Peer Mentoring

Peer Mentors

College	Peer Mentors	Bios
Benjamin Franklin	Alejandro Collins YC20	Alejandro works in the lab of Dr. Scott Holley, investigating RNA expression patterns in genetic mutants that are defective in one or more developmental signaling pathways. He is interested in RNA/DNA biology and the use of non-small molecule drugs for treating human genetic disease, and plans to pursue a PhD in biomedical science after graduation. In his free time, he is a member of the Yale club lacrosse and ski teams.
Benjamin Franklin	Stanley Lam YC21	Stanley’s academic and research interests include genetics and cancer immunology. Outside of classes and lab, he volunteers at CT Hospice and YNHH, and when he has free time, you’ll likely find him playing the guitar. He is excited to help students figure out their course schedules and offer advice for getting through the school year!
Berkeley	Alice Li YC21	Alice is a junior MCDB major in Berkeley College, planning to pursue a Ph.D in biological sciences, hoping to work in industry in the future. Two summers ago, she studied abroad in China through the Light Fellowship and this summer, worked at Yale’s Cancer Biology Institute in the Department of Pharmacology in the Lemmon Lab investigating the role of T-cells in cancer biology through Yale’s STARS Summer Fellowship. Your time here as an MCDB major is what you make it to be! If you have any questions regarding the medical or graduate school process, how to find a lab or volunteer opportunities, how to navigate the MCDB major, or how to survive as a STEM major in general, please feel free to reach out to Alice, whenever!
Berkeley	Lucas Walz YC20	Lucas is from San Diego, California and is pursuing his BS in MCDB. He is currently studying the mechanisms of co-infection in lung epithelial cells and is an MPH candidate as part of a dual degree program with the Yale School of Public Health. Lucas is interested in learning about diseases that disproportionately afflict vulnerable groups, and he hopes an MPH and an eventual medical degree will help him study those disorders.
Branford	Jackson Burton YC20	Jackson is a Senior in Branford College with interests in neurobiology and metabolism who does research on synaptic plasticity. He enjoys running, climbing, and writing for the Journal of Medicine and Law.
Branford	Amy Xiong YC20	Amy is a senior in Branford majoring in MCDB and economics. She is interested in the biopharma sector—at the intersection of biology and economics—and works at the ovarian cancer drug lab of Yale Med professor Elena Ratner. On campus, Amy serves as the Science & Technology editor of the Yale Daily News and is involved in the volunteer organization Moneythink.
Davenport	Josefina Mendez YC20	Josefina is a MCDB Intensive major on the Biotechnology track working towards applying for a PhD. She is currently doing research in the Jacob Lab studying Epigenetics in the model organism, Arabidopsis thaliana. She is particularly interested in the study of the epigenetic mechanisms behind a certain DNA replication mutant in Arabidopsis. Outside of her research, Josefina acts as a Yale University Ambassador, and loves to advise students both on what it is like to pursue STEM at Yale, as well as which are the best restaurants around!
Davenport	Charles Musoff YC20	Charlie is a senior MCDB major also in the Global Health Program. He is passionate about health education, specifically as it intersects with LGBTQ+ health issues, and he hopes to pursue both medicine and public health in the future. Currently, he does research in the Mothes Lab on patterns of HIV dissemination, volunteers with Community Health Educators, which teaches health education in New Haven public schools, serves as a Community Mental Health Fellow at the Connecticut Mental Health Center, and sings with the Baker’s Dozen. In his free time, Charlie loves to do yoga and crossword puzzles.
Ezra Stiles	Diana Ruiz YC20	Diana is a rising Senior in Ezra Stiles College. I am involved in Diabetes and Endocrinology research in the Bogan Lab at the Med School. This past summer, I was in New Haven, I did research and was a summer campus tour guide. I am co-president of Period @ Yale, a student group focused on fight period poverty! I’m also treasurer of the Cuban American Undergraduate Student Association and spend a lot time hosting events at La Casa. On that note, I am also an interpreter for Haven! I love translating for patients/ doctors and it makes me look forward to practicing medicine! I was enrolled in the STAR I program and love my mentor, I’m very excited to mentor incoming students navigate MCDB!
Ezra Stiles	Gina Zhu YC20	Gina is currently a senior (Class of 2020) pursuing a B.S. in MCDB (Intensive). I am currently doing research at the Yale Stem Cell Center at the School of Medicine in Dr. Haifan Lin’s Lab. Her research focuses on the novel somatic function of the piwi gene in development. She is passionate about using science to help others, and hope to pursue an MD/Ph.D. post-graduation; and she is passionate about science and health education as well as service in the New Haven community.
Grace Hopper	Brandon Camp YC20	Brandon is a senior in Grace Hopper College. He has an interest in rare genetic disorders and spent two summers at Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine performing clinical research. He is a member of the Lek Lab, which is focused on improving the diagnosis of rare neuromuscular disorders.
Grace Hopper	Jordan Young YC21	Jordan is a first-generation, low-income college student who is a junior majoring in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology on the Biotechnology track. Outside of being an MCDB peer mentor, Jordan is co-social chair and a choreographer of Danceworks, Director of Campus Advocacy and previous President of A Leg Even, Secretary and staff writer for a new publication called Margins Magazine, Delegate Affair team member for Yale International Policy Competition, and a member of Genetics Club. After college, he plans to take some time off to pursue his passion of dance and then apply to medical school after.
Jonathan Edwards	Kevin Li YC21	Kevin is from Orlando, Florida. He is a junior in JE and also pre-med (he’s got advice about it too!), and his main research focus is in synthetic biology with the Isaacs Lab on West Campus. Outside of working in the Isaacs Lab, Kevin participates in a cappella with the Yale Society of Orpheus and Bacchus, helped coordinate and run the Yale International Genetically Engineered Machine Team (iGEM) as a mentor and last year’s president, and is in the fraternity Zeta Psi.
Jonathan Edwards	Anna Sun YC21	Anna is a junior in Jonathan Edwards College from Memphis, TN. She has been involved with the MCDB Department since her first year at Yale through the Student Advisory Committee. She is excited to also serve as a peer mentor for her fellow classmates in JE this year. The countless combinations of classes to take within the major can feel overwhelming at times, so feel free to reach out to her with any questions about how to fit all the requirements into your schedule or advice on choosing classes!
Morse	Eyrica Sumida YC20	Eyrica, is a super senior in Morse College. Besides majoring in MCDB, she is pre-med, so she’s been conducting research in a lab at the medical school and volunteers at Yale New Haven Hospital. Last year, she studied abroad in Japan through the Light Fellowship, which was an incredible experience, but is excited to return to campus for her last year at Yale. While she was abroad, she definitely missed taking courses on biology, sociology, literature, and more, so she looks forward to returning to a diverse (and not taught in Japanese!) course load in the fall.
Morse	Tevis Vitale YC20	Tevis is a senior in Morse College and works in the Bahmanyar lab doing cell biology research on nuclear envelope reformation mechanics. After graduation, he plans on pursuing a PhD in cell biology before seeing if academia or industry is a right fit.
Pauli Murray	Lukas Corey YC21	Lukas is a junior in Pauli Murray College studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Computer Science. In addition to being a Computer Science ULA, he is part of the Yale Scientific Magazine, Yale Undergraduate Research Association, and the Dean’s Advisory Committee on Science and QR. He has researched in the Breaker lab for the last three semesters, and is planning to continue to complete the BS/MS program.
Pauli Murray	Nancy Lu YC20	Nancy is a senior in Pauli Murray college whose research interests span computational biology and biostatistics. She is interested in genomics research. She likes to run, cook, and hike in her free time.
Pierson	Omar Qureshi YC20	Omar is a pre-med student majoring in MCDB’s Biotechnology Track and Economics. He is interested in how cell cycle dysregulation affects the onset of various forms of disease and works in the Pollard lab as a student researcher. He is also interested in Biotechnology, both with regards to the discovery of new biotechnological methods which can improve the lives of others as well as the successful commercialization of such methods. Outside of class, Omar is an Equity Derivatives Summer Analyst at J.P. Morgan, President of Yale MedX, Healthcare Investment Team Leader of the Urban Philanthropic Fund, volunteers with HAPPY, and is an avid gamer.
Pierson	Karen Tai YC21	Karen is a junior from Houston, TX and spends most of her time researching stem cell dynamics in homeostatic and oncogenic tissues in Valentina Greco’s lab. Outside of research, she is involved in YHHAP Board, Yale Undergraduate Science Olympiad, and volunteers at HAVEN Free Clinic and Yale New Haven Hospital. She also loves board games and playing with her suite’s pet hamster.
Saybrook	Mary Schilling YC20	Mary is a rising senior majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Economics. She is interested in global and public health, and is actively involved in related campus organizations, such as Dwight Hall, FIMRC, and AIDS Walk New Haven. Last summer, Mary was in Hong Kong working as an intern for a healthcare NGO, the Children’s Medical Foundation aiming at improving the quality of neonatal care in rural China. She is a member of Saybrook College, where she is actively involved in the Saybrook College Council and playing (but mostly cheering on) intramural sports.
Silliman	Emily Bae YC20	Emily is a senior in Silliman College, originally from Long Island, New York. She is pursuing the MCDB biotechnology track as well as pre-medical studies. Her other activities include research on nanoparticle drug delivery mechanisms as well as service work in the New Haven community. She is happy to answer any questions about the MCDB major, research, pre-med, or any aspect of college life.
Silliman	Kristen Enriquez YC21	Kristen is a pre-medical student working towards applying for an MD or MD/PhD. She is currently conducting research in the Hoffman Lab, where she studies the biological mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders, using zebrafish as a model system. Outside of research, Kristen plays for the Yale Women’s Soccer team and is a member of Hypertension Awareness & Prevention Program at Yale (HAPPY).
Timothy Dwight	Alice Tao YC20	Alice is a senior MCDB major in Timothy Dwight who is originally from Rockland, NY. She is a pre-med student who is currently researching a cilium-related cell cycle checkpoint in the Breslow Lab. She is also working on a clinical research project at Yale Medical School, studying the outcomes of patients who have had an acute symptomatic seizure. Outside of research, Alice serves as secretary of Yale Medical Professions Outreach, volunteers at HAVEN Free Clinic and in the pediatric emergency department at Yale New Haven Hospital, and sings in Whim ‘n Rhythm.
Timothy Dwight	Erica Lin YC21	Erica is a junior who hails from San Jose, California. On the science side of things, she studies IgE biogenesis and allergy in the Medzhitov Lab, and is a Rosenfeld Science Scholar. On campus, you might also find her cooking night market snacks for Taiwanese American Society, working on projects with HAPPY and Dwight Hall ExComm, or jamming away in TD Orchestra. She also likes meeting new people — so feel free to say hi anytime!
Trumbull	Lauren Gillinov YC21	Lauren is a junior in Trumbull College from Cleveland, Ohio. Outside of her classes, Lauren is a member of the Yale Women’s Tennis team, and a member of the clubs HAPPY and MedSci. She works in a research lab and has served as a peer tutor. In her free time, Lauren loves to spend time with her friends and explore the best coffeeshops around New Haven!
Trumbull	Anushka Walia YC21	Anushka is a junior MCDB major in Trumbull, originally from the Bay Area, CA. She studies rare skin disorders in a genetics lab at the Yale medical school. In her free time, she like to write humor, volunteer with refugees, and explore New York City’s food scene.