutic agents for treating pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis. For the future, she plans to attend medical school to become an oncologist. As for extracurriculars, Vanessa is the Event Coordinator for Stony Brook’s Biochemistry Society. During her free time, she enjoys listening to music, going for walks, and reading mysteries. |
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Audrey Fernandez  Audrey is a senior and a biology major with a minor in Africana Studies. She has been part of the INDUCER program for the past year working in Dr. Ghebrehiwet's lab, further studying gC1qR and its prevalence among African-American breast cancer patients. Her goals after undergrad include attending graduate school, and eventually, medical school. During her time in INDUCER, she hopes to bring further awareness to the importance of medical research with patients of color. |
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Christelle Jean-Baptiste  Christelle is a senior majoring in Biology with a minor in French language. She is a member of the Women in Science & Engineering (WISE) program and has assisted in Gender Disparity research on campus. She aspires to attend medical school with the hopes of becoming an Obstetrician-Gynecologist. For just over a year, Christelle worked for NY’s COVID-19 contact tracing initiative to mitigate the spread of the virus. She has also interned with Pfizer to assist in their data collection and analysis of maternal immunization studies. She enthusiastically works under the mentorship of Dr. Maricedes Acosta-Martinez where she is conducting exploratory research on the miRNAs from extracellular vesicles in pregnant women with substance use exposure. Christelle is heavily involved in her campus community as a Resident Assistant as well as a Teacher’s Assistant. She is currently training to become a certified medical assistant. During her free time, Christelle enjoys listening to music and exercising. |
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Sebastien Lalanne  Sebastien is a senior at Stony Brook University majoring in Biology and minoring in history from Elmont, New York. He is on the pre-dental track with the intent of becoming a Doctor of Dental Surgery and volunteering abroad. He is currently a mentor and advisory board member for the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program as well as a member of the pre-dental society. Sebastien is passionate about being involved in his community and impacting lives through health care. |
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Anna Veintimilla  Anna is a senior from Long Island, New York who is majoring in Biology with a minor in Spanish. Currently, Anna is working under the supervision of Dr.Ojima in studying the anti-cancer potential of FABP-5 in aggressive prostate cancer cell lines. The goal of the project is to not only study the effectiveness of FABP-5 inhibitors in prostate cancer treatment but to potentially use this form of treatment in other types of cancers such as breast cancer. For the past three years, Anna has volunteered at SB HOME Clinic as a Spanish interpreter working closely with medical students and physicians from Stony Brook in providing free healthcare to the uninsured Spanish-speaking population. Additionally, Anna volunteers as an EMT-B at Port Jefferson EMS and is the current president of the Spanish Language Club. Being on the pre-med track, Anna hopes to one day become a physician and serve underrepresented communities, especially the Latinx community, in any way she can. |
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Leslie Campo Catalan  Leslie is a senior Biology/Health Sciences double-major, and she is minoring in Studio Art. She is conducting research studying the relationship between microbes and cancer to prevent and treat colorectal cancer under the guidance of Dr. David C. Montrose (Department of Pathology). Leslie is a member of the Educational Opportunity Program and Advancement in Individual Merit (EOP/AIM) at Stony Brook University. Additionally, she is active in many clubs and societies including C-STEP, Chi Alpha Epsilon Honors Society, Alpha Iota Mu Honors Society, Pre-Medicine Society, Neuroscience Axis Club, Artists in Medicine Club, Health Club, SBU Club Swim. |
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Nicolette Fenelon  Nicolette is a senior from Queens, NY on the pre-medicine track. She is currently majoring in the biological sciences with a minor in Health, Medicine, and Society. After medical school, Nicolette hopes to become an OB/GYN or neonatologist and later hopes to start a chain of clinics focused on providing care to mothers and their children, specifically in under-served communities. Nicolette’s primary goal is to use her research experience to help propel healthcare forward and improve the quality of patient care given by providers. She is currently a Medical Scribe at CityMD Urgent Care in Lake Grove. Nicolette is a very involved member of the Stony Brook Community. She is a Resident Assistant in Chavez Hall, the treasurer of Black Womyn’s Association, and a member of the Student Activities Board. In her free time, she enjoys dancing and stepping with the Cadence Step Team, and also enjoys watching Netflix shows. |
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2020 INDUCER FELLOWS
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Breanna James  Breanna is from Jamaica, Queens NY and majored in Biology with a concentration in Interdisciplinary Biology on the Pre-Med track. Her ultimate goal is to obtain my M.D and M.P.H with a focus on Epidemiology so she can help underserved communities in addition to one individual at a time. She worked under the mentorship of Dr. Barbara Nemesure and Dr. Jennie Williams which allowed her to integrate both public health and medicine into research. Currently, they are collecting tissue samples in order to analyze differential expression of lung cancer biomarkers for early detection of lung cancer, with an emphasis on racial health disparities which she wishes to further exploring in a review of scientific literature that addresses the differences in incidence and risk of lung cancer in African Americans compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Aside from being an INDUCER Fellow, she maintained other roles around campus including being a teaching assistant, a SBU high school recruiter volunteer, event coordinator for Black Womyn's Association and secretary for the Caribbean Student Organization. During her free time, she likes to cook, rollerblade, and play board games. |
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Sasha McKay  Sasha is a senior from New Rochelle, NY on the pre-med track majoring in Biochemistry and Sociology with a minor in Health, Medicine, and Society. She aims to attend medical school and earn a Masters degree in Public Health. She is currently conducting research under the mentorship of Dr. Jaymie Meliker. Under the mentorship, she is studying the racial disparities in colorectal cancer in Mississippi. In addition to her studies, Sasha is the President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Vice President of the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS). In her free time she enjoys sewing, singing, and watching documentaries. |
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Jennifer Mzobe  Jennifer was a bio major on the pre-med track minoring in English and aspiring to minor in Studio Art and Chemistry at Stony Brook University. Besides research, she enjoys creating art. And at one point she was nominated to have one of her pieces displayed at a gallery. She is interested in working in healthcare as a physician-scientist in hopes of incorporating creativity and humanity with her knowledge and experience in art and literature. In addition, she was the Vice President and founding member of the Leading Women of Tomorrow Chapter at Stony Brook and an Organic Chemistry TA. In her free time, she enjoys reading, creating art, and watching films. |
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Hillary Ramos Espinoza  Hillary is from Brentwood, New York. She majored in Biology while minoring in Health, Medicine, and Society. Hillary worked with Dr. Patricia Thompson-Carino, PhD (Previously Department of Pathology at Stony Brook Medicine); Currently Co-Director of Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program, Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center. She worked on DNA damage repair, gene expression, and patient response to Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug Sulindac on breast tissue and cancer prevention. She would like to incorporate these topics with racial health disparities in her future career goal of becoming a physician. Aside from research, she was involved in CSTEP and served multiple positions as a teaching assistant and part of the mentee-mentor program. Additionally, she has served as an interpreter for SB HOME free clinic to facilitate patients’ healthcare experience. |
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2019 INDUCER FELLOWS
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Tobi Somorin  Tobi Somorin (class of '21), from Middletown, NY, was on the pre-med track and majored in Biochemistry. After medical school Tobi plans on becoming a trauma surgeon and later building his own hospitals and clinics. He worked on a novel research project with Dr. Jennie Williams & Dr. Mary Kritzer that looked at how stress affects chemotherapy treatments in mice. The goal of this project was to identify molecular differences between racial groups’ responses to stress and how that impacts their ability to sufficiently receive chemotherapy remedies. Tobi has spent time serving the community through SBVAC, the campus’s volunteer ambulance agency. He enjoys responding to 911 emergency calls and teaching others useful life-saving practices such as CPR and Stop the Bleed techniques. Tobi was also on the President’s Council of Student Advisors (COSA), an undergraduate advisory research group created by the president of the University tasked with exploring complex problems confronting Stony Brook. In his free time, Tobi enjoys working with kids in his church and playing basketball at the rec. |
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Gabriela Dominguez  Gabriela is from Yonkers, New York. She majored in Biology with a specialization in Interdisciplinary Biology. She also minored in Anthropology and Health & Wellness. Gabriela worked in Dr. Maricedes Acosta's laboratory, where she studied the role of microglia in health and disease. As a student on the pre-health track, Gabriela incorporated her research experience into discerning how to develop advances towards proper patient care and education as a future healthcare provider. Aside from research, she was involved in her campus community, having served multiple positions as a teaching assistant and for various organizations. Also, she served as a member on Dean's Student Advisory Council, as well as Executive Assistant for Circle K International. |
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Paul Boasiako  Paul Boasiako majored in Clinical Laboratory Science and was a pre-med track student. Paul attended high school in Ghana at Akumfi Ameyaw Senior High School and graduated from Mott Hall Bronx High School in Bronx, New York City. Paul conducted research in Dr. Lina Obeid and Dr. Yusuf Hannun's lab in Stony Brook Medicine. Paul worked with Dr. Ashley Snider who is examining the role and regulation of sphingolipid metabolizing enzymes and their lipid products in the pathobiology of inflammation. Paul also worked with Prof Song Hwa Choi to examine the effect of Fatty Acids on ER Stress. Aside from research, Paul held multiple positions on campus-based clubs, organizations and founded an organization called Scholars in Our Society and Africa (SOSA). SOSA's aim is to provide quality education to students in underserved communities in Ghana. Paul is passionate about helping others and his utmost goal is to contribute to cancer research to impact others’ lives. |
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Jemima Morgan  Jemima Morgan is a light-hearted art lover from Yonkers, New York. She majored in Biology and minored in Spanish. She is currently on the pre-dental track where she aims to attend dental school and earn her DDS certification. In addition to her studies, Jemima was a part of LITE Laboratory at the Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine. There she conducted research, under Dr. David K. Lam, to understand the role of protease activated receptors in chronic cancer pain. During her free time, Jemima loves to relax by either painting or singing Christian songs. |
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Chinyere “Julie” Nwaogbe  Julie (Chinyere) is a first generation American of Nigerian descent from Elmont in Nassau County, New York. She majored in Biology and minored in Health, Medicine and Society. Julie is also on the pre-health track and hopes to become a doctor. In Dr. Grace Gathungu's lab, she worked on the preclinical studies for an anti-inflammatory drug called "quercetin" in colitis/cancer models. She was heavily involved in campus life, serving as Vice President for the African Students Union and the Black Student Union, as well as Public Relations Chair for the Adventist Youth Ministry. In her free time, she enjoys watching Grey's Anatomy. |
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Bismark Owusu Frimpong  Bismark majored in Biology on the pre-med track. Born in Ghana, Bismark moved to the U.S. a few years ago and got accepted into Stony Brook University as a transfer student. He worked under the mentorship of Dr. Sandeep Mallipattu, whose research focuses on establishing the physiological and pathophysiological functions of Kruppel-like factors in various disease processes. Aside from research, Bismark provides tutoring help in the Physics Help room and has also been a TA for introductory Bio courses. In his spare time, Bismark enjoys cycling, watching sports documentaries and comedy shows. |
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Malik Tranquille  Malik is from Brooklyn, NY. He majored in biochemistry and minored in biomedical engineering with a specialization in Molecular/Cellular Bioengineering. He attended Xaverian High School in Brooklyn and has volunteered at Staten Island University Hospital during his high school years. He conducted research in the lab of Dr. Chioma Okeoma under the mentorship of PhD candidate Folnetti Alvarez. As part of the team, he studied BST-2 and its possible oncogenic properties. Malik intends to enroll, after graduation, into a PhD program to conduct research in cancer and other chronic diseases. He is an active member of UNESCO Center for Global Friendship, a nonprofit organization where he helps collect library materials to be donated to schools in under-developed countries. In his free time, Malik enjoys exercising, listening to music and learning Japanese. |
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2018 INDUCER FELLOWS
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Doreen Dadson  Doreen studied biology with a neuroscience specialization. She was born in Ghana and moved to the U.S. a few years ago. She was accepted into Stony Brook University through the EOP/AIM program and was a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Doreen is self-motivated, dedicated to her school work and enjoys helping fellow students on her free time. For a year, she volunteered as a TA for the Chemistry department. She loves watching action movies and hangs out with friends on her free time. She worked in Dr. Maya Shelly’s lab at Stony Brook Medicine in a study to better understand the critical events in neuronal polarization during normal development and in disease pathologies. |
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Emmaly Gutierrez Emmaly Gutierrez is originally from Bronx, NY. She was an interdisciplinary biology major and hopes to achieve her medical degree with a specialization in pediatric emergency medicine. She conducted research under the mentorship of Dr. Patricia Thompson-Carino. Dr. Thompson-Carino’s research focuses on the evolution of molecular and cellular changes that occur during the development of breast and colorectal cancer. Emmaly was the president of the Stony Brook Belly Dance Club and spends much of her free time working out at the gym. |
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Maame Gyamfi While a senior at Stony Brook University , Maame Gyamfi majored in Psychology with the aspiration to go to Medical School and later become a Neurosurgeon. Maame was also a member of the EOP/AIM program that aided her entry into Stony Brook University. At the age of 8, Maame and her siblings came to the New York to reunite with their parents and make a living in the U.S. Although it was difficult to adapt to the new culture and morals of the United States, she balanced both cultures and advanced in life with them. Maame likes and enjoys the Korean culture music, fashion, food, and dramas and because of that she has studied Korean language. One of her goals is to travel to South Korea and partake and experience for herself the excitement and variety of the country. Wanting to become more open-minded and aware of her surroundings, Maame sort sought to make friends with people from different countries. She says that when we see the world not from our own lenses but from others, we begin to appreciate the goodness of perspective and point of view. In High school, Maame was given the opportunity to conduct research in Dr. Mallikaratchy’s Lab in Lehman College. She worked with Nucleic Acid Aptamers, Fluorescent tags and Quenchers to monitor DNA hybridization and if a molecule has been attached to its target. At Stony Brook University, she worked in Dr. Dr. Styliani-Anna Tsirka’s lab in a study to better understand the initiation and early detection of glioblastomas. |
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Rideeta Raquib Rideeta graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Biology and plans to pursue an MD/PhD in pediatric oncology. She served as the vice president of community service for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, a writer for the Stony Brook Young Investigators Review, an e-board member for the Synthetic Biology Society, and holds the title of SSO (Science and Society) Forever Fellow. She participated in International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM), a synthetic biology research competition during the spring semester of sophomore year and throughout junior year. She conducted research in Dr. Lina Obeid’s lab at Stony Brook Medicine on the sphingolipid, ceramide, which regulates cell apoptosis and can play a role in increasing the efficacy of chemotherapeutics. A true traveler at heart, Rideeta grew up in Malaysia and learned the Hindi and Russian alphabets. She also loves painting and cooking during her spare time. |
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Tiana Reyes
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Maryam Tayyab Maryam Tayyab majored in Biology with a specialization in Neuroscience and minored in Health, Medicine & Society. As a student, Maryam was on the pre-med route. While studying for her degree, she was simultaneously involved in volunteering at Stony Brook Medical Hospital and conducting research under Dr. Styliani-Anna E. Tsirka. As part of her studies in Dr. Tsirka’s laboratory, Maryam’s research aimed to better our understanding and detection of glioblastomas. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and watching endless amounts of TV shows. |
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Tiana was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and moved to East Meadow, Nassau County when she was 11. She attended Nassau Community College. In the summer 2017, she was accepted into the BioPrep Program. In BioPREP, she worked in the lab of Dr. Jennie Williams assessing the efficacy of novel Vanadium and Ruthenium based chemotherapeutics in the treatment of malignant melanoma. She transferred to SBU in the spring of 2018. She was accepted into the INDUCER Program and conducted research in Dr. Williams’ lab that focuses on biomarker discovery for early detection of lung cancer. In her free time, Tiana enjoys listening to music, exercising, and watching the television show “The Office.”
