Researcher of the Month
URECA congratulates all of the graduating seniors who have contributed their research & creative talent to the University!
Jeffin Abraham
Majors: Biology, Psychology
Research Mentor: Dr. Eugene Serebryany, Physiology and Biophysics
Jessica Alfano
Major: Biology (Interdisciplinary specialization), WISE Honors
Research Mentor: Dr. Jaymie Meliker, Family, Population and Preventive Health
Norah Allam
Major: Biomedical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, WISE Honors
Research Mentor: Dr. Natalia Peunova, Enikolopov Laboratory, Center for Developmental Genetics
Ruthvick Bandaru
Major: Computer Engineering
Research Mentor: Dr. William Stewart, Mechanical Engineering
Luis-Jaime Caseñas
Major: Psychology, Biology (minor)
Research Mentor: Dr. Jeremy C. Borniger, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Serena Cheng
Major: Psychology, Linguistics minor; Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Marie Huffman, Linguistics
Bavleen Kaur
Major: Biochemistry, Psychology; WISE Honors
Research Mentors: Dr. Thomas Diacovo , Pediatrics; Dr. Sima Mofakham & Dr. Charles Mikell, Neurosurgery
Aman Mistry
Major: Biochemistry, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. Benjamin Martin, Biochemistry & Cell Biology
Maisha Rahman
Major: Biology, WISE Honors
Research Mentor: Dr. Catherine Marrone, Socioloogy
Shivani Shah
Major: Biology, Honors College
Research Mentor: Dr. James Konopka, Microbiology & Immunology
Aidan Vergano
Major: English
Research Mentor: Dr. Douglas Pfeiffer, English
“Here are just some of the graduating seniors we will miss. ... We wish them all well
with their future endeavors and pursuits!
Jeffin Abraham is a Biology and Psychology major with concentrations in neuroscience, chemistry, and physics. For the past two years, he has conducted research in Dr. Eugene Serebryany’s lab in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. His protein engineering work focuses on improving the stability of the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapeutic enzyme asparaginase derived from Erwinia chrysanthemi, with the goal of reducing dosing frequency. As lead researcher on this project, Jeffin has generated multiple testable enzyme variants and developed a safer method to assess enzymatic activity. This project has been funded by the Long Island Bioscience Hub via the SBU Center for Biotechnology, and he has presented this work at Stony Brook Cancer Center symposiums in 2024, 2025, and 2026 alongside fellow undergraduate collaborators Kyeongseo Choi and Miles Powell. In addition to his research, Jeffin has served as a teaching assistant for BIO 201 with Professors Beaupre, True, and Nehm since 2024 and has worked as a pharmacy technician and medical assistant. Following graduation, he will pursue an MD at New York Medical College. He is a recipient of the Provost’s Award for Academic Excellence.
Jessica Alfano is a pre-medical student in the WISE Honors Program, majoring in Interdisciplinary Biology, minoring in Writing & Rhetoric, and pursuing a Master of Public Health. Her research spans clinical projects on thyroid cancer decision-making, Acute Myeloid Leukemia blood biomarkers, and survivorship outcomes. Under the mentorship of Dr. Jaymie Meliker, Jessica completed her Honors Thesis on heavy metal exposures and currently leads a project on storm-driven environmental contamination. Passionate about patient care, teaching, and supporting women in medicine, she serves on the executive boards of AMWA and GirlUp, was a TA for Organic Chemistry and Writing, tutors students, and volunteers as an EMT. Jessica plans to pursue a career in medicine, where she aims to integrate clinical care with preventive medicine to address health disparities and improve patient outcomes.
Ruthvick Bandaru is a Computer Engineering major in the ECE program at Stony Brook University and
a member of the Soft Flyers Group under the direction of Dr. William Stewart. His
research focuses on autonomous robotics and reactive collision UAV systems, combining
embedded systems, ROS 2, ArduPilot, and resilient autonomous control. He is also developing
a Jetson-accelerated deer detection and autonomous navigation system for an intelligent
rover platform, representing one of the first AI-driven autonomous robotics initiatives
of its kind within the department. Beyond research, Ruthvick serves as President and
founding member of the AI Community @ SBU and Project Manager of the Stony Brook Robotics
Team, where he previously served as Software Team Lead for the team that placed third
in the world at the MATE ROV competition. His interests span robotics, autonomy, perception,
and intelligent systems, and after graduation he plans to pursue a PhD in Mechanical
Engineering at Stony Brook University.
Norah Allam is a double major in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, passionate about
tissue engineering, immunology, and regenerative medicine. In 2025, she spent her
summer at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, where she conducted cutting-edge
research on cardiac aging under Dr. Rosenthal and Dr. Sintou. Her earlier works at
SBU included projects on marine microbial ecology in the Marine Animal Disease Laboratory
(MADL) and nitric oxide signaling in neural tissues in the Enikolopov Laboratory under
Dr. Peunova. Beyond research, Norah serves as Vice President of Alpha Eta Mu Beta,
the biomedical engineering honors society, and as a WISE Honors Program mentor, promoting
STEM outreach and inclusivity. In pursuing her minor in Studio Art, Norah also served
as a commissioned artist for the campus beautification initiative, merging scientific
imagery with artistic expression. [View SB News story about project.] She is a recipient of the 2026 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student
Excellence. After graduating, Norah will pursue a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at
Virginia Tech, beginning in Fall 2026.
Luis Caseñas is a senior Psychology major with a minor in Biology. He began his research journey
in clinical and affective neuroscience labs under the mentorship of Professors Roman
Kotov and Brady Nelson, developing a deep curiosity about how the brain works and
how its function may go awry in disease. He carried this curiosity into his basic
science work at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he is studying how the nervous
system interacts with cancers in the periphery. He has helped elucidate the anatomical
connectivity between the locus coeruleus (LC) and breast tumors through sympathetic
chain ganglia, along with making insights into how LC signaling modulates antitumor
immunity and breast cancer progression. Concurrently, Luis has engineered a system
of operant conditioning-elicited biofeedback in mice: recording heart rate, transducing
these states to inputs on an arduino, and signaling the delivery of auditory cues
and water rewards to the animal whenever its heart rate drops below a defined threshold.
As a passionate advocate for mental health, he has also conducted research into Filipinx-American
mental health attitudes and outcomes through a joint Tayo and NAAPIMHA fellowship.
Luis hopes to pursue an MD/PhD, and will take some gap years to do full-time neuroscience
research at The Rockefeller University.
Serena Cheng is a psychology major with a minor in linguistics in the Honors College who is an aspiring
speech-language pathologist. Understanding how vital evidence-based practice is in
the constantly evolving speech-language pathology field, she wanted to pursue research
to build her critical thinking and research literacy for her career path. Therefore,
when her Phonetics instructor, Professor Marie Huffman, shared a research internship
opportunity involving Mandarin and English bilingual speakers, Serena was eager to
participate. After a fulfilling semester of studying Mandarin-accented English speech,
she wanted to develop the project even further as an independent research project.
In this project, she recorded native Mandarin speakers speaking both Mandarin and
English and determined whether there is a relationship between vowel category compactness
in Mandarin and vowel articulation accuracy in English. Serena has had the privilege
of presenting her research across campus for Asian and Asian American Studies, Honors
College, and Applied Math and Statistic Symposiums. Furthermore, she is looking forward
to presenting at the Southern California Undergraduate Linguistics Conference hosted
by the UCLA Linguistics Department this summer. After graduation, she is attending
Queens College pursuing a Master of Arts, striving to empower patients to be able
to communicate well by consuming current research to improve her practice.
Bavleen Kaur is a senior at Stony Brook University majoring in Biochemistry and Psychology in the WISE Honors Program. Her research
interests focus on neuroscience, neonatology, and translational medicine. During her
undergraduate training, she completed a research thesis in the Department of Pediatrics,
Division of Neonatology at Stony Brook Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Diacovo. Her work investigated the relationship between necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and
neuroinflammation in preterm neonates using a murine model to study inflammatory signaling
and its potential effects on long term neurocognitive outcomes. In parallel, Bavleen
conducted clinical neuroscience research in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stony Brook Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Sima Mofakham and Dr. Charles Mikell. Her projects examined the characteristics and outcomes of patients with post-traumatic
seizures and post-traumatic epilepsy at a Level I trauma center, as well as epidemiological
trends in hydrocephalus patients treated at Stony Brook University Hospital. She presented
her findings at the Annual URECA Research Symposium, SACNAS Multidisciplinary Research
Day, APSA Northeast Regional Meeting, and the 19th Annual Women in Medicine & Science
Research Day, where she received the Best Abstract Award in the Undergraduate Student
category. Outside of research, Bavleen Kaur was actively involved in leadership, mentorship,
and community service at SBU. She served as a High School Instructor and Biochemistry
Mentor in the WISE Honors Program. Bavleen will continue her academic training in
the MS Neuroscience Program at SBU after graduation.
Aman Mistry is a Biochemistry major in the Honors College and Scholars for Medicine BS/MD program. His interest in research in molecular and cellular biology began in high school in the Simons Program under the mentorship of Ms. Maria Zeitlin and Dr. Berhane Ghebrehiwet. In undergraduate, Aman worked with Dr. Benjamin Martin and focused on the role of the transcription factor tcf15 in stem cell fate and migration in the zebrafish embryo model. His major findings included revealing a role for tcf15 in extracellular matrix remodeling, muscle specification, lateral line migration, and skeletal morphogenesis in zebrafish. Aman has presented his work at DBNY in Ithaca and at the URECA symposium. He has also trained a high school student in the lab. Beyond research, Aman loved working as an EMT and board representative at Port Jefferson EMS, founding the Scholars for Medicine club on campus, creating and hosting the Healthcare Innovation Challenge at SBU, serving as an Undergraduate Student Government Senator, and creating the Dharmic Center at SBU for students of Dharmic faiths to have a place to pray. Aman will be pursuing the MD-PhD degree at the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at Stony Brook University in the Fall.
Maisha Rahman is an interdisciplinary biology major with minors in South Asian studies and health,
medicine and society. For the past year, she has been conducting research with Dr.
Catherine Marrone on the socio-environmental factors behind the predisposition of
type II diabetes in the South Asian population, combining all fields of studies at
Stony Brook University into one thesis paper. This WISE Honors thesis implements public
health interventions that begin from the foundational layer of medical school to tailor
care to such ethnic populations. Maisha is also participating in data analysis research
in multiple sclerosis under the tutelage of Dr. Mark Gudesblatt of NYU Langone Health.
On campus, Maisha spends her time holding fundraisers as the President of LLSatSBU,
the collegiate chapter of the recently renamed Blood Cancer United. She also works
on expanding the public health program at Stony Brook Medicine as a current At-Large
Senator of the Undergraduate Student Government. Maisha enjoys cooking and biking
in her free time. Maisha plans to pursue her Master’s in Public Health at CUNY School
of Public Health before applying to medical school.
Shivani Shah is pursuing a Biology major with a specialization in Interdisciplinary Biology, as
well as a second major in Psychology. Under the mentorship of Dr. James Konopka, she
studies methods of oxidative stress in Candida albicans, a human fungal pathogen. For her honors thesis, Shivani is now analyzing how different Candida albicans mutants respond to various chemical stressors. In the summer of 2024, she conducted
full-time research supported by a URECA grant. She presented her poster titled “Analyzing
the Contribution of the Glutathione System Proteins in Oxidative Stress Resistance”
at the SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference and the 2025 URECA symposium. An abstract
for this project was recently accepted to the 2026 American Society of Microbiology
Conference. She co-authored an article that was published in Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews. Last summer, she participated in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Summer Scholars
Program. There, she worked in Dr. Ahmed Moustafa’s lab studying methods of DNA host
depletion. She will spend her gap year in Dr. Moustafa's lab and work in the Center for Microbial Medicine,
which is the premier pediatric center in the United States focused on translational
microbiome-based medicine. Beyond research, Shivani is also a volunteer EMT for Port Jefferson EMS, as well as the
director for Camp Kesem. She was recently named a recipient of the Chancellor’s Award
for Student Excellence, and is a finalist for a Fulbright grant. She aspires to pursue
a career in medicine.
Aidan Vergano is an English major (departmental honors) and a Creative Writing BFA student at Stony Brook University. Funded by the URECA Research and Creative Activities (URECA) program, his English honors thesis, completed under the mentorship of Professor Douglas Pfeiffer, explores the history, preservation, and interpretive significance of dust jackets in modern book culture through the lenses of bibliography, material text studies, and library preservation practices. Titled At the Threshold: Dust Jackets and the Fragile Surface of the Modern Book, the project examines how dust jackets function as paratextual, visual, and historical objects while investigating the tensions between scholarly preservation and the practical realities of library circulation and maintenance. In addition to his honors research, Aidan is completing a Creative Writing BFA thesis under the mentorship of Alison Fairbrother. At Stony Brook, he serves as President of Alpha Nu Zeta, the university’s English Honors Society chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, and has presented his research at both the URECA Symposium and the English Honors Symposium. He also served as a teaching assistant for EGL 345: Shakespeare I; is actively involved with the Bibliographical Society of America and has attended Bibliography Week and the society’s annual meetings in New York City. He additionally completed graduate-level coursework in editorial and publishing studies. In Fall 2026, he will intern with Kristen Nyitray in Stony Brook University Archives and Special Collections. He is the recipient of the 2026 Lillian F. Kahn Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior in the Department of English. Following graduation, Aidan plans to pursue graduate study in library and information science.
Below are excerpts of their conversation with Karen Kernan, URECA Director.
The Interview:
Luis. For me, research has played this wonderful, gradually evolving role in my education. Initially, it was the perfect real world application of all of the things I learned in my introductory psych and bio classes—that really drew me in. As time has progressed, I noticed that really deeply delving into research shaped my character and interests, which presented itself in the classes I've taken and TA'd, the career I hope to pursue, and even the way I think critically about the world around me.
Bavleen. Being involved in research has reshaped how I approach learning beyond attending classes. It has strengthened my ability to critically evaluate data, troubleshoot experimental challenges, and interpret complex/unexpected results with a more analytical and evidence based mindset. Through this process, I have developed practical skills that will be valuable in my future career as a scientist, while also deepening my appreciation for staying engaged with the scientific community through conferences and seminars.
Norah. Doing research while at SBU has completely shaped the way I think and approach problems. Whether troubleshooting an experiment or analyzing complex datasets, it has taught me to be curious, patient, and resourceful. My research activities have helped me build confidence and problem-solving skills, preparing me to pursue biomedical engineering research during my PhD at Virginia Tech.
Aidan. My research helped solidify my interest in pursuing a career in rare books, archives, and special collections librarianship. Working on the material history and preservation of dust jackets allowed me to engage directly with questions surrounding bibliography, archival practice, and the physical life of books beyond the text itself. The project also showed me how research can connect scholarly inquiry with real institutional and preservation challenges, which is something I hope to continue exploring in graduate school and my future career.
Jessica. Research has shown me that behind every dataset is a patient's story that deserves to be understood. Learning to critically analyze problems and find meaningful solutions has shaped how I approach medicine by grounding my care with both empathy and intention. These experiences have prepared me to become a physician who applies evidence holistically while never losing sight of the human impact behind every decision.
Jeffin. Through my interactions with Dr. Serebryany and my colleagues, I have learned to approach setbacks as an integral part of the research process rather than as failures. Dr. Serebryany’s consistent optimism and guidance have reinforced the importance of persistence and thoughtful problem solving when experiments do not go as planned. Engaging with other projects and teaching others in the lab have taught me that simply explaining your process to someone is a great way to find areas of improvement and new ideas.
Serena. I’ve learned how important it is to collaborate with others in research. I have had the blessing of working with Professor Huffman, who is extremely knowledgeable in the field of phonetics. She has guided me through many research processes, from grant proposals to data analysis. Moreover, I recruited three research assistants (Tian Hao Lin, Sharon Liu, and Abby Mars) who brought their own fresh perspectives and insightful questions during the project, which allowed me to make the project more efficient and intentional.
Shivani. Some advice I have for people trying to get into research is to just try something! You will never know until you try. This pertains to everything from reaching out to a new research opportunity to making a change in an experiment.
Aman.If you are interested in research and want to join a lab, I recommend going in person to talk with Professors in addition to the cold-emailing approach. This direct approach shows a lot of initiative and passion that I think Professors understand can translate into a great researcher.
Maisha. 5 minutes is all you need. When it comes to finding a mentor or pitching an idea,
put your face to your name and show up to a faculty member's office hours. They will
remember you because you showed up and talked to them about your interests compared
to another email that was sent.