Mentors

Applicants will be asked and required to select their top three preferred mentors/research areas on the online application choices of preferred mentor/areas of research interest on the online aplication.

Updated for 2027!

Mentor	Department	Research Focus	Prerequisites	More Information
Yuefan Deng, PhD	Applied Mathematics & Statistics	Developing algorithms in high-performance computing, machine learning, and multiscale modeling for simulations of biological and medical processes.	Physics AP, Math AP, knowledge of basic calculus, programming experience with C, C++ or Python preferred.	About Prof. Deng
Brian Colle, PhD	Atmospheric Sciences	AI modeling for extreme weather and climate.	Proficient in computers and some AI/ML experience.	About Prof. Colle
Yixen Berry Wen, PhD	Atmospheric Sciences	Project 1 — NASA satellite precipitation science. Precipitation from space: use NASA satellite rainfall data (e.g., IMERG) to study extreme precipitation and flooding around the world, where the heaviest rain falls, how storms evolve, and what makes some events flood-prone. Project 2 — Generative AI diffusion models. Generative AI for rainfall: build and test diffusion models that sharpen coarse satellite precipitation maps into high-resolution rainfall fields, and evaluate how well AI can recover fine-scale storm structure. Project 3 — Agentic AI for Earth science. Prototype an AI assistant that can autonomously explore large NASA precipitation datasets, asking it science questions and teaching it to find, analyze, and explain the evidence in the data.	Python programming experience preferred; familiarity with high-school algebra and statistics helpful. Calculus or prior machine learning experience is a plus but not required — enthusiasm for weather, climate, and AI matters most.	About Prof. Wen
Benjamin Martin, PhD	Biochemistry & Cell Biology	The research project will involve studying the maintenance and cell fate determination of stem cells during zebrafish embryonic development. The student will engage in a combination of experimental manipulations and bioinformatic analyses.	None specified	About Prof. Martin
Yi-Xian Qin, PhD	Biomedical Engineering	1) Quantitative Imaging & Signal Processing: Assisting with high-frequency ultrasound, shear wave elastography (SWE), and micro-CT image analysis to evaluate osteochondral integrity and cartilage matrix degradation. 2) Cellular & Molecular Mechanobiology: Learning fundamental cell culture techniques, staining protocols, and channel regulation assays (e.g., mechanosensitive Piezo1 channels) to understand physical signal transduction, and data analysis using ML and DL. 3) Biomaterials and nanoparticles: Cellular biocompatibility and differentiation evaluation. 4) Data Analysis & Scientific Computing: Utilizing computational tools (e.g., MATLAB, ImageJ) to process biological data, plot directional mechanical behavior, and interpret structural parameters.	Strong math, physics, and biology knowledge and skills, as well as excellent writing skills are preferred.	About Prof. Qin
Tengfei Ma, PhD	Biomedical Informatics	We aim to develop advanced machine learning models for healthcare and drug discovery. Potential projects include predicting future disease risks for a specific patient cohort, analyzing the treatment effect of some drugs and planning the best treatments, and predicting binding affinity of between molecules and proteins.	Experience in Python, basic machine learning skills.	About Prof. Ma
Alisa Yurovsky, PhD	Biomedical Informatics	The students would be involved in exploratory analysis in machine learning with application to precision medicine. This will involve learning to read and present scientific papers and programming.	Strong computational and biology background.	About Prof. Yurovsky
Benjamin Hsiao, PhD	Chemistry	Varying projects related to create circular solutions to enhance the nexus of food, water and environment.	None specified	About Prof. Hsiao
Paolo Celli, PhD	Civil Engineering	A student working in my lab will design and fabricate shape-morphing structures, and analyze their static and/or dynamic behavior. We have projects that range from fundamental (designing structures that morph in unprecedented ways) to applied (morphing structures for robotics, energy or space applications), that will be assigned depending on the student's interests and our group's needs.	Basic coding skills and exposure to CAD; Interest in arts and crafts and building things.	About Prof. Celli
Mohammad Javad Amiri, PhD	Computer Science	The student will be engaged in implementing and testing a system that will be used in distributed applications such as blockchains and supply chain management.	None specified	About Prof. Amiri
Klaus Mueller, PhD	Computer Science	Research projects are offered in areas including: (1) Making algorithmic decision systems fairer through causal network analysis. (2) Exploring how law and policies can improve public health by analyzing socio-economic risk factors. (3) Synthesizing medical images to train/test AI algorithms for medical image diagnostics.	Knowledge of python and possibly javascript will be a plus	About Prof. Mueller
Elizabeth Watson, PhD	Ecology & Evolution	We are recruiting a student to assist with research investigating land-cover change in coastal areas throughout Long Island Sound. The project will involve collecting field data on vegetation cover, using these data to map current land cover, and comparing our results with historical datasets from the 1970s and mid-2000s. Students will gain hands-on experience in field ecology, as well as opportunities to develop skills in remote sensing and geospatial analysis using digital elevation models and aerial imagery.	None specified	About Prof. Watson
Ji Liu, PhD	Electrical & Computer Engineering	Projects involve algorithm design, analysis, or simulation for (distributed) control, optimization, or machine learning over large-scale complex networks. Possible topics include: distributed control, distributed optimization, distributed machine learning, distributed quantum computing, epidemic networks, social networks.	Projects require proficiency in mathematics (e.g., linear algebra, calculus, probability, differential equations) and programming experience, with fluency in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, MATLAB).	About Prof. Ji Liu
William Holt, PhD	Geosciences	Understanding landscape evolution in the framework of a dynamic orogenic system. The project would include geodynamic modeling of either extensional or collisional plate tectonic settings and address erosion and sedimentation within this system. This work could also be in collaboration with Professor Rasbury (geochronologist/isotope geochemist). The project may bring in actual isotope measurements as a constraint for timing.	Some familiarity with Python coding, unix systems, but not required. Interest in geoscience field.	About Prof. Holt
Troy Rasbury, PhD	Geosciences	Boron is an essential micronutrient for plants yet the reasons for this is far from clear. The lab plant arabidopsis has 7 known boron transport genes. The research will involve growing wild type and genetically modified arabidopsis in isotopically labeled boron to address questions of how these boron trnsport genes control uptake and sequestration in this well-studied lab plant.	None specified	About Prof. Rasbury
Bassem Allam, PhD & Emmanuelle Pales Espinosa, PhD	Marine Sciences	The MADL is a dynamic lab and research currently underway includes shellfish ecology, ecological physiology, shellfish adaptation to climate change, and pathology and immunology, and employs a wide range of techniques and approaches (field studies, genomics, cell and molecular biology).	We do not expect/seek for specific skills, except high enthusiasm!	About Profs. Allam and Pales Espinosa
Anurag Purwar, PhD	Mechanical Engineering	Student will work on 1) applying deep generative modeling and machine learning algorithms to design of robotic systems, and/or 2) design and build physical systems for experimentation and modeling. An ideal student will have background in Python programming and an interest in robotics and artificial intelligence. For students interested in hands-on work, experience with designing robot mechanisms, electronics, and microcontroller programming, such as in FIRST competition is a plus.	Python, basics of Machine Learning and Neural Network.	About Prof. Purwar
William Stewart, PhD	Mechanical Engineering	Student will push forward the boundaries of understanding in bioinspired underwater robotics. We will focus on either robot body design or controls/intelligence. We will rely heavily on hands-on experimentation as opposed to simulation/ calculations.	Participation in FIRST Robotics Competition or similar	About Prof. Stewart
Gurtej Singh, PhD	Medicine / Surgery	Research project involving development of bio-printed vascularized skin grafts and formation of new blood vessels in animals models through micropuncture.	None specified	About Prof. Singh
Prerana Shrestha, PhD	Neurobiology & Behavior	We use cutting-edge techniques spanning chemogenetics, fiber photometry, pharmacology, biochemistry and behavior testing to study the causal role of protein synthesis dynamics in cortical neuron populations during consolidation of associative emotional behaviors. The Simons SRP student will partake in molecular characterization of cell type-specific alterations in nascent protein synthesis following cued aversive learning and retrieval, and in analyzing behavior data of animals that underwent protein synthesis manipulation in specific neuron types.	High School Biology	About Prof. Shrestha
Howard Sirotkin, PhD	Neurobiology & Behavior	We study proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells and progenitors, develop animal models for human neurological disorders including Autism, and investigate the neurodevelopmental consequences of environmental pollutants including PFAS "forever chemicals".	AP Biology, AP Chemistry	About Prof. Sirotkin
David Komatsu, PhD	Orthopaedics	Image analysis of bone samples in support of animal studies on skeletal adaption to microgravity.	Familiarity with ImageJ and Excel.	About Prof. Komatsu
Stella Tsirka, PhD	Pharmacological Sciences	Interactions between brain parenchyma cells (microglia, astrocytes -normal or pathological, oligodenndrocytes, neurons, endothelia) with each other and with the extracellular matrix in physiological and pathological contexts.	Biology background helpful	About Prof. Tsirka
Mengkun Liu, PhD	Physics & Astronomy	Seeing light at the nanoscale. Students will join graduate students in the Ultrafast & Near-field Infrared Lab to image how infrared light travels through atomically thin materials such as graphene and boron nitride, using a scanning near-field microscope with ~10–20 nm resolution. Depending on interest, students can prepare and identify 2D crystals, help run the microscope, or write Python/machine-learning code with AI to analyze nanoscale images.	Preferred Python and circuits knowledge	About Prof. Mengkun Liu
Harold Metcalf, PhD & Gillian Winters, PhD	Physics & Astronomy	Possible projects in the Laser Teaching Center include trapping and manipulating microscopic objects with optical tweezers, studying systems with geometric optics, and using optical interference in holography.	Calculus, programming in Python useful (but can be learned on the way)	About the Laser Teaching Center