Summer is upon us, and our third annual Pauley Heart Center undergraduate research summer fellowship program has begun! This year, the program brings undergraduates to Pauley through three different pathways. In addition to our existing American Heart Association grant funding and our REACH program partnership with the College of William & Mary, this year, fellows are also able to join the program through a new National Institutes of Health R25 grant which was awarded to Pauley in January 2022. In addition, we are excited that this is the first year our students are participating in-person!

For this summer's program, 22 fellows come to Pauley from VCU as well as five other institutions throughout the Commonwealth. Each of these students are partnering with a faculty mentor to work on a research project, giving them incredible, hands-on experience for future careers in cardiovascular research and beyond. At the end of our 10-week program, these fellows will have the opportunity to present their findings via a formal poster presentation. In addition to their research activities, each fellow will participate in three weekly workshops, including Skills and Foundations (taught by Pauley Director Greg Hundley, MD), Journal Club (taught by Jennifer Jordan, PhD), and Professional Network (featuring weekly "career stories" from a variety of faculty), and will also have opportunities to observe clinical spaces in Cardiology.

Meet Our Fellows

Zain Ahmad | The College of William & Mary

Mentor: Jose Huizar, MD
Zain is a rising senior at the College of William and Mary where he is majoring in Neuroscience and Health Sciences while pursuing the pre-medicine track. He is also a senior research assistant at Dr. Robert Barnet's rodent lab where he studies the effects of nicotine on anxiety in albino rats. Outside of school, he serves as an Emergency Department scribe, and he hopes to go into trauma surgery after medical school. In his free time, he enjoys weightlifting, watching Marvel movies, and learning about the stock market.

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Lauren Daniel | The College of William & Mary

Mentor: Vanessa Sheppard, PhD
Lauren is a rising junior from Rocky Mount, Virginia. She is a neuroscience major at William & Mary, and she hopes to attend medical school after graduating. In her free time, she enjoys horseback riding, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

 

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Alexis Fletcher | Old Dominion University

Mentor: W. Gregory Hundley, MD
Alexis is a rising senior majoring in chemistry at Old Dominion University. She is currently interested in pre-medicine and plans to attend medical school after graduation to pursue her goal of becoming an oncologist. Her ultimate goal is to help determine how to vaccinate against cancer. In her free time, she enjoys reading, painting, and hiking with her two children and husband. She will be retiring from the Navy in June 2022 after 5 years of service.

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Kwannya Foster | The College of William & Mary

Mentor: Bernard Fuemmeler, PhD
Kwannya is a rising junior at The College of William and Mary from Danville, VA. She is on the pre-medicine track majoring in Neuroscience. After graduation, she plans to go to medical school and become a neurologist. She is very interested in how disparities play into health and wellness and hopes to be able to focus on underrepresented communities in her career. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her dog, traveling, and coloring.

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Riya Garg | The College of William & Mary

Mentor: W. Gregory Hundley, MD
Riya is a returning Pauley fellow (having first participated in the program in summer 2021) and a rising senior at William & Mary. She is pursuing a major in biology and a minor in data science on the pre- medicine track. She is very interested in the intersection of cardiac health and cancer and hopes to get involved with cardiac surgery in the future. Besides her academic interests, she enjoys hiking, playing the guitar, and visiting new places.

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William Hundley | Virginia Military Institute

Mentor: AJ Cardounel, MD
Will is a rising Junior at the Virginia Military Institute. He is pursuing a major in Biology and hopes to attend medical school upon completion of his undergraduate degree. Will has grown to be very interested in medicine and hopes to pursue a career in cardiovascular disease and treatment. In his spare time, he likes to workout, listen to music, and spend time with his friends.

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James Jamshid | Virginia Commonwealth University

Mentor: Patricia Sime, MD
James recently graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a major in Interdisciplinary Science and minors in Biology and Chemistry. During his senior year, he was the president of the Dental Club at VCU. James is a first generation student, born and raised in Afghanistan. He plans to apply dentistry school and pursue a career in the dental field. In his free time, he like to play soccer and enjoys the outdoors.

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Chloe Kinderman | The College of William & Mary

Mentor: Cory Trankle, MD
Chloe is a returning Pauley fellow (having first participated in the program in summer 2021) and a rising junior at the College of William & Mary. She is a history major and pre-medicine student and hopes to one day work to improve rural healthcare infrastructure. In her free time, Chloe serves on the executive boards of TEDx@William&Mary and Students for University Advancement, an organization that seeks to educate students about philanthropy and involve them in community initiatives.

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Yaaminata Koroma | Virginia Commonwealth University

Mentor: Jordana Kron, MD
Yaaminata is a rising junior at Virginia Commonwealth University, majoring in Biology and minoring in chemistry while pursuing a pre- medicine track. She is enrolled in the Honors College at VCU. After graduation, Yaaminata plans to attend medical school and pursue a career as a cardiovascular surgeon, a general surgeon, a pediatrician, or an oncologist. A few of her non-academic interests are watching medical shows, playing the piano, and spending time with friends.

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Ericka Miller | The College of William & Mary

Mentor: Wendy Bottinor, MD
Ericka is a rising junior at the College of William and Mary. She is a Kinesiology and Africana Studies double major and is on the pre- medicine track. She would like to go into pediatrics. In her free time, she enjoys reading and great conversations with friends and family. She is a proud plant mom and a chocolate connoisseur.

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Nanda Nana | Virginia Commonwealth University

Mentor: Jennifer Jordan, PhD
Nanda is a graduating senior majoring in Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is currently on the pre-medicine track, and after graduating plans to attend medical school to pursue his goal of becoming a cardiologist. His ultimate goal is to create a chain of healthcare clinics for individuals of low economic status in marginalized communities. In his free time, he likes to read, go to the gym, and watch sports.

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Jackie Nguyen | Virginia Commonwealth University

Mentor: Bernard Fuemmeler, PhD
Jackie is a rising senior and pre-medicine student at Virginia Commonwealth University, majoring in both Biology and Chemistry. She is also enrolled in the VCU Honors College. She recently served her second year as a TA for a research writing class offered by the Honors College, and she has been working at Johnston-Willis Hospital as a Patient Care Technician in the Surgery Unit for a little over a year. Following her undergraduate degree, Jackie plans to pursue a career in the medical field, specifically surgery. Aside from school and work, Jackie loves staying indoors to hang out with her cats and learn how to cook or bake something new.

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Afrah Nirar | Virginia Commonwealth University

Mentor: Stefano Toldo, PhD
Afrah is a rising junior majoring in Biomedical Engineering on the pre- medicine track at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is originally from the Northern Virginia area. In the upcoming fall semester, she will be working in Professor Topsakal’s research lab as a part of the VCU VIP program. Their research focuses on medical device development and prototyping. In her free time, she likes to paint and try new food with friends.

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Emma Noyelle | The College of William & Mary

Mentor: Fadi Salloum, PhD
Emma is from New Jersey and is a rising junior at William and Mary. She is studying Biology and pursuing the pre-medicine track. Emma also works as an RA and is involved in research and volunteer tutoring on campus. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading, and singing in choir.

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Dante Ntiganzwa| Christopher Newport University

Mentor: Salvatore Carbone, PhD
Dante is a rising junior at Christopher Newport University. He is pursuing a neuroscience major and leadership studies minor, following the pre-medicine track. His family originates from Burundi, a small country in East Africa, and he hopes by becoming a physician, he can help other people from small, lesser-known countries achieve the same goal or higher. He is currently a two-sport athlete (Football and Track and Field). In his free time, Dante enjoys watching anime and spending time outside.

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James Owens | Old Dominion University

Mentor: Yaorong Ge, PhD
James is a rising junior, majoring in Computer Science and Game Studies at Old Dominion University. He plans on attending graduate school to pursue a PhD in computational neuroscience or a related field. His goal is to use neurotherapy to treat mental illnesses and cognitive conditions. He is currently doing research in the Neuro- Information Retrieval and Data Science Lab (NIRDS Lab) at Old Dominion University. In his free time, he enjoys running, playing the piano, and skiing.

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Ashley Person | Old Dominion University

Mentor: John Wilson, MD, PhD
Ashley is a junior, majoring in Biomedical Sciences at Old Dominion University. Her ultimate career goal is to improve the understanding of, if not cure, autoimmune diseases such as Celiac and Crohn’s disease. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, baking, and watching anime.

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Christina Romano | The College of William & Mary

Mentor: Jennifer Jordan, PhD
Christina is a sophomore from McLean, VA majoring in Chemistry at William & Mary on a pre-medicine track. She is academically interested in the field of biochemical research but also in the social dimension of health and how to make healthcare work more equitably for all. On campus, she works as a chemistry lab teaching assistant and lab tech, and in her spare time, she likes to climb, read, and snuggle her dog.

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Priya Sharma | Virginia Commonwealth University

Mentor: Frank Raucci, MD, PhD
Priya is a rising sophomore at Virginia Commonwealth University pursuing a major in Biology and a minor in Psychology on the pre- medicine track. She is very interested in neurology and cardiology and hopes to one day pursue a career with Doctors Without Borders. She would like to focus on inequities within healthcare, the stigmatization of mental health, and disproportionate treatment of marginalized communities in the medical field. Outside of the classroom, she volunteers at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond and is establishing a chapter of Project LETS, a peer-led mental health activism chapter at VCU. Besides her academic interests, she enjoys spending time with her two dogs, hiking, kickboxing, basketball, and yoga.

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Lacey Thompson | University of Virginia

Mentor: Justin Canada, PhD
Lacey is a rising senior at the University of Virginia. She is pursuing a major in Kinesiology and hopes to further explore the clinical aspects of cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Although she has been following the pre-medicine track, she is also open to a variety of careers in sports medicine and research. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, photography, trying new restaurants, and playing soccer.

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Leah Tutton | The College of William & Mary

Mentor: Jose Huizar, MD
Leah is a rising senior at William & Mary from Stephens City, VA. Originally a transfer student with an associate degree in biology, she is now majoring in Health Sciences and is on the pre-medicine track. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school with the intention of pursuing cardiology. Outside of academia, Leah works as a lifeguard and is part of the First-Generation Low-Income group and one of the swimming clubs on her campus. In her free time, she enjoys reading, creating with multiple mediums, and riding her bike.

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O. Eden Wong | Christopher Newport University

Mentor: W. Gregory Hundley, MD
Eden is a rising senior at Christopher Newport University from Ames, IA. She is pursuing a major in Environmental Biology on a possible pre-medicine track. She is also very interested in music, specifically violin performance, and participating in undergraduate research throughout the biology department at CNU. Besides her academic interests, she loves being outside, travelling, cooking, leading the Asian Student Union at CNU, spending time with her family, and teaching violin lessons.