M3 & M4 Students
Department: M3 & M4 Students
Pratyush Narayan
Education: Stony Brook University, B.S. in Biology and Sociology, with a minor in South Asian Studies (2014); Virginia Commonwealth University, M.S. in Physiology and Biophysics (2017)
Hometown: New York, NY
PhD Advisor: Stefano Toldo, PhD
Graduate Program: Physiology and Biophysics
Publications
Bio: Pratyush's research interest is in the field of cardiology and the role of inflammation in cardiovascular disease processes. He is particularly interested in the role of Interleukin-18 in high-fat diet induced cardiomyopathy, cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury, and heart preservation and transplant. His personal interests include photography, intramural sports and exploring Richmond.
Kijoon Kim
Education: Georgia Institute of Technology, B.S. in Biomedical Engineering (2019)
Hometown: Richmond, VA
PhD Advisor: Peter Hamilton, Ph.D.
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
Publications
Bio: Kijoon conducted three years of undergraduate research with Dr C Ross Ethier and Dr Machelle Pardue at Georgia Institute of Technology and worked on projects related to glaucoma and the preservation of vision. Kijoon is hoping to gain a broader neuroscience background implementing behavioral assessments and electrophysiology techniques. Kijoon enjoys playing squash, classical guitar, cooking, and motorsports in his free time.
Steven J. Meas
Education: University of Toronto, B.S. with a double major in Neuroscience and Animal Physiology (2016); University of Toronto, M.S. in Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology (2018)
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
PhD Advisor: Henry Donahue, Ph.D.
Graduate Program: CaMM
Publications
Bio: Steven has a background in regenerative medicine, developmental biology, neuroscience and hearing biology. He is interested in the interface between regenerative medicine and biomedical engineering, particularly in how strategies can be developed to allow the body to rebuild itself. Outside of the laboratory, he can be found trekking through mountains, relaxing in the park, trying his hand at new sports and/or forming new experiences through travel.
Yu Par Aung Myo
Education: Virginia Commonwealth University, B.S. in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry (2015)
Hometown: Mandalay, Myanmar
PhD Advisor: Patricia Sime, MD
Graduate Program: Microbiology/Immunology
Bio: Yu Par is currently exploring her research interests in neuroscience, pharmacology/toxicology and nanomedicine. Her background was in neuroscience, and she wants to challenge herself by going into an area of research that approaches the brain from a different perspective than her previous work, which centered around basic molecular neuroscience. She loves building Legos, cooking and especially going on spontaneous outdoor adventures and food adventures!
Thomas Siff
Education: Liberty University, B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, with a minor in Biomedical Sciences (2019)
Hometown: Hampton, VA
PhD Advisor: Jason Carlyon, Ph.D.
Graduate Program: Microbiology/Immunology
Bio: During his undergraduate years, Thomas developed a keen interest in human cell and molecular biology which he now seeks to apply to the study of infectious diseases. He is interested in studying host-pathogen interactions at the cellular and molecular level to reveal key mechanisms of pathogenesis for understudied human pathogens while elucidating novel processes in human cell biology and immunity. In his free time, Thomas enjoys playing piano and cello, hiking in the mountains, and reading.
Hannah Shadowen
Education: University of Virginia, B.S. in Neuroscience (Minor in Women, Gender and Sexuality), Master of Public Health
Hometown: Richmond, VA
PhD Advisor: Andrew Barnes, PhD
Graduate Program: Healthcare Policy and Research
Publications
Bio: Hannah Shadowen is interested in studying chronic health conditions with a particular focus on mental health from a population and epidemiologic perspective. She is interested in how social determinants of health impact patients and their well-being. Hannah is a Richmond native who enjoys rock climbing, running, good books and spending time with friends and family.
Anne Skelton
Education: University of Denver, B.S. in Biology and Psychology (2016)
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
PhD Advisor: Barbara Boyan, PhD
Graduate Program: Physiology and Biophysics
Publications
Bio: After spending two years as a clinical research coordinator in pediatric orthopedic hip preservation and sports medicine, Anne developed an interest in bone and muscle physiology. Her current interests involve understanding the factors which influence osteoblast differentiation and growth plate closure as they relate to orthopedic pathology. She has recently taken up running, frequenting many of the trails around Richmond, and will gladly show pictures of her cat, Tom.
Susie Turkson
Education: University of Chicago, B.A. in Biology with a specialization in Neuroscience (2012); Eastern Virginia Medical School, M.S. in Biomedical Sciences (2017)
Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
PhD Advisor: Gretchen Neigh (McCandless), PhD
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
Publications
Bio: Susie is interested in exploring sex differences in the relationship between chronic stress/disease and neurocognitive outcomes. Susie is an avid baker whose personal interests include culinary adventures and advocacy.
Augustus (Gus) White
Education: University of Tennessee-Knoxville, B.A. in College Scholars with a Concentration in Health Economics and Policy (2018)
Hometown: Chattanooga, TN
PhD Advisor: Andrew Barnes, PhD
Graduate Program: Healthcare Policy and Research
Bio: Gus' research interests lie in the fields of behavioral economics and public policy, particularly as they apply to public health. The current focus of Gus' research is on using techniques in behavioral economics to assess abuse liability of electronic cigarettes as well as better understanding state-level trends in opioid use and health insurance coverage. Outside of research, Gus enjoys playing golf and following his beloved Tennessee Volunteers.
Yi (Daniel) Zhou
Education: McGill University, B.Sc. in Anatomy and Cell Biology (2014), M.Sc. in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience (2017)
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
PhD Advisor: Michael Neale, PhD
Graduate Program: Integrative Life Sciences - Behavioral and Statistical Genetics
Publications
Bio: Daniel is interested in how environmental and genetic factors interact to affect brain structure, function, and behavior. Currently, he is interested in approaches that integrate molecular, neuroimaging, and clinical data in order to better understand the development of mental health disorders. He is excited to be in Richmond and is looking forward to exploring the music scene, drinking craft beers, swimming in the James River and everything else the city has to offer.
Carter (Kent) Fairchild
Education: Florida Atlantic University, B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavior (2013), M.S. in Biological Sciences (2016)
Hometown: Jupiter, FL
PhD Advisor: Anthony Faber, PhD
Graduate Program: CCTR CaMM
Bio: Kent's research focuses on the identification and pre-clinical testing of targeted therapies for genetically-defined cancers. In particular, Kent studies new approaches to treat fusion gene-driven sarcomas. In his free time, Kent enjoys whitewater kayaking on the James River, and taking advantage of the many great restaurants and breweries Richmond has to offer.
