Current Students of GSK | Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

During the first year of study, our students complete several courses along with participating in journal club and laboratory rotations. They begin their full-time dissertation research at the beginning of their second year.

First-Year Students

Jalwa Afroz — Jalwa Afroz
afrozj@sloankettering.edu
BS, SUNY Stony Brook, Cancer Biology

Nibras Ahmed — Nibras Ahmed
ahmedn@sloankettering.edu
BA, CUNY Hunter College, Cancer Biology

Kai Beattie — Kai Beattie
beattiek@sloankettering.edu
BS, Northeastern University, Cancer Biology

Shelby Cherkas — Shelby Cherkas
cherkass@sloankettering.edu
BS, Duke University, Cancer Engineering

Ana Perea del Angel — Ana Perea del Angel
pereada@sloankettering.edu
BS, Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Cancer Engineering

Olivia Hanselman — Olivia Hanselman
hanselo@sloankettering.edu
BS, Johns Hopkins University, Cancer Engineering

Sylvia Illouz — Sylvia Illouz
illouzs@sloankettering.edu
BS, UC Berkeley, Cancer Engineering

Matthew Lange — Matthew Lange
langem2@sloankettering.edu
BS, Columbia University, Cancer Engineering

Bailey Levin — Bailey Levin
levinb@sloankettering.edu
BS, Tufts University, Cancer Engineering

Ruofei Li — Ruofei Li
lir5@sloankettering.edu
BA, Bryn Mawr College, Cancer Biology

Karina Magnus — Karina Magnus
magnusk@sloankettering.edu
BA, Columbia University, Cancer Biology

Lauren Mcilhenny — Lauren Mcilhenny
mcihel@sloankettering.edu
BS, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Cancer Biology

Mohammed Mutaher — Mohammed Mutaher
mutaherm@sloankettering.edu
BA, Harvard University, Cancer Biology

Rebecca Nadler

nadlerr@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Pennsylvania, Cancer Biology
Mentor: Christopher A. Klebanoff

Tatiana Pavletich

PavletiT@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Wisconsin, Cancer Biology
Mentor: Ross L. Levine

Eleanor Pope — Eleanor Pope
popee@sloankettering.edu
BA, Northwestern University, Cancer Biology

Adithya Prabakaran — Adithya Prabakaran
prabaka@sloankettering.edu
BS, Cornell University, Cancer Engineering

Hannah Styers — Hannah Styers
styersh@sloankettering.edu
BS, North Carolina State University, Cancer Biology

Carleigh Sussman — Carleigh Sussman
sussmanc@sloankettering.edu
BS, Northeastern University, Cancer Biology

Christina Ta — Christina Ta
tac@sloankettering.edu
BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cancer Engineering

Stephanie Tarrab — Stephanie Tarrab
tarrabs@sloankettering.edu
BS, Columbia University, Cancer Engineering

Christina Volpe — Christina Volpe
volpec@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Florida, Cancer Biology

Michael Xiao

xiaom@sloankettering.edu
MS, University of Cambridge, Cancer Biology
Mentor: Michael G. Kharas

Second-Year Students

Param Amin — Param Amin
aminp2@sloankettering.edu
BS, Rutgers University; Cancer Engineering
Mentor: Gretchen Diehl

Hannah Arkin — Hannah Arkin
arkinh@sloankettering.edu
BA, Wheaton College; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Mary Baylies

Paloma Bravo — Paloma Bravo
bravop1@sloankettering.edu
BA, Carleton College; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Michael Overholtzer

Thomas Close — Thomas Close
closet1@sloankettering.edu
BS, Oregon State University; Cancer Engineering
Mentor: Iestyn Whitehouse

Brandon Cuevas — Brandon Cuevas
cuevasb1@sloankettering.edu
BS, Columbia University; Cancer Engineering
Mentor: Michael Overholtzer

Suchitra Dara — Suchitra Dara
daras1@sloankettering.edu
BS, California Institute of Technology; Cancer Engineering
Mentor: Jason S. Lewis

Ayush Deep — Ayush Deep
deepa2@sloankettering.edu
BS, Albany College of Pharmacy; Cancer Biology
Mentor: John Chodera; Caleb Lareau

Annie Ikemoto — Annie Ikemoto
ikemota1@sloankettering.edu
BS, Northeastern University; Cancer Engineering
Mentor: Daniel A. Heller

Zihan (Vicky) Jiao — Zihan (Vicky) Jiao
jiaoz2@sloankettering.edu
BS, McGill University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Chrysothemis Brown

Brian LaFleche — Brian LaFleche
laflecb@sloankettering.edu
BA, Colgate University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Tuomas Tammela

Linna Lahmadi — Linna Lahmadi
lahmadl1@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Vermont; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Joo-Hyeon Lee

Zonglin Liu — Zonglin Liu
liuz7@sloankettering.edu
BS, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Cancer Engineering
Mentor: Mara Sherman

Robin Lu — Robin Lu
lur1@sloankettering.edu
BS, Northeastern University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Joo-Hyeon Lee

Caden McQuillen — Caden McQuillen
mcquilc2@sloankettering.edu
BS, UCLA; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Junhong Choi

Justin Nelson — Justin Nelson
nelsonj6@sloankettering.edu
BA, UC Berkeley; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Kathryn Taylor

Jorge Nunez — Jorge Nunez
nunezj7@sloankettering.edu
BS, Yale University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Charles M. Rudin

Emily Pratt — Emily Pratt
pratte2@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of New Hampshire; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Maria Akhmanova

Meysoon Quraishi — Meysoon Quraishi
quraism1@sloankettering.edu
BS, Pennsylvania State University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Eric C. Lai

Diego Rodriguez — Diego Rodriguez
rodrd11@sloankettering.edu
BS, Oregon State University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Piro Lito

Ana Rosu — Ana Rosu
rosua@sloankettering.edu
BS, Johns Hopkins University; Cancer Engineering
Mentor: Jason S. Lewis

Sahil Sahni — Sahil Sahni
sahnis1@sloankettering.edu
BS, McGill University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Joe Chan

Aisha Saldanha — Aisha Saldanha
saldana1@sloankettering.edu
BA, Wellesley College; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Ross L. Levine

Ella Serrano-Wu — Ella Serrano-Wu
serrane2@sloankettering.edu
BS, Harvard University; Cancer Engineering
Mentor: Vinod Balachandran

Nyle Sharif — Nyle Sharif
sharifn1@mskcc.org
BS, Northeastern University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Alban Ordureau

Ashley Sullivan — Ashley Sullivan
sulliva@sloankettering.edu
BS, SUNY Binghamton; Cancer Engineering
Mentor: Vinod Balachandran

Elana Sverdlik — Elana Sverdlik
sverdle1@sloankettering.edu
BS, Princeton University; Cancer Engineering
Mentor: Wesley Tansey

Muskaan Vasandani — Muskaan Vasandani
vasandm1@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Rochester; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Michael Overholtzer

Isabella Vegas — Isabella Vegas
vegasi1@sloankettering.edu
BS, Johns Hopkins University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Sarat Chandarlapaty

Allison Vela — Allison Vela
velaa2@sloankettering.edu
BS, UC San Diego; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Caleb Lareau

Helen Wang — Helen Wang
wangh8@sloankettering.edu
BA, Smith College; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Luis F. Parada

Shih-Chun Wang — Shih-Chun Wang
wangs22@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Texas Austin; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Xiaolan Zhao

Nicholas Wen — Nicholas Wen
wenn1@sloankettering.edu
BS, UC San Diego; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis

Gianfranco Yee — Gianfranco Yee
yeeg2@sloankettering.edu
BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cancer Engineering
Mentor: Chrysothemis Brown

Ningjing Zhang — Ningjing Zhang
zhangn4@sloankettering.edu
BS, Case Western Reserve University; Cancer Engineering
Mentor: Xinbo Yang

Yunlin Zhang — Yunlin Zhang
zhangy14@sloankettering.edu
BS, UCLA; Cancer Engineering
Mentor: Ivan Maillard

Hongyu (Vicky) Zhu — Hongyu (Vicky) Zhu
zhuh2@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Toronto; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Naama Aviram

Third-Year Students

Andrea Lang Goldgewicht — Andrea Lang Goldgewicht
langgoa@sloankettering.edu
BA, University of Pennsylvania; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Alan M. Hanash

Jacob Gutierrez — Jacob Gutierrez
gutierj6@sloankettering.edu
BA, Lewis & Clark College / MS; Oregon Health Sciences University, MS; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Caleb Lareau

Gary Guzman — Gary Guzman
guzmang2@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Texas, Dallas; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Tuomas Tammela

Monika Komza — Monika Komza
komzam@sloankettering.edu
BS, Fordham University / MS, Icahn School of Medicine, MS; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Lydia Finley

Joshua Lau — Joshua Lau
lauj2@sloankettering.edu
BS, UC San Diego; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Benjamin Greenbaum

Sophia Park — Sophia Park
parks14@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Virginia; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Xiaolan Zhao

Kate Ryan — Kate Ryan
ryank4@sloankettering.edu
BS, Syracuse University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Tuomas Tammela

Arturo Salazar — Arturo Salazar
salazaa1@sloankettering.edu
BS, UC Irvine; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Asmin Tulpule

Ecenur Turkay — Ecenur Turkay
turkaye@sloankettering.edu
BS, Boğaziçi University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: David B. Solit

Yixuan Zhao — Yixuan (Skye) Zhao
zhaoy7@sloankettering.edu
BS, Cornell University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Kayvan R. Keshari

Fourth-Year Students

Monica Acosta — Monica Acosta
acostam2@sloankettering.edu
BS, UC San Diego; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Gretchen Diehl

Tejiri Agbamu — Tejiri Agbamu
agbamut@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Minnesota; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Jian Carrot-Zhang; Nikolaus Schultz

Subha Baniya — Subha Baniya
baniyas@sloankettering.edu
BA, Wellesley College; Cancer Biology
Mentor: David A. Scheinberg

Elizabeth Benitez — Elizabeth Benitez
Beniteze@sloankettering.edu
BS, UC Los Angeles; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Karuna Ganesh

Emmanuel M. Bruno — Emmanuel M. Bruno
BrunoE@mskcc.org
BS, MS, Università degli studi di Milano; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Vinod Balachandran

Nima Hooshdaran — Nima Hooshdaran
hooshdn@sloankettering.edu
BS, UC Los Angeles; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Alexander Rudensky

Jiachen Hu — Jiachen Hu
huj6@sloankettering.edu
BS, Tsinghua University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Xuejun Jiang

Vivian Kuan — Vivian Kuan
kuanv@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Minnesota; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Jayanta Chaudhuri

Mariah Lee — Mariah Lee
leem17@sloankettering.edu
BS, Newberry College; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Joseph Sun

Tiffany Merlinsky — Tiffany Merlinsky
merlinst@sloankettering.edu
BA, CUNY Hunter College; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Santosha Vardhana

Samuel Molina — Samuel Molina
molinas@sloankettering.edu
BS, Texas State University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Sarat Chandarlapaty

Achuth Nair — Achuth Nair
naira2@sloankettering.edu
BA, Columbia University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Justin Perry

Lila Peters — Lila Peters
PetersL1@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Michigan; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Christine Mayr

Stephanie A. Pierre — Stephanie A. Pierre
pierres3@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Georgia; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Andrea Schietinger

Madison Rex — Madison Rex
rexm@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Texas Austin; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Agnel Sfeir

James A. Rodrigues — James A. Rodrigues
rodrij18@sloankettering.edu
BA, MA, Rutgers University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Yu Chen; David B. Solit

Clark Thomson — Clark Thomson
thomsonc@sloankettering.edu
BS, MS, McGill University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Adrienne A. Boire

Isabelle C. Top — Isabelle C. Top
topi@sloankettering.edu
BS, Yale University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Mary Baylies

Lucia Wang — Lucia Wang
wangy14@sloankettering.edu
BSc, MSc, McGill University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Dirk Remus

Claire Wang — Xiaoyi "Claire" Wang
wangx10@sloankettering.edu
BS, Cornell University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Lorenz Studer

Colin Zenge — Colin Zenge
zengec@sloankettering.edu
BS, Cornell University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Alban Ordureau

Siqi (Linsey) Zhang — Siqi (Linsey) Zhang
zhangs9@sloankettering.edu
BA, Swarthmore College; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Vinod Balachandran

Fifth-Year Students

Peter Chhoy — Peter Chhoy
chhoyp@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Notre Dame; MS, Duke University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Xuejun Jiang

Isabella Del Priore — Isabella Del Priore
delprii@sloankettering.edu
BS, Tufts University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Scott W. Lowe

Yassmin Elbanna — Yassmin Elbanna
elbannay@sloankettering.edu
BA, University of Chicago; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Morgan Huse

Rebecca Gelfer — Rebecca Gelfer
gelferr@sloankettering.edu
BA, University of Pennsylvania; MS, University of Pennsylvania; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Ross L. Levine

Yuzuka A. Kanno — Yuzuka Kanno
kannoy@sloankettering.edu
BPharm, Tokyo University of Science; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Alexander Gitlin

Won Jun Kim — Won Jun Kim
kimw3@sloankettering.edu
BS, California Institute of Technology; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Omar Abdel-Wahab

Klavdija Krause — Klavdija Krause
bastlk@sloankettering.edu
BSc, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems; MSc, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Tuomas Tammela

Kathleen Ann Luckett — Kathleen Ann Luckett
luckettk@sloankettering.edu
BS, Ithaca College; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Karuna Ganesh

Lisa McGary — Lisa McGary
mcgaryl@sloankettering.edu
BA, UC Berkeley; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Santosha Vardhana

Ashley Nichols — Ashley Nichols
nichola3@sloankettering.edu
BS, Chapman University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: John Maciejowski

Jesus Romero-Pichardo — Jesus Romero-Pichardo
romeropj@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Justin Perry

Manisha Srinivas Raghavan — Manisha Srinivas Raghavan
raghavm@sloankettering.edu
BTech, Vellore Institute of Technology; MS, Tufts University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Karuna Ganesh

Abigail Xie — Abigail Xie
xiea@sloankettering.edu
BS, Duke University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Lydia Finley

Melissa Yao — Melissa Yao
yaom@sloankettering.edu
BS, SUNY Stony Brook; MS, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Andrea Ventura

Sixth-Year Plus Students

Ilinca Aricescu — Ilinca Aricescu
AricescI@sloankettering.edu
BSc, University of Cambridge; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Rona Yaeger

Mariano Aufiero — Mariano Aufiero
aufierom@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Texas Austin; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Tobias M. Hohl

GSK Student — Marimar Benitez De La Vega
benitem2@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Andrew Koff

Yan-Ting Chen — Yan-Ting Chen
cheny10@sloankettering.edu
BS, National Chiao Tung University; MS, National Taiwan University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Santosha Vardhana

Celeste Dang — Celeste Dang
dangc1@sloankettering.edu
BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Joseph Sun

Juliana I. Delgado — Juliana I. Delgado
DelgadJ2@sloankettering.edu
BS, American University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Andrew Koff

Zaza Gelashvili — Zaza Gelashvili
GelashvZ@sloankettering.edu
BA, Clark University; MS, Clark University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Philipp Niethammer

GSK Student — Mohammed T. Islam
islamm2@sloankettering.edu
BA, Skidmore College; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Thomas S. Vierbuchen

Ziqi Jiao — Ziqi Jiao
JiaoZ@sloankettering.edu
BA, University of Chicago; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Andrea Ventura

GSK Student — Margaret Kennedy
kennedm4@sloankettering.edu
BS, The College of New Jersey; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Scott W. Lowe

GSK Student — Hyunu Kim
kimh7@sloankettering.edu
AB, Washington University in St. Louis; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Joseph Sun

GSK Student — Dingyu Liu
liud5@sloankettering.edu
BS, Shanghai Jiaotong University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Danwei Huangfu

GSK Student — Thomas F. McNamara
mcnamat1@sloankettering.edu
BS, Trinity College; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Andrew M. Intlekofer

Brianna Naizir — Brianna Naizir
naizirb@mskcc.org
BS, The City College of New York; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Andrea Schietinger

Ella M.M. Nguyen — Ella M. M. Nguyen
Nguyene1@sloankettering.edu
BS, Pacific Union College; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Christopher D. Lima

GSK Student Ana Sanchez — Ana Sanchez
SancheA6@sloankettering.edu
BS, John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Stewart Shuman

Jenna Snyder — Jenna Snyder
snyderj@sloankettering.edu
BS, Pennsylvania State University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Adrienne A. Boire

Anran Tang — Anran Tang
TangA1@sloankettering.edu
BA, Pomona College; MS, Harvard University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Thomas Norman

GSK Student — David J. Van Dongen
vandongd@sloankettering.edu
BA, Drew University; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Stephen B. Long

GSK Student — Isaac Wakiro
wakiroi@sloankettering.edu
BS, College of St. Scholastica; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Michael G. Kharas

GSK Student — Nan Xu
xun@sloankettering.edu
BS, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Cancer Biology
Mentor: Lorenz Studer