Faculty Advisors

Please contact your MCDB faculty advisors by email to set up a zoom appointment if needed.  If you do not have a MCDB faculty advisor - please contact andrea.chamba@yale.edu to have one assigned.

If you are a new major and need advice on course sequencing, we have Peer Mentors available from each residential college.  

First-Years

First-years considering a major in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology are invited to consult with the director of undergraduate studies and/or a faculty member in MCDB who is a fellow of their residential college.

College faculty advisors available to first-years are listed below:

Berkeley (BK) J. Wolenski Morse (MC) H. Keshishian
K. Nelson
Branford (BR) Ronald Breaker
Stavroula Hatzios
Josein van Wolfswinkel		 Pierson (PC) John Carlson
Nadya Dimitrova
Valerie Horsley
Grace Hopper (GH) Mark Mooseker
Damon Clark		 Saybrook (SY)  
Davenport (DC) Vivian Irish
Weimin Zhong
Paul Forscher		 Silliman (SM) Stephen Dellaporta
 
Timothy Dwight (TD) Scott Holley Ezra Stiles (ES)  
Jonathan Edwards (JE) Ronald Breaker
Thierry Emonet
Farren Isaacs		 Trumbull (TC) Yannick Jacob
Pauli Murray (MY) Craig Crews
Shirin Bahmanyar
Joshua Gendron		 Benjamin Franklin (BF) Douglas Kankel

Upperclassmen

Any member of the MCDB department can serve as a faculty advisor to majors. For assistance in identifying a suitable advisor, students should contact the departmental Undergraduate Registrar.  Students in the neurobiology, biotechnology, or quantitative biology track should have an advisor from their specific track. The course schedules of all MCDB majors (including sophomores intending to major in MCDB) must be signed by a faculty member in the department. The signature of the director of undergraduate studies is required only for students who are fulfilling the requirements of two majors or who have been admitted to the simultaneous B.S./M.S. degree program. Students whose regular advisor is on leave can consult the office of the director of undergraduate studies to arrange for an alternate.

Peer Mentoring

Peer Mentors serve as a resource for student mentorship and provide guidance on requirements or course sequence for new majors.  The Peer Mentors are always happy to meet with and advise any student in or thinking of becoming an MCDB major.  

Peer Mentors by dorm

Colin Kim YC 26

Colin Kim is a junior in Benjamin Franklin College, studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Ethnicity, Race, and Migration, with a certificate in Education Studies. On campus, Colin is conducting cardiovascular immunology research at the Bender Lab, investigating the interactions between regulatory T-cells and vascular smooth muscle cells. Aside from that, he volunteers at Yale New Haven Hospital and serves as a patient navigator for HAVEN Free Clinic. He plans on attending medical school. Feel free to reach out to Colin if you have any questions about being pre-med, research, and/or anything else!

Himani Pattisam YC26

Himani Pattisam (she/her) is a senior in Franklin double majoring in HSHM and MCDB with a Global Health certificate. She is interested in health policy and plans to attend medical school and/or law school in the future. Himani has worked in the Carlson Lab since her first year, studying mosquito feeding and biting behavior. She is a peer tutor for the introductory BIOL sequence and a FroCo, and is happy to be a resource for anyone considering the MCDB major!

Grace Kostecki  YC26

Grace Kostecki is a junior in Branford College from Honolulu, Hawaii, studying MCDB on the pre-med track. She is currently conducting research in the von Blume lab at the Yale Medical School on protein trafficking through the trans-Golgi complex and in the Dakshanamurthy lab at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center on the carcinogenic effects of PFAS chemicals. Additionally, she is the Vice President of the Yale Public Health Coalition and a Captain of the Yale Women’s Club Soccer Team. She is excited to be a peer mentor and is happy to answer any questions about the MCDB major or student life at Yale!

Ralph De Guzman  

Ralph De Guzman is a third year at Davenport College. Ralph is a Filipino-American born in Chicago. During his first year, he was part of First-Year Scholars @ Yale (FSY), STARS I, and did a summer fellowship @ the Jiang Lab in the Yale School of Medicine. Apart from previous experience in Microbiology, his other non-biology endeavors include introductory Statistics, Forensic Psychology at the University of Cambridge, and three semesters of American Sign Language. 

Kaley Mafong 

Kaley Mafong is a junior in Davenport College studying MCDB with a certificate in Spanish. Her academic interests lie in exploring how biological processes can be placed in context with societal factors to better understand human health and alleviate disease disparities. Outside class, she participates in a translational genetics research laboratory and loves to dance, spend time outdoors and indulge in the New Haven ice cream scene; feel free to reach out to join her for a sweet treat or with any questions about the MCDB major and pursuing STEM at Yale!

Mia Gawith 

Mia Gawith is a junior in Hopper College pursuing a B.S. in MCDB on the pre-med track. Mia is currently conducting research in the Rogers Lab at the Yale School of Medicine investigating how gene technology can be used against gene-amplified cancers. Outside the classroom and lab, you can find Mia doing some clinical volunteering, editing for the Yale Scientific Magazine, or peer tutoring for the introductory biology sequence. Feel free to reach out to Mia if you have any questions about extracurriculars, pre-med life, or blue booking!

Pol Berger Romeu 

Pol Berger Romeu is a junior in Pauli Murray College pursuing an intensive BS in MCDB with a concentration in Biotechnology. Outside of the classroom, Pol is an undergraduate researcher in the Dimitrova Lab studying the impact of dysregulated long non-coding RNAs in cancer disease development and progression. Following a great summer experience working for a pharmaceutical company, Pol hopes to further explore industry research post-grad. In his free time, Pol enjoys playing soccer, traveling, and being a Yale tour guide.

Christian Guirgis

Christian Guirgis is a junior in Pauli Murray who plans to pursue the dual BS/MS degree. Outside of the classroom, Christian works in the Iwasaki Lab in the Department of Immunobiology studying the role of Epstein Barr Virus in Long Covid. After undergrad, Christian plans to attend medical school and become a doctor. He’s interested in cardiology and anesthesiology specialties. Outside of school, Christian is the captain of club soccer at Yale, enjoys peer tutoring, and hanging out with friends.

Crystal Liu 

Crystal Liu is a junior in Pierson College, pursuing a B.S. degree in MCDB and certificates in data science and in French. She did plant molecular biology research with the Irish Lab during her first two years and switched to molecular biochemistry research with the DiMaio Lab her junior year. She is still open to both graduate programs and industry opportunities. She is happy to discuss blue booking, research, international identity, club/intramural sports, publications, and her gap year experience!

Kayla Sohn

Kayla Sohn (TD’26) is a Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology major and Global Health Scholar from Long Island, New York. Kayla is currently a member of the Lee Lab in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Yale School of Medicine where she conducts research in human and translational immunology and immune related adverse events. She is also a writer for the Yale Scientific Magazine and a violinist for the Davenport Pops Orchestra. As a World Food Prize Borlaug Scholar, Kayla hopes to learn more about the connections between governance, food security, scientific communication, and public health to drive her career pursuits in healthcare.