Difference between revisions of "Team:Tufts/Team"

Peter Cavanagh

Operations Director

Peter Cavanagh is a junior studying Biochemistry and Engineering Science. He is interested in pursuing interdisciplinary research efforts to solve pertinent problems in biology, chemistry, public health, and other areas. Peter works to educate underclassmen and non-science majors in Biology and Chemistry. He does bio-analytical research in the Walt Lab, and enjoys backpacking and volunteering as a WEMT in his spare time.

Michael Zalesne

Chief Financial Officer

Michael is a senior from Columbia, SC, majoring in Biology. He first got involved with Tufts SynBio shortly after its founding in February 2013. As CFO, he oversees donations from sponsors and the university. Michael has worked in several labs at different universities ranging from HIV-associated neuro-cognitive disorders to the cheese micro biome. Additionally, he works for Quadrant Strategies a research based strategic communications and consulting firm, and has been involved with the Tufts Innovation Institute, Tufts Community Union Senate, and Tufts Sustainability Collective. He enjoys being outdoors, traveling and finding new restaurants.

Michaela Gold

Assistant Director

Michaela Gold is a sophomore at Tufts University majoring in Biology and Biotechnology. She is currently studying DNA fragility in S. Pombe yeast with the Freudenreich lab. Michaela has a strong passion for molecular biology and microbiology, which she hopes to eventually use to enter the biotechnology field and research new drugs. Besides Tufts Synthetic Biology, Michaela is an avid rock climber and a member of the Tufts Climbing Team.

Connor McBrine

Research Director

Connor McBrine is a junior pursuing majors in Biology and Biotechnology. Several of his courses in genetics and molecular biology revealed the immense potential of synthetic biology in healthcare and industry. In addition to SynBio, Connor works to better understand DNA repair pathways in Drosophila with CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing. He hopes to eventually use this technology to develop therapies and even cures for genetic disorders. Various positions teaching students about biology and previous work as an EMT have also instilled Connor with a strong interest in scientific education and medicine, both of which he hopes to one day incorporate into a career in biology. In his free time, Connor enjoys reading about military history and discovering new music at local concerts.

Denali Rao

Head of Web Development

Denali is a junior at Tufts studying Computer Science and Cognitive Science. She has always been interested in biological research, interning in a Molecular Biology lab for two years before turning her interests to computer science. Now, as a junior, she is pursuing research that integrates computer science and biology.

Lauren Brill

Lauren Brill is a Tufts freshman from Swedesboro, New Jersey, intending to major in Environmental Engineering. She plays rugby for Tufts and enjoys all outdoor activities, from hiking to sledding.

Hayley Carabello

Hayley Carabello is a freshman pre-medical student double majoring in Biology and Biotechnology. She is a certified EMT in New York and is working on becoming a nationally certified EMT in order to serve in any state. Hayley is interested in pursuing biomedical engineering research and is currently working in a lab that focuses on silk tissue engineering. She also enjoys tutoring underprivileged children in nearby communities and dancing on Tufts dance troupes.

Jim Kim

Jim Kim is a Junior at Tufts University, majoring in Biopsychology with a Pre-Medical track. Jim is a ‘jack of all trades,’ with research interest and experience in Mathematics, Computer Science, Chemistry, and Synthetic Biology! When he isn’t working in the lab, Jim trains and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), watches Formula 1, and makes bad jokes to his friends. Jim accepts all variations of James as a nickname, except for Jimbo.

Schuyler Link

Schuyler is a freshman pre-medical student majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Outside of Synthetic biology he is involved in the club fencing team and the tabletop gaming club. He is currently working on becoming registered as an EMT to join TEMS as part of his pre-med preparation. Schuyler’s interest is in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

Adam Rayfield

Adam is a freshman at Tufts University from Ridgefield, Connecticut, pursuing a major in Biomedical Engineering. He is a member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and plays viola in the Tufts Symphony Orchestra. Adam is interested in genetic engineering and tissue engineering, and when outside of his major enjoys reading, hiking, chess, computer science.

Alexander Schmidt

Alex is a junior majoring in biology and biotechnology at Tufts University. As a senior undergraduate research assistant in the McVey lab, he has experience studying DNA damage repair mechanisms in Drosophila melanogaster. In particular, his research focuses on using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to better understand Homologous Recombination and Translesion Synthesis. Alex currently holds and EMT basic license and intends to apply to medical school upon graduation.

Samantha Toohey

Samantha is a sophomore pursuing a degree in Biochemistry from Tufts University. She is originally from a small, rural town in Rhode Island. She is the Chair of Colleges Against Cancer through Relay for Life on campus, and hopes one day to help create more birthdays and less cancer. She loves fostering a desire to learn in others, and has various experiences tutoring younger kids, but right now she helps other undergraduates with their studies as a tutor through the Academic Resource Center. She is also very involved in her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. She has varied passions including science, art, and community service.

Yimin Zhang

Yimi is a sophomore at Tufts University double majoring in ACS Chemistry and Community Health. She is currently involved with in vivo evaluation of potential therapeutic drugs against infectious diseases in the Mukherjee lab. As a co-founder and Vice President of the Tufts chapter of United Against Inequities in Disease, she hopes to improve the health care infrastructure of Medford. She enjoys spouting random facts and is the peppiest of the pep as the President of Pep Band.

Lucas Brown

Lucas Brown is a freshman from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, majoring in Biochemistry and Biotechnology. Lucas loves the idea of using biological sciences to develop new treatments for illnesses. He also enjoys dogs, reading, and fencing. An avid pun-maker ever since he discovered the internet, Lucas revels in making his friends laugh or groan in exasperation.

Michael Gannon

Michael Gannon is a Tufts freshman from North Reading, Massachusetts, who intends to major in Biomedical Engineering and minor in History. He is a black belt in Shōrin-ryū Karate and an amatuer tabletop and strategy gamer. His academic focus on science comes from an interest in the workings of the world and in helping extend human life.

Christopher Kuhner

Chris is a sophomore at Tufts University from Long Island, New York who is majoring in Biochemistry and Spanish. He is the President and Co-Founder of the Tufts Chapter of United Against Inequities in Disease. He is a Certified Registered Central Sterile Technician at Winthrop University Hospital and has worked extensively in the operating room with sterilization and instrumentation. Chris enjoys research, singing, and writing and is an aspiring physician.

Arin Naidu

Arin Naidu is a sophomore student majoring in biomedical engineering. Arin’s research interest is in cardiovascular tissue engineering and medical imaging instrumentation. Outside of Synthetic biology, Arin is on the Tufts Community Union Judiciary. He hopes to expand his research interest and experience through his time in synthetic biology.

Lily Razavi

Lily is a sophomore pre-dental student majoring in biology and minoring in astrophysics. She has a great interest in tissue engineering and stem cell research. Lily is inspired to apply methods derived from synthetic biology and tissue engineering into dentistry and oral health. Outside the Tufts Synthetic Biology Team, Lily is also engaged in the international club, the Chi Omega organization at Tufts, the Academic Resource Center as well as the international club.

Jesse Starger

Jesse Starger is a junior at Tufts University majoring in Chemical and Biological Engineering. Jesse has research experience in the polymer field as he continues to work in the Yi lab with overarching interests in sustainable and environmental engineering. Outside of class, Jesse is a member of the Tufts University Men’s Rugby Football Club in addition to being the Eco-Rep for his dorm. While with the Tufts iGEM Team, Jesse hopes to increase his exposure to other academic fields through more independent forms of study than what a traditional undergraduate education may typically allow.

Kate Williams

Kate is a sophomore at Tufts University, pursuing a major in Biochemistry and a minor in Cognitive and Brain Sciences. She is currently involved with research in the Avian Cognition Lab, studying auditory and motion discrimination in pigeons. Outside of the lab, Kate is a co-founder and board member for the Tufts chapter of United Against Inequities in Disease. She loves animals and being outdoors, and would like to attend Veterinary School after graduating from Tufts.

Christopher Ghadban

Founding Director

Christopher Ghadban graduated from Tufts University in May 2014 in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology Engineering. Since his freshman year, he held leadership roles in various organizations, including the position of Education Committee Chair of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate and as the student representative to the School of Engineering Curriculum Committee. More recently, Mr. Ghadban has led electrochemical research at Reactive Innovations, directed The Future of Phage and Synthetic Biology, a conference on bacteriophage application, and pursued business development at Sample6. As a founding director of Tufts Synthetic Biology, he believes the organization provides opportunities to expand one’s knowledge and provide experience in more self-directed research than is otherwise available to undergraduate students. Mr. Ghadban now sits on the TSB Advisory Board and directs expansion of the organization.

Prof. Nikhil Nair

Advisor

Tufts University Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Dr. Nikhil Nair is a professor in the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department of the Engineering School of Tufts University. His research focuses on altering various aspects of microbial physiology with the aim of not only engineering them for applications, but also to understand why various features of life evolved the way they did. He believes that, as an engineer, building a synthetic system is one of the most powerful methods to understand the intricacies of that system. Dr. Nair is the advisor of the Tufts Synthetic Biology team.

Petar Todorov

Founding Director

Petar Todorov is a senior majoring in chemistry with an established tradition in research. During the last five years he has worked on projects spanning biophysics, molecular biology, and biomedical engineering. He currently works on elucidating restriction enzyme mechanisms in the Walt group at Tufts. Mr. Todorov established Tufts iGEM in early 2013. Since then he has worked to help the group secure funding, laboratory space, and faculty support in addition to guiding literature searches and drafting proposals outlining potential routes of research. Beyond the bench, he is interested in the intersection science, technology, society, and ethics. Mr. Todorov was one of the students involved in organizing the Institute of Global Leadership’s 2013 professional workshop focused on Privacy and Progress in Whole Genome Sequencing. Outside the lab Petar enjoys travel, photography, and reading in Bulgarian, English, and Latin.