Alessandro Ajo is a PhD student in Pharmaceutical Science at the laboratory of Professor Luisa De Cola at the University of Milan, who will be visiting from February through August 22, 2022. Alessandro received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology at the University of Milano-Bicocca and a Master of Science degree in Biotechnology and Nanomedicine at Northeastern University in Boston. His interests in nanomedicine focus on encapsulation of biomolecules and peptides for drug delivery and cancer treatment. He has experience with nanoparticle-hydrogel hybrids for controlled drug release.
ORCID: 0000-0003-4049-3818Ashveen Banga is a rising college undergraduate who will study Human-Computer Interaction at Carngie Mellon University in the fall. She is interested in biology, chemistry, neuroscience, and medicine, and will be participating in the Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology as a trainee.
ORCID: 0000-0001-9702-0021Viola Bertolotti is a Masters student in the laboratory of Professor Luisa De Cola at the University of Milan where she is completing the last year of her degree in chemistry and pharmaceutical technologies. For her Master's thesis she is working with injectable hydrogels containing silica nanocapsules that exhibit a controlled drug release. She will participate in the SSSiN for the period 15 June to 25 August
ORCID: 0000-0002-5618-9688Nathaniel Cabral is an undergraduate Chemistry student at CSU Long Beach (Class of 2023), participating in the SSSiN as part of UC San Diego - CSU Long Beach Hispanic-Serving Institutions-Doctoral Diversity Initiative (HSI-DDI) summer MRSEC RIMSE program. Passionate in the field of STEM, he wishes to explore the depths of nanotechnology to find discoveries for drug-delivery and photovoltaics.
ORCID: 0000-0003-0679-0114Sophia de Magalhães Carneiro da Silva is a student at UCSD extension doing a certificate program in Drug Discovery and Development. She graduated in biomedicina from the Federal Fluminense University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During her undergraduate studies she did an internship in the Cancer National Institute in Rio de Janeiro and also was a mentor in Clinical Toxicology for her biomedicine classes. She is participating in the summer MRSEC RIMSE program, interested in pharmacological science.
ORCID: 0000-0002-0569-932XWilliam Chan is an undergraduate student at UC San Diego (class of 2025), participating in the SSSiN as part of the UC San Diego MRSEC RIMSE program. He is currently pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering with a specialization in materials science and environmental engineering. He was introduced to the lab as a participant in the 2022 Spring Break RIMSE research introduction program. Outside of the laboratory, he enjoys mountain biking, hiking, and surfing.
ORCID: 0000-0002-7648-6962Laura Charria is an undergraduate student at UC San Diego (Class of 2024), motivated to discover how nanotechnology can play a role in medical applications.
ORCID: 0000-0002-8645-0621Han Chi is an undergraduate Chemistry major at UC San Diego (class of 2024), participating in the SSSiN as part of the UC San Diego MRSEC RIMSE program. She was introduced to the lab as a participant in the 2022 Spring Break RIMSE research introduction program. She is interested in exploring applications of photonic crystals and other optical nanomaterials.
ORCID: 0000-0002-4839-0912Anjishnu Debnath is a high school student at Scripps Ranch High School (Class of 2025) who will be participating remotely in the 2022 SSSiN. His interests lie in Microbiology and Computational Biology, and he wishes to explore how nanotechnology can be used to deliver drugs through the blood-brain barrier to combat CNS-invasive pathogens.
ORCID: 0000-0001-6638-4228Keying Deng is a Masters student in the Department of Education Studies at UC San Diego, pursuing a California teaching credential in secondary biology. Graduated with an M.S. in Biology Education and a B.S. in Microbiology, Keying is passionate about bridging frontline research to K-12 science classrooms. Her goal is to integrate Nanotechnology and living materials research techniques and findings into Next Generation Science Standards, along with support in scientific practices, crosscutting concepts, and academic language. She is participating in the UCSD MRSEC RIMSE program's Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program.
ORCID: 0000-0003-0007-2277Ian Douglas is an undergraduate engineering science student at the University of Rochester. He is interested in renewable energy and quantum materials, and will be participating in the Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology as a MRSEC REU student.
ORCID: 0000-0002-4275-6477Sydnee Farnsworth is an undergraduate student transferring to ASU in Spring 2024(Class of 2025). She is currently pursuing a degree in Materials Science and Engineering. She plans to use her knowledge to help lessen the impact caused on the planet. Her interest in Materials Science involves chemistry, engineering, biology as well as biomimicry. In her free time, she likes to play piano, go skiing, learn french and catch bugs.
ORCID: 0000-0001-5390-9400Alessia Lucrezia Fenaroli is a Masters student in the laboratory of Professor Luisa De Cola at the University of Milan where she is completing the last year of her degree in chemistry and pharmaceutical technologies. During her university career Alessia became passionate about nanotechnologies and decided to focus her thesis on silica nanoparticles. Her particular interest is to develop means to encapsulate antitumor agents with poor water solubility into readily degradable nanoparticles. She will participate in the SSSiN for the period 15 June to 25 August
ORCID: 0000-0001-6656-6806Serena Geroe is an undergraduate at Smith College (class of 2024), participating in the SSSiN as part of the UC San Diego MRSEC REU program. She is pursuing a major in engineering science and a minor in computer science. In her free time, she enjoys playing funk and jazz guitar, reading, and fencing.
ORCID: 0000-0002-0343-0482James A. Gow, Jr. is an undergraduate Bioengineering student (Class of 2024) at the University of California, San Diego. He grew up in Irvine, California, and lived in the Greater Boston area for 5 years before coming to UCSD. He has a deep passion for STEM and has participated in science fairs and contests since a child. One of his experiments has flown in a NASA sounding rocket. He is actively involved in the UCSD chapter of BMES, and is a member of the Education Committee of the National BMES organization. He enjoys swimming, playing ultimate frisbee, reading fantasy/Sci-Fi books, producing music, and watching anime.
ORCID: 0000-0001-9287-8838Lanie Guerrero is an undergraduate student at Southwestern College where she is completing her Associate in Science in Biology. Later this year she will be transferring to Cal State Long Beach where she will be continuing her education. She has been fascinated with all things related to science especially biology and chemistry since she was young. She is participating in the SSSiN as part of UC San Diego - CSU Long Beach Hispanic-Serving Institutions-Doctoral Diversity Initiative (HSI-DDI) summer MRSEC RIMSE program.
ORCID: 0000-0002-8955-6659Nathan Han is a high school student (class of 2024) at Canyon Crest Academy. He likes physics and is interested in learning about the applications of nanotechnology in cancer bioimaging and other areas. He participated in the 2021 SSSiN remotely.
ORCID: 0000-0001-5051-5924Eileen Huffer-Ege was born on Guam and raised in Lakewood, California. Currently, she is a Science educator at the School of Engineering, Innovation and Design on the Kearny High Complex in San Diego, California. Besides teaching Chemistry and Biology, Eileen organizes and mentors a Blue Technology club where students design, build and compete with underwater remotely operated vehicles. Inspiring others to learn and teach about the ocean and its creatures is a passion of hers. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outdoors, beach camping, traveling, watching ice hockey and making holiday decorations. She is participating in the UCSD MRSEC RIMSE program's Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program.
ORCID:Sachel Jetly is a high school senior at Canyon Crest Academy. She participated in the 2021 Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology as a UCSD MRSEC RIMSE trainee; for summer 2022 she will be participating as a Mentor.
ORCID: 0000-0001-9766-824XHennie Marie Johnsen is a PhD student at the University of Oslo, and she is participating in the SSSiN under the sponsorship of Nacamed. Her thesis is on the topic of surface modification of silicon nanoparticles for biomedical applications. With previous research experience in silicon etching and development of bioassays, and a major research interest in the biomedical use of nanomaterials, in the SSSiN Marie plans to study the chemical reactivity of porous silicon nanoparticles for smart drug delivery systems.
ORCID: 0000-0002-8414-0478Dr. Yejin Kim is a research professor in professor Jae Seung Kang’s lab at Seoul National University, College of Medicine, S. Korea. She received her Ph.D. from Seoul National University, S. Korea, then did post-doctoral studies at Seoul National University and the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University at Atlanta. At Emory she was supported by a grant from the National Research Foundation of Korea in the field of Young Scientists. She is interested in the application of nano-technology and hydrogel technology to control of skin and women's diseases.
ORCID: 0000-0003-2138-0498Cindy Lai is an undergraduate Biochemistry student from California State University, Long Beach. She is interested to explore how nanotechnology contributes to medical applications such as wound healing and targeted killing of cancer cells through nanomotors. She is participating in the SSSiN as part of UC San Diego - CSU Long Beach Hispanic-Serving Institutions-Doctoral Diversity Initiative (HSI-DDI) summer MRSEC RIMSE program.
ORCID: 0000-0002-5609-4363Kara Lui is a chemical engineering major at Northeastern University pursuing a minor in materials science. She will be participating in SSSiN program for the summer of 2022 as part of the UC San Diego MRSEC REU program. In her free time, she enjoys playing violin, swimming, and dancing.
ORCID: 0000-0003-0670-3930Christine Oh is an undergraduate student at UC San Diego (Class of 2025) pursuing a degree in Human Biology. She is interested in exploring innovation in medicine and how nanotechnology can promote the revascularization of ligaments.
ORCID: 0000-0003-1662-8524Dr. Kate Price is a full time researcher at the Army Research Laboratory in Adelphi, MD working with porous silicon for various applications. She received her BS in Physics with a minor in Mathematics from Clarkson University in NY in 2013 before continuing on to obtain her PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Duke in 2019. Outside of work her interests are cycling, power lifting, and painting. She participates in the SSSiN as part of the "Researcher in Residence" program of the UC San Diego MRSEC. Her Discovery project focuses on low cost, high yield methods to prepare porous silicon particles.
ORCID: 0000-0001-6120-0020Siran Rao is a high school student (class of 2024) at Pacific Ridge School, participating in the Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology (SSSiN) as a trainee. She is interested in physics and chemistry as well as applications of nanotechnology in detection of chemicals in the atmosphere and other forms of environmental studies. Siran will be participating in SSSiN 2022 in person.
ORCID: 0000-0003-2769-1780Professor Yoon-Seok Roh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy at the Chungbuk National University in South Korea, visiting the lab from Feb 2022 to Feb 2023. His research is on pathogenesis of chronic liver diseases such as NASH, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and he aims to develop new nano-enabled therapies for treatment of these diseases.
ORCID: 0000-0003-2512-5857Megan Salek is an undergraduate student at UC San Diego majoring in Physics with a Specialization in Biophysics (class of 2024). She is interested in learning more about the mechanics and biomedical applications of nanotechnology.
ORCID: 0000-0003-1588-4833Alessia Sambugaro is a Ph.D. student of Prof. N. Daldosso at the University of Verona, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Italy. She received her B.S. in Chemistry at the University of Ferrara and her M.S. in Chemistry at the University of Turin working on biopolymers as drug delivery systems. Her project will focus on us of porous silicon in nanomedicine and diagnostics.
ORCID: 0000-0001-7581-9553Zachary Shafer is a High School Student at La Jolla High School (class of 2023), participating in the Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology (SSSiN) as a trainee. He has a keen interest in Physics, Chemistry, with a special place in his heart for photolithography. His Discovery Project involves investigation of polymer-porous silicon composites for repair of damaged tissues. In his free time he enjoys playing Trumpet, sword fighting, training Muay Thai, and wakeboarding.
ORCID: 0000-0002-7235-3812Yutong She is an undergraduate student at UC San Diego (class of 2025) currently pursuing a degree in Biochemistry. She was introduced to the lab during the Revelle College Honor's Seminar. Outside of the laboratory, she enjoys board games, F1, and soccer.
ORCID: 0000-0001-7024-0147Eleanor Stewart-Jones is a second-year graduate student in the Yale chemistry department. Her research within the Mayer lab explores the chemical possibilities of surface-bound hydrogen on porous silicon. Before Yale, Eleanor received a B.S. in Chemistry along with a minor in French and Francophone studies from the University of Kansas. In addition to her role within Yale’s graduate student assembly, Eleanor is a departmental DEI advocate and serves on the Chemistry Department’s Diversity and Climate Committee (DCC) executive board.
ORCID: 0000-0002-7786-5446Jocelyn Zhang is a high school student at Del Norte High School (Class of 2024), contributing to the 2022 SSSiN as a remote participant. She has a passion for chemistry, physics, and biology. She hopes to explore how nanotechnology can be applied to drive new innovations.
ORCID: 0000-0001-6471-4481Zhiqi (Klay) Zhang is an MS student at UCSD. He got his BS degree in Chemistry/Biochemistry at UCSD. He is currently working on single-cell multiomics. He is interested in the applications of nanoparticles in medicine such as drug delivery and molecular imaging/mapping.
ORCID: 0000-0001-9216-224XLarissa Zhou is a high school student at Wasatch Academy (class of 2023), attending the 2022 Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology as a trainee. Last year, she has previously worked on lithium-ion battery research. She is intrigued to learn how to synthesize porous nanoparticles and their applications in electrochemistry, drug delivery, and cancer treatment. She loves traveling, competitive swimming, cheerleading, golfing, printmaking, calligraphy, attending conferences, and will serve as Head of Athletics on her school's student council in her senior year.
ORCID: 0000-0002-3717-048XKarla Leon Zuñiga is a Masters degree student at CIDETEQ in Queretaro, Mexico. She received her BS degree in Engineering in Nanotechnology at the Technological University of Queretaro (UTEQ) in Queretaro, Mexico. She is interested in nanomaterials and electrocatalysis, and will be studying nanoparticle systems that might catalytically degrade organic compounds. She will participate in the SSSiN from June 23 to August 19, 2022.
ORCID: 0000-0003-0973-0504RIMSE Summer Schools are coordinated with the following UC San Diego MS and PhD programs: