Meet the Interns

Bryanna is a seventh-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Biology at MIT, where she works in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Reddien. She studies how regenerative flatworms called planarians transform their single stem cell population into more than 125 distinct cell types that form complex, functional tissues. Using genetic tools to manipulate and visualize gene expression, she has identified molecules required for proper eye regeneration, a process that takes just ten days in planarians. For her thesis work, she identified a signaling molecule that functions within multiple cell types to prevent the premature differentiation and “sticking” of cells to incorrect locations as they migrate to their correct destinations. Bryanna appreciates when science is combined with different forms of creative expression, such as art and storytelling, and hopes to incorporate these forms of expression into her future work. She enjoys talking about science with students of all ages, from mentoring weekly elementary school science clubs to serving as a TA for high school model organism workshops at MIT. In her free time, she enjoys walking in nature, caring for her plants, playing video games, drawing, and being an armchair movie critic.

Maria holds a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Arkansas. As a doctoral researcher, she focused on using advanced microscopy techniques to reveal the metabolic signatures of tissue remodeling during early embryogenesis. Her use of multiphoton microscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging established an innovative approach for examining mitochondrial dynamics in unlabeled, live Drosophila embryos using non-invasive biophotonics. Prior to graduate school, she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology in her home country, Guatemala, where she first engaged in molecular research and discovered a passion for scientific discovery and science communication. Beyond her scholarly work, Maria enjoys engaging storytelling and is dedicated to making science accessible to everyone. She writes blog articles on topics like graduate school life, recent scientific discoveries, and her former experience as a high school science teacher. When she is not writing, she enjoys traveling, leisurely walking, reading history and biographies, solving crossword puzzles, and cooking with her partner.

Nicholas is a 6th-year Ph.D. candidate in the Genes, Development, and Disease graduate program at UT Southwestern. Previously, he worked as a research assistant at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he studied the mechanisms of angiotensin type II receptors in driving neuropathic pain. Driven by the passion for understanding cardiovascular disease, Nicholas joined Dr. Joseph Hill's lab in 2021. His current research focuses on unraveling the molecular pathways that contribute to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a growing clinical syndrome that lacks effective therapeutics compared to other forms of heart failure. Specifically, he investigates the role of FOXO1, a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor, that appears to be maladaptive driver of cardiac inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. Nicholas’s commitment to research is deeply personal, motivated by a familial history of sudden cardiac events. Beyond uncovering answers in his thesis work, he hopes to inspire others to engage with science, question the unknown, and celebrate remarkable biological discoveries. Outside the lab, Nicholas enjoys hiking, going to the movies, and creating art/sculptures out of discarded lab plastic.

Michelle is a third-year Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. candidate in the Helen Willsey lab at the University of California, San Francisco. She studies how estrogen can contribute to sex differences in airway disease by investigating its role in mucociliary epithelium development and ciliogenesis using Xenopus. More broadly, Michelle is interested in the intersection of developmental biology and women’s health. Prior to graduate school, Michelle studied at the Georgia Institute of Technology and worked on bioengineering vesicles for drug delivery to treat breast cancer. During her summers, she also worked at the Jackson Laboratory and Harvard Medical School on projects surrounding fertility preservation during cancer treatment and characterizing a novel gene involved in meiosis. Outside of research, Michelle is passionate about engaging the public with new scientific findings through her organization, BioBuzz, and leading exciting science activities at local high schools and science festivals. When not in the lab, Michelle loves to discover new Bay Area hikes and camping spots, visit coffee shops, and swim.

Veronica is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Moens Lab at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle, WA. As a student of both philosophy and biology, Veronica has long been fascinated by ontogeny. How is life generated and how does it develop? How does the stuff of genomes turn into the stuff of tissues? How are diverse cellular and molecular processes regulated to produce coherent form and function? Veronica is currently researching the development of neural topographic maps, which is when neurons are spatially arranged in the nervous system in a way that reflects the spatial or functional relationships of the tissues they innervate. She is investigating a novel role for Hox6 genes in specifying dorsoventral (not anteroposterior!) topography of the vagus motor nerve in zebrafish. As an American-born child of Polish immigrants and a heritage Polish speaker, Veronica thought a lot about language and communication from a young age. As a Ph.D. student and aspiring science communicator, she is committed to translating scientific discoveries into language that is accessible and engaging for audiences from all backgrounds. In her free time, Veronica enjoys hiking and camping with her partner in the PNW or taking on overly-ambitious baking projects.