Meet the Team!
Team Members
Julianna Casella
Julianna is a sophomore majoring in Biology and Psychology and plans to become a pediatrician in the future. She is a member of Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), and involved with Pre-Med Society and Synthetic Biology Cub. In her spare time, she enjoys watching musicals (especially Hamilton!), eating ice cream, and reading. Being the fiery Italian soul she is, she can recite the entire work of Dante’s Inferno in Italian!
Timothy Darby
Timothy is a junior majoring in Biomedical Engineering and aims to pursue a career in medicine/cancer research. Tim is a distinguished member of University Scholars on campus. When he is not chopping up meat at King Kullen or bartending, he enjoys playing volleyball, attempting to sing, hating on Chipotle (despite holding an iGEM fundraiser there), and maintaining his status as someone who has never been on a plane before.
Tabassum Kazi
Tabassum is a junior majoring in Computer Science, and plans to pursue a career as a software developer in the future. On campus, she is a member of Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), and is involved with the Muslim Students Association. In her free time, she enjoys baking and impromptu hangouts...sometimes both together! She loves learning new languages and even taught herself to read/write Korean in an hour!
Fatima Maqsood
Fatima is a junior majoring in Biochemistry, and plans to pursue a career in medicine. On campus, she is a member of University Scholars, Neuroscience Axis, and a writer for Stony Brook Young Investigators Review. She enjoys baking confections of all types, writing short stories and poems, and reading whenever she can. She is also a huge fan of traveling to new places and looks forward to touring Europe someday!
Cecilia Miguel
Cecilia is a senior majoring in Biology with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. Staying true to her passions, she plans to pursue a career in molecular biology research. When she is not in lab, she serves as a peer assisted learning leader at the ASTC, stays active as a member of the women’s soccer team, and cheers on her favorite contestants on The Bachelorette.
Rideeta Raquib
Rideeta is a junior majoring in Biology and plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D in pediatric oncology. She is a writer for the Stony Brook Young Investigators Review and holds the title of SSO (Science and Society) Forever Fellow. A true traveler at heart, Rideeta grew up in Malaysia and learned the Russian alphabet (for when she hopes to go there!). Also an avid foodie, Rideeta enjoys cooking and sampling cuisines of various cultures.
Nicholas Roig
Nick is a sophomore majoring in Biochemistry, and plans on pursuing a career as a physician in the future. On campus, he is a member of the Honors College and Stony Brook’s Club Running Team, and serves as an RHA senator. He enjoys trying new foods, baking fruit crisps, and staying active by running, playing soccer, and partaking in spin classes with Chloe. He loves Chipotle guacamole and Taco Bell is one of his guilty pleasures.
Chloe Savino
Chloe is a sophomore majoring in Chemistry, and aiming to become a pediatrician surgeon in the future. She is a member of the Honors College, Project Sunshine, Synthetic Biology Society, and one of the founders of the Club Swim Team. In her free time, she enjoys staying active by swimming, dancing, and taking spin classes. Due to digestive problems, she can only eat a few types of food. Her favorite is nutritional yeast - not the same type of yeast you can use for synthetic biology!
Megan Schiesser
Megan is a sophomore majoring in Biochemistry, and aiming to complete a Ph.D in genetics. She is actively involved with Biochemistry Society and Community Service Club. As a native long-islander with VIP country club access, she takes an interest in golf. She also enjoys traveling to different countries to experience new sights and sounds only...because she does not have a sense of smell.
Caleb Sooknanan
Caleb is a sophomore majoring in Biomedical Engineering, and plans to pursue medical school. He is a member of the Honors College, a Camp Kesem counselor, a MedHacks campus ambassador, and the Vice President of 3Diatrics. As a writer for Stony Brook Young Investigators Review, he aspires to create an organization encouraging research literacy among children. He has also graced the stage of Carnegie Hall with his high school choir.
Lyle Suh
Lyle is a senior majoring in Biology (specializing in Neuroscience) and minoring in Chemistry. She is an active member of the Red Watch Band Care team, a PAL leader in the Academic and Success Tutoring Center, and an undergraduate researcher in the Chemistry Department. In her free time, she enjoys eating, scavenging for memes, and dreaming of owning a pet sloth someday. As a true academic, she has experienced ten different schools growing up!
Ali Syed
Ali is a sophomore majoring in Psychology and plans to become a physician in the future. Ali is a member of University Scholars, Stony Brook Undergraduate Fellows, and Camp Kesam. In his free time, Ali enjoys playing video games, skating, and soccer. He is also an anomaly who willingly chooses to put the milk in before the cereal.
Jerin Thomas
Jerin is a junior majoring in Biochemistry and plans to become a physician in the future. On campus, he is a member of University Scholars, a photographer for Stony Brook Young Investigators Review, and CERT. His unique hobbies include photography and playing guitar. He also takes an active approach to fitness, by longboarding, playing basketball, and biking regularly. Seriously, even as a child, he learned to ride a bike in one day.
Gene Yang
Gene is a junior double majoring in Biology and Applied Mathematics, and plans on pursuing a career in quantitative biology in the future. On campus, he is involved with Environmental and Greenhouse Clubs. As a lover of nature, Gene enjoys hiking, examining critters of all types, and advocating for the environment. He is also quite fond of spicy foods, especially Nuclear Spicy Ramen.
Advisors
John Gergen
Jarrod French
Steven Glynn
Gabor Balazsi
