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Profiles, Step 1
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Rebecca Ahrens
Rebecca grew up in
St. Louis, Mo. She attended Duke University and
Cambridge University for her undergraduate work. She is
currently working on her Doctor of Philosophy degree in
the Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology program
at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Her work
focuses on exploring mechanisms of cardiac
arrhythmogenesis through computational and
electrophysiological techniques. In her free time
Rebecca likes to cook, dance, read, spend time with
friends, and watch Duke basketball.
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Sara Alcorn
Sara grew
up in the Central Valley of California. She earned her
undergraduate degree at Cornell University, where she
studied sociology and wetland ecology. After spending
four very cold years in upstate New York, she decided to
endure five more in Boston, working toward a dual MD/MPH
degree at Harvard. Her future goals include providing
health care to vulnerable communities while finding time
to write prose and poetry, preferably in a warm
location.
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Vijay Babu, MD
Vijay is a native of State College, Pa., and a
life-long Penn State fan. He earned a Bachelor of
Science degree in premedicine with honors in
biochemistry and molecular Biology at Penn State. He
went on to complete his medical education at the Penn
State College of Medicine. Currently he is an internal
medicine intern at The Reading Hospital in Reading, Pa.,
and will begin a residency in anesthesiology at the
Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical
Center in July 2009. After completing residency, Vijay
plans to pursue a career in academic medicine.
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Paula Borges,
MS
Paula attended Florida Atlantic University to
earn a Bachelor of Science degree in biotechnology and
her Master of Sciences degree in biochemistry. She is
currently pursuing her medical degree at Stanford
University, where she is involved with pain research.
She hopes possibly to pursue a career in a surgical
subspecialty.
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Rachel Bortnick,
MPhil
Rachel Bortnick is a fifth-year MD/PhD
candidate at Harvard Medical School. She graduated from
the University of Chicago with Bachelor of Arts degrees
in biology and philosophy and from the University of
Cambridge with a Masters of Philosophy degree in
neuroscience. Her current research focuses on
neurodevelopment, and in the future she hopes to combine
her interests in neuroscience, medicine, writing, and
global health.
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Rasika Wickramasinghe,
PhD
Rasika Wickramasinghe was born and raised in
Colombo, Sri Lanka, and moved to the United States to
begin his undergraduate work at Stanford University,
where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in
biology. Thereafter he entered the MD/PhD program at
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; he has currently
completed his Doctor of Philosophy degree in
neuroscience and is in the final year of earning his
medical degree. He is planning to pursue a career in
cardiology and will be entering residency training in
internal medicine.
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Steven Chen
Steven, originally from Saratoga, Calif., graduated from Johns Hopkins
University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in cellular and molecular
biology. He is currently a third-year medical student at Hopkins and will be
taking a year off to pursue a Masters in Public Health before graduating in
2010. He plans to ultimately go into academic medicine; however he has yet to
decide on a specialty. Steven enjoys traveling, tennis, playing piano and
guitar, and trying new restaurants and bars.
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John Childress III
John is originally from Washington, D.C., and attended the University of
Maryland for his undergraduate education, majoring in physiology and
neurobiology. After graduation he completed a year-long Postbaccalaureate
Intramural Research Training Award program at the National Institutes of
Health. John is currently pursuing a career in academic medicine at the
University of Maryland Medical School.
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Raghu Chivukula
Raghu grew up in New York, attended high school in Kansas, and subsequently
graduated with an undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins
University. He is currently a fourth-year student in the Medical Scientist
Training Program at Hopkins, where he also enjoys auto racing, fitness, and
"Law and Order" marathons. Raghu plans residency training in general surgery
after graduation.
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Justin Brent Cohen
Justin was raised in Westchester, N.Y., and attended Princeton University,
where he earned a degree in molecular biology. His thesis work there involved
developing a transgenic mouse line to allow easier access to specific stem cell
populations. He is currently attending Yale School of Medicine and will spend
next year as a Howard Hughes Fellow investigating epithelial engraftment of
bone marrow stem cells. Justin plans to pursue a surgical residency.
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Ana Costa, MD
Ana grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and moved to New York City after completing
high school. She attended Hunter College, where she earned undergraduate
degrees in history and biology. She recently graduated from Weil Medical
College of Cornell University and is beginning a residency in anesthesiology at
Cornell. Ana has done extensive research in neuroscience at Hunter College and
Rockefeller University. She plans to subspecialize in pain medicine or regional
anesthesiology. Ana enjoys cycling, ballet, and playing board games. She has
also travelled extensively and plans to volunteer her medical expertise in
developing countries.
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Andres E. Cruz-Inigo
Andres was born and raised in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. He graduated magna cum
laude from Boston University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology.
Currently he is a medical student at Weill Medical College of Cornell
University and works on clinical translational research in immunology at The
Rockefeller University. After completing his medical training, Andres plans to
pursue a career in academic medicine. During his free time, you will find him
traveling the world to remote locations in order to treat those in need of
medical care and to fulfill his passions for surfing, snowboarding, scuba
diving, and photography.
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Marc Wein
Marc is currently a
sixth-year student in the MD/PhD program at Harvard
Medical School. After graduation he's thinking about
either a residency in internal medicine, law school, or
wizard academy. In his free time he enjoys cooking
Indian food and rooting for the New York Mets.
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Martin H.
Dominguez
Martin was raised in
Indianapolis, Ind., and attended school there until he
was 18 years old. He graduated from Yale College in 2005
with an intensive Bachelor of Science degree in
molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. He is
currently undertaking joint MD/PhD graduate studies at
Yale School of Medicine. His graduate work has focused
on the development of the cerebral cortex, and he wishes
to pursue a career in medicine and science.
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Sharifeh (Sheri) Farasat
Sheri is a fourth-year student at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. During
the 2007-08 academic year she was a research fellow of the National Institutes
of Health Clinical Research Training Program. She graduated from the University
of California, Los Angeles with undergraduate degrees in neuroscience and
political science.
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Allen Omid Eghrari
Allen is
currently a fourth-year medical student at the Johns
Hopkins School of Medicine. He received undergraduate
degrees in economics and psychology from the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His interests include
international health, community development, medical
education, and technological innovation.
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James A. Feinstein,
MD
James is a resident pediatrician at
Seattle Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center.
He attended Dartmouth College for his undergraduate
studies and the University of Pennsylvania for medical
school. He plans a career in pediatric cardiology and
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Shennen Floy
Shennen was born
and raised on a farm in Iowa and attended Creighton
University in Omaha, Neb., majoring in biology and
chemistry. She is currently pursuing her medical degree
at Harvard Medical School and hopes to eventually
practice in either a surgical subspecialty or
gynecologic oncology. Her current research interests
include international health systems and clinical
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Ariella
Friedman
Ariella grew up in Woodmere, N.Y.,
and attended The University of Pennsylvania, earning
Bachelor of Arts degrees in psychology and biology. She
is a fourth-year student at Weill Medical College of
Cornell University. In her spare time Ariella sings and
composes music. She is a big fan of all things related
to steak, poker, Johnny Depp, and weather/natural
disaster movies.
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Robert J.
Gianotti, MD
Robert attended Cornell
University as an undergraduate and earned a Bachelor of
Science degree in biology. Following graduation he
became a forest ranger with the United States Department
of Agriculture Forest Service and worked as a research
assistant in the Laboratory of Addictive Disease at
Rockefeller University. He recently earned his medical
degree from Weill Medical College of Cornell University
and has begun a residency in internal medicine at New
York University.
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Philip
Hall
Philip is from Cincinnati, Ohio. He
graduated from Princeton University in 2005 with a
Bachelor of Arts degree in classics. Currently Philip is
in his third year at Yale School of Medicine.
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Daniel M.
Halperin
Daniel completed an undergraduate
degree in biology at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in 2004. He completed one year of research
training as a medical student at Weill Medical School of
Cornell University, funded by the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute, in which he investigated signal transduction
in a putative stem cell niche in multiple myeloma and
glioblastoma. Daniel will be graduating in June 2009
with his wife, Jennifer, and will pursue training in
internal medicine and likely hematology/oncology. In his
spare time he enjoys playing and listening to jazz.
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Colleen M.
Harrison
Colleen grew up in the small
mountain town of Nederland, Colo. She taught outdoor
adventure courses in South Africa after high school.
After two years away from academics, she began
undergraduate work at the University of Colorado at
Boulder, where she majored in international affairs.
Colleen spent a year as a nurse's assistant at a nursing
home before she began studies at Harvard Medical School.
She received a National Health Service Corps
scholarship, which involves a commitment to provide care
to an underserved population after residency. Colleen
plans to graduate from medical school in 2009 and train
in family medicine.
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Chloe Hill
Chloe is from Shaker Heights, Ohio. She studied
neuroscience at Brown University, and is currently a
third-year student at Weill Medical College of Cornell
University. She is about to begin a Doris Duke Clinical
Research Fellowship at the University of North Carolina
in the field of gastroenterology. Chloe plans someday to
have an integrative clinical practice while continuing
to pursue clinical research.
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Selena Liao
Selena Liao grew up in Princeton Junction, N.J., and
earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history at Yale
College, where she focused on the development of the
Taiwanese identity and ethnic relations in Taiwan, as
well as the history of the breath mint. She is currently
a fourth-year medical student at Harvard Medical School
and intends to apply for a residency in otolaryngology.
Her interests in include eating strange foods, traveling
to new places, and playing the bagpipes.
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Ken Lin
Kenny grew up in Tainan, the oldest city in Taiwan
and famous for its rich history and folk cuisine. He
came to the United States during high school and studied
biological sciences and Greco-Roman history at Stanford
University as a undergraduate. Kenny is currently an
MD/PhD student at Harvard Medical School and plans to
graduate in 2010. He likes to travel to exotic places
with his fiancée and enjoys nature and portrait
photography. At present Kenny hasn't decided on a
specialty, but he hopes to contribute to medicine
through teaching and innovation.
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Susan Mathai
Susan was born in Dallas, Texas, and attended
Harvard College, where she concentrated in social
studies, focusing on medical anthropology and Latin
American studies. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna
cum laude. Susan is attending Yale School of Medicine,
and plans to pursue a career in internal medicine. While
at Yale, Susan served as one of the student directors of
the HAVEN Free Clinic, Yale's student-run free clinic
serving uninsured patients in the New Haven area. Susan
speaks Spanish and Portuguese.
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Heather
McGee, MPhil
Heather grew up in Davis,
Calif., and completed her undergraduate degree in
molecular biology & biochemistry at the University
of California, Berkeley. After an exciting semester
abroad in London, she returned to the United Kingdom to
work at the Welcome Trust Immunology Unit and earn a
Masters of Philosophy degree from the University of
Cambridge. She is now pursing her doctorate of
philosophy in immunobiology as an MD/PhD student at Yale
School of Medicine. In the future she hopes to
incorporate immunology research into her career as a
physician-scientist.
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Leah McNally
Leah grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and earned a
Bachelor of Science degree in evolutionary biology from
Duke University. She is currently in her fourth year of
medical school at Yale School of Medicine. She is still
not sure what area of medicine she wants to go into, but
plans to take a research year to study insulin signaling
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Emily Pfeil
Emily grew up just north of Boston, Mass., and
graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor of
Science degree in biology and a senior thesis in the
field of developmental biology. She is currently a
fourth-year student at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
and is working on research in the field of
endocrinology. Emily plans on a future in internal
medicine and/or pediatrics.
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Michelle Rios,
MD
Michelle grew up in Bakersfield, Calif.
She later attended the University of California, Los
Angeles, earning a degree in psychobiology. She
graduated medical school from the University of
California, San Francisco. She recently began her
internal medicine residency at UCLA Medical Center.
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Maya Roberts
Maya is entering her fifth year in the
MD/MPH program at Yale School of Medicine and the
Harvard School of Public Health as a Reynolds Foundation
Fellow for Social Entrepreneurship. For her thesis she
is studying the physical health status of medical and
surgical residents over the course of their postgraduate
training. She is passionate about bridging the worlds of
clinical medicine and public health through innovative
efforts to improve efficiency and efficacy. In her free
time she loves to cook, play squash, and train for
triathlons.
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Marianeli Rodriguez
Marianeli grew up in Havana, Cuba, and came
to the United States for college. She received a
Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tulsa,
where she was a biochemistry major. Currently Marianeli
is doing research on the effects of retinoids in the
development of the nervous system. Her goal is to pursue
a career in neurology. In her spare time Marianeli
enjoys traveling, reading, and dancing.
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Sepideh Saber
Sepideh earned her Bachelor of Science degree in
neurobiology from the University of California, Irvine.
She is currently attending Stanford University School of
Medicine and is involved with tissue engineering
research at the Palo Alto Veterans Administration.
Sepideh hopes to pursue a career in surgery.
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Benjamin Smith
Ben grew up in Cambridge, Mass., and left home to
attend Yale College, where he studied evolutionary
patterns in plants. The draw of the Red Sox was too
strong, however, and after spending two years in Wyoming
working on a public health project, he returned to
Boston for medical school. He now is a third-year
student in the MD/MPH program at Harvard School of
Medicine, and he plans to pursue a career in either
primary care or psychiatry, with a focus on adolescent
health.
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Sara
Stern-Nezer
Sara grew up moving between the
west and east coasts of North America, and attended
Columbia University for her undergraduate education. She
is a currently a third-year student in the MD/MPH
combined program between Stanford University School of
Medicine and the University of California, Berkeley
School of Public Health. For her master's thesis she
evaluated the relationship between biomass fuel use and
respiratory health, particularly its effect on women in
developing countries. Sara plans to pursue a career in
clinical and academic medicine, with a focus on the
alleviation of gender-based health disparities and
undergraduate medical education. She will be spending
the summer of 2008 working on a cluster randomized trial
of the nonpneumatic antishock garment, a device aimed at
decreasing maternal mortality and morbidity caused by
postpartum hemorrhage.
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Tomeka L. Suber
Tomeka was born and raised in Wilmington, N.C., and
earned her Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2002.
She is now a sixth-year MD/PhD student in the Cellular
and Molecular Medicine Graduate Program at the Johns
Hopkins School of Medicine. She is currently studying
the role of programmed cell death in autoimmunity and
plans to pursue a career in rheumatology.
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Carlos A. Torre
Carlos was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
When he was 18 years old he moved to Chestnut Hill,
Mass., where he spent the next four years completing his
Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy at Boston College.
He then returned to Puerto Rico to enroll as a medical
student at the University of Puerto Rico. After
completing his third year of medical school, Carlos
interrupted his studies to participate in a research
fellowship program at the University of California, San
Francisco. He is presently studying the molecular
mechanisms that mediate cancer progression and
chemoresistance in the head and neck. Carlos plans to
resume his medical studies next year and to become a
physician-scientist in the field of otolaryngology.
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Jonathan Tzu
Jonathan grew up in Houston, Texas, and attended
Rice University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in
biochemistry and a Bachelor of Arts degree in
kinesiology. He is currently a fourth-year medical
student at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and hopes to
pursue an academic career in ophthalmology.
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Brant W. Ullery,
MD
A native of Minnesota, Brant completed
his undergraduate studies at Northwestern University,
where he majored in neuropsychology. After graduating
from Weill Medical College of Cornell University in May
2008, Brant started his general surgery residency at the
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. His academic
interests focus on cardiac surgery in the elderly,
off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, and robotic
cardiac surgery.
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Kelly Vranas,
MD
Kelly grew up in Eugene, Ore., and
attended Santa Clara University for her undergraduate
studies. She recently graduated from Weill Medical
College of Cornell University, and started her residency
in internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
this summer with her fiancé, who will be a resident in
Penn's general surgery program. She is interested in
both gastroenterology and critical care medicine. In her
free time Kelly enjoys playing sports, going running,
reading mystery novels, cooking, and playing the piano.
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Frederick Wang
Frederick is a fourth-year medical student at Yale
School of Medicine. He grew up in Plano, Texas, and
graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
with a double major in electrical engineering and
biology. He will be a Howard Hughes Medical Institute
research scholar at the National Institutes of Health
for the 2008-09 year.
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Associate Author Profiles, Step 1
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Jan Brown, II
Jan is a third-year student at St. George's University School of Medicine. He
aspires to practice emergency medicine. In his free time he enjoys baseball,
fishing, and caring for bonsai trees.
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Paul D. Di Capua
Paul will graduate in May 2009 from Yale School of Medicine with a joint
doctorate and Masters of Business Administration degree. Born in Colombia, he
grew up in South Florida and attended Harvard University, where he majored in
neurobiology. After college he edited a neuroscience book in Lima, Peru, and
then worked in art restoration in Rome before pursuing his career in medicine.
He plans to attend residency and pursue a career in providing the highest
quality health care for his patients.
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Lars Grimm
Lars is a fifth-year medical student at the Yale University School of Medicine.
He plans to graduate in 2009 with a dual MD/MHS degree. Over the past year he
received funding to pursue his research interests in the fields of radiology
and human physiology. Lars has been involved with First Aid publications for
three years. When not in the hospital or lab enjoys working out and spending
time with his friends and family.
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Nicole M. Hsu
Nicole is a fourth-year medical student at the Uniformed Services University of
the Health Sciences, and is also an active-duty Second Lieutenant in the United
States Air Force. Over the past three years she has enjoyed the opportunity to
work as an author on several publications for First Aid and USMLERx.com. During
her free time she enjoys visiting family, going to the movies, and catching up
on sleep.
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Benjamin Silverberg, MS
A freelance writer and photographer, Ben graduated with honors from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with dual degrees in chemistry and
dramatic arts. Next he earned his Masters of Science degree in biotechnology
from Georgetown University, where he also volunteered as an emergency medical
technician and worked as a science tutor. Prior to entering medical school Ben
spent a year at a community college in Ecuador simultaneously teaching English
and learning Spanish. He is currently a fourth-year medical student at the
University of Connecticut and is looking forward to a career in emergency
medicine.
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Harras Zaid
Harras was born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he spent much of his childhood in the countryside on the farm. He did his undergraduate work at the University of California, Davis, graduating summa cum laude in 2005 with a degree in genetics. He is now a third-year medical student at the University of California, San Francisco, completing a Howard Hughes Medical Institute fellowship in transplantation research. He hopes to pursue a career in academic surgery.
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