The summer internship program is designed to provide students with hands-on mentorship from an assigned mentor in one of our research labs, support groups, or administrative departments. In addition to having the opportunity to gain exposure to our genomics research and interact with our scientists and administrators, our interns will be able to participate in a wide variety of events scheduled specifically for the group, including weekly workshops, presentations, career panels, social events, and more. Our interns this year will be working directly with various Faculty Labs, the Computational Biology and Research Computing Teams at NYGC as well as the Tuveson Lab at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and the Chambwe Lab at Northwell Health. Please join me in welcoming our new interns to the NYGC this summer. I would like to thank Rachelle Dond and Heather Lewis from HR for putting together this excellent internship program and Aleczandria Tiffany, Kirill Nikitin, Anoushka Joglekar, Cat Reeves, and Shara Corrigan for helping to create the intern programming. We’d also like to recognize Tracy Smith for coordinating the program for the Center for Integrated Cellular Analysis Undergraduate Summer Research Program in Single-cell Analysis.
If you are interested in partnering with HR to mentor interns in the future, please contact Heather Lewis (hlewis@nygenome.org).
Learn more about our 2024 Summer Interns below!
Anusha Agrawal
Intern, Lappalainen Lab
Anushka Agrawal is an intern at NYGC participating in the NYGC Summer Internship Program. She will be working in the Lappalainen Lab.
Anushka is an undergraduate at the University of Chicago majoring in Computational Biology and Computer Science. She is interested in exploring quantitative approaches to the genetics of complex disease.
In her free time, Anushka enjoys playing ice hockey, running, and cooking.
Alisha Aristel
Intern, Tosches Lab
Alisha Aristel is an intern working with the Tosches lab at Columbia University as part of the Undergraduate Summer Research Program in Single-cell Genomics directed by the Center for Integrated Cellular Analysis, based at NYGC.
Alisha recently graduated from Trinity College with a major in neuroscience (on the Pre-MD/PhD track) and will be attending UPenn for a Master’s in data science and statistics. Alisha is interning in the Tosches Lab, where she will be performing single nuclei analysis on salamanders. Alisha is excited to learn how to analyze genomic data and expand her knowledge in bioinformatics. She is particularly interested in various types of genetic data and possibly creating a bioinformatics tool for genetic data analysis.
Outside of research, Alisha enjoys reading, running, and exploring NYC!
Adja Camara
Intern, Gürsoy Lab
Adja Camara is an intern working with the Gürsoy Lab at Columbia University as part of the Ernest E. Just Biomedical Scholar Summer Internship Program.
Adja is a junior biology major on the pre-med track at Spelman College, the number one historically Black college or university (HBCU) in the country. She is a FACES scholar as part of the FACES for the Future program, a Spirited Pearls scholar, and a Spelman Path Forward scholar. She is from Bolingbrook, IL, and has a passion for community service and acting. Her career aspirations are to open her own medical research conglomerate in a low-income community like the one that surrounds many HBCUs across the country, including her own. She lives by the sentiment, “To be healthy should not be considered a luxury,” and wants this idea to influence everyone she meets.
Throughout her matriculation through Spelman College, Adja has had the privilege of obtaining several roles but most recently became the President of Spelman’s Pre-Physician Associate Association and the 87th Miss Maroon and White 1st Attendant. She is most excited for her journey to Columbia and hopes to continue to learn her way around the lab and the human genome.
Daniel Cha
Intern, Chambwe Lab
Daniel Cha is an intern working with the Chambwe Lab at Northwell Health as part of the MacMillan Center for the Study of the Non-Coding Cancer Genome program at NYGC.
Daniel is currently heading into his junior year at Carnegie Mellon University, and is majoring in Computer Science. His main assignment for the summer will be aiding in analyzing patient-based datasets, to understand the genetic features of cancer cells throughout different ethnic groups.
Daniel grew up in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada until he moved to Harrisburg PA in his sophomore year of high school. During his free time he loves to run, fish, and play pickup hockey.
Daniel’s interest leans toward genomic research as well as algorithm design. Post graduation, he plans to go to graduate school to pursue research in Computational Biology.
Srusti Donapati
Intern, Tuveson Lab
Srusti is an intern working with the Tuveson Lab at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory as part of the MacMillan Center for the Study of the Non-Coding Cancer Genome program at NYGC.
Srusti is a rising third-year Biology & Data Science student at The University of Chicago. She is interested in researching the role of the genome, proteins, and cellular/molecular mechanisms in the progression of disease. At the Tuveson Lab, she will be working on a project that delves into the influence of the dark genome on therapy response and seeks to characterize the non-coding genome in pancreatic cancer.
Srusti was born and raised in the Chicago area. In her free time, Srusti enjoys oil painting, reading mystery/thriller novels, and watching movies with friends and family. Post-graduation, Srusti plans to attend graduate school, with the goal of working in research and development of therapeutics for complex genetic diseases. She is very excited to get involved with cancer research this summer, and looks forward to exploring New York!
Sophie Gustin
Intern, Phatnani Lab
Sophie Gustin is an intern working with the Phatnani lab at NYGC and Columbia University as part of the Undergraduate Summer Research Program in Single-cell Genomics directed by the Center for Integrated Cellular Analysis, based at NYGC.
Sophie is a rising senior at Cornell University and is pursuing a degree in Biology and Society with a minor in Health Equity. Upon completing her undergraduate studies, Sophie aspires to matriculate into an MD-PhD program to train for a career as a neuroscience researcher and clinical neurologist. While participating in the Undergraduate Summer Research Program in Single-cell Genomics, Sophie will be interning for the Phatnani Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Cláudio Roque. She is particularly interested in mental health awareness, neurodegenerative disease research, and health care policy.
In her free time, Sophie enjoys dancing, watching classic films, and playing chess!
Alice Iskold
Intern, Sanjana Lab
Alice is an intern working with the Sanjana Lab at New York University as part of the MacMillan Center for the Study of the Non-Coding Cancer Genome program at NYGC.
Alice is a rising junior at Brandeis University (Waltham, MA) and majors in Biology. Her main assignment for the summer will be working on projects in next generation chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) cell therapies.
Alice was born and raised in Livingston, New Jersey. During her free time, she likes to read, spend time with friends, and explore the city of Boston.
Alice’s interest leans toward cancer research and gene therapy. Post graduation, she plans to work for or start her own biotechnology startup, with a specific emphasis on harnessing gene editing technologies for therapeutic applications.
Lilly Iskold
Intern, Sanjana Lab
Lilly is an intern working with the Sanjana Lab at New York University as part of the MacMillan Center for the Study of the Non-Coding Cancer Genome program at NYGC.
Lilly is a rising junior at Brandeis University (Waltham, MA), and majors in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Her main assignment for the summer will be working on projects researching RNA’s role in the development of cancer in cells, along with CAR-T cell therapies.
Lilly was born and grew up in Livingston, New Jersey. During her free time, she likes to go to art museums, explore Boston with friends, and paint.
Lilly’s interest leans toward cancer research and genetic engineering. Post graduation, she plans to either attend graduate school or gain experience working for a biotech company working on either cancer therapeutics or gene therapies.
Dhruv Jani
Intern, Vicković Lab
Dhruv Jani is a summer intern working in the Vicković Lab at NYGC. He will be working with Aidan Daly, Matthew Smith-Erb, and Cody Slater on Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Aging.
Dhruv is from Mumbai, India. Currently, he is pursuing his master’s in Operations Research at Columbia University. He obtained his BS in Mathematical Analytics & Operations Research from UC Davis, California. He enjoys playing with numbers, statistics & optimization theory. During his free time, he loves to paint and play badminton.
Dhruv’s interest in genomics research was sparked by a drug discovery project he worked on last year. He looks forward to exploring the intersection between mathematics, optimization and genetics.
Connor Knezic
Intern, Vicković Lab
Connor Knezic is a summer intern working in the Vicković Lab at NYGC. He will be researching spatiotemporal dynamics with mentor Craig Fouts.
Connor is from North Central Wisconsin and is an avid curler, both as a fan and a player. He enjoys mathematics with a long-standing interest in dynamical systems, but also a love for the foundations, and in particular, set theory. He just completed his third year of studying applied mathematics at Columbia University.
Connor’s interest in genomics research is motivated by a love for the aptness of mathematics as a language of physical systems.
Ishaq Kothari
Intern, Vicković Lab
Ishaq Kothari is a summer intern working in the Vicković Lab at NYGC. He will be working on spatial transcriptomics research with David McKellar this summer.
Ishaq grew up in Rochester, New York, and enjoys playing sports and building keyboards and computers. He’s an avid Los Angeles Lakers fan and enjoys watching the Premier League, and tennis as well. He is currently pursuing his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University and previously attended Oberlin College, where he studied Mathematics.
Ishaq’s interest in genomic research is fueled by his passion for data science and engineering. He looks forward to combining these skills to solve problems in the medical field.
Rohan Nidumbur
Intern, Knowles Lab
Rohan is an intern working with the Knowles Lab at NYGC.
Rohan is currently a rising sophomore undergraduate student at UMD (the University of Maryland), and majors in Computer Science. His main assignment for the summer will be aiding in predicting eQTLs based on variant annotations. He will also focus on the interpretability aspect of the Machine Learning models used for prediction.
Rohan Nidumbur was born in Folsom, CA and went to middle and high school in West Windsor, NJ. During his free time, he likes to spend time with his friends, play racquetball, and run. Rohan’s interest leans toward applying Machine Learning to genomics. Post graduation, he plans to go to graduate school to pursue Artificial Intelligence or Computational Biology.
Isabel Reid
Intern, Phatnani Lab
Isabel Reid is an intern working with the Phatnani Lab at NYGC.
Isabel recently graduated in May from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a Bachelor’s of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biomedical Science and minors in Gender & Health and Dance. She will be returning to Ann Arbor in the fall to begin working towards a Master’s of Science in Biomedical Engineering and plans to graduate in 2025.
This summer, Isabel is conducting research in the Phatnani Lab where she works at Columbia Irving Medical Center in conjunction with NYGC performing spatial transcriptomics on neural tissues that are integral to understanding neurodegenerative disease and aging. Ultimately, she plans to attend medical school, integrating her clinical and research experiences to drive future healthcare advances. She is deeply enthusiastic about this opportunity made possible through the SenNet Consortium Undergraduate Student Program (CUSP) and believes that the knowledge and experience gained will provide invaluable skills for her future in medicine.
Arielle Seechan
Intern, Chambwe Lab
Arielle Seechan is an intern working with the Chambwe Lab at Northwell Health as part of the MacMillan Center for the Study of the Non-Coding Cancer Genome program at NYGC.
Arielle Seechan is currently a junior undergraduate student at CUNY Hunter College majoring in Computer Science. Her main assignment for the summer will be helping in analyzing patient-based datasets, to understand the genetic features of cancer cells throughout different ethnic groups.
Arielle Seechan was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. During her free time, she reads the latest biotech and artificial intelligence news plus fiction novels. Additionally, she likes to play video games and tennis.
Arielle’s interest leans toward cancer research and integrating technology to move closer to innovations for those underrepresented in healthcare. Post graduation, she plans to study abroad in Germany for her master’s in Computational Biology in hopes of starting her own biotech company.
Isabel Shimabukuro
Intern, Computational Biology
Isabella (Izzy) Shimabukuro is an intern at NYGC participating in the NYGC Summer Internship Program.
She is from Stafford, Virginia, and is currently a senior at Barnard College in New York, majoring in computational biology. Outside of class, she is heavily involved in Barnard’s Student Government Association (SGA), spearheading Barnard’s Campus Life Committee, serving on SGA’s executive board, and has held multiple positions during her time at Barnard.
She is also the president of Barnard’s Alliance for Humanitarian Healthcare Aid. Izzy has previously interned at the Simon’s Foundation, researching genes implicated in autism and the Intelligence and Security reviewing financial data. She is very excited to put her skills to use and learn more about the NYGC.
Andrew Sun
Intern, Research Computing
Andrew Sun is a research computing intern working at NYGC as part of the NYGC Summer Internship Program.
Andrew Sun was born in Cleveland, OH, and grew up in Chappaqua, NY until he went to college at Stony Brook University, where he majored in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics/Statistics, and graduated with an honors distinction of Summa Cum Laude. Now, he is an OMSCS (Online Master of Science in Computer Science) student at Georgia Tech.
Outside of class, he enjoys watching movies, composing digital music, drawing, skiing, running, and learning new things in general. He plays piano and clarinet, and he loves his pets.
He is very excited to work at NYGC, knowing that he’ll be able to use his knowledge in software development, system administration and data science to work with his team to achieve new heights!
Olivia Taylor
Intern, Landau Lab
Olivia Taylor is an intern working with the Landau Lab at NYGC and Columbia University as part of the Undergraduate Summer Research Program in Single-cell Genomics directed by the Center for Integrated Cellular Analysis, based at NYGC.
Olivia is a junior at Princeton University majoring in Neuroscience with a certificate in Global Health and Health Policy. She is an undergraduate researcher for the Krienen Lab at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute conducting research on single-cell transcriptomics and AAVs. This summer, she will work as an intern with the Landau Lab at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Outside of academics, Olivia enjoys dancing, exercising, reading, and baking.
Della Tsivor
Intern, Satija Lab
Della Tsivor is an intern working with the Satija Lab at NYGC and New York University as part of the Undergraduate Summer Research Program in Single-cell Genomics directed by the Center for Integrated Cellular Analysis, based at NYGC, and is also part of the HuBMAP internship program.
Della is a rising senior at Brown University, studying Computational Biology. Science-wise, Della is interested in understanding/mapping gene expression and all things related to developmental biology. In terms of hobbies, she likes crocheting and leisurely riding bicycles.
Della is excited to learn from all the people she’ll be meeting this summer!
Clara Yu
Intern, Knowles Lab
Clara Yu is an intern working in the Knowles Lab as part of the NYGC Summer Internship Program.
Clara is an incoming sophomore at the California Institute of Technology, pursuing a B.S. in Computation and Neural Systems. She is interested in the intersection of machine learning and medicine. This summer she will be working with Dr. David Knowles in the application of DNA language models to whole genome sequencing of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Clara was raised in Westfield, NJ and attended the Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences High School. Along with her studies, Clara is a member of Caltech’s NCAA DIII Women’s Swim Team. She is also passionate about community service, involving herself in organizations such as Medlife and Aceing Autism and volunteering as a certified EMT.
Christopher Zavala
Intern, Zhu Lab
Christopher Zavala is an intern working with the Zhu Lab at NYGC and Weill Cornell as part of the Undergraduate Summer Research Program in Single-cell Genomics directed by the Center for Integrated Cellular Analysis, based at NYGC.
Christopher attends UC Berkeley where he studies bioengineering and computer science. His scientific interests are at the intersection of genomics and computational biology. Christopher aspires to develop novel tools to better understand gene expression at the cellular level. He is very excited to be an intern in Professor Zhu’s lab under the mentorship of Dr. Dongsheng Bai through the USRP in single-cell genomics!
Aside from his scientific interests, Christopher is a musician; he plays the oboe and the clarinet for the Cal Band at Berkeley.
