2024 MD, PhD, Dual Degree Achievement Awards Ceremony Program

ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

OPENING REMARKS

David C. Thomas, MD, MHPE

Dean for Medical Education

Marietta and Charles C. Morchand Chair

Leni and Peter W. May Department of Medical Education

Marta Filizola, Ph.D

Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Sharon & Frederick A. Klingenstein-Nathan G. Kase, MD Professor

Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Department of Neuroscience

PRESENTATION OF AWARDS

Omar Amir, MD

Assistant Professor

Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine

Tara K. Cunningham, EdD, MS

Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs

Leni and Peter W. May Department of Medical Education

Reena Karani, MD, MHPE

Director of the Institute for Medical Education

Leni and Peter W. May Department of Medical Education

Mary Rojas, MD

Associate Professor

Director of the Medical Student Research Office

Leni and Peter W. May Department of Medical Education

Elizabeth Singer, MD, MPH

Associate Professor

Emergency Medicine and Medical Education

Rainier P. Soriano, MD

Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs

Leni and Peter W. May Department of Medical Education

STUDENT AWARDS RECOGNITION

GOLD HUMANISM HONOR SOCIETY

Amina Avril

Zakaria M Chakrani

Paige Elizabeth Cloonan

Candida Marie Camacho Damian

Christopher DeVita

Anisha Mahalya Gogerly-Moragoda

Skylar Michelle Hess

Suvruta Srisayi Iruvanti

Yonatan Israel

Carly Kaplan

Micah Levy

Elizabeth Magill

Simran Malhotra

Yeji Park

Krishna Patel

Adriana Pero

Addison Quinones

Jeanette Rios

Remington Runnfeldt Schuemann Schneider

Daniela Ines Suarez-Rebling

Sweta Sudhir

Stephanie Ureña

Emily Ling Xu

DISTINCTION IN COMMUNITY SERVICE/GLOBAL HEALTH

Miriam Frisch

Suvruta Srisayi Iruvanti

Calla Kim Khilnani

Sonia Gita Khurana

Krsna Kim Kothari

Christine Alexis Lopez

Naoum Fares Marayati

Alexandra Mills

Ted Nnamno Obi

Bhavana Niranjan Patil

Megan Elizabeth Paul

Samuel Powell

Daniela Ines Suarez-Rebling

Emily Ling Xu

DISTINCTION IN MEDICAL EDUCATION

Dante Ghassan Dahabreh

Nicola Ann Feldman

Calla Kim Khilnani

Megan Elizabeth Paul

Samuel Kent Powell

Francesca Marie Silvestri

Emily Ling Xu

DISTINCTION IN RESEARCH –MEDICAL EDUCATION

Sofia Ahsanuddin

Muhammad Mujtaba Ali

Illya Aronskyy

Bryana Devlin Banashefski

Joshua David Barlow

Rebecca Beatrice Baron

Suzannah Leigh Bergstein

Daniel Danyu Bu

James Keith Carter

Zakaria M Chakrani

Logan Daniel Cho

Dante Ghassan Dahabreh

Alexander Samuel Dash

Calista Lynda Dominy

Jonathan Tyler Dullea

Shivee Gilja

Rachel Gita Gologorsky

Aliza Savin Gross

Benjamin David Gross

Eugene Ivan Hrabarchuk

Sonia Gita Khurana

Madeline Heejae Kim

Arvind Kumar

Micah Levy

Helen Liu

Louise Malle

Lily McCarthy

James Henry Meyers

Oge C Onuh

Benjamin Henry Oseroff

Megan Elizabeth Paul

Nicholas Louca Christophorou Pitaro

Amara Luisa Plaza-Jennings

Samuel Kent Powell

Addison Quinones

Rishab Rajan Revankar

Andrew John Rosowicz

Christina Paulina Rossitto

Nikita Roy

Christie Bao Thu Ryba

Mia Malak Saade

Dawi Shin

Francesca Marie Silvestri

Matthew Paul Spindler

Justin Evan Tang

Claire Ufongene

Amey Vrudhula

Christopher Andrew White

Emily Ling Xu

Stephen Yoffie

David Mina Youssef

DISTINCTION IN RESEARCH – GRADUATE SCHOOL

Adolfo Sebastian Aleman

Doaa Alsaleh

Anas Hasan A. Alzahrani

Songhee Back

Turner Baker

Tina Chen

Sally Elizabeth Claridge

Winston Hirschler Cuddleston

Zhe Dong

Michael Brian Fernando

Jennifer Megan Fredericks

Jia Li

Lora E. Liharska

Katherine E. Lindblad

Katherine Meckel

David T. Melnekoff

Jarvier Nadir Mohammed

Ning Ma

Aster Quinby Perkins

Tamar Plitt

Richard Quintana Feliciano

Rohana Ramalingam

Dan Fu Ruan

Matthew Schafer

Megan Catherine Schwarz

Joseph Simon IV

Andrew Frank Stewart

Denis Torre

Kayla Townsley

Julia Velez

Yang Xu

Yosif Zaki

Zachary Robert Zeisler

Gregory Zilberg

GLOSSARY TERMS

As you read the following student bios, you will come across the following acronyms:

EHHOP – East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership

MedDOCs – Medical Discovery of Careers Organization

MSTP – Medical Scientist Training Program

PEERS – Practice Enhancement, Engagement, Resilience, & Support Program

PORTAL – Patient-Oriented Research Training and Leadership Program

ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI

MEDICAL EDUCATION

STUDENT AWARDS PRESENTATION

(In alphabetical order by recipient’s last name)

IN MEMORY OF HER MOTHER, FLORENCE L. OPPENHEIMER

Ava Jeanette Adler

Ava Adler came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai through the FlexMed Early Assurance Program from Barnard College of Columbia University. At Barnard, she majored in Biology, graduated summa cum laude, and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

While at ISMMS, Ava has been involved in a variety of activities, including serving as a director for MedStart, a teacher for Medical Discovery of Careers Organization, a member of the Human Rights and Social Justice Program, an application screener for the ISMMS Admissions office, and a surgical skills course instructor. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she participated in efforts to get needed resources to the East Harlem community, volunteered to assist with monitoring COVID-19 vaccine recipients, and helped deliver meals to patients in the hospital. She also conducted research in the surgical field that resulted in publications and presentations at national surgical conferences. Over the course of her time at ISMMS, Ava was elected as a class representative and has been a member of the ISMMS Executive Student Council, serving as Secretary, Vice President, and ultimately President in her final year.

Ava would like to thank her family, partner, friends, and classmates for their unwavering love and encouragement. She is grateful to the patients and families who have shown her the meaning and significance of being a physician. She also thanks the many faculty members among the leadership at Icahn for their invaluable advice and wisdom and those faculty members within the Surgery Department, including Dr. Michael Marin, Dr. Susan Lerner, Dr. Christina Weltz, Dr. Scott Nguyen, and Dr. Michael Leitman and countless other mentors for being models of the surgeon she aspires to become. She would like to specifically thank Dr. Celia Divino, her mentor and role model who has continuously provided support and inspiration since her first year of medical school.

Ava will graduate with her MD degree and is incredibly excited to be continuing her residency training in General Surgery at the Mount Sinai Hospital!

Sofia Ahsanuddin

Prior to medical school, Sofia graduated summa cum laude from the Macaulay Honors College at the City University of New York-Brooklyn College where she majored in political science with a minor in Chemistry. During college, she was initiated as a member of Phi Betta Kappa, was selected as a TEDxCUNY student speaker, served as Commencement Speaker for the Class of 2016, and received the Political Science Department Public Service Award. She entered the MD program in 2018.

While in medical school, Sofia was a global health scholar and conducted research in plastic surgery with Dr. Peter Taub and Dr. Mairaj Ahmed and in orthopedics with Dr. Jashvant Poeran. She completed a two-year research fellowship in advanced retinal imaging with Dr. Richard Rosen at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai while concurrently completing a one-year research fellowship in regenerative medicine at the Stanford Byers Eye Institute under the supervision of Dr. Albert Wu. Throughout medical school, Sofia has sustained a deep interest in bioethics and advocacy; she was selected as an American Medical Association Journal of Ethics Editorial Fellow, completed a bioethics elective at the Oxford University Ethox Centre in the United Kingdom, and organized a city-wide conference on health advocacy at the New York Academy of Medicine. Sofia was also a monologue performer for the Story Project in 2023, received 2nd place in the National Medical Association Rabb Venable Excellence in Ophthalmology research competition, and worked as a venture fellow at Draper Associates.

Sofia is grateful to be receiving the Dr. Harold Lamport Biomedical Research Prize. She has published 25 peer-reviewed manuscripts to date and her achievements have been made possible by faith, the unwavering support and love of her husband and family, as well as the investment of numerous faculty and mentors at Mount Sinai and beyond. Sofia would like to thank Drs. Mairaj Ahmed, Jashvant Poeran, Monica Dweck, Sharon Edwards, Rosamond Rhodes, Lauren Linkowski, and Michael Herscher for all their help, as well as Drs. Richard Rosen, Nisha Chadha, and Louis Pasquale for their advice and the opportunities they provided during her research fellowship. Sofia would also like to thank her mentors at the Rabb Venable Program, Sigma Xi for bestowing the Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research to complete her work in single-cell genomics at Stanford, the Knights Templar Eye Foundation for awarding her a travel award to attend the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Meeting in 2022, Dr. Ann Caroline Fisher at the Stanford Clinical Opportunity for Residency

Experience Program, and the Roothbert Fund Fellowship for providing a generous scholarship to support her medical school endeavors.

Sofia is delighted to graduate with her MD degree and will be continuing her residency training in Ophthalmology at the Kellogg Eye Center of the University of Michigan!

BARRY

IRWIN GELERNT, MD, AWARD FOR SERVICE

TO THE COMMUNITY

Nestor Javier Bedoya

Nestor Bedoya came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2018, where he earned a Master of Science in Biomedical Science. He then joined the class of 2024 as a medical student. Nestor earned his Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry at Brown University in 2013. Prior to arriving at ISMMS, Nestor spent several years working in clinical trials project management within the pharmaceutical industry for both Boston Biomedical and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

While at ISMMS, Nestor participated in East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership, the ISMMS student-run free clinic (EHHOP) as a Spanish interpreter and Senior Clinician. Nestor held leadership positions in Sinai’s Latinx Medical Student Association (LMSA) and the First-Generation Scholars Program, a student-run organization aimed to provide support and mentorship to first-generation high school students interested in applying to college. Nestor was also one of the co-founders of Sinai’s Bilingual Fluency Assessment for Clinicians (BFAC), a 25–30-hour intensive accreditation course offered to medical students with advanced to native level of fluency in Spanish to qualify them as certified bilingual providers within the Mount Sinai Health System.

Nestor would like to thank his family, his partner, and all the Mount Sinai faculty, residents, peers, friends, and mentors for their support during a challenging and rewarding medical school experience.

Nestor will graduate with his MD degree in May and will continue his journey in medicine by pursuing residency training in the field of Anesthesiology.

Liam Ross Butler

Liam came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from the University of Maryland, where he majored in Physiology and Neurobiology. While there, he volunteered at multiple summer camps for unique pediatric populations, including Dragonfly Forest and Camp Kesem and worked as a medical assistant during his gap year. He entered the MD program in 2020.

While at Icahn, Liam co-led the NEXUS course Preseason Pediatrics and the Pediatrics Interest Group. He also participated in MedDOCS as a student mentor and the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership, the ISMMS student-run free clinic (EHHOP) as a Senior Clinician. He served as a teaching assistant for multiple pre-clinical courses including Anatomy, Molecular/Cellular/ Genetics, Physiology, and the Art and Science of Medicine and won an award for Excellence in Teaching. Liam also published eleven articles in peer-reviewed journals and was first author for three of those articles.

Liam would like to thank his family, friends, and the many faculty members at Sinai who have made his medical education a rewarding experience and assisted him on his journey to a career in pediatrics.

Liam will graduate with his MD degree and continue his residency training in Pediatrics at the Naval Medical Center San Diego.

PATRICIA LEVINSON AWARD FOR THE ADVANCEMENT AND

INCLUSION OF WOMEN IN MEDICINE

Danielle Chaluts

Danielle came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from Muhlenberg College, where she majored in Neuroscience and Film Photography. Before attending ISMMS, Danielle served as a combat medic in the Israeli Defense Forces where she volunteered at refugee hospitals. She entered the MD program in 2020.

While at ISMMS, Danielle was the founder of the Association of Woman Surgeons, an organization dedicated to empowering and engaging aspiring women surgeons. She pioneered the Introduction to Psychedelic Medicine course, and she conducted research with the Department of Neurosurgery on the genetic markers of intracranial tumors. Her work cultivated six publications in renowned peer-reviewed journals.

Danielle would like to extend her gratitude to her cherished family, supportive friends, and incredible mentors at Sinai who guided her towards her numerous accomplishments.

Danielle will graduate with her MD degree and continue her residency training in General Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital.

THE LEONARD TOW HUMANISM IN MEDICINE STUDENT AWARD

Candida Marie Camacho Damian

Candida came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from nursing school, where she graduated with her RN, BSN. Before attending ISMMS, Candida completed her postbaccalaureate studies in Premedical Sciences at Columbia University. She entered the MD program in 2020.

While at ISMMS, Candida participated in leadership activities through Mount Sinai’s Student Council, serving as class representative during her first- and fourth years, and as a URiSM Representative on the Student Council steering committee. She also was a student leader in Practice Enhancement, Engagement, Resilience, and Support (PEERS) and Community, [self]- Awareness, Resilience, Embracing support, Self-care (CIRCLES), which are medical student-led initiatives that provide mentorship and support to students with a particular emphasis on wellness. Additionally, she is committed to mentoring underrepresented and first-generation students aspiring to be future physicians, serving as a mentor in the First-generation Scholars Mentorship program and the Medical Discovery of Careers (MedDOCS) program.

Candida would like to thank her family and friends for their unwavering love and support and the many faculty members at Sinai for their support and encouragement throughout her medical school journey.

Candida will graduate with her MD degree and continue her residency training in Pediatrics/Psychiatry/Child Psychiatry Triple Board program at Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital.

Alexander Samuel Dash

Alex came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from Macalester College, where he majored in Biology and was a varsity baseball player for all 4 years. Before attending ISMMS, John worked as a research assistant for 2 years at the Hospital for Special Surgery, helping to establish the new metabolic bone disease research program under Dr. Emily Stein. He entered the MD program in 2019.

While at Icahn, Alex participated in the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership, the ISMMS student-run free clinic (EHHOP) as a Nutrition Counselor, Chronic Care Senior and Senior Clinician. He was a mentor and curriculum chair in the Medical Discovery of Careers Organization program, teaching high school seniors from underserved high schools in NY on various medical topics and was a member of the Patient-Oriented Reserach Training and Leadership Program or dual MD/MSCR program.

Alex would like to thank his family, friends, and the many faculty members at Sinai who have made his medical education extremely rewarding and have given him the space to succeed and pursue his dreams of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.

Alex will graduate with his dual MD/MSCR degree and continue his residency training in Orthopedic Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center.

THE BARRY COLLER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN

CLINICAL MEDICINE

Jonathan Tyler Dullea

Jonathan completed dual degrees in Applied Mathematics and Chemistry at The University of Massachusetts where he won various academic awards including the Research Excellence in Theoretical Chemistry. Prior to attending the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Jonathan worked at Vertex Pharmaceuticals on a team developing two now approved drugs for cystic fibrosis. He then completed dual Master of Science and Master of Public Health degrees at Boston University. Jonathan then started at ISMMS in 2020.

While a student at ISMMS, Jonathan spearheaded several research initiatives including a study characterizing nationwide disparities in palliative care utilization for patients with malignant brain tumors, and several studies of meningioma genomics. He presented at national conferences, has published 19 papers, won the Mount Sinai Neurosurgery Research Day Presentation award, and was a finalist in the 2022 MD++ “Datathon”. His research was partly supported by the competitive Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) program. Jonathan also promoted equitable access to medicine through his role as a senior clinician at the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP) student run free clinic.

Jonathan would like to thank his family, partner, and friends for their support throughout his medical education. He would additionally like to extend his gratitude to his research mentor Dr. Shrivastava and his clinical mentors Dr. Soriano, Dr. Tomey, and Dr. Holzer for their invaluable guidance. Lastly, he would like to thank the class of 2024 for their camaraderie and commitment to excellence.

Jonathan will graduate with his M.D. degree and will remain at Mount Sinai for his Internal Medicine residency training.

Kevin Michael Griffee

Kevin came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from Dartmouth College, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude with a major in Neuroscience, minors in Biology and Chinese, and a certificate in Global Health.

At ISMMS, Kevin has been actively involved in research, including projects examining the use of digital health interventions to support antiretroviral therapy adherence among youth living with HIV, the ethics of biobanking in longitudinal HIV research involving youth, and barriers and facilitators affecting youth access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. In addition, he has held leadership positions within Student Council, the Stonewall Alliance, and the Wilderness Medicine Interest Group. He has also volunteered in various capacities at the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership, including connecting patients to food, housing, and legal resources as an Access to Care case manager, and assisting with clinical encounters as a junior and senior clinician.

Kevin feels immensely grateful for the medical and public health training he has received at ISMMS and would like to thank the faculty for honoring him with the George James Epidemiology Award.

Kevin plans to graduate from the MD/MPH dual degree program in May 2024 and pursue residency training in Family Medicine.

AND BIOMEDICAL IMAGING

Benjamin David Gross

Ben came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from Cornell University, where he majored in Applied Economics and Management. Before attending Mount Sinai, Ben worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Department of Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He entered the MD program in 2020.

While at ISMMS, Ben served as a Cohort Leader and Senior Teaching Assistant for Structures, Volunteer for The MedStart Enrichment Program, Co-Leader of Hands-on-Science, and Member of the Admissions Committee.

Ben founded and co-led Raising the Bar, an organization for medical students to learn about the intersection of healthcare and incarceration. Through this organization, he and his co-leaders created an elective course about the healthcare of people impacted by the carceral system. Ben also published over 20 articles in peer-reviewed journals and will graduate with Distinction in Research.

Ben would like to thank his parents, girlfriend, family, and friends for their unconditional support throughout his medical education. He would like to thank his mentors and teachers in the Department of Radiology — Dr. Mingqian Huang, Dr. Charles Pfaff, Dr. Richard Stern, Dr. Aaron Fischman, and Dr. Kathleen Halton — who sparked and nurtured his interest in radiology. Additionally, he would like to thank Dr. Michael Marin, Dr. Adam Levine, Dr. Paul Cagle, Dr. Roberto Posada, and Dr. Lauren Linkowski for their invaluable guidance along the way.

Ben will graduate with his MD degree and continue at Mount Sinai Hospital for his Surgery internship and Diagnostic Radiology residency.

Suvruta Srisayi Iruvanti

Suvruta grew up and attended high school in Dutchess County, New York. He attended college at the University of California at Berkeley, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular and Cell Biology with Honors, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Honors from the Haas School of Business. He conducted research at the Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University for two years before medical school at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He entered the MD program in 2020.

While at Icahn, Suvruta was actively involved with the medical school’s student-run free clinic, the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP). He served as Ambulatory Referrals Manager and Chronic Care Senior Clinician. Additionally, as Finance Chair, he managed EHHOP’s $170,000 annual budget. As the Cardiology Chief Teaching Senior Clinician, he oversaw the clinic’s panel of patients with cardiovascular disease and ran EHHOP’s cardiology specialty clinic.

Additionally, Suvruta was the leader and appointed Council Board Medical Student Representative for the New York Chapter of the American College of Physicians (NYACP). He was a representative on the NYACP Medical Student Committee since 2021, where he also worked to promote health literacy by creating a COVID-19 vaccine advocacy video in multiple languages published on the organization’s website.

Suvruta has contributed to evidence-based medicine through his engagement with research. He has published a first-author paper in the journal Cardiovascular Revascularization Medicine, and presented, in person, a first-author moderated poster at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics 2022 conference in Boston, Massachusetts. Additionally, he has been elected to the Gold Humanism Honor Society.

Suvruta would like to thank his family, friends, and the faculty at ISMMS for making his time at Mount Sinai such a rewarding experience. After graduating with his MD degree, Suvruta will pursue residency training in Internal Medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital.

THE JUDITH AND NATHAN G. KASE, M.D. PRIZES FOR OUTSTANDING GRADUATING FLEXMED STUDENTS IN BIOMEDICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES

Rebecca Lilli Kellner

Rebecca came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering, where she majored in Bioengineering.

While at ISMMS, Rebecca was president of the Maimonides Jewish Association, volunteered with the REACH-IN clinic; East Harlem Health Partnership Student Clinic, and was a member of the Mount Sinai Biodesign Incubator. Additionally, Rebecca was a research fellow at the Harris Lab. Rebecca is an exceptionally gifted artist and medical illustrator and has created hundreds of medical illustrations for both clinic and research settings.

Rebecca would like to thank her husband, daughter, parents, family and friends who have supported and encouraged her throughout her medical education.

Rebecca will graduate with her MD degree and continue her residency training in Ophthalmology at Northwell Health.

THE MILTON C. ENGEL, MD, AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

IN GERIATRIC MEDICINE

Krsna

Kim Kothari

Krsna came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from University of Michigan where he majored in Sociocultural Anthropology, doing her thesis on Intergenerational Spaces between Younger and Older Adults. Before attending ISMMS, Krsna worked as a teaching fellow at the High School for Fashion Industries in New York. She entered the MD program in 2019.

While at ISMMS, Krsna participated in the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership, the ISMMS student-run free clinic (EHHOP) as a chronic care junior, senior, and then as a teaching senior. She volunteered for the Human Rights and Social Justice Program as a Remote Evaluation Coordinator. She also co-created a medical school course with two of her student colleagues to pair Pre-Clinical Students with Older Adults in the East Harlem Community to build a legacy project together as an education platform to combat ageism. She was also the co-leader of the Geriatrics and Palliative Care Interest Group.

Krsna would like to thank her family, friends, partner, and mentors in the Geriatrics and Palliative Department at Sinai who have not only inspired but nurtured her interests in the field.

She is so excited about continuing her journey in both fields through her residency training in MedPeds at the University of Illinois Chicago Program.

MEDICAL SCIENTIST TRAINING PROGRAM

Jakleen Lee

Jakleen Lee came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she majored in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics. Jakleen obtained her Master’s of Science in Biomedical Science at ISMMS before matriculating into the MD/PhD Program in 2019. She is currently conducting her PhD doctoral dissertation under the supervision of Dr. Jose C. Clemente in Genetics.

Jakleen is currently an MD/PhD Student Representative on the Student Council of Icahn, which she has served on for five years. She has contributed extensively to Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) development, including the creation and implementation of the annual MSTP Student Survey, which has significantly impacted communication, training, and professional development. In addition, Jakleen recently finished her tenure as the President of Student Council. In this role, Jakleen coordinated over 100 student representatives of the medical and graduate schools with the Dean’s Office to increase student engagement and community across both schools, recognition and support of student leaders, and student programming for diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Previously, Jakleen served as the Treasurer of Student Council as well as a student representative on the Graduate School Advisory Group on Race and Bias.

Jakleen thanks her thesis advisor, the MSTP leadership, and the countless faculty mentors who have invested in her training and made her dreams possible. She also thanks her family, friends, and MD/PhD cohort for their unwavering love and support.

Jakleen anticipates completing her MD/PhD training in 2027.

Louise Malle

Louise came to the the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in Biology with a minor in Fine Arts. After two years at the National Institutes of Health working as an Intramural Research Training Award recipient, she matriculated into the MD/PhD program in 2016.

While at Mount Sinai, Louise completed her PhD in Immunology in the laboratory of Dr. Dusan Bogunovic, dissecting immune dysregulation in Down syndrome. Louise’s work resulted in five first-author publications and several presentations at national conferences, earning her the Young Investigator Award from the Mindich Child Health and Development Institute. Throughout her training, Louise has been committed to teaching and served as a teaching assistant in five medical and graduate courses and supported several trainees in the laboratory. She has also volunteered at Kravis Children’s Hospital and in the Child Adolescent Psychiatric Unit at Morningside Hospital.

Louise would like to thank her mentor Dusan Bogunovic, her laboratory peers and friends in the MSTP program, the immunology department, and the MSTP leadership for their guidance and support. She would also like to thank her family, friends, and Ken Schindler for their unwavering encouragement and for making the world such an exciting place to explore.

Louise will graduate with his MD/PhD dual degree and continue to residency in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital; she aspires to become a Physician-Scientist.

Adam Marks

Adam Marks came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from McGill University, where he majored in Biochemistry. Prior to matriculating into the MD-PhD Program in 2018, Adam conducted post-baccalaureate research at Rockefeller University which looked to apply CRISPR-cas9 genome editing tools to human embryonic stem cells to study a variety of diseases with developmental etiologies.

Adam currently works in the lab of Dr. Brian Brown, where he is developing methods for controlling the cell- and organ-specific expression of gene therapies, such as RNA and DNA based drugs, with applications in cancer medicine, vaccinology, and genetic disease. While at Mount Sinai, Adam has also served as a Senior Clinician at the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP) and works as a teaching assistant extensively between the graduate and medical schools. He is a co-founder of the Sinai Trivia League.

Adam thanks his parents, his dog (Casanova), his mentors, his friends, the MSTP leadership, and his colleagues.

Adam anticipates graduating with an MD-PhD degree in 2026.

DR. ALAN F. GUTTMACHER

OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY PRIZE

Alexandra Mills

Alexandra (Ali) Mills is from Southborough, Massachusetts. She attended Boston College for her undergraduate studies as part of the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program. There, she studied Biology with a minor in Medical Humanities. After her undergraduate education she worked in the Neuroscience department at the Massachusetts General Hospital prior to her matriculation to the Icahn School of Mount Sinai in 2020.

While at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Ali dedicated her time to research in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, contributing to multiple publications and abstracts. She additionally served as the Chief Teaching Senior of the East Harlem Health Outreach Program (EHHOP) Gynecology clinic. There, she oversaw the gynecologic care of nearly 100 uninsured patients from the East Harlem community.

Ali would like to sincerely thank her mentors, both faculty and residents, from Mount Sinai, her classmates and friends who have supported her throughout medical school, and above all her family for their endless love and support.

Ali will graduate with her MD degree and continue her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

DR. DAVID K.

MCDONOGH AWARD FOR DIVERSITY IN MEDICAL EDUCATION

Ted Nnamno Obi

Ted came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from the University of Virginia where he majored and graduated with distinction in Psychology. During his time at Virginia, he co-founded a social enterprise focused on telemedicine in West Africa and co-developed Melanin Doc, a non-profit organization to support minority pre-medical students. He entered the MD program in 2018 through the Flex-Med program.

While at Icahn, Ted co-founded the Diversity Innovation Hub, participated in the Genentech Innovation Fellowship, volunteered as a case manager at the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership, and led as the president of Students for Equal Opportunity in Medicine (SEOM). While in medical school, he obtained a dual Master’s in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School and a Master’s in Biotechnology from the Harvard Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department. While in business school, he completed internships in biotechnology investing and business development. Outside of work, Ted is the co-founder of Melanin Doc.

Ted extends his heartfelt gratitude towards his parents, siblings, friends, and the exceptional faculty at Sinai, whose support has been pivotal in making his medical education and personal journey - enriching, enjoyable, and unique. Specifically, he would like to thank Dr. Gary Butts, Dr. Raja Flores, Dr. Allison Gault, Dr. Reginald Miller, Dean David Muller, and Dean Dennis Charney.

Ted will graduate with his MD, MBA, and MSc degrees, and will embark on the next phase of his career as a psychiatrist, pursuing his residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital/Mclean and interest in biotechnology.

Tonia Omotola Ogundipe

Tonia came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from Columbia University, where she concentrated in Earth Science. Before attending ISMMS, Tonia worked as a WIC clinic assistant in Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC and volunteered in her local day shelter.

While at ISMMS, Tonia participated in the East Harlem Health Outreach Program, the student-run free clinic as a chronic care senior and a mental health clinic senior. She also volunteered for the Human Rights Program, was a co-leader in the IcahnBeWell student group, and worked on multiple research projects including being a part of the Gen-CSF research group led by Dr. Mercedes Perez.

Tonia would like to thank her family, friends, and multiple faculty members for giving me the tools and support to continue this journey.

Tonia will graduate with his MD degree and continue her residency training in Psychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC HEALTH AWARD

Krishna Patel

Krishna came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in Biology and Healthcare Management. Before starting at Icahn in 2020, Krishna also completed a Masters in Evidence-Based Social Policy at the University of Oxford.

While at Icahn, Krishna founded the Health & Education Alliance, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to building partnerships between health systems and school districts and creating supportive communities for students and families. He was also engaged with the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP) student-run free clinic as Finance Chair and Clinic Manager. He was also very involved in clinical research having published several papers in oncology, global health, and primary care. In 2023, he participated in the Fellowship at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE) and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS).

Krishna is extremely grateful for the unwavering support from his parents, brother, family, friends, and countless Sinai faculty, all of whom inspired him to be the best possible advocate for patients.

STEVEN B. TAMARIN, MD, MEMORIAL

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FAMILY MEDICINE

Harley Lauren Roberts

Before coming to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Harley Roberts studied Religious Studies at St. Edward’s University (B.A.) then Yale University (M.A.R., M.A.) and received her post-baccalaureate pre-medical training from Johns Hopkins University. She entered the MD program in 2020.

While at ISMMS, Harley spent time in the Human Rights and Social Justice program, helping coordinate opportunities to educate students on social justice issues in medicine. She also co-led the Doula Project at Mount Sinai, worked to promote equity in medicine as a member of the Segregated Care Working Group, performed quality improvement research a member of the Anti-Racism Task Force in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department, and published research as part of the Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) program.

Harley would like to thank her mother for all of her unwavering support. She would also like to thank her partner and her dogs Cinnamon, Honeysuckle, and Olivia for putting up with the early mornings and long hours it took to get here.

Harley will graduate with her MD degree and continue her residency training in Family Medicine at Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, NY.

Dawi Shin

Dawi came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from Macaulay Honors College at The City College of New York, where he majored in Biomedical Engineering. Before attending ISMMS, Dawi co-founded a social impact start up Veripad to combat the global counterfeit medication crisis. He entered the MD program in 2019.

While at Icahn, Dawi participated in the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership, the ISMMS student-run free clinic (EHHOP) as the Pharmacy Chair of the Mental Health Clinic at EHHOP. He organized and volunteered numerous community healthcare events for the predominantly Korean-speaking NY/NJ population in collaboration with the local Korean physician, nursing, and social worker associations, published over 20 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and raised $300,000 for his startup’s harm reduction initiatives in the US.

Dawi would like to thank his family, friends, and the many faculty members at Sinai who have made his medical education thus far a super interesting and rewarding experience.

Dawi will graduate with his MD degree and continue his residency training in Anesthesiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

THE JUDITH AND NATHAN G. KASE, M.D. PRIZES FOR OUTSTANDING GRADUATING FLEXMED STUDENTS IN HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Amber Tiffany Wolf

Amber Wolf came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from Duke University, where she double majored in Global Health and Music with a concentration in Piano Performance. Before attending ISMMS, Amber was awarded the Julia Wilkinson Mueller Prize for Excellence in Music at Duke and graduated with highest distinction in music for her senior thesis. She was admitted through the FlexMed program and entered the MD program in 2020.

While at ISMMS, Amber founded Mount Sinai Musicians, a student organization that facilitates musical connections amongst medical students and promotes access to music rehearsal space. She also created the Art of Listening, an elective course for Sinai students that explores the connections between music and medicine. She volunteered at Sinai’s student-run free clinic, the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP), as a head teaching senior in the main clinic and a senior clinician in the women’s health clinic. She has published five articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Amber would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their guidance, support, and inspiration throughout her medical school journey.

Amber will graduate with her MD degree and continue her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Mount Sinai Hospital.

DR. MORRIS B. BENDER AWARD IN CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

JAMES FELT AWARD FOR THE PROMOTION OF SOCIAL AND RACIAL JUSTICE

THE LEONARD TOW HUMANISM IN MEDICINE STUDENT AWARD

THE MILTON C. ENGEL, MD, AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN GERIATRIC MEDICINE

Emily Ling Xu

Emily grew up in Manassas Park, Virginia and graduated from the College of William and Mary, where she majored in Biology with a minor in Philosophy.

While at the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Emily co-led the Geriatrics and Palliative Care Interest Groups and studied paid caregiving as part of the Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) program. She was also a student organizer with New York City Against Segregated Healthcare (NYCASH), a coalition of medical trainees working towards expanding healthcare access. Emily’s journey from Geriatrics to Neurology taught her the importance of envisioning and working towards the health system and society she wants to work and live in. She draws her energy from the exemplar humanism of her friends and mentors and is grateful to have been elected into the Gold Humanism Honor Society.

She is the daughter of Hong and Ling Xu, and the sister of Karen and Madison Xu, who have been her staunch and unwavering advocates and support system. Emily is grateful for her Geriatrics mentors, Audrey Chun and Ravishanker Ramaswamy, and her Neurology mentors, Michelle Fabian, Elissa Fory, Matthew Swan, and Marianna Vinokur. She is in constant awe of her role model Betty Kolod and her research mentors Emily Franzosa and Jennifer Reckrey. Emily would not have completed medical school without the support of her faculty advisor, Allison Gault, her ASM 1 preceptors, Omar Mirza and Ruth Karasik, and her roommates, Paige, Mahalya, and Rebecca.

Emily will graduate with her MD degree and continue her residency in Neurology at Mass General Brigham.

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

STUDENT AWARDS PRESENTATION

(In alphabetical order by recipient’s last name)

Michael Brian Fernando

Michael came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from St. Thomas University. Previously, Michael worked as a Life Science consultant. He entered the PhD in Neuroscience program in 2018.

While at Icahn Mount Sinai, Michael joined the labs of Dr. Kristen Brennand and Dr. Paul Slesinger, where he studied how unique patient mutations in the NRXN1 gene lead to functional consequences across different types of cells in the brain. While completing his PhD, he has co-authored 14 peer-reviewed publications, competitively presented his work at numerous conferences, received 4 travel and best-presenter awards, and was a recipient of the 2021 Gilliam Fellowship by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Recognizing the importance of reducing the barriers to entry in science, Michael has served as the co-president of Mentoring in Neuroscience Discovery at Sinai (MiNDS) from 2019-2023. During his tenure, Michael co-organized and participated in multiple outreach activities, including the annual public lecture, external brain-booths, teaching a middle-school neuroscience curriculum, and hosting the annual Mount Sinai Brain Fair. These activities collectively aim to make neuroscience education fun and accessible to the East Harlem community and beyond, reducing the barrier of entry into STEM fields, and inspiring the next generation of scientists.

Michael would like to thank his family, friends, and numerous mentors throughout his journey before and during graduate school, for supporting his commitment to excellence inside and outside the laboratory. He would especially like to thank MiNDS, and his mentors for their nomination for the science advocacy award.

After graduation, Michael will continue his career in neuroscience as a postdoctoral researcher at the Rockefeller University. He is eager to continue his scientific journey while simultaneously serving in the community by engaging and leading outreach activities.

Miriam Kate Freudenheim Frisch

Mimi came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai after working in the field of Global Public Health. She attended the University of Pittsburgh and graduated in 2015 with a dual major in Global Health and Urban Studies. She then worked in Global Health supply chain and research, including a year with the Global Health Corps in Rwanda and three years with Partners in Health in Rwanda and Liberia. Mimi completed her post-baccalaureate pre-medical coursework at Goucher College and started at Mt Sinai in 2020 as a MD/MPH candidate and Global Health Scholar.

While at ISMMS, Mimi served as the student representative to the Faculty Infection Prevention Committee at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to craft school-wide COVID-19 policies, coordinating outbreak response, and researching vaccine hesitancy among medical students. She also conducted research around COVID-19 in collaboration with NYC Health and Hospitals, served as a PEERS group leader, and volunteered with East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP) as a Senior Clinician. Mimi held several leadership roles while at ISMMS, including as a MS1 Class Representative, Internal Medicine Clerkship representative and as a member of the Medical School Admissions Committee. Mimi also continued to be involved with global health efforts; she published two manuscripts and spent one month in Rwanda in her fourth year working with the University of Global Health Equity, contributing to the training of medical students there.

Mimi is honored to have been selected for the Excellence in Public Health award. She is immensely grateful for the support of her fiancé, family, friends, and mentors. She would like to thank the numerous faculty and advisors at Mount Sinai who have guided her and provided her with invaluable insight, particularly Drs. Meredith Grossman and Dr. Lauren Linkowski.

Mimi will graduate with her MD/MPH in May and is thrilled to be pursuing her residency training in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

THE ARTHUR CEDERBAUM MENTORING

BY A GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD

Angelica M. Minier-Toribio

Angelica Minier-Toribio joined the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2018 to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience, after completing a post baccalaureate at the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Under the guidance of Dr. Eric J. Nestler, her doctoral research has pioneered a robust program focused on investigating decision-making deficits associated with stress-related disorders, using advanced tools like fiber photometry and transcriptomic analysis combined with complex behavioral paradigms. Her work has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the D-SPAN F99/K00 fellowship and an Outstanding Graduate Woman in Learning Award, and has resulted in several publications. Beyond research, Angelica actively promotes diversity in STEM, engaging in mentorship programs like Mentorship in Neuroscience Discovery and the Center for Excellence in Youth Education at Sinai, to empower future scientists. Angelica credits her personal and professional development to the invaluable guidance she received from mentors in academia and life, whose insights continue to inspire her pursuits.

As she transitions to a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University, she remains steadfast in her dedication to fostering inclusivity and advancing scientific knowledge, driven by an unwavering commitment to giving back and making meaningful contributions to neuroscience and the community.

SOCIAL AND RACIAL JUSTICE AWARD TO

A GRADUATE STUDENT

Kayla Retallick-Townsley

Kayla came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from Portland State University, where they majored in Molecular Biology. Previously, Kayla worked at the Oregon Health and Science University and Portland Veterans Hospital researching mechanistic relationships between circadian rhythms, inflammation, and alcohol dependence.

During their time at Icahn Mount Sinai, they acted as a PhD representative on the Mistreatment Subcommittee, an executive board member of the Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM) Mount Sinai Chapter, and a fellow with the Racism and Bias Initiative (RBI). They co-developed a curriculum focused on mitigating the influence of biological essentialism and equipping scientists and medical professionals with tools for recognizing and actively combating instances of racism, sexism, and ableism. Through this work, Kayla spoke with researchers and medical professionals across fields and career stages – including invited seminars with the National Black Leadership Commission on Health, Mount Sinai Chats for Change, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Mount Sinai Institutional Review Board, SUNY Downstate, and Yale University.

Within their own research, Kayla integrates high-throughput screening technologies, stem cell modeling of neurodevelopment, and computational genetics to center the translation of environmental and genetic risk into medically actionable information with the goal of developing improved diagnostic practices, therapeutics, social interventions, and proactive public health policies for all peoples.

Kayla would like to thank their comrades and co-conspirators who have not only been inspiring, inquisitive, and supportive colleagues as scientists and organizers, but also have been excellent friends.

Kayla will graduate with their PhD degree in Neuroscience and will continue their career in academic research as a postdoctoral trainee at Yale University.

THE ARTHUR CEDERBAUM MENTORING

BY A GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD

Megan Catherine Schwarz

Megan came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from Barnard College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Previously, Megan worked in two Mount Sinai labs as a research technician. Megan entered the PhD in Biomedical Sciences program in 2019.

Megan defended her PhD in January 2024 in the lab of Dr. Ernesto Guccione. Her thesis work was split between a COVID-19 and cancer biology project. During the pandemic, Megan helped to design and validate a novel diagnostic test to quantify SARS-CoV-2 antigen-specific T cells. Megan simultaneously completed an investigation into the role of PRDM15 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Throughout her graduate school years, Megan devoted time to gaining an education in the commercial aspects of biology by becoming a Mount Sinai Innovation Partners Fellow and a finalist in Nucleate’s 2023 Activator Program. She was also passionate about mentorship and participated in the Center for Excellence in Youth Education’s (CEYE) various high school programs offered at Mount Sinai. Megan was honored to mentor two exceptional students, Kemuel Nuñez and Deonte Theard. She also offered mentorship to her lab mates, particularly Kensey Portman, a recent Master’s graduate from Icahn Mount Sinai.

Megan would like to thank her mentor, lab mates, family, friends, husband, and pets, who supported her graduate school journey. She considers herself extremely lucky to have had many fantastic examples of mentorship throughout her academic career. She would also like to thank those who nominated her for this award.

After graduation, Megan plans to wrap up some ongoing projects as a postdoc in the Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics, which is spearheaded by her PhD advisor. Ultimately, Megan hopes to move to a position in the biotech industry where she will continue pursuing translational work that will have a noticeable impact on the healthcare community. Throughout her career, Megan is determined to remain a dedicated and enthusiastic mentor.

Carina Pek Jean Seah

Carina Seah came to the MD PhD program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2019 from the University of Southern California, where she concurrently earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Biology and Master’s degree in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.

At Icahn Mount Sinai, Carina completed her PhD in the department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences under the mentorship of Laura Huckins and Kristen Brennand. Here, she has co-authored 14 publications, 8 as first- or co-first author, presented 6 oral presentations and 2 poster presentations at international conferences, was awarded an F30 grant by the National Institute for Mental Health, and was awarded an Early Career Investigator award by the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics. She serves as a voting member of the MSTP admissions committee and as a teaching assistant for the MD PhD biomedical sciences course.

Carina is passionate about ensuring equity throughout science and medicine, and was awarded the Anti-Racism Fellowship by Icahn Mount Sinai in 2022 and 2023 to develop a curriculum to mitigate biological essentialism– the conflation of immutable biological factors with social factors such as race, gender, and ability. The curriculum was taught to over 100+ learners across 5 institutions. She has also served on an institution-wide committee assessing the use of race in clinical algorithms, after advocating for the elimination of a ‘race-correction’ factor in an algorithm for kidney function.

Carina would like to thank her mentors, family, and friends, who have always celebrated curiosity, passion, and service. She thanks you for always centering a desire for positive change as a uniting value, and for enriching every aspect of her life.

Carina will complete her MD PhD training in 2026. She hopes to continue to work to decipher how our individual genetics and environmental exposures molecularly contribute to brain disorders, with the ultimate goal of developing medically actionable interventions for all people.

Emily May Teichman

Emily Teichman came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from Hamilton College, where she majored in Neuroscience and Physics. Previously, Emily worked as a research assistant at University College Cork, studying the effect of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in Autism Spectrum Disorder. She entered the PhD program in 2019.

While at Icahn Mount Sinai, Emily studied HCN channels and their association with depression in the labs of Dr. Carole Morel, Dr. Jian Jin, and Dr. Paul Slesinger. Outside of her scientific research, Emily was involved in many different organizations and work within the graduate school. She served as a PhD student representative on Student Council all 5 years of her PhD. Emily also served as the PhD representative at large on the Steering Committee of Student Council, a PhD representative on the PhD Steering Committee, and the President of Student Council for the 2021-2022 academic year. Through Trainee Health and Wellness (THAW), she acted as a peer mentor for incoming years of PhD students, and helped to run the peer mentorship program. She also volunteered as a mentor for the New York Academy of Science 1000 girls, 1000 futures program, and volunteered as a trained crisis counselor for the Crisis Text Line.

Emily would like to thank her family, friends, and faculty at Icahn Mount Sinai for making the past 5 years so rewarding and enlightening, and for providing her with unwavering support and guidance. She would also like to thank the peers and faculty she worked with in her labs and her leadership positions for giving her the space to learn, grow, and lead. Emily will graduate with her PhD in Biomedical Sciences in May of 2024.

THE TERRY ANN KRULWICH

DOCTORAL DISSERTATION PRIZE

Denis

Torre

Denis came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from the University of Trieste, Italy, where he studied Biological Sciences and Biotechnology. He entered the Biomedical Sciences PhD program in 2019, joining Dr. Ernesto Guccione and Dr. Robert Sebra’s labs to study early mammalian development.

During his doctoral studies at Icahn Mount Sinai, Denis published 10 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 2 of which as a first author, and jointly won the Mount Sinai Trainee Innovation Idea Award. Denis has also been an active member of the scientific community, mentoring multiple graduate students and trainees in high-throughput, multi-omics data analysis.

Denis is incredibly grateful to his family, wife, friends and classmates, who have always supported him and made his experience at Sinai rewarding and memorable. He would specifically like to thank his co-mentors Dr. Ernesto Guccione and Dr. Robert Sebra for their support and mentorship throughout the years.

Denis will graduate with his PhD and continue his academic training as a postdoctoral fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Michelle Tran

Michelle is currently a sixth-year MD-PhD student in the MSTP at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is originally from a beach town in Southern California and completed her undergraduate studies at Rice University, where she studied Biochemistry and Cell Biology with a minor in Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities. She also performed cancer research at the MD Anderson and City of Hope Cancer Centers. She matriculated through the FlexMed program in 2018.

While at Icahn Mount Sinai, Michelle completed her PhD in cancer immunology in the Bhardwaj Lab funded by an F30 fellowship. During her time in the program, Michelle was involved in the Sinai Women in MSTP chapter in various leadership roles, serving as Co-President for the past two years. She previously served as Co-President of Sinai’s Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association Club and Co-Founder of Sinai’s Racial Justice Reading Groups. Michelle was also involved in the East Harlem Health Outreach Program (EHHOP) in many roles – serving as a Chronic Care Senior, Community Outreach Chair, EHHOP Consulting Group member, and Access to Care (ACT) case manager. In response to anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, Michelle co-founded and presides over Soar Over Hate, an organization that serves the Asian American Pacific Islander community in NYC through safety device distributions, self-defense classes, health fairs, therapy services, youth scholarships, and more.

Michelle thanks her family, friends, and faculty who have provided immense support during her training. She gives special thanks to her mother, grandmother, and PI, Dr. Nina Bhardwaj, for serving as an incredible female role model in science.

Michelle will graduate with her PhD and return to clerkships this summer to complete her MD studies in pursuit of a career as a physician scientist.

CLOSING REMARKS

David C. Thomas, MD, MHPE

Dean for Medical Education

Marietta and Charles C. Morchand Chair

Leni and Peter W. May Department of Medical Education

Marta Filizola, Ph.D

Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Sharon & Frederick A. Klingenstein-Nathan G. Kase, MD Professor Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Department of Neuroscience

2024 CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES

DOCTOR OF MEDICINE

**DOCTOR OF MEDICINE/MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM

* DOCTOR OF MEDICINE/MASTER OF CLINICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM

^ DOCTOR OF MEDICINE /DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES AND NUEROSCIENCE

Ava Jeanette Adler

Sofia Ahsanuddin

Muhammad Mujtaba Ali*

David William Allely

Lily Anne Ardente

Illya Aronskyy

Amina Avril

Arman Ryan Azad

Bryana Devlin Banashefski

Joshua David Barlow

Rebecca Beatrice Baron

Nestor Javier Bedoya

Caroline Maisie Benson

Suzannah Leigh Bergstein

Daniel D Bu*

Liam Ross Butler

James Keith Carter^

Zakaria M Chakrani

Danielle Chaluts

Michael Chang

Logan Daniel Cho

Brennan Chu

Elizabeth Mowry Clifton

Paige Elizabeth Cloonan

Phillip Cohen^

Yhan Emid Colon Iban

Tyler J D’ovidio

Dante Ghassan Dahabreh

Candida Marie Camacho Damian

Alexander Samuel Dash*

Calista Lynda Dominy

Jonathan Tyler Dullea

Annalise Klára Eger

Nicola Ann Feldman

James Harrison Fleming

Miriam Frisch**

Mariely Garcia

Jennifer Katharine Gates

Jack Emil Geduldig

Kyle Monroe Gibson*

Shivee Gilja

Anisha Mahalya Gogerly-Moragoda

Rachel Gita Gologorsky

Miguel Enrique Gomez

Shouri Venkata Gottiparthi

Kevin Michael Griffee**

Aliza Savin Gross

Benjamin David Gross

Philip Henson

Gabrielle Isabella Hernaiz-De Jesus

Michael Matthew Herrera

Skylar Michelle Hess

Eugene Ivan Hrabarchuk

Sidra Zeba Ibad

Suvruta Srisayi Iruvanti

Yonatan Israel

Suraj Kevin Jaladanki

Jillian Henry Keegan

Rebecca Lilli Kellner

Calla Kim Khilnani

Sonia Gita Khurana

Spencer Harrison Kiehm

Madeline Heejae Kim*

Krsna Kim Kothari

Arvind Kumar

Colin David Lamb

Patrick Nils Lasowski

Riva P Letchinger

Micah Levy

Thomas Morgan Li

Helen Liu

Isabel Cristina Lopera

Christine Alexis Lopez

Adam Lupicki

Louise Malle^

Naoum Fares Marayati

Christina Lauren Marshall

Lily McCarthy

Stephen Edward McCroskery

Paulos Mengsteab

James H Meyers

Alexandra Mills

Sarah Anne Nathaniel

Ted Nnamno Obi

Tonia Omotola Ogundipe

Oge C Onuh

Benjamin Henry Oseroff

Yeji Park

Bhavana Niranjan Patil

Megan Elizabeth Paul

Charlotte Rose Pierce

Nicholas Louca Pitaro

Amara Luisa Plaza-Jennings^

Samuel Powell^

Addison Quinones

Vignesh Rajasekaran

Emma Maud Reford

Rishab Rajan Revankar

Harley Lauren Roberts

Andrew John Rosowicz

Christina Paulina Rossitto

Nikita Roy

Christie Bao Thu Ryba

Mia Malak Saade

Julian Sackey

Nathaniel Locke Saffran

Jay R. Sanghvi

Remington Runnfeldt

Schuemann Schneider

Dawi Shin

Francesca Marie Silvestri

Zay Friedman Smolar

Matthew Paul Spindler^

Jason Benjamin Storch

Daniela Ines Suarez-Rebling

Sweta Sudhir

Shumayl Syed

Justin Evan Tang

Shelly Siyuan Teng*

Serena Ravi Tolani

Connor Andrew Tukel

Claire Ufongene

Stephanie Urena

Camille Cassiopeia Van Neste^

Roshan Pravinkumar Vasoya

Amey Vrudhula

Brett Stephen Weingart

Christopher Andrew White

Amber Tiffany Wolf

Emily Ling Xu

Brandon Yeshoua

Stephanie Ying

Stephen Yoffie

Dave Mina Youssef

Alexis Lynn Zachem

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES AND NEUROSCIENCE

Bremy Alburquerque

Songhee Back

Sarah M. Banker

James Keith Carter^

Andrew T. Chan

Daniel M. Charytonowicz

Sally Elizabeth Claridge

Evan Cody

Phillip Cohen^

Anisha Cooke

Alanna Cameron Cote

Winston Hirschler Cuddleston

Donald Doanman^

Zhe Dong

Susie Feng

Michael Brian Fernando

Jennifer Megan Fredericks

Justin Frere^

Amy Frick

Rollie Fitzgerald Hampton II^

Alicia Ho

Michael Horesh^

DeAnalisa Jones^

Kaustubh Kulkarni^

Rachel Levantovsky^

Michael B. Leventhal

Lora E. Liharska

Katherine E Lindblad

Abigail Lubin

Louise Malle^

Valerie J. Marallano

Katherine Meckel

David T. Melnekoff

Angelica M. Minier-Toribio

Jarvier Nadir Mohammed

Temidayo Orederu

Aster Quinby Perkins

Luisanna Victoria Pia

Amara Luisa Plaza-Jennings^

Tamar Plitt

Samuel Powell^

Gabrielle Price^

Taylor K. Pullinger

Richard Quintana Feliciano

Tanni Rahman

Rohana Ramalingam

Kayla Retallick-Townsley

Dan Fu Ruan

Christie Bao Thu Ryba^

Matthew Schafer

Megan Catherine Schwarz

Carina Pek Jean Seah^

Randal Alexander Serafini^

Joseph Simon IV

Camille Spencer-Salmon^

Matthew Paul Spindler^

Lauren Stalbow^

Christian Stevens^

Andrew Frank Stewart

Hayley J. Strasburger

Emily May Teichman

Denis Torre

Michelle Tran^

Skyler Andrew Uhl

Camille Cassiopeia Van Neste

Ethan Christopher Veit

Julia Velez

Yang Xu

Hannah Elizabeth Young

Yosif Zaki

Nicole Zatorski^

Zachary Robert Zeisler

William Zhao^

Gregory Zilberg

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN CLINICAL RESEARCH

Adolfo Sebastian Aleman

Doaa Alsaleh

Anas Hasan A. Alzahrani

Turner Baker

Tina Chen

Jia Li

Weixin Li

Ning Ma

To all the graduates,

On behalf of the Leni and Peter W. May Department of Medical Education and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

Congratulations on all your accomplishments and on completing this momentous milestone.

To view and learn more about the recipients, please visit mountsinaiachievement.com