U-RISE - Current Scholars

2023-2025 Cohort 

Solomon is a 3rd year biomedical engineering student working with mentor Dr. Trevor Cardinal in the Microcirculation and Vascular Regeneration (MAVR) lab on research related to blood vessels, muscle fiber stem cells, and cell isolation and culturing. Solomon’s Summer Research Experience was at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, where he worked in the lab of Shayn Peirce-Cottler, PhD, a biomedical engineering researcher who develops and uses experimental and computational techniques to study and design new approaches for growing and regenerating injured and diseased tissues by manipulating the structure and composition of the microvasculature. 

Edgardo is a 5th year Public Health student. He is working with mentor Dr. Marilyn Tseng on research related to ethnic enclaves and the potential protective effects they can have on residents’ health outcomes.  Edgardo’s Summer Research Experience was at the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center at Brown University. At Brown, he worked with Dr. Elissa Jelalian, whose research is aimed at improving obesity prevention and treatment interventions for children and adolescents. 

Adam is a 4th year microbiology student. He is working with mentor Dr. Alejandra Yep on research related to inhibiting iron acquisition as a novel therapeutic strategy against UTI’s, along with research investigating fish mycobacterium outbreaks. Adam’s Summer Research Experience was at the SUNY Buffalo in Dr. Chelsie Armbruster’s lab, broadly focused on investigating microbe-microbe interactions, host-microbe interactions, and patient characteristics that influence disease severity. 

Carissa is a 4th year biomedical engineering major concentrating in bioinstrumentation. She is working with mentor Dr. Trevor Cardinal on The Assessment of Myoblast Activity from Stromal Vascular Fraction of Mice.  Carissa’s Summer Research Experience was at the Euan Ashley lab at Stanford University. Dr. Ashley’s lab is focused on precision medicine where they develop methods for the interpretation of whole genome sequencing data to improve diagnosis of genetic disease and to personalize the practice of medicine. 

2024-2026 Cohort 

Yesenia is a 4th year biological sciences major.  She is working with mentor Dr. Alejandra Yep on Investigating the Potential Adverse Effects of Farm Work on UTIs. 

Arthur is a 3rd year biomedical engineering student. He is working with mentor Dr. Trevor Cardinal to study Myoblast and Aggregated Endothelial Cell Coculture. 

Rebeka is a 3rd year public health student. She is working with mentor Dr. Adrienne Lent on studying Rural-Urban Long COVID-19 Disparities and the Role of Race/Ethnicity. 

Gwynn is a 3rd year biomedical engineering major. She is working with mentor Dr. Kristen Cardinal on Culturing Human Carotid Artery Endothelial Cells and determining if they can be used in the lab’s Blood Vessel Mimics.