Meet Our Student Ambassadors (2023-2024)

MD/PhD, MS2

Undergrad: UMass Amherst

Degree: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Areas of interest: Neurology

Favorite quote: "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." - Babe Ruth

Contact: Anna Aristarkhova

MD, MS3

Undergrad: McGill University

Degree: Neuroscience

Areas of interest: Wilderness and Rural Medicine, promoting balanced lifestyles in medical professionals

Favorite quote: "Want to come play soccer tomorrow?"

Contact: Sophie Barlos

MD, MS2

Undergrad: University of South Florida

Degree: Biomedical Sciences

Areas of interest: Women's health, Adolescent health

Favorite quote: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

Contact: Lauryn Bates

MD, MS3

Undergrad: UMass Amherst

Degree: Microbiology and Anthropology

Areas of interest: TBD

Favorite quote: "Well done is better than well said." - Benjamin Franklin

Contact: Racquel Bitar

MD, MS3
Undergrad: University of Michigan, 2020
Degree: Biomolecular Science
Hobbies: Sports, TV, movies, cooking
Favorite quote: "Some people were born to play for the Yankees; I was born to play against the Yankees." David Ortiz
Contact: Arpan Bose

MD, MS2

Undergrad: UMass Amherst

Degree: Psychology

Areas of interest: General surgery, Psychiatry, Health Systems Science

Favorite quote: "Whatever you do, always give 100%. Unless you're donating blood." - Bill Murray

Contact: Hannah Carroll

Md, MS3

Undergrad: University of Maryland, College Park

Degree: General Biology

Areas of interest: Orthopedic Surgery

Favorite quote: "I don't have friends, I got family." - Dominic Toretto/Vin Diesel

Contact: Daniel Chen

MD, MS4

Undergrad: UMass Amherst

Degree: Spanish Language Studies, Biology

Areas of interest: Women's Health

Favorite quote: "I never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun". - Katharine Hepburn

Contact: Sarah Danforth

MD, MS2

Undergrad: Salve Regina University

Degree: Biology, chemistry, global studies

Areas of interest: Surgery, Global Health, Women's Health, Pediatrics, and Adolescent Medicine 

Favorite quote: "Be curious, not judgmental."

Contact: Ariana Fantakis Ettorre

MD, MS4

Undergrad: Dartmouth College

Degree: Goverment

Special Interests: Dermatology

Favorite quote: "What is this? A center for ants?"

Contact: Christopher Fay

MD, PhD (MS4/GS3)
Undergrad: Oberlin College, 2016
Degree: Neuroscience
Special Interests: Neurology, psychiatry, behavioral medicine
Hobbies: Ultimate frisbee, music, cooking, outdoors
Contact: Jason Freedman

MD, MS2

Undergrad: Lehigh University

Degree: Behavioral Neuroscience, Health, Medicine, and Society

Areas of interest: Radiation oncology, Hematology oncology

Favorite quote: "If you risk nothing, then you risk everything."

Contact: Julia Hayden

MD, MS4

Undegrad: UMass Amherst

Degree: Biology, Psychology, Neuroscience

Areas of interest: Dermatology

Favorite quote: "No act of kindess, no matter how small, is ever wasted." - Aesop

Contact: Allison Holt

MD, MS2

Undergrad: Boston University

Degree: Human Physiology

Areas of interest: Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Genetics

Favorite quote: "It always seems impossible until it's done."

Contact: Abigail Horgan 

MD, MS2

Undergrad: Colgate University

Degree: Neurobiology, Religion

Areas of interest: OB/GYN, Women's Health, Pediatrics, Cardiology

Favorite quote: "If the brain were so simple that we could understand it,we would be so simple that we could not."

Contact: Lindsay Issokson

MD, MS3

Undergrad: UMass Amherst

Degree: Biology, Anthropology

Areas of interest: Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine

Favorite quote: "In examining disease, we gain wisdom about antomy and physiology and biology. In examining the person with disease, we gain wisdom about life."  - Oliver W. Sacks

Contact: Renee Joyce

MD/MBA, MS3
Undergrad: University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Degree: Bioengineering
Special Interests: Emergency medicine, sports medicine, pediatrics
Hobbies: Soccer, hiking, camping, reading, DnD
Favorite quote: "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." Henry Ford
Contact: Kayla Loycano

MD,MS2

Undergrad: University of Virginia

Degree: Global Public Health and History

Special interest: Pediatrics/Internal Medicine

Favorite quote: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" - Eleanor Roosevelt

Contact: Michael Marget

MD, MS2

Undergrad: UMass Dartmouth

Degree: Biology, biochemistry

Areas of interest: Oncology, Cancer immunology, Therapeutic development

Favorite quote: "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

Contact: Haim Moore

MD, MS2

Undergrad: UCLA

Degree: Mollecualr, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Areas of interest: Pediatric Oncology

Favorite quote: "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -Abraham Lincoln 

Contact: Christina Nguyen

MD, MS4
Undergrad: Georgetown, 2018
Degree: Human science
Special Interests: Community-based medicine, free clinics, vaccine drives, primary care
Hobbies: Exploring, beach, hiking, trying new restaurants
Favorite quote: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Contact: Brian Nickley

MD, MS4

Undergrad: UMass Amherst

Degree: Psychology

Areas of interest: Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Gastroenterology

Favorite quote: "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."

Contact: Muhammet Ozdemir

MD/PhD, MS3
Undergrad: UC San Diego, 2020
Degree: Bioengineering, biotechnology
Special Interests: Marine biology
Hobbies: Running and swimming
Favorite quote: "I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious."
Contact: Rebecca Panwala

MD, MS2

Undergrad: Brown University

Degree: Computational Biology

Areas of interest: Surgey, Cardiovascular disease, Health analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Bioinformatics

Favorite quote: "As you set out for Ithaka, hope your road is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery." - Constantine P. Cavafy 

Contact: Aris Paschalidis

MD, MS3

Undergrad: University of Pennsylvania

Degree: Neuroscience, Chemistry

Areas of interest: Pediatrics, Public Health

Favorite quote: "Perfection is the enemy of progress." -Winston Churchill

Contact: Sonia Radu

MD, MS4

Undergrad: Tufts University

Degree: Engineering Science, Biology, and Community Health

Areas of interest: Orthopedic Surgery, Clinical Research, Mentoring, and Leadership 

Favorite quote: "Set you goals high, and dont stop till you get there." - Bo Jackson

Contact: Michael Rogalski

MD, MS3
Undergrad: Tufts University, 2016
Degree: Psychology, Biology
Special Interests: Reproductive justice, nutrition, peer mentorship
Hobbies: Travel, cooking, tennis
Favorite quote: "I would rather be happy than dignified." Charlotte Bronte
Contact: Lisa Sangermano

MD, MS4

Undergrad: Swarthmore College

Degree: Biology

Areas of interest: Family Medicine, LGBTQ+ health and gedner affirming care, Medical Leadership and Administration 

Favorite quote: "Act as if what you do makes a difference, it does." - William James

Contact: Sassicaia Schick 

MD,MS2

Undergrad: University of Notre Dame

Degree: Psychology 

Areas of interest: Cardiology, Sports Medicine

Favorite quote: "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball."

Contact: Colin Stoll

MD, MS4

Undergrad: University of Georgia

Degree: Exercise and sports science

Areas of interest: Orthopedics

Favorite quote: Any quote from "Friends"!

Contact: Becca Sullivan

MD, MS2

Undergrad: Yale University

Degree: Economics

Areas of interest: Otolaryngology, Medical humanities, Health economics and outcomes research

Favorite quote: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

Contact: Vanessa Zhang