PREP Scholars
Nicole Aguirre
Originally from Southwest Virginia, I graduated from Virginia Tech in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. During my undergraduate career, my research focused on clinical psychological assessments and building a database from scratch of client diagnoses, demographics, and assessment scores. In particular, I spent a good portion of my time studying the complexities and comorbities of ADHD diagnoses from a rural / college-town population. Accordingly, my interests are in clinical neuropsychology, assessment methodology, and the connection between the brain and behavior. Through the BIOMED-PREP program, I hope to gain more experience with graduate-level coursework, neuroscience research, and professional workshops to hone my skills as a scientist. In the end, I hope to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology or Behavioral Neuroscience, ultimately crossing the bidirectional bridge between psychology and neuroscience.
Jenna Burns
I am from rural southern Indiana and graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan College in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology, minor in Psychology. As an undergraduate, I was involved in Dr. Jeremy Gibson’s lab, where I conducted funded directed student research over prey preference and decision-making in wolf spiders. The UL-BIOMED-PREP will be the perfect opportunity for me to explore different types of biological research, fine-tune my research skills, and develop a focal research interest in order to pursue a PhD in Biology.
Briana Harness
I graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Western Kentucky University. I've worked on several different research projects in different fields during my undergraduate years with my main skill set being in Molecular Biology and Microbiology. I am interested in acquiring more research skills and medical experience in order to pursue a Ph.D. and potentially M.D/Ph.D. in Infectious Diseases.
Lily Hernandez
I am from Miami, Florida and graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Barry University. During my undergraduate years, I worked in Dr. Jean-Charles’ cell biology lab whose research focuses on studying the effects of ubiquitination on G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling and trafficking. I am interested in acquiring more research experience in Microbiology in order to pursue a PhD in Microbiology.
Mason Miller
A native of Louisville, I graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular & Cellular Biology from the University of Louisville. I have extensive research experience in spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative disorders as well as undergraduate research experience in cancer drug discovery. I am interested in acquiring more research experience in Cancer and Molecular Biology in order to pursue a PhD in Cancer Biology or Immunology.
Isak Beck; currently pursuing a PhD in Human Systems Engineering at Arizona State University
I am from Louisville Kentucky and graduated in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from University of Louisville. As an undergraduate, I designed and started undertaking a clinical study about the usefulness of AI-based tools autism care. I’m interested in acquiring more research experience in behavioral and cognitive science and sought out the Biomed PREP program to learn more about research and decide on a path for a PhD in psychology.
Urelys Casiano; currently pursuing a PhD in Microbiology & Immunology at University of Louisville
I graduated in June 2023 from the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico in San Juan with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. During my undergraduate career, my research project with Dr. DeLeon-Rodriguez focused on understanding microbes in the atmosphere and biobays. I also participated in a Summer research program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where I studied the effect of chives-derived exosomes-like nanoparticles on obese mice gut microbiome. I am interested in pursuing a PhD in Microbiology and being part of the Biomed PREP program should allow me to gain new experiences and knowledge and perform research that will prepare me for my graduate research.
Julia Corman; currently pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience at Brandeis University (top Neuroscience program in US)
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, I earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with minors in Philosophy and Biology in May 2023. I was involved in several research projects with different mentors, including plant pharmacological production of anti-viral protein Griffithsin, development of serological of assays and PCR detection in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and effects of in-utero nicotine exposure via vape and cigarettes on neurodevelopmental outcomes and gene expression in mice. I am interested in translational neuroscience, specifically how circadian disruptions impact neural circuitry and development. Through the biomed PREP, I hope to get more experience with graduate-level coursework, get more exposure to common neuroscience research techniques, as well as receive further training on responsible conduct of research.
Mark Yorio; currently pursuing a PhD in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology at University of Kansas
I am from North Carolina and graduated in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from University of North Carolina Pembroke. Throughout my undergraduate years, I pursued research focusing on the effect of dietary supplementation on age-related decline. I am interested in pursuing a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology and would like ultimately to study the cellular regeneration of cephalopods and better understand the cellular mechanisms at play. The biomed PREP should help me further solidify my scientific identify and provide me with tools to become a successful graduate student.
