2024 - 2025 Academic Year PREP Participants
Ahmed Elamin, BS
Ahmed Elamin earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from UMass Boston in May 2024. During his time there, he conducted research in Dr. Jonathan Celli’s lab, where he studied the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on pancreatic cancer, both alone and in combination with chemotherapy. His primary focus was examining how varying concentrations of Oxaliplatin, a chemotherapy drug, influenced pancreatic cancer cell viability. Currently, Ahmed is working with Dr. Brian Lewis in the Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, where his research centers on the KRAS signaling pathway, specifically investigating the role of the AKT protein downstream of KRAS. In the future, Ahmed aims to pursue an MD-PhD to continue contributing to pancreatic cancer research while also treating patients in the clinic.
Alana Grant, BS, BA
Alana Grant earned a B.S. in Physiology and Neurobiology and a B.A. in Anthropology from University of Connecticut. During her PREP year, Alana is working with Dr. Ann Moormann in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease.
Aurora "Rory" Golden, BS
Rory received their B.S. in Biochemistry at UMass Boston. Previous research includes studying the impact of the microbiome on hematopoietic development in Drosophila. They are currently in the Zhang lab, studying the immunological behavior of taste sensory cells, as well as delineating the differences in immune and sensory functions in the tongue.
Christian Ramirez, BS
Christian Ramirez is a PREP student in the Genomics and Computational Biology (GCB) Department under the guidance of Dr. Zhiping Weng. He received his B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry from University of Texas at El Paso. His current research focuses on developing pipelines to process ENCODE ChIP-seq datasets, map sequencing reads to the latest version of the human reference genome (T2T), and identify new peaks corresponding to repetitive elements resolved in the T2T genome. Christian enjoys reading Japanese light novels and Korean/Chinese webnovels in his free time. He also has a passion for tinkering with technology, including building PCs, setting up IoT devices, and working on Raspberry Pi projects.
Esau Estrada, BS
Esau J. Estrada received a B.S. in Cognitive Science with a specialization in Neuroscience from the University of California San Diego. As an undergraduate, he worked in Gene Yeo's lab, whose research focuses on the disruption of RNA metabolism in Huntington's disease and ALS using stem cell models. After graduating, he transitioned to a research associate position for two years, and then he moved to UMass Chan to be a PREP scholar. During his PREP year, he worked in Fen-Biao Gao's lab to test a recently developed enzyme-free epigenetic editor and apply it to the disease of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In his leisure time you can find him rock climbing or enjoying the outdoors.
Karina Magnus, BA
Although originally from the beautiful state of Idaho, Karina graduated from Columbia University in New York City with a B.A. in Biochemistry in May 2024. During her time as an undergraduate student, she worked in multiple research labs through the work-study program, spanning a variety of biological disciplines including neurobiology, plant genetics, and radiation oncology. In the summer of 2023, she participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program at UMass Chan Medical school, which not only spurred her love for biological research, but also confirmed her desire to pursue a PhD in the future. After graduating, she decided to return to UMass Chan as a PREP student to gain more experience in independent research. She is currently working in Dr. Brian Lewis’s lab, studying the impact of insulin receptor signaling in promoting the survival and development of pancreatic cancer.
Margret Philie, BA
Margret earned their Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology from Bay Path University in May of 2024. During their studies, they gained valuable experience working with Danio rerio myelin sheath proteins and exploring Zebrafish neurobiology. They are passionate about proteomics and science communication, driven by a desire to unravel the complexities of protein-protein interactions and effectively share scientific knowledge. Currently, Margret is working in Dr. Mary Munson's lab, where they continue to pursue their interest in proteomics through the exocyst protein. Outside of their scientific pursuits, Margret enjoys creating art, making and performing music, cooking, and rewatching the same TV shows.
Noelia Genao, BA
Noelia earned her B.A. in Neuroscience with a psychology path in May 2024 from Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts. As an undergraduate, she worked with Dr. Michele Lemons in the Dr. Michael Francis lab, investigating the roles of the extracellular matrix in neuronal synapse formation in C. elegans. During her PREP year, she is working with Dr. Alex Byrne in the Neurobiology department, investigating the molecular mechanisms that regulate axon degeneration and regeneration in C. elegans. Noelia’s long-term goal is to earn her PhD and research neurogenerative and developmental diseases. In her free time, she likes to paint, roller skate, and travel.