Student Steering Committee

I am a fourth year ChemBio student in Tim Mitchison’s lab working on developing a small molecule inhibitor of an enzyme. I am originally from a small town in CT, called Ellington, though we often called it Smellington as we have a lot of cows (and manure). Before coming to Harvard, I studied chemistry at Bucknell and ran on the cross country and track teams there. My research centers on finding a small molecule inhibitor of a kinase implicated in brain cancer. My project started with various screening approaches and has led to structure-guided design of inhibitors and various in vitro enzyme assays. It is a fun project as I get to learn the basics of drug discovery and collaborate with experts across the drug discovery pipeline.

I am a second-year Systems Biology student in the Eliezer Van Allen lab, where I study the tumor microenvironment in renal cell carcinoma using single-cell and spatial technologies. Originally from Urumqi, Xinjiang, China, I moved to the U.S. for my undergraduate studies at UC Santa Cruz, majoring in biology and bioinformatics. After graduation, I spent two years researching in a pediatric leukemia lab at UCSF. My current project focuses on understanding the role of immune cells within the tumor microenvironment of patients with various mutations and resistance mechanisms to immunotherapy. 

Zachary is a 2nd year Ph.D. student in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program researching Alzheimer’s Disease in the Young-Pearse lab at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is originally from Palatine, Illinois (outside of Chicago) and conducted his undergraduate studies at Rice University majoring in Neuroscience and Biology. He then spent two years as a research technician in the Evrony lab at NYU Langone where he helped develop multiple molecular genetic technologies. His current project uses induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) models to investigate sex-differences in Alzheimer’s Disease. Outside of lab, Zachary enjoys hiking, reading, and watching his favorite sports teams almost win.

I am a PhD student at Harvard University, focusing on translational oncology and women's health. With over five years of international research experience spanning prestigious institutions such as the German Cancer Research Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and the University of Toronto, my expertise lies in ovarian and breast cancer research. For my dissertation project, I investigate therapy-associated senescence in ovarian cancer. Currently, I manage the flagship chapter of Nucleate in Boston, deeply committed to translational research. My passion for biotech innovation was cultivated during my role as a business development intern at the Merck Innovation Center in Germany. Combining my research and biotech business experience across the USA, Europe, and the Middle East, I aim to drive impactful change at the intersection of academia and industry. I believe the TGP program will serve as an excellent bridge to reach my future goals.

I am a third year PhD student in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics in the joint Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program. I was born and raised in Colombia, and I am passionate about empowering and advocating for global health, equity in education, and leveraging innovation to catalyze social and economic development in resource-limited areas. My research focuses on investigating the interactions between the nervous and immune systems within the context of chronic inflammation (CI). 

I'm a globetrotter at heart who loves learning new languages, diving into different cultures, and traveling the world. I started my academic journey with a Bachelor’s degree in German Philology and Education, studying in both Colombia and Germany. It was an incredible experience that fueled my passion for connecting with people across the globe. But the adventure didn’t stop there! I then moved to the USA to pursue another bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience. Now, I’m blending my love for languages and cultures with the exciting world of neuroscience, medicine and engineering!