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STAR-PREP Science Training for Advancing Biomedical Research Postbaccalaureate Program
Graduate Program In Life Sciences (GPILS)Prospective StudentsDiversity & InclusionSTAR-PREP Science Training for Advancing Biomedical Research Postbaccalaureate ProgramScholarsCurrent Scholars

Current Scholars

Cohort 9

Ashley Benton

While working on my undergraduate, I worked in the lab of Bill Jackson PhD as a laboratory assistant where I researched the SARS-CoV-2 variants and how they interact with cell autophagy pathways with a focus on expression of Papain-like protein-transmembrane domain (PLpro-TM) of SARS-CoV-2 in cellular models. I had the opportunity to present my research at a national conference and submit my first abstract. I graduated in the Spring of 2023 with my bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from University of Maryland Global Campus.

After graduation, I’ve had more opportunities to rotate in other labs. Learning about GBA1 mutations and their relationship to neurological disease like Parkinson’s in Dr. Ola Owad’s lab and Lynda Coughlan’s lab where the neuraminidase antibody is utilized to assess vaccine protection against different flu virus strains.  I learned so much about new techniques and common ones with different innovative applications. Since joining my Cohort in STAR PREP the Summer of 2024, I’ve decided to return to the lab of Bill Jackson to explore cellular pathways of HMGB1 and its role in viral replication during enterovirus infection. After successful completion of STAR PREP, I plan to pursue graduate studies in the field of Virology and Molecular Biology.

Destiny Black

I graduated with cum laude from the University of South Carolina with a B.S. in Biological Science and a minor in Neuroscience. During my undergraduate, I became interested in the neuroscience field where I had further expanded my knowledge by pursuing a position in a research lab. I previously worked at University of South Carolina pharmacology department in Dr. Chase France’s lab which focuses on stress, anxiety, and animal behaviors. In this lab, I focused on computational analysis and wrote the starting code for the lab to find mouse movement, such as freezing, darting, or startle. After graduation, I was accepted into the STAR-PREP so I can gain more experience working within the lab.  

I chose to spend my year at STAR-PREP working in Dr. Jessica Mong’s lab which focuses on the mechanisms underlying ovarian steroid control of sleep and arousal systems. We use a combination of behavioral, cellular, molecular, and functional neuroanatomical techniques. My future goal is to get accepted into a graduate school Neuroscience program and to continue learning about the different mechanisms of the brain. I hope to become a future Principal Investigator and continue exploring the brain while also aiding others in their pursuit of science.  

JaNýa Brown

I received my Bachelor of Science in Forensic Chemistry with minors in Medical Humanities and Mathematics at York College of Pennsylvania. Since graduating in May of 2024,  I have had the opportunity to join the STAR-PREP Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. As a STAR-PREP scholar at UMSOM, I am working to develop my Personal Statement for my MD-PhD applications and in the Poulopoulos Lab. In the lab, my project focuses on therapeutic applications of genome editing in the context of Cystic Fibrosis. The techniques I will use are developing guide RNAs, cloning, Golden Gate Assembly, and cell culture. Outside of the lab, I plan to work on community incentives to help diversify the research field and become more comfortable with writing scientific documents. After completing STAR-PREP, I plan to pursue an MD-PhD in personalized medicine and gene editing. A fun fact about me is that I own enough tea cups, tea, and materials to throw a formal afternoon tea celebration. 

Safiullah Rifai

I earned my A.S. in Mathematics from Montgomery College and continued my Mathematics studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. At the time, I was a data science intern at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology. As my programming hobby transformed into an interest in machine learning, I envisioned becoming a computer scientist. However, my interests evolved into a fascination for computational biology when I partook in a machine learning-driven vaccine development project for a large tech company.

This newfound appreciation for the intersection between biology and mathematics compelled me to conduct research under Dr. Thorkell Andresson at the National Cancer Institute, where I developed a data analysis pipeline to identify cancer neoantigens presented by Human Leukocyte Antigens for cancer immunotherapies. Recognizing the need for programming in this research niche, I formalized my hobby and pursued a degree in computer science. Following this theme of leveraging computational methods to investigate biological phenomena, I conducted research under Dr. Jeffrey Klauda at the University of Maryland, College Park investigating in silico the structural basis of autoinhibitory dimerization PlexinA1, a transmembrane protein associated with cancer metastasis.

I then went on to join Dr. Arif Hussain’s lab for the Nathan Schnaper Intern Program for Translational Cancer Research, where my foray into translational cancer research entailed studying the metabolomic implications of PARP1/2 inhibition. This year, I hope to merge my computational and wet laboratory experience to develop and validate graph-based classifiers investigating the mechanistic basis of disparities in prostate cancer.

Racheal Ayankunbi

I graduated from Howard University with a B.S. in Biology and double minors in Chemistry and Classical Civilization. Throughout my undergraduate career, I participated in various cancer biology summer research opportunities. 

My research journey began at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. I worked In Dr. Don L. Gibbon’s lab to investigate the role of the adenosine receptors ADORA2A and ADORA2B in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). After this experience, I decided to pursue an opportunity with the Gateways to the Laboratory Program at Weill Cornell’s Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program. I participated in case round discussions and presented in semi-weekly journal clubs on literature related to the COVID-19 pandemic. I returned to the Gateways program, where I bioinformatically identified potential neomorphic C-terminal proteins created by frameshift mutations within Memorial Sloan Kettering-Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets (MSK-IMPACT) in Dr. Ross Levine’s lab.  After graduating from Howard, I worked at the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens in Athens, Greece with the support of the Fulbright U.S. student program. In Dr. Apostolos Klinakis’ lab, I investigated the role of the epigenetic factors ARID1A and UTX/KDM6A in mouse urothelium homeostasis and repair. 

As a STAR-PREP scholar, I am working in Dr. Curt Civin’s lab to investigate the role of the GATA and PSED transcriptional network (PSEDN) in hematopoietic stem cells. After completing STAR-PREP, I plan to pursue a graduate degree in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.

Paul Paronich

I earned my BSc in Neuroscience at Nova Southeastern University in May of 2024. During my time at NSU I got to participate in a variety of research projects spanning across multiple scientific disciplines. I initially began working with Dr. William Kochen, studying the interaction effect of traumatic brain injury and induced stress on BDNF levels and behavior in rats. After getting a taste for the diligence that research required, I sought to expand my knowledge and more importantly, experience. I joined Dr. Aarti Raja’s lab, where I got to contribute to multiple projects rooted in microbiology. My primary research aimed to identify the contents of black-tipped sharks' oral microbiome. Black tips are responsible for 16% of shark attacks around the coast of Florida, therefore we investigated their oral cavity in order to tailor more effective antibiotic treatment towards bite victims. During this time, I got the opportunity to conduct research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine as a summer student. I worked in Dr. Gregoire Lauvau’s lab where I aided in the development of an inducible lentiviral system to investigate the functional properties of memory CD8+ T cells. After starting STAR-PREP, I joined Dr. Alexandros Poulopoulos’s lab, where they use and develop novel CRISPR tools to study neurodevelopment. The project I’m currently working on seeks to enhance our knowledge of the genetic mechanisms that underlie axonal regeneration; we do this through manipulating genes of interest using a CRISPR-Cas9 system. I plan on utilizing my experience in Dr. Poulopoulos’s lab to better prepare myself for completing a PhD in the field of neurobiology. I ultimately aspire to lead a lab conducting research at an academic institution where I not only mentor scientists in training, but also teach undergraduates why the process of scientific research is so incredible.