PREP Scholars

PREP 23-24 — PREP Scholars for the 2023- 2024 School Year

Current Scholars

Maria Cova
PREP Year: 2024-2025

Janaia Jackson
PREP Year: 2024-2025

Ryan Lacey
PREP Year: 2024-2025

Olivia Lopez
PREP Year: 2024- 2025

Jayden Martin
PREP Year: 2024-2025

Meris Privette
PREP Year: 2024-2025

Past Scholars

Dalia Cortez
Undergraduate: Whittier College
PREP Year: 2023-2024
Lab Mentor: Jezabel Rodriguez Blanco, PhD
Research Role: Attenuating SHH Signaling and Medulloblastoma Growth via the Inhibition of UHRF1 activity
Current Position: PhD at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Zamantha Manalansan-Roberson
Undergraduate: California State University, Fullerton
PREP Year: 2023-2024
Lab Mentor: Antonis Kourtidis, PhD
Research Role: The cell-cell junction component PLEKHA7 acts as an RNA-binding protein by virtue of its Intrinsically Disordered Regions
Current Position: PhD (F24) at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Janae McCloud
Undergraduate: Benedict College
PREP Year: 2023-2024
Lab Mentor: Stephen Duncan, PhD
Research Role: Unnatural Amino Acids to Localize Apolipoprotein B in Hepatocytes Treated With DL-1
Current Position: PhD at Duke University School of Medicine

Matthew Mondragon
Undergraduate: California State University, Monterey Bay
PREP Year: 2023-2024
Lab Mentor: Mindy Engevik, PhD
Research Role: Enterococcus faecalis quorum senses with intestinal mucus and mucin glycans
Current Position: PhD at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Brady Patterson
Undergraduate: Transylvania University
PREP Year: 2023-2024
Lab Mentor: Lori McMahon, PhD
Research Role: Muscarinic Receptor Modulation of Synaptic Transmission in Area
CA1 of Hippocampus
Current Position: PhD at University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Jordan Rucker
Undergraduate: Winthrop University
PREP Year: 2023-2024
Lab Mentor: Amy Engevik, PhD
Research Role: immunohistochemistry techniques identify alterations in epithelial cell composition that result from A. muciniphila
Current Position: PhD at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Kamryn Thomas
Undergraduate: Tougaloo College
PREP Year: 2023-2024
Lab Mentor: Estefania Pereira Cardoso Azevedo, PhD
Research Role: Identification of a novel GABAergic Hippocampal DRD2 population
Current Position: PhD at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Camille Acevedo
Undergraduate: University of Central Florida
PREP Year: 2022-2023
Lab Mentor: Tim Barnoud, PhD
Research Role: Heat shock proteins and p53 mutations in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Current Position: PhD at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Ian Baranyk
Undergraduate: Wingate University
PREP Year: 2022-2023
Lab Mentor: Richard O’Neil, PhD
Research Role: T cells and ways to manipulate adaptive immunity, using engineered T cells as tools for therapy and for discovery.
Current Position: PhD at University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Maya Learmonth
Undergraduate: Anderson University
PREP Year: 2022-2023
Lab Mentor: Kristine Deleon-Pennell, PhD
Research Role: How CD8+ T-cells are effect the post-MI scar's biomechanical properties.
Current Position: PhD Program at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Freddie Ortiz
Undergraduate: Denison University
PREP Year: 2022-2023
Lab Mentor: Anand Mehta, DPhil
Research Role: Characterize and profile N-glycans using Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) Imaging Mass Spectrometry (IMS) in Liver disease.
Current Position: PhD Program at University of Florida Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Esteban Castro
Undergraduate: Cal Poly Poloma
PREP Year: 2021-2022 MUSC
Lab mentor: Paula Traktman, Ph.D.
Research: Role of three proteins (A13, A32, and 16) in the Vaccinia encapsidation process
Current Position: Ph.D. Program (F22) at UTHSCSA - UT Health Science Center at San Antonio

Hyland Gonzalez
Undergraduate: Presbyterian College
PREP Year: 2021-2022 MUSC
Lab Mentor: Jessica Hartman, Ph.D.
Research: Chronic alcohol consumption's effect on cytochrome P450 in the brain mitochondria leading to increased acetaldehyde production and mitochondrial dysfunction, using C. elegans and mice models
Current Position: Ph.D. program (F22) at the Medical University of South Carolina

Deavian Harvin
Undergraduate: Bethune-Cookman University
PREP Year: 2021-2022 MUSC
Mentor: Victoria Findlay, Ph.D.
Research: Examining the role of miR-204 in prostate cancer progression
Current Position: Ph.D. program (F22) at USC- Columbia

Amanda Linke
Undergraduate: University of Maryland
PREP Year: 2021-2022 MUSC
Mentor: Aaron Hobbs, Ph.D.
Research: Testing the effect of low glucose on KRAS-mutated POAC cells in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, to see if MEK inhibition can be utilized as a novel treatment therapy
Current Position: Ph.D. program (F22) at UNC- Chapel Hill

Ayana Paul
Undergraduate: Duke University
PREP Year: 2021-2022 MUSC
Mentor: Ozlem Yilmaz, Ph.D.
Research: Mechanism for transmission and evasion of immune system in intercellular spread of Porphyromonos gingivolis in mouth
Current Position: Ph.D. program (F22) at Emory University

Kion Winston
Undergraduate: Charleston Southern University
PREP Year: 2021-2022 MUSC
Mentor: James Otis, Ph.D.
Research: Alcohol use disorder and the impact on the prefrontal cortex
Current Position: Ph.D. program (F22) at ICAHN School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai

Thelma Amoah
Undergraduate: The Ohio State University
PREP year: 2020-21 MUSC
Lab Mentor: Daria Ilatovskaya, PhD
Department: Nephrology
Research topic: effects of atrial natriuretic peptide on mitochondrial bioenergetics in cortical collecting duct cells in the kidney
Current Position: PhD program at VCU, Richmond, VA, Fall 2021

Preston Siegler

Undergraduate: Columbia College
PREP year: 2020-21 MUSC
Lab Mentor: James Otis, PhD
Department: Neuroscience
Research topic: Opioid use disorder causing the change in brain circuitry leading to increased drug seeking behaviors
Current Position: PhD program at UNC Chapel Hill, NC

Guadalupe Sanchez

Undergraduate: College of Charleston
PREP year: 2020-21 MUSC
Lab Mentor: Catrina Robinson, PhD
Department: Neuroscience
Research topic: Insulin and its effects on Cerebral blood flow in post stroke recovery
Current Position: PhD program at Mayo Clinic, FL, Fall 2021

Meagan Branch

Undergraduate: Elon University
PREP year: 2019-20
MUSC Lab Mentor: Takako Makita, PhD
Department: Pediatrics
Research topic: Embryonic development…
Current position: PhD student at Ucahn, NYC

Tiffany Dean

Undergraduate: Winston-Salem State University
PREP year: 2019-20
MUSC Lab Mentor: Amy Bradshaw, PhD
Department: Surgery Medicine
Research topic: SPARC and the heart
Current position: seeking translational lab job, North Carolina

Dorian Frazier

Undergraduate: University of Maryland Baltimore Campus

PREP year: 2019-20

MUSC Lab Mentor: Carl Atkinson, PhD

Department: Microbiology & Immunology

Research topic: transplantation

Current Position; PhD student at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Aunay Miller

Undergraduate: Clemson University
PREP year: 2019-20
MUSC Lab Mentor: Dr. Adviye Ergul MD, PhD
Department: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Research topic: sexual dimorphism in stroke
Current Position: PhD student at Mayo Clinic, Minneapolis, MN

Isis Thomas

Undergraduate: St. Augustine’s University
PREP year: 2019-20
MUSC Lab Mentor: Jeffrey Jones, PhD
Department: Surgery
Research topic: Thoracic Aortic aneurism
Current Position: PhD student at UAB, Birmingham, AL

Christina Wang

Undergraduate: Vanderbilt University
PREP year: 2019-20
MUSC Lab Mentor: Russell Norris, PhD
Department: Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology
Research topic: Mitral valve formation
Current position: PhD student at St. Jude Children’s Hospital

Victoria Alers

Undergraduate: University of South Carolina–Columbia
PREP year: 2017-19
MUSC Lab Mentor: Dr. Steven Carroll MD, PhD
Department: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Research topic: Global analysis of receptor tyrosine kinase action in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors to identify therapeutic targets
Current position: PhD Student at UT Health San Antonio

Luis Aponte Cofresi

Undergraduate: University of Puerto Rico-San Juan
PREP year: 2018-19
MUSC Lab Mentor: Heather Boger, PhD
Department: Neuroscience
Research Topic: Examining the efficacy of Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in a mouse model of Parkinson Disease
Current position: MD/PhD student at Illinois University at Chicago Medical School

Alexis Erasta Carey

Undergraduate: Clark Atlanta University
PREP year: 2018-19
MUSC Lab Mentor: Besim Ogretmen, PhD
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Research topic: Role of Sphingosine 1-phoshate(S1P) in histone modification and regulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cell function
Current position: PhD student at Johns Hopkins University

Nicolas Gray Shealy (Nic)

Undergraduate: College of Charleston
PREP year: 2018-19
MUSC Lab Mentor: Amy Bradshaw, PhD
Department: Cardiology, Medicine
Research Topic: Investigating the role of seratonylation in the cardiac micro-environment
Current position: PhD student at Vanderbilt University, Recipient of Gilliam Award

Victoria Delenn Solis

Undergraduate: Reed College
PREP year: 2018-19
MUSC Lab Mentor: Jane Joseph, PhD
Department: Neuroscience
Research Topic: Social skills enhancement using neurostimulation in autism (SSENSA)
Current position: PhD student at UT Dallas

Darian Thomas

Undergraduate: Clemson University
PREP year: 2018-19
MUSC Lab Mentor: Amanda LaRue, PhD
Department: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Research Topic: Role of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in breast cancer and the obesity-associated inflammatory state
Current position: PhD student at Vanderbilt University

Roger Ian Grant

Undergraduate: College of Charleston
PREP Year: 2017-18
MUSC Lab Mentor: Andrew Shih, PhD
Department: Neuroscience
Research Topic: Multiphoton imaging of the Organizational hierarchy and structural diversity of microvascular pericytes in adult mouse cortex, published in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 2017 Jan 1:271678, J Neurosci 2017 Jan 4;37(1):129-140 and Cell Rep. 2018 Jan 2;22(1):8-16.
Current position: PhD student at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Lonzie Hedgepeth

Undergraduate: University of North Carolina at Pembroke
PREP year: 2017-18
MUSC Mentor: Elizabeth Yeh, PhD
Department: Pharmacology
Research Topic: Investigation of a protein kinase called HUNK and its implication in breast cancer, published in Oncotarget. 2018 Nov 13;9(89):35962-35973
Current position: He is currently employed at FujiFilm Diosyn Biotechnology

Sheila Johnson Parnell

Undergraduate: Austin Peay State University
PREP year: 2017-18
MUSC Mentor: Carolyn Jenkins, DrPH, MSN, RD,LD, FAAN
Department: Nursing
Research Topic: community based participatory research on stroke recovery education, published in PLoS One. 2018 Nov 16;13(11):e0206548
Current position: Employed at Greenwood Genetics Center in North Charleston, SC.

Valeria Montalvo Calero

Undergraduate: University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
PREP year: 2017-18
MUSC Mentor: Carl Atkinson, PhD
Department: Immunology
Research Topic: Antibody-associated injury during transplantation, published in Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2018 Dec 20.
Current position: Associate Scientist at Sakura Finetek USA, Inc.

Daniel Salas

Undergraduate: University of Guam
PREP year: 2017-18
MUSC Mentor: Chrystal Paulos, PhD
Department: Microbiology & Immunology
Research Topic: T Cell differentiation using PI3K inhibition in the development of cancer
Current position: PhD student at the University of Michigan –Ann Arbor. Daniel has a Rackman Merit Fellowship.

Erica Iris Williams

Undergraduate: Furman University
PREP year: 2017-18
MUSC Mentor: Paula Traktman, PhD
Department: Microbiology & Immunology
Research Topic: Inhibition of pox virus replication
Current position: PhD student in Pharmacology at the University of Arizona.

Thibaut Pardo Garcia

Undergraduate: University of Puerto Rico-San Juan
PREP year: 2016-17
MUSC Mentor: Peter Kalivas, PhD
Department: Neuroscience
Research Topic: Endocannabinoid system of the brain within the nucleus accumbens, published in Neuroscience 2018 Sep 12 and J Neurosci 2019 Jan 8
Current position: PhD student at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, Recipient of Gillam Award, 2020

Danielle Chappell

Undergraduate: Ohio State University
PREP year: 2016-17
MUSC Mentor: Eric Bartee, PhD
Department: Microbiology & Immunology
Research Topic: Potential of enhancement of T-cell co-stimulation by myxoma virus in cancer treatment
Current position: PhD student at UNC Chapel Hill in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Royster Fellowship recipient.

Korey Smith

Undergraduate: Johnson C. Smith University
PREP year: 2016-17
MUSC Mentor: Jamie Peters, PhD
Department: Neuroscience
Research Topic: Reward-seeking behavior in rodents when exposed to drugs of abuse
Current position: At this time, Korey is pursuing non-science related interests.

Melina Acosta

Undergraduate: College of Charleston
PREP year: 2016-17
MUSC Mentor: Carmela Reichel, PhD
Department: Neuroscience
Research Topic: gender-related differences in the effects of oxytocin on reinstatement following heroin self-administration
Current position: PhD student in Neuroscience at the University of California in Riverside, Chancellor’s Distinguished Fellowship awardee.

Luis Cardenas

Undergraduate: University of South Carolina
PREP year: 2016-17
MUSC Mentor: Mark Rubinstein, MD and John Wrangle, PhD
Department: Medicine
Research Topic: investigation of the role of IFN-γ during combinational therapy with IL-15/Il-15 Rα complexes and anti-DP-1 mAb in a preclinical model of lung cancer.
Current position. Research specialist at MUSC in the laboratory of Dr. Carsten Krieg.

Aissatou Ba

Undergraduate: College of Charleston
PREP year: 2015-16
MUSC Mentor: Kristin Wallace, PhD
Department: Public Health Sciences
Research Topic: Platelet to lymphocyte ration, race and overall survival in Patients with colorectal cancer, published in Clin Colorectal Cancer. 2017 Sep;16(3):178-186.
Current position: PhD student in Epidemiology at MUSC

Austin Gray, PhD

Undergraduate: The Citadel
PREP year: 2015-16
MUSC Mentor: John Pearce, PhD
Department: Public Health Sciences
Research Topic: Air Pollution patterns within Communities of Charleston, South Carolina
Current position: Assistant Professor at V. Tech at the Global Change Center

Jessica Patterson

Undergraduate: Clemson University
PREP year: 2015-16
MUSC Mentor: Antonieta Lavin, PhD
Department: Neuroscience
Research Topic: Testing the effect of fingolimod as a treatment to alleviate social and cognitive deficits in a mouse model of schizophrenia
Current position: At this time, Jessica is pursuing non-science related interests.

Jada Suber

Undergraduate: Presbyterian College of Clinton
PREP year: 2015-16
MUSC Mentor: Chenthamarakshan Vasu, PhD
Department: Microbiology & Immunology
Research Topic: The effects of Beta-glucans on beneficial bacteria, published in Clin Exp Allergy. 2018 Nov 1.
Current position: PhD student in immunology at UNC-Chapel Hill.