Meet our current scholars.
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Stephanie Pedraza Marin
I will be obtaining my bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Mathematical and Statistical Modeling of Complex Systems. I am currently a McNair Scholar and University Honors Student. Over the summer I completed a Summer Research Opportunity Program on cancer research, specifically looking at Health Promotion Initiatives and Cancer Prevention through HPV Vaccination. Over the summer I was also able to gain shadowing experience through a speech pathologist. My future goal is to complete a master's and Ph.D. track in Communication Disorders to practice and conduct research in the field of speech pathology.
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Nathaniel Santiago
I’m majoring in Physics and minoring in Computer Science and Mathematical and Statistical Modeling of Complex Systems. I am also a McNair Scholar, Honors student, and Hispanic Scholarship Fund scholar. I serve as the vice president of Northeastern’s Society of Physics Students chapter, and tutor mathematics at the Learning Success Center. I am currently working with Dr. Joseph Hibdon and Dr. Emina Stojkovic to mathematically model and simulate myxobacterial growth phenomena. In addition, I do research in theoretical particle physics with Dr. Kevin McFarland at the University of Rochester. Specifically, I work on models of neutrino multi nucleon knockout interactions in MINERvA. I am passionate about all physics topics, including biophysical applications such as muon scanning technologies and quantum functions in the body and brain. I am hoping to pursue a Ph.D. in theoretical or experimental particle physics after completing my undergraduate degree.
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Andrea Thompson
My name is Andrea Thompson, and I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree with a major in Chemistry and a minor in Mathematical and Statistical Modeling of Complex Systems. I work with Dr. Denana Miodragović in the Chemistry Department to develop arsenoplatin anti-cancer drugs to treat triple-negative breast cancer. My professional goal is to pursue a graduate degree in chemical and biological sciences.
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Alicia Thompson
I am majoring in Biology and minoring in Biomathematics. I am also a McNair scholar and work as a tutor for the Center for Academic Writing. My research is in the progressive neurodegenerative disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) with Dr. Cindy Voisine where I am currently working with the Rbg-1, an autophagy gene, to see if changes to genes will improve the function of cells. I am hoping to pursue a Ph.D. in microbiology with a focus on virology once I have completed my undergraduate degree.
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Sorayya Nazari
I am majoring in Biology with a minor in Mathematical and Statistical Modeling of Complex Systems. In addition to being a MARC scholar, I am also an Honors student. Currently, I work under the guidance of Biology Professor, Dr. Emina Stojkovic, focusing on understanding the secondary metabolites of myxobacteria. Over the summer (2024), I completed a research project investigating the effect of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 (FGFR1) on breast cancer at University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. Looking ahead, I aspire to pursue an MD-PhD degree to combine my research and medical interests.
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Miguel Alvarado
I am a U.S. Marine Corps veteran driven by a passion for science and a commitment to making a meaningful impact through research. I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry with a Biochemistry concentration, I am particularly interested in the intersection of chemistry and physics, which I wish to explore further through an MD/PhD in Biophysical Chemistry. I believe that this combination could allow me to understand and contribute to critical advances in the biomedical field, especially those that bridge molecular mechanisms and clinical applications. Currently, I work at Argonne National Laboratory investigating lubrication chemistries to understand material wear and failure mechanisms, which has broadened my knowledge of applied physics. At 91Porn, I work on synthesizing carbon nanodots to incorporate them into complex chromatography systems like HPLC for potential biomedical and industrial applications. Additionally, I have done research at the University of Alberta synthesizing polymers for gene delivery systems. I feel that my diverse experiences have instilled in me resilience, adaptability, and dedication, and I am quite motivated to contribute to the biomedical field through my work. I aspire to contribute to the development of new biomedical technologies and discoveries that could improve healthcare outcomes for patients.