Mohammed Khodor Firas Al-Tal, a first generation Arab American student, is a rising junior at Suffolk University-Sawyer Business School double majoring in Business Analytics Information Systems & Computer Science. Mohammed dreams of pursuing a dual PhD in Comp Sci Eng & Bioinformatics as he recognizes the need for more advanced algorithms in the field of biology to help process immense sets of data in order to solve the most complex problems and find cures & solutions for the betterment of humanity. His career goal is to become a Principal Data Scientist in the life science sector and eventually become a professor to teach others what he learned along the way.
Estrella Contreras is a first-generation undergraduate senior double majoring in Psychology and Neuroscience at Arizona State University. Her research interests focus on addressing health inequities within ethnically underserved communities, as well as in groups with marginalized medical conditions, such as chronic pain. Estrella is part of the COVID Latino Project, which disseminates scientific findings about COVID-19 to Latino communities through art. Following a gap year, Estrella plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Epidemiology. She aspires to conduct studies that evaluate public understanding of prominent health issues, which could be used to develop appropriate courses of treatment and intervention.
Ashley Kyu-ri Kim is a rising junior pursuing a double major in Statistics and Psychology alongside a minor in Public Health at Williams College. She is passionate about elucidating interplays between health behaviors, policy, nutrition, mental health, and social determinants of health, with a keen focus on uncovering the contributors to and outcomes of health disparities. She aspires to spearhead research endeavors that significantly impact community well-being and to advocate for research that is inclusive, accessible, and understandable to diverse audiences. With enthusiasm for research, particularly in public health, Ashley eagerly embraces opportunities to expand her knowledge and contribute to impactful projects. Ashley also loves to play violin and to sing.
Soomin Koh is a rising junior at Williams College pursuing a major in Biology and Sociology, with a concentration in Public Health. After graduating, she plans to further her education through a Ph.D. in biostatistics, systems biology, or biomedical informatics. Soomin aspires to leverage quantitative skills and integrative data analysis to address real-world issues in the field of biology and public health through equity-centered biomedical research. Throughout her career, she hopes to expand access to healthcare nationally and globally through ameliorating health delivery systems and medical innovations.
Shriya Shivakumar is a junior at Bryn Mawr College majoring in Biology with a minor in Data Science. With experiences ranging from being a Certified Nursing Assistant to computational research internships utilizing Mendelian Randomization statistical frameworks at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Shriya is driven to explore the intersection of data science, biology, and health. Shriya hopes to pursue graduate studies in Biostatistics & Computational Biology, with the goal to leverage data science to advance healthcare outcomes. Shriya’s research goal includes having a transformative impact in addressing critical health challenges using data-driven approaches, particularly in topics like predictive modeling for personalized medicine and public health genomics. Shriya aspires to contribute meaningfully to addressing health disparities through computational approaches.
Nyah Strickland is a rising fourth-year student at The University of Texas at Austin majoring in mathematics with a certificate in Applied Statistical Modeling. Nyah hopes to use data science and public health research to create pipelines for addressing the health implications of racial wealth disparities. After graduation, she is considering pursuing a Ph.D. in Biostatistics. Ultimately, she desires to collaborate with lead experts to provide sound research and analysis to policymakers and corporations, influencing them to enact decisions that will lead to better health and more equitable economic outcomes for all.
Nathan Tran is a rising fourth-year student at the University of California Los Angeles majoring in Computational & Systems Biology and minoring in Data Science Engineering. Nathan is a proud first-generation college student who hopes to further his education by pursuing a Ph.D. in Computational Biology. He is deeply driven towards research that aims to directly improve patient care through precision medicine and informed clinical decision-making. In the future, Nathan hopes to contribute to such work through novel computational development and statistical, predictive modeling in both academia and industry.
Emily Zhang is a rising junior at Princeton University majoring in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with minors in Statistics & Machine Learning and Quantitative & Computational Biology. She plans to complete graduate studies in Statistical Genetics and Genomics, where she envisions analyzing genetic data using computational methods. In the future, Emily hopes to contribute to the public health field by pursuing a career in disease research and prevention. In particular, she is interested in the area of cancer immunotherapy, where she hopes to use genetic and molecular data analysis to identify gene patterns associated with cancer development, progression, and response to therapy.
