Peer Mentors are a valuable resource for students, offering mentorship and guidance on major requirements and course sequencing. They’re always happy to meet with and advise any student who is currently in — or considering — the MCDB major.
Cindy Cai, YC 28
Cindy Cai is a junior from San Diego, California, majoring in MCDB (Intensive) with a Certificate in Data Science and hoping to pursue an MD/PhD. She conducts translational research on acute myeloid leukemia in the Halene Laboratory and previously completed the Immunology Research Summer Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she investigated responses to a targeted therapy for urothelial carcinoma. Outside of research, she is involved with the Yale Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer, Yale Undergraduates at Connecticut Hospice, and campus faith groups. She is excited to be an MCDB peer mentor and is happy to chat about research, course selection, or anything else!
Avni Kabra, YC 28
Avni Kabra is a junior in Berkeley, majoring in MCDB with a certificate in Global Health Studies from East Lyme, Connecticut. Avni is a member of the Arnsten Lab in the Neuroscience Department at Yale School of Medicine, where she conducts a translational understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and aging. She is also an editor for the Yale Global Health Review, a volunteer at Yale New Haven Hospital, and an active advocate for Alzheimer’s Disease. Avni hopes to improve medicinal accessibility and understand how global social and political climate shapes public health. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, pickleball, and making pottery! Reach out to Avni with any questions about MCDB courses/tracks, pre-med life, and anything else!
Are you an MCDB major in Branford College and currently a junior or senior? Are you interested in becoming a Peer Mentor?
We would love to hear from you! If you’re interested, please email mcdb.undergrad@yale.edu to express your interest.
Anish Beeram, YC 27
Anish Beeram is a senior in Davenport College pursuing a simultaneous BS/MS in MCDB and a certificate in Global Health Studies. Anish is a member of the Pyle Lab researching the discovery of conserved secondary structural motifs in long non-coding RNAs involved in cancer progression. He previously conducted research in the Shapiro Lab at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and recently in the Drug Discovery Biology Group at a precision oncology biotech. Aside from research, Anish completed the Directed Studies Program, is a First-Year Counselor for Davenport, and was the president of the Yale Foreign Policy Initiative. Anish intends to pursue an MD/PhD with a focus towards oncology.
Are you an MCDB major in Ezra Stiles College and currently a junior or senior? Are you interested in becoming a Peer Mentor?
We would love to hear from you! If you’re interested, please email mcdb.undergrad@yale.edu to express your interest.
Joe Abou-Khalil, YC 27
Joe Abou-Khalil is a senior majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology with a strong interest in developmental genetics and translational research. He conducts gene-editing research in the Stitelman Laboratory and previously completed the CRISSP program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he investigated therapeutic strategies for genetic disease. Outside the lab, he is involved in Yale Dabke, a Levantine dance team; MathCounts Outreach, where he volunteers with local middle school students; and serves as a First-Year Counselor (FroCo).
Nick Bhasin, YC 27
Nick Bhasin is a senior from Houston, Texas, double majoring in MCDB and Global Affairs. He works in the Integrative Cardiac Biomechanics Laboratory, where he uses engineered heart tissues to study the mechanics of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. He also works with the Yale Aortic Institute on the genetics of thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection and with the Cardiac Surgery Outcomes Group on surgical outcomes. He is hoping to pursue CT surgery or cardiology and would love to talk to anyone interested in cardiovascular research, getting started in a wet lab, or combining MCDB with a humanities or social science major.
Vicky Tan, YC 28
Vicky Tan is a junior in Jonathan Edwards College from San Francisco, California hoping to pursue the BS/MS MCDB degree on the pre-med track. She conducts immunobiology research as part of the Lucas Lab and volunteers at the Yale New Haven Hospital. This past summer, she engaged in Alzheimer’s disease research in Hong Kong. Outside of academics, she is involved with the Chinese American Student Association, Yale Taekwondo, and enjoys running. Please feel free to reach out with any questions about course selection, summer research opportunities, and more!
Oteng-Agyei Kankam, YC 27
Oteng-Agyei is a senior in Morse College from Ghana, pursuing a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, a B.A. in African Studies and a Certificate in Spanish. He is passionate about RNA biology, which he explores through his research in the Baserga Lab. He serves as a tutor for Organic Chemistry and a Writing Partner with the Poorvu center. Beyond academics, Oteng-Agyei is deeply committed to bridging educational inequities—working with initiatives such as the Yale Prison Education Initiative and Yale Young African Scholars—and volunteers regularly at Yale New Haven Hospital. He is also a First Year Counselor for Morse College.
Kenny Cheng, YC 27
Kenny Cheng is a senior seeking to complete a BS/MS in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, a BA in Chemistry, and a certificate in Statistics and Data Science. He researches novel nucleic acids—like riboswitches and ssDNA triplexes—in the Breaker Lab and also works at Yale Ventures to help faculty commercialize biotech innovations. A passionate science communicator, Kenny is a senior staff writer for the Yale Scientific Magazine and worked as an Editorial Associate at the Yale School of Medicine, translating complex science for a broad audience.
Priya Gill, YC 27
Priya Gill is a senior pursing a B.S. in MCDB with a concentration in Neurobiology and a certificate in Education Studies; she plans on attending medical school. She researches how mucosal immunity can be harnessed to improve protection against genital herpes through HSV-2 vaccine development in the Iwasaki Lab. Outside of the lab she spends her time volunteering at YNHH and Connecticut Hospice, working with FGLI students through Matriculate, or watching sitcoms! She is excited to be a MCDB peer tutor and is happy to answer any questions or chat about the major, research, and more!
Emily Chang, YC 28
Emily Chang is a third year in Pierson College seeking to complete a BS/MS in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and a certificate in Statistics and Data Science. Emily is interested in developing therapeutics from bench to bedside and she pursues this curiosity in the Ishizuka Lab where she works on mRNA cancer technologies and at Nucleate New Haven, a student-led organization that supports emerging life science companies. She plans on volunteering at the Connecticut Hospice and the YNHH Pediatric ED this year. In her free time, she is involved in MAISON at Yale, the fashion club on campus, and Simplex Sciences, Yale’s student-run biotechnology venture. Feel free to reach out with any questions!
Are you an MCDB major in Saybrook College and currently a junior or senior? Are you interested in becoming a Peer Mentor?
We would love to hear from you! If you’re interested, please email mcdb.undergrad@yale.edu to express your interest.
Are you an MCDB major in Timothy Dwight College and currently a junior or senior? Are you interested in becoming a Peer Mentor?
We would love to hear from you! If you’re interested, please email mcdb.undergrad@yale.edu to express your interest.
Are you an MCDB major in Trumbull College and currently a junior or senior? Are you interested in becoming a Peer Mentor?
We would love to hear from you! If you’re interested, please email mcdb.undergrad@yale.edu to express your interest.
Undergraduate Registrar
Andrea Chamba
The Undergraduate Registrar is the first point of contact for all major-related questions.
Upperclassmen
Primary faculty members 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.
Students whose regular advisor is on leave can consult the office of the director of undergraduate studies to arrange for an alternate. Please contact your MCDB faculty advisors by email to set up a zoom appointment if needed.