Howdy! My name is Emaly Aguilar, I'm from Cypress, TX but originally from Guatemala City, Guatemala. I am a First-Generation Communication major and psychology minor with a certificate in strategic communication. After graduation, I plan to pursue a master's degree and then a doctoral degree in integrated media and communication studies to focus on technology and organizational communication. 
My hope is to continue to work in the line of promoting equity within health access to different socioeconomic backgrounds and the devices that come with that. Likewise, work with the promotion of content analysis, community engagement, technology in healthcare, organizational communication, technology (AI), virtual storytelling, crisis communication and strategy, and health communication. 

Hi!! My name is Ramya and I'm currently a senior double majoring in Biochemistry and Genetics. I have a strong passion for medicine and translational research and my ultimate career goal is to work in oncology. As an undergraduate, I hope to gain a solid foundation in genetics and drug discovery to prepare for my future career.

Over the past two years, I have had the opportunity to work in three research labs. In the Laboratory of Mammalian Comparative Genomics led by Dr. Murphy, I have been working with PhD candidate Andrew Harris to investigate the genome-wide distribution of phylogenetic signal within each of the eight cat lineages. Our goal is to unravel the complex speciation patterns within each lineage and study how genomic data types like recombination rate influence this phylogenetic landscape. This experience has allowed me to learn how to conduct computational analyses on genomic data and process genetic information, skills that can be applied to any species, including humans. I am particularly excited about the potential of genomic sequencing in the healthcare industry through precision medicine.

In addition to my work in genomics, I am also learning about bacterial genetics in Dr. Koch's lab. Specifically, we are studying Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is known to cause a large percentage of hospital-acquired infections. While it is a mild infection for most people, it can be deadly to immunocompromised patients, such as chemotherapy patients. Our goal is to understand the mechanism of the bacteria and its pili’s physiological properties in infection sites, which is critical for developing effective treatments. I am grateful for this opportunity to learn microbiology techniques, bacterial genome engineering through two-step allelic exchange, and work with a species of bacteria that has significant clinical impact.

I have recently joined the Chen medicinal protein lab, and I am thrilled to work under them!

Research has been one of the most valuable experiences I have had during my undergraduate studies at TAMU. Through my research, I have gained valuable knowledge, a sense of community, and amazing mentors. Moreover, I have developed skills that will benefit my future career. I strongly encourage all A&M students to try research and I am more than happy to help anyone interested in getting involved. Please feel free to reach out to me!

Howdy, my name is Connor Bowerman and I am a sophomore from Austin, Texas. I am a physics student, as well as a Beckman Scholar. I have been doing research in Dr. Alexey Akimov's lab, which focuses on nonlinear optics. Specifically, I have been working to create a system of quantum memory. This device would be able to take in a quantum-encoded signal, for example from a quantum computer, and then repeat that signal without reading it. This would allow the signal to travel greater distances, without the quantum nature of the signal being destroyed. In practicality, most of my day-to-day research involves aligning lasers and testing experimental designs. In the future, I plan to do research as a career, and get my PhD eventually. For now, though, I'm excited to help guide new students and help them get started in undergraduate research!

Hi! My name is Swapnil Dash and I am a Business Honors major from Austin, TX. After I complete my undergraduate studies, I plan on attending medical school with the hopes of serving as a physician and a leader in improving the service quality of healthcare for patients and their families.

My first experience with research was during the fall semester of my freshman year under Dr. Michelle Hook, in the department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics. Currently, my undergraduate research project focuses on depression and cognitive decline after spinal cord injury (SCI) in a transgenic rat model of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Hundreds of thousands of people live with SCI, impairing the quality of life and providing many physical and psychological challenges post-injury for both patients and their caretaker(s). Up to 60% of people living with SCI develop chronic challenges with learning and memory, executive function, attention, and processing speed. Patients with SCI are also two times more likely to develop Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias, which rob them of memory and cognitive abilities, impacting daily functioning and quality of life. By investigating the molecular changes induced by SCI and identifying the causal factor(s), I hope to contribute to the understanding of depression, cognitive dysfunction, and neuropathology after SCI and improve quality of life for people living with this injury, and subsequently, the general public.

Moreover, I hope to begin pursuing research relating to the business of healthcare under Dr. Len Berry. We hope to improve the service quality of healthcare, specifically in end-of-life and cancer care. By engaging with undergraduate research, I have experienced numerous benefits, including the ability to work efficiently with a team, better understand research publications, and explore my areas of interest. Finally, my exposure to research has affirmed my interest in pursuing a medical education.

When I am not in the classroom or in the lab, you can usually find me reading a good book or exploring new coffee and boba shops! I also enjoy playing tennis and volleyball with my friends and watching movies (La La Land is my favorite)!

If you are thinking about joining a lab or you want to learn more about undergraduate research, I would love to talk to you about it!

Howdy! My name is Peter Elhajj and I am a junior Psychology student from The Woodlands, Texas. I am also minoring in history because it was my biggest passion in high school, and I still am a huge nerd about it. I want to attend medical school after graduation and pursue a dual M.D./Ph.D. degree and become a physician scientist. While here at A&M, I want to nurture and grow my passion for medicine and service with all my undergraduate experiences, like becoming an undergraduate research ambassador. I joined my first lab freshman year and have been participating in research ever since. I love the team atmosphere that goes into research tasks and I have personally helped many of my fellow pre med friends become involved in research as well, and I want to continue that kind of direct outreach with the undergraduate research ambassadors. 

Howdy, my name is Jenna Glotfelty, and I am a class of 2024 psychology major with a minor in women and gender studies. My research focuses on the impact of emotional and physical arousal on attentional networks and different types of attention. I am also conducting research on the impact of caffeine on cognitive processes with focus on attention and learning. I hope to eventually continue my journey in research in graduate school and one day gain my PhD in clinical psychology. 

Howdy! My name is Candy Gonzalez and I'm a psychology major originally from Austin, TX. Upon completing my bachelors degree I hope to continue my education and obtain a Ph.D in social psychology. I hope to teach psychology to other students at a university so I may also conduct research.

I began my research career my second year here after being in a class with Dr. Hicks. I took his course, existential psychology and instantly fell in love with the topic. I had known I wanted to be involved in research but I didn't know which lab to join until this class. Dr.Hicks offered any interested students a position in his research lab, so I jumped at the opportunity and have been in it ever since! Both Dr. Hicks and Dr. Schlegal run the EPC lab and within this lab there are several grad students who focus on different projects that all relate back to existentialism. Existential psychology focuses on finding various ways that lead to meaning in life, ways to enhance any feelings of awe one may experience. 

I have worked with a few different grad students in this lab where I gained experience interviewing participants, observing students in a classroom and conducting surveys. My current research focuses on finding the relationship between mystery and meaning in which we hypothesized that when one engages in a mysterious experience they would also experience higher levels of meaning. Being involved in research has helped me discover what area of psychology I wanted to focus on and gave me an insight on what to expect for grad school! I'm very passionate about the research I do and anything related to psychology! 

Howdy! A few things about me, I am a Biomedical Sciences major class of 2024 from Fort Worth, TX. I am a member of the Redox and Cell Signaling laboratory which studies the biochemical mechanisms involved in muscle atrophy, and I have been involved since Fall 2022. We specifically study how the presence of reactive oxidative species affects muscle atrophy in cases of disuse due to aging, disability, zero gravity space flight, or due to an underlying pathology such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Being a part of a research lab has greatly impacted me and my goals! I learn material that I never get to learn in my classes, and I get hands-on experience in common laboratory experiments and protocols, such as western blotting.
Outside of the lab, I am a part of Texas A&M Emergency Care Team, an on campus student run organization that trains its members in emergency medicine to go out and volunteer with TAMU EMS. I am also a TA for the Biomedical Microbiology laboratory. In my free time I enjoy reading, writing, crocheting, and I am an avid animal lover! After graduation I plan to pursue a career in microbiology with a focus on medical laboratory science and genetics. 
If you ever have any questions about how to get involved in Undergraduate Research or my other experiences then please feel free to reach out!

Howdy! My name is Audra Hicks, and I am a junior Ecology & Conservation Biology major from Tuscumbia, Alabama! I enjoy spending my time painting, reading, playing games, or just hanging out with my cats. After graduation, I plan on furthering my education by going to graduate school for something in the realm of wildlife ecology or ecology and evolutionary biology. I hope to continue research as a career afterwards, with a focus on invasion biology and evolutionary biology.

My first experience with research was through the Aggie Research Program, where I joined Dr. Michelle Lawing's lab and worked on two different projects. The first project was over the successful invasive species called the Italian Wall Lizard . The goal of this project is to determine the role of its behavioral syndromes in its invasion success among different established populations. The second project is about Sceloporus (spiny) lizards and how their morphological shape evolved in relation to different life history factors. 

Research was one of the best things I could've done in my undergraduate career here at Texas A&M. I've learned valuable skills, made connections with like-minded individuals, and really developed a sense of self from it. If you're interested in learning more about the process of starting research and how to join a project, I would love to be able to help!

Howdy! My name is Luis Hurtado, and I'm an Ecology & Conservation Biology major from College Station, TX. After graduating from Texas A&M, I plan to continue my research as I work toward a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, or a related field. Eventually, I see myself working for a government agency like the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service or in an academic position.

Most of my research focuses on non-vascular plants (mosses, hornworts, and liverworts). Non-vascular plants, often called bryophytes, are highly understudied and incredibly cute! As a result, they are extremely rewarding to work with. Specifically, I use genetic and biogeographic methods to evaluate the evolutionary relationships between bryophytes and how this influences where they live.

My work with bryophytes opened the doors for me to pursue research in paleoecology (the study of past ecosystems), and I work as a laboratory assistant on a project that uses phytoliths (silicified plant cells that may last millions of years) to predict historical vegetation patterns in the Bolivian Amazon River Basin.

Undergraduate research has been invaluable to my development as a budding scientist and a person. I've met like-minded people, improved my hard and soft skills, and achieved more than I ever imagined. I'm incredibly grateful for all it's given me, and I can't wait to guide future Aggies through their journeys as undergraduate researchers. My email address is listed above, so please reach out if you have any questions!

As a biomedical engineer, I am driven by a passion for improving the standard of living through innovative medical devices. Being a Beckman and Posse scholar, I am committed to excelling in my classes while also prioritizing my research on point-of-care medical devices.

Hello! My name is Katherine Jaffe and I am a senior psychology major, gaining a double minor in neuroscience and film studies. I have been involved in a variety of research within the Psychological and Brain Sciences department from social psychology, cognitive neuroscience to now behavioral and cellular neuroscience. I am currently involved in addiction research where we investigate compulsive-seeking with cocaine using of rodent models. We ask questions concerning the persistent seeking and taking of cocaine despite outcomes of foot shock punishment. As well, we are interested in the neurological mechanisms that may underlie this behavior through the dorsal later striatum(DLS) and the dorsal medial striatum(DMS).

My current project is looking at how repeated contingent punishment effects rodent resistance or sensitivity to foot shock punishment. As well, I will be consulting possible behavioral sex differences that arise when rats are exposed to continuous foot shock. With the experiences and skills I have developed through research, I aspire to gain a Psy.D or MD in order to pursue a career in the mental health field.

Howdy! My name is Aisha Jalal and I am a public health major in my junior year from Sugar Land, Texas. After obtaining my Bachelor's degree in public health, I plan to pursue a Master's degree in public health at a university in Texas. While pursuing my Master's degree, I plan to simultaneously continue my research in public health. After completing my Master's degree, I intend to further my education and apply to medical school.

I began research with Dr. Ping Ma after my first year at Texas A&M University. I have now had the pleasure of working with Dr. Ma for 3 semesters on 2 projects. Our work together primarily focuses on the impact external factors have on the human body. My first project was a systematic review on horticulture therapy and analyzing its impacts on the psychosocial health and wellbeing of older adults. My role on the project was reading and extracting information from a plethora of scientific publications on nature-based interventions. After extracting this information, my research team and I cross checked and performed quality assessments on all articles that met the working protocol criteria. After being thoroughly filtered, this data was then imputed into a table which will be utilized in the published manuscript. My experience working on this project ignited my interest and passion for public health and research.

During the spring semester of my sophomore year, I joined Dr. Lei-Shih Chen and Dr. Ma's research team. Our current project focuses on creating a smoking-cessation program for pregnant women. This program aims to assist Texas women and their household members in quitting smoking during and after pregnancy. My role in this project is to create manuals and documents for participants and councilors to conduct counseling sessions. During my time thus far on this project, I have been fortunate to work with a supportive team and have further developed my critical thinking skills.

If anyone is interested in joining Undergraduate Research and has questions, I would love to help you!

Thanks for looking at my profile!

I transferred to Texas A&M in January 2022 after graduating from Dallas College and currently study chemical engineering. After I get my bachelor's in 2024, I'll be staying another year to get a master's. Ultimately, I'd like to get a PhD focusing on renewable energy conversion and storage technologies and continue developing these technologies afterward. However, before this I'd also like to work in industry to save money which can support my family so that I can pursue my PhD without worrying about their financial security and pay off my loans.

Studying chemical engineering came out of my desire to help find new solutions in how we can harvest and consume energy in an environmentally sustainable way. This is reflected in my research projects of electrochemical energy storage and electrocatalysis under Dr. Abdoulaye Djire. In the energy storage field, I seek to design new battery and supercapacitor devices which are safer and cheaper than commercial devices without sacrificing performance. In the electrocatalysis field, I test and optimize materials and devices which use renewably-source electricity to convert atmospheric CO2 and water into the same liquid fuels and chemicals which are conventionally produced from nonrenewable sources such as petroleum.

As an ambassador, I'm hoping to get the message across to other undergraduates that we already can make the kind of world we want for our future by getting involved in research. Doing so can provide significant insight into how your career or field of study may look in the following decades as well as accessible professional and technical development resources to help accelerate your career readiness before graduating. Even if you're not certain about graduate school, I think it's an experience worth trying.

Howdy! My name is Yahya Kharbat, and I am a sophomore Biology major from the Woodlands, Texas. I attended highschool overseas in Saudi Arabia where I was exposed to a multitude of diverse cultures. I enjoy learning about people and their distinct backgrounds, an aspect I have come to love about Texas A&M and its large student population. After Graduation I plan to pursue a medical degree with the hopes of becoming a Neurologist and Interventional Surgeon.
I have been privileged to be a part of the Dulin Lab where we conduct research on spinal cord injury and developing robust treatments using rodent models. After meeting Dr. Dulin I was introduced to my graduate mentor Prakruthi Amar Kumar, who has become a great source of learning and guidance. The project I have been working on involves the chemogenetic silencing of nociceptors to alleviate sensory hyperactivity and improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury. This is done by directly targeting the nociceptors, our pain sensing neurons, located within the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). We utilized DREADDS delivered through AAV6 viral vectors, then activated through CNO ligand. We performed behavioral and locomotive tests and the results showed that early chemogenetic silencing of nociceptors improved hindlimb locomotor recovery while significantly reducing thermal hyperalgesia throughout the subacute phases of injury compared to control subjects.
Outside of the lab, I am passionate about public speaking and continue to look for opportunities to incorporate that into my endeavors, whether it be in presenting research, or patient advocacy. It is through research that I learned the value of knowledge in the scientific and medical community, and as an aspiring physician it is my goal to work towards communicating that knowledge to my patients and the people whose lives I strive to improve.

Howdy! My name is Yilin Li, and I am a senior Economics major with a minor in Mathematics and Women and Gender Studies. After graduating in May 2024, I will be a research assistant at the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago, supporting the Regional team on academic Economics research and FOMC policy.
I was introduced to research by the amazing Claye Epperson in my freshman year. Since then, I have worked under different professors at Texas A&M and across the country. Additionally, I joined a research team working on Leontief multipliers with Dr. Cohn in the Texas A&M Sociology department to understand development and economic growth. Later, with Dr. Patterson at the Booth Business School at UChicago, I worked on multiple projects involving labor and macro economics. Currently, I am writing my senior thesis alongside Dr. Naufal and Dr. Strickland in the Texas A&M Economics department, focusing on abortion access in the United States. Starting my senior spring semester, I am joining a large team on consumer access to healthcare with Dr. Haeder at the Texas A&M School of Public Health. I fully recommend working in different departments as a social sciences/liberal arts major, exploring how the same core research questions are answered in different ways across academia.

In class, I researched the Texas Crime Victim's Compensation Program, which helps survivors of sexual assault with related expenses, later presenting this at the Texas State Capitol's Undergraduate Research Day. Outside of research, I interned twice in Washington D.C. with the Department of Justice's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Office and Council of Economic Advisors at the White House under the Biden Administration. At the White House, I created economic analysis with Dr. Hlatshwayo to aid the Chair in briefing the President on economic conditions nationally and abroad.  These experiences shaped my research questions and helped me understand how policy decisions are made.

In my free time, I love to boulder, hike, listen to Taylor Swift, paint, and order tea in unique coffeeshops. Research and the people I have met through research has completely changed the trajectory of my life and provided me with opportunities I never knew were possible. If anything I have done interests you or if I can help you discover a love for research, please reach out!

Hi! My name is Jordan, and I am a Public Health major from Spring, Texas. I am minoring in Biomedical Sciences and pursuing certificate programs in Biomedical Research, Health Communication, and Nonprofit Management. After completing my bachelor's degree, I hope to go to graduate school to earn my master's (and eventually PhD) in health policy. I hope to pursue a career in health equity and to start my own nonprofit to help cancer patients.

I have been doing research since the beginning of my freshman year. As a freshman, I worked in a genetics/entomology lab with Dr. Hojun Song. In this lab, my research project focused on describing the morphology and genetic makeup of two newfound gregarine species found in crickets' guts on the Texas A&M University campus. Sophomore year, I worked in Dr. Singh's lab and focused on oncology research. My major role in this lab was contributing to the development of a bioprinted glioblastoma model in order to understand the relationship between brain endothelial cells (EC) and glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSC). Currently, I am involved in various research projects. With my internship at the Institute of Biosciences and Technology,  I am working on a cancer clinical trial and research associated with that. Through the ARP program, I work on implementing physical activity programs and analyzing their benefits (ie: health outcomes, economic benefits, etc), which is what my URS thesis focuses on. I also work with the Public Policy Research Institute, where I assist in the development and implementation of health equity programs. Research has been one of the best things I have been involved in during my time at Texas A&M, and I encourage everyone to get involved! Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Howdy! My name is Mariam Sharief. I am a Biology Major and Business Minor from Houston, Texas. My current aspirations include attending Medical School post-undergrad, and then working my way towards becoming a specialized surgeon.

Hey y'all! I'm Sameeksha Sharma, a junior biomedical engineering student from Chelmsford, Massachusetts. I've become increasingly interested in research as I have worked to acquire molecular, clinical, and practical knowledge in the field of regenerative medicine. Research may seem like a wayward journey, but it is a worthwhile one, regardless of which discipline. 

My work in research started off as a fascination with epigenetics which allowed me to learn primary molecular techniques from Dr. Rachel O'Neill at the University of Connecticut. I followed that up by writing a research proposal about stem cell reprogramming which was selected and funded by the Holster Summer Program. 

After moving to Texas A&M University, I maintained my focus on stem cell research by becoming a part of Dr. Feng Zhao's lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. This gave me insight into the application of stem cell reprogramming and differentiation as it relates to regenerative medicine. Since then I've been involved with the regenerative cardiac patch project focused on designing a patient-specific cardiac patch by naturally fabricating sheets of extracellular matrix. 

To expand my portfolio, I worked in Dr. Samba Reddy's lab over the summer to explore a new field of research. There I was able to learn histology, image processing and analysis while studying the effects of toxic nerve agents on pediatric rat brains through the Texas A&M College of Medicine Summer Research Program. 

I was once told that no one is born a researcher. It's simply a pursuit of curiosity, albeit a pretty slow one. I believe this wholeheartedly. Research is constructive and critical curiosity that pushes the bounds of knowledge, which is why it is also uniquely rewarding. It allows you to contribute to the current pool of knowledge and engage in meaningful conversations with other professionals and peers. All you have to do is dare to ask the question.

Howdy! My name is Miriam Stein and I am a molecular and cell biology major with a bioinformatics minor from San Antonio, Texas. After earning my Bachelors degree, I plan to attend graduate school and earn a PhD in a field related to biomedical research and drug development.

I have been participating in undergraduate research since the summer following my freshman year of college, where I worked in a biomedical research lab at UT Health San Antonio under Dr. Madesh Muniswamy. My research there focused on magnesium signaling and its connection to mitochondrial metabolism and metabolic disease.

I then transitioned to my current lab at Texas A&M under Dr. Vishal Gohil. My project seeks to develop a novel treatment for fatal genetic disorders of copper deficiency, for which no effective treatments exist. The Gohil lab has identified a potential therapeutic for these disorders and, in collaboration with a pharmaceutical company, we are exploring its mechanism of action and prospective use in human patients.

Participating in undergraduate research has allowed me to delve deeply into my scientific interests and gain hands-on laboratory experience at an early point in my career. I've developed professional relationships, improved my communication skills, and become familiar with the process of scientific inquiry and experimental design. I feel very passionate about the work I do, challenges and all, and I am excited to share my experience and knowledge with younger generations of Aggies!

Howdy! My name is Hannah and I am a freshman Biomedical Sciences major from Houston, Texas! After graduating from Texas A&M, I plan on attending medical school with hopes of becoming a pediatrician. I began my research experience my first semester here at A&M and I am extremely grateful I did! I have had the amazing opportunity to be a part of the Dulin Lab which focuses on using stem cell transplantation to promote recovery after spinal cord injury. I am currently working under our postdoc, Dr. Aceves, whose project focuses on the use of a type of stem cell, neural progenitor cells, as a therapeutic strategy to promote recovery following spinal cord injury. By looking at different time points in model embryonic spinal cords, we are able to developmentally restrict these cells and see how they can support reestablishment of damaged areas in the spinal cord. Spinal cord injury is extremely devastating and completely reduces one's quality of life as it causes damage to motor, sensory and autonomic function. However, as we look into this project in our experimental model, we can use this to see how cell transplantation can be effectively carried out in the clinical setting. There are many different cell transplantation strategies being researched and being able to be a part of this project has been really exciting! I have learned so much being a part of this project and lab and am really excited to continue my research experience. Outside of research, I enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and doing anything creative! I am really passionate about reaching under-resourced communities and am a part of an organization where I am able to partner and mentor kids in the Bryan/College Station area. I am really thankful to be a part of research as an undergraduate and I can't wait to share my experience!

Howdy! My name is Meera Trikur and I am a junior Materials Science & Engineering major from Frisco, Texas. I was introduced to research through the Aggie Research Program and work with Dr. J. Carlee Purdum on a project that focuses on the impact of hazards and disasters on prisons and incarcerated populations.  The research explores the social vulnerability that incarcerated people experience due to environmental and technological hazards in Texas, focusing on the issues of extreme temperatures, water quality, and medical care. We work closely with a nonprofit organization called Texas Prisons Air-Conditioning Advocates. They advocate for incarcerated people and their loved ones about the conditions that they experience within Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities. My role within the project is to collect and analyze data within surveys, help create social media posts for TPAA, and write written reports based on news media and survey data. By analyzing these surveys filled by people who are suffering through unfair conditions, I've been able to better understand the nuances of what incarcerated people go through. I have always had multidisciplinary interests and wanted to explore outside of engineering and through research, I was given that chance. Participating in research topics that aren't directly related to my major has allowed me to interact with a more diverse set of people and even observe connections between my major and my research. I am very excited to be a part of this program and see what opportunities lie ahead!