News and Events

This year a record-breaking number of applicants—128—vied for the coveted slots in the program. One student who earned a place in the STAR program, Lian Mitzian, an undergraduate at the University of Dayton, said, “It was such a great experience and I learned valuable skills that I know will help me as I begin my academic career in science.”

The Eighth Annual STAR Student Research Forum also featured a keynote address by Marcello Rota, Ph.D., research assistant professor of physiology, who presented “Aging and Diastolic Dysfunction.”

“As a community outreach program, the STAR program not only reflects the quality and values of New York Medical College as an institution, it also continues to fulfill our most important role—to educate. Undoubtedly, it has also raised the name recognition of the College in the region,” said Austin M. Guo, Ph.D., director of the STAR Program and assistant professor of pharmacology. “I am inspired by the achievements that our STAR students have accomplished this summer and I am grateful to the 40 faculty mentors who dedicated their time and efforts to the program.”

Eighth Annual STAR Student Research Forum Presentations

Oral Presentation

“Estrogen Affects Spatial Discrimination on Ovariectomized Female and Male Rats”
Raissa Zuim Dantas de Souza, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE
Faculty Mentor: Jana Velíšková, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy, neurology and of obstetrics and gynecology

Poster Presentations

“The impact of an imbalanced gut flora on the sympathoadrenal responses to hypoglycemia in mice”
Alyssa Zhang, Yorktown High School, Yorktown, NY
Faculty Mentor: Bistra Nankova, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics and of biochemistry and molecular biology

“Sodium influx modulates the modality of cardiac relaxation”
Jillian Pope, White Plains High School, White Plains, NY
Faculty Mentor: Marcello Rota, Ph.D., research assistant professor of physiology

“Inhibition of sEH rescues nitric oxide bioavailability in fructose-fed young rats”
Roopa Duvvi, Brown University, Providence, RI
Faculty Mentor: An Huang, M.D., Ph.D., professor of physiology

“Investigating the impact of NOX4 on myocardial mitochondrial function as a target gene for mitigating type II diabetes-induced heart failure”
Colleen Bradley, Westlake High School, Thornwood, NY
Nicole Musial, Westlake High School, Thornwood, NY
Faculty Mentor: John G. Edwards, Ph.D., professor of physiology

“Effect of varying orexin receptor knockouts on the number of orexin neurons detected in the lateral hypothalamus”
Phoebe Barnes, Westlake High School, Thornwood, NY
Faculty Mentor: Christopher S. Leonard, Ph.D., professor and interim chair of the Department of Physiology

“Concomitant prefrontal cortical and auditory efferent activation during speech processing tasks”
Leena Rouyer, Horace Greeley High School, Chappaqua, NY
Janet Xu, Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY
Faculty Mentor: Jonathan A.N. Fisher, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology

“In silico development of drug targeting SMURF1 ubiquitin ligase - application to treatment for cancer growth and metastasis and pulmonary arterial hypertension”
Kyoko Saito, Eastchester High School, Eastchester, NY
Faculty Mentor: Koko Murakami-Midelfort, Ph.D., research assistant professor of cell biology and anatomy

“Lithium rescues memory in presenilin Drosophila melanogaster”
Bryan Goncalves, Ossining High School, Ossining, NY
Faculty Mentor: Frances L. Hannan, Ph.D., assistant professor of cell biology and anatomy and of otolaryngology

“The effect of the antioxidant resveratrol on prolonging lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster”
Larissa Iraj, Harrison High School, Harrison, NY
Sarina Iraj, Barnard College, Manhattan, NY
Faculty Mentor: Frances L. Hannan, Ph.D., assistant professor of cell biology and anatomy and of otolaryngology

“Assessing the effect of resveratrol on a presenilin model of Drosophila melanogaster”
Elizabeth Chun, Ardsley High School, Ardsley, NY
Faculty Mentor: Frances L. Hannan, Ph.D., assistant professor of cell biology and anatomy and of otolaryngology

“Additive effects of stress on seizure susceptibility following cortical contusion”
Henry Blair, Horace Greeley High School, Chappaqua, NY
Faculty Mentor: Jana Velíšková, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy, neurology and of obstetrics and gynecology

“Estrogen affects spatial discrimination on ovariectomized female and male rats”
Raissa Zuim Dantas de Souza, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE
Robin Masterson, Somers High School, Lincolndale, NY
Abby Ward, Dobbs Ferry High School, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Faculty Mentor: Jana Velíšková, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy, neurology and of obstetrics and gynecology

“Establishing the link between GABAergic neurons in mutations in Brd2 mice using neuropeptide Y as the marker”
Akshara Koottala, New Rochelle High School, New Rochelle, NY
Faculty Mentor: Libor Velíšek, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy, neurology and pediatrics

“The optimization of the IL-17 antibody and the role of inflammation in infantile spasms”
Fatima Gonzalez, New Rochelle High School, New Rochelle, NY
Leora Segal, New Rochelle High School, New Rochelle, NY
Faculty Mentor: Libor Velíšek, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy, neurology and pediatrics

“MRAP2 in the hypothalamus of prenatally betamethasone primed rats and saline controls”
Nitin Seshadri, Somers High School, Lincolndale, NY
Faculty Mentor: Libor Velíšek, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy, neurology and pediatrics

“Distribution of pannexin-1 in the developing avian optic tract: possible role on axonal pathfinding”
Ashwin Sriskanthan, Scarsdale High School, Scarsdale, NY
Faculty Mentor: Stuart Newman, Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy and of medicine

“Behavioral consequences of early life seizures: role of pannexin 1”
Jesed Barragan, Suanders Trades and Technical High School, Yonkers, NY
Marissa Meng, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, NY
Giana Solazzo, Yonkers International Baccalaureate High School, Yonkers, NY
Faculty Mentor: Eliana Scemes, Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy

“An investigation of the NR2B subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in ischemic-induced neuronal death”
Marie Kazibwe, Fox Lane High School, Bedford, NY
Faculty Mentor: Patric K. Stanton, Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy and of neurology

“Spreading depolarizations as preconditioning to post-stroke neuronal death”
Sophie Vernik Yorktown High School, Yorktown, NY
Faculty Mentor: Patric K. Stanton, Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy and of neurology

“Postnatal-induced autism during the juvenile period causes behavioral differences as well as a deficit of Neun and Pv labeling in the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus”
Evan Weingarten, Queens College City University, Flushing, NY
Yixi Xue, Edgemont Jr. Sr. High School, Scarsdale, NY
Faculty Mentor: Linda K. Friedman, Ph.D., research associate professor of cell biology and anatomy

“Investigating the modes of action of potential chemical carcinogens using the Chicken Egg Genotoxicity Assay (CEGA)”
Javier Hernandez, New Rochelle High School, New Rochelle, NY
Adarsh P. Varghese, Wilton High School, Wilton, CT
Peyton DiSiena, Somers High School, Lincolndale, NY
Faculty Mentors: Tetyana Kobets, M.D., M.S.P.H., assistant professor of pathology

“Investigating the effects of polo-like kinase 3 on lung tumor formation”
Casey Ostrowski, Hastings High School, Hastings, NY
Faculty Mentor: Dazhong Xu, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology

“Investigating the nuclear function of Gene 33: implication on the regulation of genomic instability”
Raymond Liu, Ossining High School, Ossining, NY
Faculty Mentor: Dazhong Xu, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology

“Multipotent adult stem cells differentiate into hematopoietic stem cells in suspension culture”
Katelynn Gottlieb, Fox Lane High School, Bedford, NY
Faculty Mentor: Paul A. Lucas, Ph.D., associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and pathology research associate professor of surgery

“Identification of protective memory response for Babesia microti”
Samantha-Skylar Adjei, Yorktown High School, Yorktown, NY
Faculty Mentor: Dana G. Mordue, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology

“Drug discovery for babesiosis: Tafenoquine as prophylaxis and (+)-SJ733 as treatment”
Francis San Diego, Yorktown High School, Yorktown, NY
Faculty Mentor: Dana G. Mordue, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology

“Reassortment of A/Norway/3275/2018 (H3N2) with high yield donor A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 for production of a seasonal influenza vaccine candidate strain”
Vrishin Sundaram, Clarkstown South High School, West Nyack, NY
Faculty Mentor: Doris J. Bucher, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology and of pediatrics

“Formononetin isolated from Ku-Shen (Radix Sophorae Flavescentis) inhibits B-cell IgE production by suppressing the gene expression of XBP1 and IgHE”
Vedan Malhotra, Horace Greeley High School, Chappaqua, NY
Emilie Kalt, French-American School of New York, Mamaroneck, NY
Faculty Mentor: XiuMin Li, M.D., M.S., professor of microbiology and immunology

“Enhanced formulation of food allergy herbal formula- EBF2 inhibits pro-inflammatory protein - TNFα with potential to prevent Parkinson’s Disease”
Swaneet Jha, Clarkstown South High School, West Nyack, NY
Faculty Mentor: XiuMin Li, M.D., M.S., professor of microbiology and immunology

“Deletion of the 20-HETE receptor GPR75 prevents diet-induced obesity and hyperglycemia”
Eva Kristoferson, Binghamton University, Johnson City, NY
Melissa-Maria Kulaprathazhe, Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, New York, NY
Faculty Mentors: Michal Laniado Schwartzman, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology, and Victor G. Garcia, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology

“Mediterranean Glucose-6-Phosphate-Dehydrogenase (G6PD) variant and vascular function”
Milagros Morales, Peekskill High School, Peekskill, NY
Sakshi Gawde, White Plains High School, White Plains, NY
Faculty Mentor: Sachin Gupte, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology

“Genetic analysis of a possible correlation between bronchopulmonary dysplasia and gene polymorphisms of the sFlt-1 pathway in ELBW infants”
Liam Naughton, Westlake High School, Thornwood, NY
Faculty Mentor: Lance A. Parton, M.D., professor of pediatrics and associate professor of anesthesiology and of obstetrics and gynecology

“Glioblastoma, cancer stem cells: investigating signaling pathways for therapeutic targets”
Paul Garell, Horace Greeley High School, Chappaqua, NY
Faculty Mentor: Meena Jhanwar-Uniyal, Ph.D., research associate professor of neurosurgery

“The prognostic value of serum-based microRNA in melanoma”
Kathy Li, Croton Harmon High School, Croton-On-Hudson, NY
Faculty Mentor: Bijan Safai, M.D., D.S.C., professor of dermatology and of microbiology and immunology

“MicroRNA-21 regulates nitrogen mustard (NM)-mediated skin fibrosis in mouse keratinocyte Pam212 cell”
Samantha Saca, Peekskill High School, Peekskill, NY
Masoud Nabi, Ardsley High School, Ardsley, NY
Maria J. Buritica, White Plains High School, White Plains, NY
Faculty Mentors: Diane E. Heck, Ph.D., professor of public health, and Hong-Duck Kim, Ph.D., associate professor of public health