Undergraduate Research Network
URN Peer Mentor Profiles
David Wu (dw4ms)
David is a double-major in Biology and Cognitive Science. He joined Dr. Anindya Dutta's lab in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics of the UVa School of Medicine during the summer of 2010 and has been in love with research ever since. His work involves the molecular biology of cancer; in particular, David studies the cell cycle protein Cdt2 and the ubiquitin pathway. As an URN-RAP advisor, David enjoys helping students get involved in research in the science departments of the college as well as the school of medicine.
Keanan McGonigle (kmm7kh)
Keanan is pursuing a B.A. in Human Biology. He started research last summer (2011) in the Cheng Laboratory in the Department of Pharmacology at Yale School of Medicine and currently works in Dr. Tom Parsons' lab in Microbiology at the UVa School of Medicine studying pancreatic cancer.
Sarah Smith (ses6eu)
Sarah is a pre-pharmacy student who is pursuing a Chemistry with Biochemistry specialization and Biology double major. She started research in her junior year of high school in a pharmacogenomics laboratory at Shenandoah University School of Pharmacy, and has since worked for a year in UVa's Pharmacology Department in Dr. Kevin Lynch's lab, for a summer as a student associate at SRI International studying enzymology, and currently works in the UVa Biology Department in Dr. Martin Wu's lab studying microbiological biosynthesis.
Nick Lee (ncl8fb)
Nick works at the UVa School of Medicine's Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics department in the Dutta lab, which has a focus on cancer research. He intends to major in Chemistry, with a specialization in Biochemistry. Throughout high school, he participated in science fair, but had no formal lab experience before matriculating at UVa. At the end of his first semester, he began research with Dr. and has continued ever since.
Se Jeong (swj3af)
Se is a fourth year student majoring in psychology. He is currently working with Dr. Timothy Bullock at the UVa Medical School's Pathology Department. He conducts research to enhance the immune system's control over tumors (specifically melanoma and breast tumors) by using combinatorial inhibitor therapies. Before coming to UVa, Se has also worked at Virginia Tech's Regional College of Veterinary Medicine to conduct experiments on glioblastoma brain tumors. He enjoys guiding students through the maze of finding and approaching potential laboratories.
Connor Wang (ccw3rr)
Connor is a third year biology major and has been working in the Li lab at the UVa Medical School's Pharmacology Department since his first year.
Venkat Iyer (vai4xy)
Venkat is a second year economics major. In high school he worked at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research studying the X-ray crystallography of a novel malarial protein. He participated in ISEF and Intel STS with this project. In his first year at UVa, he worked with Dr. Chevalier at the department of Pediatric Nephrology at UVa Medical School.
Anh Dao (aqd4de)
Anh is a third year biology major and currently works at the Halme lab in the department of Cell Biology at the UVa School of Medicine.
Brad Brown (kbb6hc)
Brad is a third year chemistry major with a specialization in biochemistry. He currently works in Dr. Lin Pu's lab in the chemistry department at the College of Arts and Sciences.
Mahum Inam (mi4ng)
Mahum is a third year biomedical engineering major. She works in the Petri lab at UVa School of Medicine's department of Infectious Diseases, and is enrolled in the IDEAS lab course which allows her to work with different labs in the BME department at UVa.
Kelvin Chan (kc3rr)
Kelvin is from Brooklyn, NY. He is a double-major in Biochemistry and Public Policy Economics. He has conducted research in the Deppmann Laboratory of the Department of Biology since his first year, focusing on the molecular mechanisms behind developmental cell death in neurons.
Zach Amos (zra7zq)
Zach is a third year Biology major. During his second year summer he worked in Dr. Roach’s lab studying plant hybridization.
Chris Cai (clc3jz)
Chris is a first year student hoping to major in biomedical engineering. He is also interested in public health and global development studies. He is currently shadowing graduate student Kelsie Timbie in Dr. Richard Price’s lab (BME). Dr. Price’s research focuses on using nanoparticles, microbubbles and MRI guided focused ultrasound to deliver medication to Glioblastoma tumors. Glioblastoma is an extremely aggressive type of brain tumor that is difficult to reach through current methods of drug delivery due to the blood brain barrier. In high school, Chris's main activities were HIV outreach and research. He has experience creating outreach programs and writing about HIV.
Connie Huang (zh8cy)
Connie is a third year Premed majoring in biology. She has been working with Dr. Felder and Dr. Gildea at the UVA Medical School's Pathology department since her second year. The lab focuses on hypertension and salt sensitive program.
Suemin Kim (sk9sr)
Suemin is a second year, pursuing a B.S. in Biology. She started research at the end of her first year in the Deppmann laboratory of the Department of Biology. Her project in the lab focuses on molecular mechanism of neuron development and the physiological effects. Suemin enjoys helping students interested in research approach potential laboratories and sharing her experience in research.
Mikel Dermer (md5xn)
Mikel Dermer is a third year chemical engineering student minoring in material science. He is a member of the Koenig lab and investigates methods to reduce lithium titanium oxide reactivity with electrolyte at elevated temperatures via deposition of zirconium oxide coatings.
David is a double-major in Biology and Cognitive Science. He joined Dr. Anindya Dutta's lab in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics of the UVa School of Medicine during the summer of 2010 and has been in love with research ever since. His work involves the molecular biology of cancer; in particular, David studies the cell cycle protein Cdt2 and the ubiquitin pathway. As an URN-RAP advisor, David enjoys helping students get involved in research in the science departments of the college as well as the school of medicine.
Keanan McGonigle (kmm7kh)
Keanan is pursuing a B.A. in Human Biology. He started research last summer (2011) in the Cheng Laboratory in the Department of Pharmacology at Yale School of Medicine and currently works in Dr. Tom Parsons' lab in Microbiology at the UVa School of Medicine studying pancreatic cancer.
Sarah Smith (ses6eu)
Sarah is a pre-pharmacy student who is pursuing a Chemistry with Biochemistry specialization and Biology double major. She started research in her junior year of high school in a pharmacogenomics laboratory at Shenandoah University School of Pharmacy, and has since worked for a year in UVa's Pharmacology Department in Dr. Kevin Lynch's lab, for a summer as a student associate at SRI International studying enzymology, and currently works in the UVa Biology Department in Dr. Martin Wu's lab studying microbiological biosynthesis.
Nick Lee (ncl8fb)
Nick works at the UVa School of Medicine's Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics department in the Dutta lab, which has a focus on cancer research. He intends to major in Chemistry, with a specialization in Biochemistry. Throughout high school, he participated in science fair, but had no formal lab experience before matriculating at UVa. At the end of his first semester, he began research with Dr. and has continued ever since.
Se Jeong (swj3af)
Se is a fourth year student majoring in psychology. He is currently working with Dr. Timothy Bullock at the UVa Medical School's Pathology Department. He conducts research to enhance the immune system's control over tumors (specifically melanoma and breast tumors) by using combinatorial inhibitor therapies. Before coming to UVa, Se has also worked at Virginia Tech's Regional College of Veterinary Medicine to conduct experiments on glioblastoma brain tumors. He enjoys guiding students through the maze of finding and approaching potential laboratories.
Connor Wang (ccw3rr)
Connor is a third year biology major and has been working in the Li lab at the UVa Medical School's Pharmacology Department since his first year.
Venkat Iyer (vai4xy)
Venkat is a second year economics major. In high school he worked at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research studying the X-ray crystallography of a novel malarial protein. He participated in ISEF and Intel STS with this project. In his first year at UVa, he worked with Dr. Chevalier at the department of Pediatric Nephrology at UVa Medical School.
Anh Dao (aqd4de)
Anh is a third year biology major and currently works at the Halme lab in the department of Cell Biology at the UVa School of Medicine.
Brad Brown (kbb6hc)
Brad is a third year chemistry major with a specialization in biochemistry. He currently works in Dr. Lin Pu's lab in the chemistry department at the College of Arts and Sciences.
Mahum Inam (mi4ng)
Mahum is a third year biomedical engineering major. She works in the Petri lab at UVa School of Medicine's department of Infectious Diseases, and is enrolled in the IDEAS lab course which allows her to work with different labs in the BME department at UVa.
Kelvin Chan (kc3rr)
Kelvin is from Brooklyn, NY. He is a double-major in Biochemistry and Public Policy Economics. He has conducted research in the Deppmann Laboratory of the Department of Biology since his first year, focusing on the molecular mechanisms behind developmental cell death in neurons.
Zach Amos (zra7zq)
Zach is a third year Biology major. During his second year summer he worked in Dr. Roach’s lab studying plant hybridization.
Chris Cai (clc3jz)
Chris is a first year student hoping to major in biomedical engineering. He is also interested in public health and global development studies. He is currently shadowing graduate student Kelsie Timbie in Dr. Richard Price’s lab (BME). Dr. Price’s research focuses on using nanoparticles, microbubbles and MRI guided focused ultrasound to deliver medication to Glioblastoma tumors. Glioblastoma is an extremely aggressive type of brain tumor that is difficult to reach through current methods of drug delivery due to the blood brain barrier. In high school, Chris's main activities were HIV outreach and research. He has experience creating outreach programs and writing about HIV.
Connie Huang (zh8cy)
Connie is a third year Premed majoring in biology. She has been working with Dr. Felder and Dr. Gildea at the UVA Medical School's Pathology department since her second year. The lab focuses on hypertension and salt sensitive program.
Suemin Kim (sk9sr)
Suemin is a second year, pursuing a B.S. in Biology. She started research at the end of her first year in the Deppmann laboratory of the Department of Biology. Her project in the lab focuses on molecular mechanism of neuron development and the physiological effects. Suemin enjoys helping students interested in research approach potential laboratories and sharing her experience in research.
Mikel Dermer (md5xn)
Mikel Dermer is a third year chemical engineering student minoring in material science. He is a member of the Koenig lab and investigates methods to reduce lithium titanium oxide reactivity with electrolyte at elevated temperatures via deposition of zirconium oxide coatings.