Graduate Student
Mentorship Initiative (GSMI)

Mariam Aly is an Acting Associate Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley. She received her education and training at University of Toronto, UC Davis, and Princeton University. She studies how memory contributes to attention, perception, and prediction. Her achievements have been recognized with an NSF CAREER Award, APS Rising Star Award, and BBRF Young Investigator Award. She is passionate about destigmatizing mental illness and promoting fairer and more supportive spaces for graduate students.

Laura Anderson is a third-year Immunology Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. She researches the metabolic requirements of canine T cells, aiming to improve cellular therapies for dogs and humans. Laura grew up in Arizona and obtained a B.S. in Medical Microbiology and a B.S. in Neuroscience from Arizona State University. She is a first-generation graduate student, and her passion for promoting diversity and inclusivity in STEM led her to volunteer as a CL-GSMI mentor.

Andrew Ramirez is a Bioengineering Ph.D. student at UCLA in the Meyer Lab. He previously received his B.S. from UC Davis in Chemical Engineering. His research involves developing a single-cell data reduction method for multi-condition experiments to improve interpretation of how single-cell responses differ across and within experimental conditions. He volunteered as a CL-GSMI mentor to make sure students don't struggle through the application process and have a cheerleader to support them. 

Eric Arsenault received his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. His research explores how atomic degrees of freedom and electrons conspire to dictate the function of condensed phase systems, from proteins to materials. He utilizes lasers to experimentally study these ultrafast (0.000000000000001 seconds!) quantum mechanical motions. As a CL-GSMI mentor, he is excited to work with the next generation of scientists and offer the support that was crucial to his own scientific journey.

Tarun hails from Mumbai (India), is a postdoctoral fellow at Emory University (Atlanta, GA), and holds a PhD from Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA). For his research in the field of cancer neuroscience, Tarun engrafts glioblastoma tissues from surgical resections into human brain organoids to understand how non-malignant brain cells impact the biological behaviors of tumor cells. As an international trainee and GSMI mentor, Tarun hopes to help others navigate the graduate school admission process.

I am a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University, where I’m studying the circuit mechanisms of behaviorally-relevant associations in the hippocampus. I received my PhD from UC Berkeley, where I used optogenetics to investigate visual coding. Many great mentors have helped me through the years, and I hope to give back and increase the diversity of the next generation of scientists through being a CL-GSMI mentor.

I am a first-generation student in Boston University's Biomedical Engineering PhD program. I work with Professor Mary Dunlop to develop novel methods of mitigating antibiotic resistance using e. coli as a model organism. I am passionate about using my experience as a first-gen student to help others succeed in graduate school because I have received so much help from others to get where I am today.

Tina is a PhD student in the Kelley lab in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz. She is interested in understanding the impacts of climate change and is using genomic tools to study climate change adaptation in marine organisms. She grew up in southern China and obtained a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Biology from Middlebury College, VT. As a first-generation graduate student, Tina is hoping to promote diversity and inclusivity in STEM.

Courtnee is a first generation college student who is focused on empowering the next generation of scientists to discover their own potential. Her research focuses on untangling the role of hematopoietic stem cell mutations and the development of blood cancers.

Richard Coca is a second year PhD student in the Graduate Program for Neuroscience at Boston University. In Dr. Hengye Man's lab, his research focuses on the molecular mechanisms surrounding homeostatic synaptic plasticity, including in the context of phantom limb syndrome. Previously, his research focused on the role of rare developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. He looks forward to sharing his experiences and getting to meet other early career scientists.

Stephanie was born and raised in Puerto Rico and is now a PhD student at the University of Michigan | Climate and Space Sciences. Her interests include the plasma physics of the heliosphere and solar wind coupling with planetary magnetospheres. Currently, she analyzes spacecraft data to study the solar wind influx to Earth’s magnetosphere. Looking forward, she wants to become an educator in physics and space sciences and strive for accessible science for kids and Latinx representation in the community.

Ice-ocean interactions on icy moons and their analogs in Earth's cryosphere offer insights into planetary habitability and climate. Designing and utilizing novel instrumentation aboard the Icefin ROV, Jorge Coppin-Massanet studies the biogeochemistry of these environments to understand their potential for life. As a first-generation student, he mentors with CL-GSMI to support underrepresented voices in STEM, driven by his passion for decolonizing science, and enabling equal opportunities in research.

Pablo tackles infectious diseases using lab experiments and computational models. He did his undergrad in biology at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, where he began working on pathogen epidemiology and synthetic biology. He continued these lines of work at MIT’s Department of Biological Engineering, where he focused his PhD on malaria. He is now a postdoctoral researcher working on virus evolution and immunity. He advocates for dedicated teaching and mentorship practices in science.

Natalia is a 3rd year Social Psychology PhD student at Duke University. Her research uses methods from neuroscience and psychology to examine how culture influences cognition, emotion, and the self. Specifically, her research examines the unique psychological profile of Latine people and seeks to establish different manifestations of interdependence across cultures. Natalia hopes to help other first-generation graduate students navigate academia through her role as a mentor.

I received my BS from UCSD and my MSE/PhD from the University of Michigan, all in BioE/BME. My current research focuses on using biomaterials to alter cell function to promote effective healing of vascularized bone tissue. I love being a GSMI mentor because I am a first-generation college student who felt a little lost throughout my academic journey. I feel it is important to help individuals from all backgrounds pursue higher education and feel confident and supported doing it!

I am a Postdoctoral IRACDA Fellow at UC San Francisco studying stochastic properties in biological systems. After receiving my B.S. in Physics at UC Santa Barbara, I started my PhD at UC San Diego in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics program and studied the roles of diffusion and translation kinetics in post-transcriptional regulation. Collaboration and mentorship across departments have marked my academic journey and I want to share these positive experiences with GSMI scholars.

What can non-human animals tell us about the evolution of human behavior? Sabana Gonzalez is interested in exploring social cognition in chimpanzees and other primates to piece together humans' evolutionary past. She is particularly interested in cooperative behaviors and causal reasoning. As someone who explored a variety of disciplines before finding her passion, Sabana is excited to join the GSMI mentorship team to provide guidance to growing scientists.

Jessica Karch is a Senior Researcher and Evaluator at TERC. They use qualitative and mixed methods to study science learning and learning environments at the undergraduate and graduate level. She earned her PhD in Chemistry Education Research from University of Massachusetts Boston and completed postdoctoral research at Tufts University on learning in LA-facilitated classrooms. As a first-gen college student and Chicana scientist, they are excited to support GSMI mentees to achieve their goals.

Gustavo Madeira Santana is investigating the neural basis of olfactory navigation in fruit flies, a complex behavior that integrates sensory information with ongoing decision-making. Gustavo obtained his BS in Computer Engineering from UFRGS, Brazil. He is now a PhD student in the Neuroscience and the Physics, Engineering and Biology programs at Yale University. Gustavo is passionate about outreach and is excited about supporting young scientists as a CL-GSMI mentor.

Gabriela Manzano Nieves, Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Weill Cornell University. Her research explores how the development of brain circuits influence cognition and behavior as animals grow from pups into adults. Using a combination of molecular, systems, and computational techniques her current work examines how the adolescent prefrontal cortex integrates activity to produce increased reward seeking behavior during adolescence.

Originally from the central valley in California, Vianna received her B.S. degree in biological sciences from UC Merced. In her PhD at Duke, Vianna is focused on identifying age-dependent responses to growth factors in knee articular cartilage and how this may influence cartilage homeostasis and repair. Vianna is passionate about mentorship and making science more accessible and inclusive. She is looking forward to supporting GSMI mentees in their graduate school applications.

Casey Meili is a second-year PhD student researching neuroinflammation caused by viral infections of the CNS in the contexts of epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Her work is focused on how the gut microbiota and diet can modulate inflammation and disease onset/severity. Casey is passionate about engaging in scientific outreach, advocating for science policy, improving accessibility to STEM education, and promoting diversity within STEM.

Currently working at azidus laboratory ghana as a phlebotomist and a research associate. I’m so much thrilled to study environmental science. Tried last year but was denied.my passion for environmental science because growing up in shama,there is no place for rubbish disposal and all rubbish are put in the sea. Which affect people who swim in the sea. Resulting in the change of their black color to an albinism color. Really want to find out if it’s because of the waste in the sea

I am a PhD candidate in Biological Sciences at Michigan Technological University, specializing in tumor-derived exosome research using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for applications in biomarker discovery and disease detection. As a King-Chavez-Parks (KCP) Future Faculty Fellow, I’m deeply committed to mentoring and inspiring the next generation of scientists, which led me to volunteer as a CL-GSMI mentor, where I actively support students in their academic and research pursuits.

Dr. Jennifer Merritt investigates the evolution of susceptibility and resilience at the genomic, behavioral, and neural levels. By examining Peromyscus mice who vary dramatically with respect to their stress responses, Merritt's research aims to uncover the underlying mechanisms that drive differences in stress reactivity among individuals and species in order to provide insight into how to treat diseases of chronic stress.

Jessica Moore investigates the crosstalk between astrocytes and the vasculature during brain development as a postdoctoral researcher at Duke University. She completed her doctoral studies in the lab of Dr. Valentina Greco at Yale University, where she uncovered cellular and molecular regulators of calcium signaling within the stem cell pool of the skin epidermis. Jess feels gratitude towards her own mentors who shared their knowledge and experience with her and enjoys doing the same as a GSMI mentor.

Alfredo, from Nayarit, Mexico, advances robotics through his PhD at Purdue. His research focuses on nano-enhanced robots that seamlessly interact with humans, aiming to create adaptive systems with applications in smart sensors and automation. Committed to holistic and inclusive mentoring, Alfredo aligns with the goals of the Científico Latino program.

Samantha (Sam) Osman is a current 4th year PhD student in the Biomedical Sciences program at OHSU where she studies antibody responses to mosquito transmitted flaviviruses (yellow fever and dengue) in human cohorts as a means of improving future vaccines/therapeutics. She is a Sac & Fox tribal member from Oklahoma and received her BA in Biology from Rice University in 2019. She has engaged in educational outreach at all levels and enjoys helping mentor the next generation of scientists!

Jonathan Perdomo is a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical science at Drexel University. He completed undergraduate studies at UNC-Chapel Hill in Biology and Computer Science. He develops computational methods for detecting complex structural variants from long-read sequencing data, and for characterizing structural variants across diverse populations. He is passionate about making science accessible to the next generation of scientists from diverse backgrounds through mentorship and advocacy.

I was born and raised in Lima, Peru as well as living in Utah since I was ten years old. My research interests lie on developing computational models to aid in understanding the mechanisms of action of neuromodulation therapies. Outside of lab, I love to spend my time outdoors whether through soccer, skiing, hiking, and also enjoy having a good time winding down playing video games with friends!

Anayancy is a third-year PhD candidate in the Microbiology and Molecular Genetics program at Emory University. Her research focuses on the interactions between bacteria that lead to disease and infections. As an undocumented graduate student from a first-generation, low-income background, Anayancy is deeply committed to mentoring others. She is passionate about demystifying the "hidden curriculum" of higher education, using her experiences to guide and support students from similar backgrounds.

Dayanna’s research focuses on cultural and structural factors that affect the health of Latino/a/x communities; in particular, how ethnicity and acculturation relate to hereditary cancer screening beliefs and behaviors. She is interested in addressing inequities in early cancer detection through effective translation of public health genomics research. She is volunteering as a CL-GSMI mentor to support underrepresented students on their journeys to address disparities in their distinct fields.

Lisa Randolph studies both intracellular pathways and intercellular interactions that shape the wiring of the nervous system. Her PhD work revealed a role for the RNA-binding proteins Pumilio 1 and 2 in restricting the stabilization and maturation of new synapses in developing neurons. Currently, she is investigating how microglia, the innate immune cells of the brain, sculpt neural circuitry by engulfing whole neurons as a postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Anna Molofsky’s lab at UCSF.

I'm interested in nest architecture and colony organization, using the world's most charismatic superorganism (the honey bee). I volunteer for CL-GSMI because it's an excellent program, and the students are top-notch!

Whitney Stevens-Sostre is a D-SPAN F99/K00 postdoctoral fellow who studies the roles of voltage-gated ion channels in the circuit establishment and function of the mammalian retina. She was raised in Puerto Rico, where she earned her B.S. in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. Whitney is the Founding President of Black In Biophysics: an organization that recognizes and celebrates Black biophysicists. She is committed to mentoring and training underrepresented trainees in STEM fields.

Daniel Stolarski is a theoretical particle physicist with an interest physics beyond the Standard Model, Cosmology, and formal aspects of quantum field theory. He is currently an Associate Professor and the Associate Chair of graduate studies in the physics department at Carleton University in Ottawa Canada. He received a BS from Caltech and a PhD from UC Berkeley, and did postdoctoral work at the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins and CERN.

I’m a neuroscientist studying poop to explore how the microbiome and the gut-brain axis impact the development of psychiatric outcomes following trauma. My interest in “non-braincentric” neuroscience began with my undergraduate research in spinal cord injury at Rutgers University, where I also began many science education/outreach efforts for underrepresented students. Now in Seattle, I’m continuing my journey in science communication and mentorship in my graduate career and as a GSMI mentor!

Emily Velandia is a second-year student in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program at The University of Memphis. She received her B.A. in Psychology and English from Johns Hopkins University in 2019. Her research employs community-empowered approaches to examine how strengths can be transmitted across generations in families that have experienced trauma. As a Latina student herself, Emily is passionate about mentorship and building opportunities that allow all students to succeed.

Undocumented and DACA students often navigate higher education with limited access to resources, impacting their experiences and identities. Helen Urpi Wagner Coello is exploring these complex challenges, aiming to reveal academic barriers and develop strategies to support their academic success and sense of belonging. Inspired by her journey as a first-generation Latina in STEM, Helen is passionate about mentoring and volunteers as a CL-GSMI mentor to guide others in their academic and personal growth.

Casey Youngflesh works at the intersection of ecology and data science. He explores the ecological processes that shape biodiversity and population dynamics, and how these processes vary across spatial, temporal, and organizational scales. While birds and marine mammals are the main focal species of this work, interests span a broad range of ecological systems. Casey volunteers with CL-GSMI to promote diversity and inclusion among the next generation of scientific leaders.