2021 SMDP Biotech 14-15 June VIRTUAL www.icpdprograms.org 2021 SMDP Biotech Scholars Jeffrey Aceves, Harvard Medical School [email protected] Jeffrey Aceves is a rising third year student in the Bioengineering PhD program at Harvard University. His research focuses on the development of in-vitro 3D vascularized proximal tubule models for personalized drug screening and disease modeling, as well as using kidney organoids to generate scalable, vascularized tissues. He hopes that this work will be used in the future to improve the lives of patients with kidney failure. Jeffrey graduated with honors from the University of California, Merced with his Bachelor of Science degree in Bioengineering. During his undergraduate experience, Jeff was able to work in labs across the country and publish two scientific papers on his work. Jeff recently earned his Master of Science degree in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University in 2021. When he’s not in lab, Jeff enjoys listening to music, playing tennis, and competitive gaming. David Aguilar, PhD, Harvard Medical School [email protected] David D. Aguilar, PhD is a postdoctoral researcher at the VA Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School. His academic and scientific background is in neuroscience, with a strong focus on mental disorders including schizophrenia. During his academic career he has published many impactful manuscripts, presented at national and international conferences, earned travel awards, and been awarded a predoctoral fellowship by the National Institute of Mental Health. David’s preclinical skills include in vivo electrophysiology, rodent behavior & cognition, fluorescence microscopy & immunohistochemistry, MATLAB programming, and polysomnography. David is inspired daily by his wife, daughter, and corgi. In his free time, David likes to play guitar, paint, and watch or discuss bad movies. Nana Agyemang, CUNY Graduate Center [email protected] Nana B. Agyemang was born and raised in Ghana until he migrated to the United States along with his senior brother to join his mother in New York. As a high school student, he enjoyed science and really excelled in his chemistry class leading him to take advanced placement chemistry as part of his courses. In college, Nana didn’t hesitate to major in chemistry and took on undergraduate research with Kathlyn Parker at Stonybrook University. He took classes toward an M.S. degree and later had the opportunity to work at Pall Corporation, (currently under the parent company Danaher) in Port Washington, New York. After a year and a half at Pall, he decided to enroll at CUNY Graduate Center of New York as a doctoral student in Organic Chemistry. He is currently studying stereoselective cross- coupling reactions on densely functionalized troponoids. Kirsten Allen, Rutgers University [email protected] Kirsten Allen, born and raised in the Metro Atlanta area, is currently a 3rd-year Ph.D. Candidate at Rutgers University-New Brunswick pursuing her doctoral studies in Plant Biology with a concentration in Natural Products and Human Health. Her research goals are to use gene editing approaches to improve essential oil production in catnip (Nepeta cataria) along with abiotic and biotic elicitation technologies. She pursued her Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Georgia along with a minor in Plant Biology and a Certificate in International Agriculture. There she engaged in research within five different laboratories and ultimately discovered her passion for investigating plant natural products and their biologically active secondary metabolites. During her undergraduate career she was a Peach State LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation) Scholar and TRIO Ronald E. McNair Scholar. Through LSAMP she also served on the executive board coordinating programs and events for student development in STEM. She continues to be a diversity advocate on the Rutgers campus and serves as the graduate student representative for the Plant Biology Department Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She also volunteers as a graduate school recruiter engaging undergraduate students at conferences and symposiums to promote the School of Graduate Studies. SMDP Biotech Training Session, June 14-15, 2021 page 1 Website: www.icpdprograms.org Jaylene Alvarez, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus [email protected] Jaylene M. Álvarez is from Puerto Rico. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from the University of Puerto Rico - Humacao Campus and is currently pursuing a Ph. D. in Pharmacology at the University of Puerto Rico - Medical Sciences Campus. Her research is focused on drugs that can reduce insulin resistance as a comorbidity of HIV. Her career goal is to pursue a post-doctoral degree in the Pharmaceutical industry and as a pharmacologist, search for cures and treatments to improve the quality life for patients around the world. As a leader she developed an initiative called "Science and Heels". Its objective is to seek the equitable participation of girls and women in STEM. Through this project, she has impacted over 500 girls in Puerto Rico offering webinars about different science fields, program opportunities, general science information, COVID-19 related information, role models "science queens", and more. Right now, she is developing a summer camp for girls interested in science. Also, as a graduate student she has been involved in graduate student associations and has served as co-founder of the Graduate Women in Science - Puerto Rico Chapter, Graduate Student Association Vice President, Student Representative of biomedical sciences, and Strategic Planning Committee Member. In her free time, Jaylene enjoys dancing, going to the beach, and watching T.V. series. Brandon Applewhite, University of Miami [email protected] Brandon Applewhite is a first generation American, born to parents from Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago. He was born and grew up primarily in Huntsville, Alabama, a tech town in its own respect, before moving to Florida for high school. Brandon obtained his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with a minor in biomedical engineering from the University of South Florida where he was also a member of the Honors College. Brandon is currently in the third year of his doctoral program in biomedical engineering at the University of Miami. Brandon has always been fascinated with biomedicine, which he attributes to observing his mother who worked as a nurse during his childhood while studying to become a nurse practitioner. While he originally planned to become a doctor, his penchant for innovation led him to engineering. Brandon’s research resides at the interface of regenerative medicine, uniting biomaterial design, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. Specifically, he is developing a biomaterial treatment to prevent arteriovenous fistula surgical failure. Upon obtaining his PhD, Brandon’s ultimate career goal is to be a pioneer in regenerative medicine, overseeing the translation of fundamental science to globally accessible, ethical treatments for society’s many unsolved medical needs. Jade Avery, Morehouse School of Medicine [email protected] Jade Avery earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of West Georgia. She is now a second year Biomedical Sciences PhD candidate at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), where Jade is investigating the underlying mechanisms of obesity-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of vascular disease. After graduate school, Jade plans to ensure the safety and efficacy of drug development and drug administration by working in clinical science and/or regulatory affairs in the biotech industry. Her long-term career objective is to oversee the advancement of biomedical sciences into novel therapeutic interventions for human health, and specifically health conditions that disproportionally affect minority populations. Further, she plans to pay it forward through mentorship, educational and community-based programs, and patient advocacy. Jade is also actively involved in MSM serving as a graduate biochemistry and human biology tutor, 2020-2021 Ph.D. Student Curriculum Committee Representative and 2019-2020 Graduate Education Biomedical Sciences Student Association (GEBS-SA) Parliamentarian. Jasmine Baker PhD, Baylor College of Medicine [email protected] Jasmine Baker, PhD is a self-motivated scientist who loves strategizing, problem solving, and contributing to science by combining computational and translational research techniques. Jasmine is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital. Her current research focuses on genetic variants, pathways and their functional impact on stroke risk in sickle cell disease. She earned her Bachelor and Master of Science at Louisiana Tech University in 2011 and 2013 respectively. In 2018, she earned her PhD at Louisiana State University. Her PhD research focused on comparative genomics and phylogenetics of primates. She has published first author publications and has presented research orally and through posters on a local and national level. Jasmine has also received scholarships and travel awards throughout her career. She currently lives in Houston, Texas. In her free time, Jasmine loves to garden. SMDP Biotech Training Session, June 14-15, 2021 page 2 Website: www.icpdprograms.org Wayne Barnaby, University of Massachusetts Amherst [email protected] Wayne