Student Interns, Winter 2021/2022
Sisy Chen is a freshman at the University of Notre Dame studying Neuroscience and Behavior. Originally from Chicago, IL, Sisy is particularly interested in how bioethics research can help inform future health policy and global health initiatives to combat disparities in health. Her research interests include bioethics and end-of-life care, especially for patients who are afflicted with chronic neurological diseases. In her free time, Sisy enjoys playing volleyball, getting crafty, and cooking. Through this internship with the GBI, Sisy hopes to turn her passion into action, advocacy, and research.
Sisy Chen
University of Notre Dame
Jierui Ou completed a B.A. in Anthropology (concentration in Medical Anthropology) and Psychology, with a minor in Bioethics, at the University of Virginia in 2020. Her research interests include: critical phenomenology, biopolitics in health policies, ethics of mental health care practices, public discourse around mental health in different cultures, anthropology of ethics and morality
Jierui Ou
University of Virginia
Student Interns, Summer 2021
Mihail-Andrei Stoica lives in Romania. He is a student at the “University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova”, the faculty of nursing, and follows the specialization of Radiologic Technologist. Andrei is very interested in bioethics, especially ethical issues in stem cells. He wants to do more projects about it in Romania. In his free time, Andrei enjoys playing basketball and learning foreign languages. Andrei was a summer intern and attended Global Bioethics Initiative summer school online where he learned a lot of new things and met some great people. He thinks it was a wonderful experience and he wants to repeat it.
Mihail-Andrei Stoica
University of Medicine
and Pharmacy of Craiova
Ayesha Ali is a MBBS student at Central Park Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan. As a medical student with an entirely science-based curriculum, she has pursued an internship at the Global Bioethics Initiative to learn more about the intersection of bioethics and medicine. She has been incredibly active in her local community and serves as the head of the IFMSA chapter at her institution. Ayesha understands that to become a competent professional in the healthcare industry, one should never limit themselves to their medical curriculum – it is absolutely necessary to be aware of the humanitarian issues prevalent around you.
Ayesha Ali
Central Park Medical College
Student Interns, Spring 2020
Léa is a French native, she is studying at the Faculty of Finance, Banking and Accounting at the University of Lille. She is currently preparing for the entrance exams to business school. Having done a year of medicine, Léa is very interested in bioethics and health policies and has held previous internships in the health sector. She is the co-founder of “A Dream for Each Child” which is a solidarity association that aims to help children in need in the Philippines. She visited the Philippines in April 2019, where she set up a summer camp with activities aimed at taking the children out of their daily lives. She realized that the living conditions of these children were not the best, which is why she was interested in the Global Bioethics Initiative. She was able to attend many conferences at the United Nations during her internship, such as the Holocaust Remembrance.
Lea Tapiero
University of Lille
Alice Carton is a French native. She is currently in her third year studying management at the University of Lille in France under the Faculty of Finance, Banking and Accounting (FFBC). She plans on going to business school next year which will prepare her to enter a career in marketing and communications. In her free time, she loves to travel and discover new cultures.Alice is interested in the world of health, well-being and ethics. Thanks to her internship at GBI she can combine her passion and her management studies. She hopes to include her passion for ethics in the work she will do in the business world.
Alice Carton
University of Lille
Zoe Verzani is a recent graduate of McGill University in Montreal Canada. She studied Physiology with a minor in Environment. Zoe is currently residing in NYC as a public school teacher teaching Neuroscience to 11th and 12th graders. She will be returning to school this fall for a masters in Public Health specializing in Epidemiology and Public Policy. Zoe is particularly interested in researching the ethics of the social determinants of health and examining the social inequalities present. After her masters she plans on pursing an MD and later work for the World Health Organization. She is passionate about promoting health and reducing health inequalities. In her free time she enjoys traveling, hiking, and running.
Zoe Verzani
McGill University
Toscane Doh is a recent graduate of McGill University in Montreal Canada where she double majored in Political Science and History. Toscane is preparing to join Peace Corps. As of mid-march, she will be joining the Peace Corps and will be moving to Armenia as a TEFL volunteer. After her Peace Corps service, Toscane plans on pursuing a Masters in International Affairs. She is especially interested in ethics on a global scale, with a focus on international relations and humanitarian causes.
Toscane Doh
McGill University
Student Interns, Summer 2019
Kendra Gordillo is a junior pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Genetics and Philosophy minor at Clemson University in Clemson, SC. Some of her favorite coursework so far includes epigenetics and biomedical ethics, two classes which have deeply influenced her interest in the field of bioethics, specifically issues regarding gene therapy, transhumanism, and healthcare public policy. She is a member of CHANGE, Clemson’s student ethics committee with the Rutland Institute for Ethics. Upon graduation, Kendra hopes to pursue a Master’s in Bioethics and a JD. She hopes that her background rooted in science can help inform others of how to best approach ethical decision making when it comes to healthcare and medicine.
Kendra Gordillo
Clemson University
Nick is entering his second year of applied mathematics and computer engineering at Queen’s University. His interest in bioethics was spurred by a summer internship at a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company, where he learned about technologies like CRISPR CAS9 systems and their implications for the future of humanity. He would specifically like to explore the ethics of reprogenetic technologies, and hopes to be able to keep himself well informed about the ethical issues associated with the technologies of the future. Outside of schoolwork, he is involved in the Queen’s University Engineering Society, and has developed a novel medical device for detecting skin cancer in resource poor settings.
Nicholas Murray
Queen’s University
Andrew Kates is studying Applied Mathematics and Computer Engineering at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. He is a member of Queen’s Biomedical Innovation Team, where he works with other Queen’s University Students to develop new biotechnologies. Andrew’s interest in emerging health-related technologies and the ethical questions that are associated with their development stem from his engineering background and his time on the Biomedical Innovation Team. He hopes to use his experiences to help Global Bioethics Initiative promote meaningful public discussion and enact beneficial public policies on health and technology.
Andrew Kates
Queen’s University
Rohin Bhatt is a law student studying BSc. LLB (Hons.) at Gujarat National Law University, India. His research interests lie in feminist approaches to bioethics, regulation of modern artificial reproductive technologies and multicultural approaches to the study of modern bioethics. His interests in bioethics begin in his biotechnology class in his second year of Law school and he subsequently attended the Sherwin B. Nuland Institute for Bioethics at Yale University in 2018.He also serves as the the editor in Chief of Issues in Science, Law and Ethics, a blog started by the Gujarat National Law University in April 2019.
Rohin Bhatt
Gujarat National Law University
Gavin Ford is a sophomore majoring in Cognitive Science and Science in Human Culture at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. His interest in biomedical ethics began as an intern at Keith, Shapiro, and Ford law firm, where he gained hands-on experience in medical ethics through medical malpractice litigation. During his studies, he has explored how science, technology, and medicine interact with society, healthcare, governmental policy, and law throughout history as well as the possible impact of modern technological and scientific practices on the future. His additional interest in mental health activism as a member of the national organization Active Minds spurs him to explore the implications of technological advancement and healthcare policy on uniquely disadvantaged groups, such as those who suffer from mental illnesses and other disabilities.
Gavin Ford
Northwestern University
Emma Joseph is a senior at Colgate University where she is a political science major. Through her university coursework, she studied the United States healthcare system and the impact of government policies on health inequalities. Additionally, her background in computer science generated her interest in the ethical implications of emerging technologies, specifically the social impacts of artificial intelligence. These experiences, combined with her past work experiences at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and Pfizer (through Girls Who Code), has led to her interest in the intersection between technology, public policy, and bioethics.
Emma Joseph
Colgate University
Student Interns, Spring 2019
Kerin is a sophomore in Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. She is currently pursuing a major in Political Science and a minor in International Relations, while on the pre-med track. Her chosen course of study was influenced by her interests in international affairs and medicine. Her fascination was sparked by the frustration she felt having grown up in a community that lacked reliable medical care and medical advancement. She hopes that being immersed in the study of bioethics will help her navigate the medical field while challenging her perspective of the world. Kerin has interned with a permanent mission to the UN and volunteers with Peer Health Exchange as an educator, teaching a skills-based health curriculum in low-income communities.
Kerin Shilla
Hunter College
Christina Valeros is a sophomore in Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College in New York. She is working towards her Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Biology and a certificate in Public Policy. As an educator for Peer Health Exchange, she co-facilitates health workshops for freshman in under-resourced high schools. Her teaching experiences fueled her interests in issues outside of the classroom such as food insecurity, transportation and access to care that impact student success
. After taking a class on the ethics of reproductive technologies, she became interested in using bioethics arguments to supplement her studies in public health and policy analysis. Upon graduation, she hopes to pursue an MPP/MPH dual degree and a career that integrates ethics and equity with health policy analysis or reproductive rights advocacy.
Christina Valeros
Hunter College
Michael holds a BFA degree from the Tisch School of the Arts in Film & TV. A decision to engage in a more meaningful career led him to become a radiologic technologist. He currently works as a 3D Analyst at the New York Presbyterian/Columbia Irving Medical Center.
Michael is excited to fulfill his MA in bioethics with this internship at the Global Bioethics Initiative. In 2017 he was awarded a Provost’s Global Initiative fellowship to study at NYU Prague. He performed research in the Viktor Frankl archives, and met Eleanor Frankl personally. Michael believes the work of Viktor Frankl is important in the field of palliative care, and the ethical issues related to it.
Michael Bloom
New York University
Clara Dziombowski is currently pursuing her diploma in Management at the University of Lille (France), Faculty of Finance, Banking and Accounting. Her projects are continuing her studies in a Business School next year. Clara has a deep interest in discovering the world and different cultures, and has voyaged to many different countries around the world for humanitarian projects, cultural exploration, and language immersion trips. Some of these countries include Peru, Italy, Indonesia, Canada, Spain and others. She has pursued this internship at Global Bioethics Initiative in order to further explore his interest in international affairs and discover another working culture.
Clara Dziombowski
University of Lille
Arabella Romano is a student at the Hewitt School in New York City and as a member of Hewitt’s Student Service Board. She is involved in leadership initiatives and service learning through kindness and empathy as an active council member of the Riley’s Way Foundation. Passionate about environmental science and sustainability, she has volunteered to do hands-on work with clearing, planting, and growing trees and crops, beach cleanup, and garden work in various parts of the US including the Blackfeet indigenous reservation of Montana. At Hewitt, she is currently taking an AP environmental science course, in addition to being a member of Hewitt’s Earth Committee. Arabella is a firm believer and advocate for social justice, especially regarding the LGBTQ+ community as a proud member. Open mindedness, understanding and providing love and support to others are a few of her prevailing values that tie in to the time that she dedicates outside of the classroom. Her interest in bioethics embodies these values in addition to furthering her education as a student of Global Political Philosophy. Her dream is to work for the United Nations, providing aid and relief for those in need and implementing courses of sustainable action throughout the world.
Arabella Romano
Hewitt School
Student Interns, Fall 2018
Rasita Vinay is a current Master of Bioethics student at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. She completed her Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne with a major in Neuroscience, through which she was exposed to some of the more prominent bioethical issues in society today. She hopes to further her studies with a Doctor of Medicine specialising in Neurosurgery after completion of her Masters. She has been volunteering in the Emergency Department at the Royal Melbourne Hospital since 2015 and is also involved with numerous other charity events and foundations within Melbourne. During her time at the University of Melbourne, she was awarded a Leaders in the Community Award, which recognised not only her extensive involvement in the community, but also her influential and supportive leadership attributes.
Being culturally conscious, Rasita is very passionate about many of the bioethical issues which have a direct correlation with medicine practices and hopes that through her internship with the Global Bioethics Initiative, she will be equipped with the skills, knowledge and experiences to sufficiently advance into a medical field successfully
Rasita Vinay
Monash University
Tea Binder is a rising sophomore at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She is currently completing her Bachelors of Arts degree in philosophy while taking the pre-requisite courses for medical school to pursue a career in trauma surgery. Tea has been passionate about medicine from a young age. For three consecutive summers, she participated in LECOM’s medical science academy, taking part in case-solving, dissections, and physician-shadowing. She has also worked as a personal care assistant at A Lending Hand, providing in-home care for elderly patients. At Vassar, Tea is involved with the Debate Society and is currently undergoing training to become a student fellow. In this role, she will help a small group of freshman adjust to college life and overcome personal challenges throughout their first year.
As a future surgeon, Tea believes that an intricate knowledge of bioethical issues will make a positive difference in the lives of her patients. She knows that in the healthcare field, physicians face ethically controversial dilemmas on a daily basis. The choices they make in such situations can align with their own moral beliefs only if their knowledge extends beyond the realm of science into politics and philosophy. Through her participation in this program, Tea hopes to gain an education that will allow her future choices to be ever-representative of the society she wishes to be a part of. Thus, she is proud to partake in an effort to raise awareness about bioethical issues not only to herself, but to the next generation of healthcare workers as well
Tea Binder
Vassar College
Student Interns, Summer 2018
Leah Eskinder is a rising senior at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, working towards her Bachelors of Arts degree in biology. She plans on furthering her studies in the healthcare field to pursue a career as either a Pediatrician or a Pediatric Physician Assistant. From a young age she had a passion for biological sciences and her experience at Vassar has only heightened this passion and provided her with the knowledge and tools necessary to further herself in this field. At Vassar, she holds a position as the Media Chair of the Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) non-profit organization. She collaborates with peers to organize events to raise funds for the relocation of North Korean refugees in danger of repatriation, while also spreading awareness of the ongoing human rights issues in the country.
Leah has always been interested in expanding her knowledge of bioethics, as it is a field that strongly intersects with medicine. When carrying out medical practices and developing new medical technologies, it is imperative that you consider the ethical implications before implementing them with patients. She is therefore very enthusiastic to be supporting an organization whose mission is to spread awareness of these bioethical issues and find solutions to these challenges.
Leah Eskinder
Vassar College
Rahul Kulkarni is a junior at SUNY Stony Brook University, currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology on the Premed Track with interests in Radiation Oncology, Surgery, and Bioethics. He works for Global Bioethics Initiative (GBI) and The Radiation Oncology Department of Stony Brook Medicine in the capacity of Student Intern. An aspiring physician, Rahul feels the urgent need to address bioethical questions and challenges that predominantly emerge in the fields of Medicine and Medical Research. He perceives his interest in Bioethics to complement his ardent endeavors of becoming a judicious physician by helping him to hone his acumen in his work and hopes to serve in the United Nations where he can travel while practicing Medicine.
An international student from India, Rahul carries well-founded experiences in his healthcare pursuits and thus, hopes to use this wealth of experiences to aid him in navigating the meandering course of Medicine in the future. In India, his primary experience with the healthcare field has been in The Palliative Care and The Emergency Departments of The Bhakti-Vedanta Hospital. With an emerging interest in Bioethics, Rahul firmly intends to use these experiences garnered thus far that will shape him into a doctor who will serve humanity while earning a living with integrity.
Rahul Kulkarni
SUNY Stony Brook
Rasita Vinay is a current Master of Bioethics student at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. She completed her Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne with a major in Neuroscience, through which she was exposed to some of the more prominent bioethical issues in society today. She hopes to further her studies with a Doctor of Medicine specialising in Neurosurgery after completion of her Masters. She has been volunteering in the Emergency Department at the Royal Melbourne Hospital since 2015 and is also involved with numerous other charity events and foundations within Melbourne. During her time at the University of Melbourne, she was awarded a Leaders in the Community Award, which recognised not only her extensive involvement in the community, but also her influential and supportive leadership attributes.
Being culturally conscious, Rasita is very passionate about many of the bioethical issues which have a direct correlation with medicine practices and hopes that through her internship with the Global Bioethics Initiative, she will be equipped with the skills, knowledge and experiences to sufficiently advance into a medical field successfully
Rasita Vinay
Monash University
Emily Jacob is a recent graduate from Hunter College, New York, where she received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Media Studies. She plans to continue her education in the Marketing field to pursue her passion in advertising and human rights.
Emily was an active participant on her campus and became involved in raising awareness of social justice and human rights issues. She is passionate about putting an end to human trafficking and collaborated with several organizations both on-campus and nonprofits to organize events that help raise awareness and funds. She managed the planning and logistics as well as campaigns on social media platforms to promote these events.
She recently attended a discussion at a UN conference on the debate of life care public policy, sparking her interest in bioethics. She is committed to deepening her knowledge in this field and leveraging her marketing skills to support GBI in their mission to raise awareness of bioethical issues and identify adequate solutions.
Emily Jacob
Hunter College
Angela Turi is concluding a gap year in which she spent interning at the NYU School of Medicine’s Division of Medical Ethics under the direction of world-leading bioethicist, Dr. Arthur Caplan. Initially wanting to pursue the clinician route, the pivotal experiences that took place during her gap year have redirected her vocational compass into bioethical research. Following that discovery, Angela now intends to pursue an undergraduate curriculum of cognitive science, a degree program that she believes will lay the best foundation to prepare her for a career in the neuroethics industry.
Friends, family, and community members recognize Angela as an innate humanitarian and a contemporary student. From a very young age, Angela felt an inborn obligation to help others in times of need. In fact, her fascination with the medical field was catalyzed by frequent volunteerism efforts. She references her early clinical experiences working as an Emergency Medical Technician everyday as she immerses herself in research projects. Angela believes she found a home in bioethics that not only encompasses the ideal culmination of her academic passions and personal growth goals, but continually challenges her perspective on the world. From Angela’s point of view, bioethics will continue to be an omnipresent industry as long as humans continue to challenge the boundaries of nature.
Angela Turi
New York University
Emily Bloch is currently an undergraduate student at Durham University in the United Kingdom, pursuing a degree in Philosophy and Psychology. She plans on furthering her academic career by pursuing a masters degree in Practical Ethics. Having grown up in France, and attended International School throughout her childhood, Emily has cultivated a keen interest in world cultures and a passion for scrutinising ethical issues from a global perspective. She is particularly passionate about the ethics of the kidney trade around the world, as the black market for organ trade grows.
Emily is known by her friends and family as an advocate for human rights and will continue to work towards humanitarian goals with the pursuit of her masters, and by striving towards career goals in bioethics. Thus, she is enthusiastic about her opportunity to spread awareness about global issues in bioethics with this organisation, as she is beginning to realise her ambitions in the field of human rights and practical ethics.
Emily Bloch
University of Durham
Taryn Baker-Hewitt is a rising senior at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She is currently completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in biology with a correlate in sociology, and plans on continuing her education into the medical field to become a physician. She has had a passion for science and medicine since her childhood, and has spent several years working and volunteering with animals in veterinary hospitals. She has also spent time shadowing physicians and observing procedures at her local hospital, including witnessing orthopedic surgeries. At Vassar, she has taken the opportunity to engage in classes outside of the scientific field, which have broadened her interests and exposed her to the intersection of science and society.
Through this internship, Taryn hopes to gain an understanding of bioethics, which will be important to apply to the rest of her studies and career. She is very excited for the opportunity to work with Global Bioethics Initiative to learn and discuss global issues in bioethics, as well as become an advocate for awareness of these issues. Taryn’s growing passion for bioethics will help shape the rest of her career with an understanding of the ethical implications of her future practice of medicine.
Taryn Baker-Hewitt
Vassar College
Student Interns, Spring 2018
Elena Cappellari is currently in the process of completing her Master of Studies in Law at the University of Trento, Italy. Her passion for bioethics ignited after taking a course on bio-law, exploring the relationship between law and life science. She has been volunteering at the San Bortolo Hospital in Vicenza since 2013. She then continued her research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2017, expanding her perspective on bioethics in tandem with cultural displacement. Elena is committed to furthering her legal studies while in the U.S. and plans to eventually work as a lawyer in the bioethics field.
Elena Cappellari
University of Trento
Karina Bucciarelli is a rising senior at Scripps College, Claremont, CA where she is a Bioethics (Philosophy) major. Her classes in medical anthropology, political philosophy, and bioethics, have enabled her to understand issues in a bioethical framework, allowing her to compassionately and effectively engage in productive dialogue about possible solutions to these challenges.
Karina has recently co-founded and managed a not-for-profit organization in Southwest France where she assisted in creating an internship program for at-risk French youth. She also has experience working as a barista at a not-for-profit, intersectional feminist coffee shop. Karina is passionate about working for not-for-profits that seek to create positive social outcomes and is excited to join the GBI team.
Karina Bucciarelli
Scripps College
Student Interns, Winter 2017 – 2018
Naakesh Nirmal Gomanie, is a student at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, where he is studying under the Integrated Program in Engineering and Arts & Sciences (IDEAS) B.S. Program. His major focuses on the intersection between Biomedical Engineering, Systems Engineering, and Public Health. Working with the Global Bioethics Initiative, he was immersed in challenging and engaging assignments related to current bioethical topics.
Naakesh has a passion for learning and curiosity cultivated by years of work at the Lehigh Valley Health Network Hospitals, Bethlehem PA, where he worked with physicians and nurses to facilitate quality patient recovery environments. He also loves to sing and holds leadership positions in both the professional engineering fraternity, Sigma Phi Delta and Dance Marathon, where students raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Naakesh N. Gomanie
Lehigh University
Student Interns, Fall 2017
Teresa Samson is a recent Honors graduate from Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH, where she obtained her B.A. in Biology. By working with Global Bioethics Initiative she commits herself to lifelong learning as she prepares herself for a career in healthcare.
Teresa has developed her passion for medicine by participating in research and service. She culminated her liberal arts education by composing a bioethics thesis, an analysis of the controversy over germline gene editing. Through national grants, she dedicated two summers to cancer immunotherapy research as a Dartmouth College research fellow, and one academic year to the advancement of her college’s cancer genetic research. Teresa is committed to serving others through volunteer work. She has organized events with Special Olympics New Hampshire, mentored students, taught ESOL, and participated in disaster and poverty relief.
Teresa Samson
Saint Anselm College
Jason Choi is a recent graduate of Wheaton College in Massachusetts where he obtained a B.A. in Philosophy. In his studies, he focused on ethics, one of the four branches of philosophy. More specifically, his interest is in the normative and applied aspects of ethics regarding an array of topics and social issues including: bioethics, medical ethics, rights theory, cultural relativism, identity partiality, and more.
Apart from his philosophical endeavors, Jason has always been interested in education at the secondary and tertiary level. He enjoyed his experience as an Italian language student-teacher in high school, which prompted him to continue his interest and passion at Wheaton where he gained extensive experience in the fields of Higher Education and Student Affairs working and interacting with students in various roles and contexts.
Jason Choi
Wheaton College, Massachusetts
Student Interns, Summer 2017
Tanita Lang has a BA in Biochemistry and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Molecular Medicine at the Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main. During her studies, she completed several medical research internships, including studies with ataxia-telangiectasia patients, and her Master thesis will be in the field of breast cancer research. Her previous internships also included practical nursing training at a hospital. Tanita’s interest is focused on the ethical challenges presented by new medical research technologies such as genome editing. She plans to pursue a career that allows her to combine her scientific education with her interest in medical research ethics and global health.
Tanita Lang
Goethe University
Raymond Soriano has just completed his first year of the Master’s in Bioethics program at Wake Forest University. Last year, he graduated from Wells College with a bachelor’s degree in History. During his undergraduate years, he has participated in numerous medical researches; notable among these include research on Achilles Tendon Regeneration and Neuroscience and Appetite Suppressors In addition, he has also authored publications: Epidemiological Characteristics of Diabetes, and the prevalence of Ulcerative Colitis in Hispanics.
Raymond has also participated in medical missions. He contributed to the provision of healthcare to underserved communities in Mexico. Raymond’s interests in Bioethics particularly consist of narrative medicine, health disparities, and justice in human research. He plans on attending medical school and eventually, becoming a medical doctor or professional health researcher. By applying conceptual medical knowledge into practice, he hopes to make an impact by demonstrating compassionate, virtuous service and seek an interdisciplinary, humanities-based approach to medicine for the greater good.
Raymond Soriano
Wake Forest University
Angelica Dimoulias is currently completing her final year at the University of Toronto in Canada where she specialized in Bioethics and minored in Political Science. As an undergraduate student, she held many leadership positions as the Vice-President External and President of the Greek Students’ Association, as well as being an analyst for the annual European Studies Students’ Association Journal, where she focused on the Syrian Migrant Crisis and Human Rights.
Throughout her four years at U of T she dealt with critical issues in medical ethics, however her interests lay on medical assisted dying and the rights of patients, palliative care, mental health and equity. She plans on continuing her studies in Global Health and Policy and making a positive impact on health policies both in the state and international levels.
Angelica Dimoulias
University of Toronto
Yardena Katz is an undergraduate student at Yeshiva University, where she is majoring in Biology and minoring in Political Science. She is the Secretary General of the Yeshiva University Model United Nations conference and has served as an editor of the student newspaper and anchor on the student news broadcast. As a Kressel Research Scholar, she is currently conducting a research project on triple negative breast cancer in a molecular biology laboratory.
Yardena has authored several published articles, including an analysis of public health concerns in Jewish law, biology research in the Journal of Signal Transduction, and a fiction piece in the Canadian Jewish News. When not covering university news, her journalistic articles have advocated for public health and mental health initiatives on campus. She hopes to pursue a career that fuses her passion for research with her interest in public policy.
Yardena Katz
Yeshiva University
Student Interns, Spring 2017
Robyn Perry-Thomas is a final year medical student currently studying at the University of Manchester. She graduated with 1
st class Honours from the University of St Andrews in 2014, before continuing her clinical studies in England. Throughout her undergraduate career she has developed a strong interest in medical ethics and public health. This interest has led to her involvement with several publications, as both an editor and contributor, in addition to presenting her work at a number of conferences in medical ethics and general medicine.
Robyn is particularly interested in topics that explore the social determinants of health and which examine the emerging ethical challenges within our healthcare systems, in light of the immense technological and scientific advancements that continue to be made. She is looking forward to working internationally and further broadening her understanding of bioethics and the everyday implications that such issues have on us all.
Robyn Perry-Thomas
University of Manchester
Louise is studying in the north of France in Lille. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor in Economics and projects to integrate Business School next year. Louise is interested in ethics and in medicine so she decided to do her internship at Global Bioethics Initiative. Furthermore, she was excited to do an internship.
Louise Toulemonde, Bachelor Candidate
University of Lille
Student Interns, Fall 2016
Mia Smartt is currently pursuing a B.A. in Biology from Cornerstone University with a minor in intercultural studies. Mia first became interested in bioethics through the American Medical Student Association through the Global Advocacy Scholars Program addressing issues of global medicine and advocacy. In March she will travel to the Dominican Republic to volunteer at a local clinic with classmates. She currently volunteers at the Alpha Women’s Center of Grand Rapids, Michigan as an advocate for those facing an unplanned pregnancy and the trials of motherhood. Mia’s current bioethical research centers on brain trauma and culpability. She plans to continue to engage in bioethics and advocacy as a future medical student.
Mia Smartt
Cornerstone University
Kristina Jacobsson just graduated from Trinity High School in Manhattan. She will begin at Harvard College in the Fall of 2017, after taking a gap year. Her academic interests include human biology and the Classics. She is proficient in Spanish, and she has traveled to Ecuador and The Galapagos Islands to learn about environmental ethics. Kristina has a deep interest in bioethics and specifically in the ethics of human experimentation in creating the Polio vaccine. As an undergraduate student, Kristina plans to pursue her interest in bioethics, and she hopes to ultimately go to medical school.
Kristina Jacobson
Harvard University
Student Interns, Summer 2016
Aidan Appleby is currently pursuing a B.A. in psychology at the University of Miami, with a double minor in philosophy and medical humanities. Previously, he has interned at the National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington, D.C., and assisted in graduate research in neuroscience at the University of Toronto. He first became interested in bioethics while on a medical trip to Tanzania, where he shadowed doctors at a local hospital in Morogoro, and saw how vastly the quality of medical care varies depending on location and socioeconomic status. During his time at Salisbury School, an all-male preparatory boarding school in Connecticut, he was one of the student leaders of the “Bloodhounds,” an organization that coordinates blood drives for the American Red Cross and attends regional conferences. He currently plays for Miami’s men’s lacrosse team.
Aidan Appleby
University of Miami
Jack Beaumont is currently pursuing his diploma in Global Studies at Greens Farms Academy in Westport, Connecticut. He has prior experience with international affairs from the Model United Nations club at his school, and has attended multiple Model United Nations conferences in Washington, D.C. and Berlin, Germany. Jack also has a deep interest in travel, and has voyaged to many different countries around the world for community service, cultural exploration, and language immersion trips. Some of these countries include Ecuador, Vietnam, China, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and others. He has pursued this internship at Global Bioethics Initiative in order to further explore his interest in international affairs.
Jack Beaumont
Greens Farms Academy
Conor Bryant is currently pursuing a B.A. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Iowa, as well as a minor in philosophy. Conor is interested in neuroscience and the biological mechanisms that lead to awareness, and he is fascinated by the metaphysics surrounding human consciousness and how it is viewed throughout different cultures. In the fall, he will be working as a research assistant in the University of Iowa Cognitive Neurology Lab. Recently, he has been working with the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center as a research assistant in Iowa City. He has also founded a philanthropic student organization, Courage Hawks, as well as volunteered at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Conor enjoys traveling and staying physically active. He competes in a variety of sports competitions throughout the year.
Conor Bryant
University of Iowa
Genevieve Lewis is currently a student at Blair Academy, a co-educational boarding school in Blairstown, New Jersey, pursuing her high school diploma. She is the Jewish Union president, a contributor and creator of the Ethics Section for the school newspaper, and active in community service. Previously, she worked with NYU Bioethics to create a module on the ethics of vaccinations, and participated in the Global Youth Summit for the Future of Medicine at Brandeis University, focusing on Broca Aphasia. She also shadowed a pediatric neurosurgeon, a pediatrician, and an electro-physiologist at Morristown Medical Center. Genevieve first became interested in bioethics when she participated in a Bioethics Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) through the Kennedy of Ethics at Georgetown University, where she worked closely with the creators of the program to improve the course in future years. This summer she will be the photographer for a medical mission in Guatemala through Morristown Medical Center, as Genevieve pursues her passion of combining community service and medicine.
Genevieve Lewis
Blair Academy
Eva Pérez-Greene is combining her interests in philosophy and art history with medicine at Columbia University. She currently works at the ER at New York Presbyterian, where she conducts clinical research and onsite translations, into and out of Spanish. She appreciates the intensity and unpredictability of the ER. Beyond her time at the ER, Eva is involved with the Columbia Bach Society and French Cultural Society. Eva attended St. Paul Academy, where worked as the Editor-in-Chief of The Rubicon, was the captain of the Science Alliance, and acted in numerous productions. Eva would like to draw on her deep, broad passion for culture and ethics as she continues her quest to become a doctor.
Eva Pérez-Greene
Columbia University
Acacia Sheppard recently got back from a semester abroad at Bristol University, and is currently pursuing a B.A. in political science at Mount Holyoke College, with a minor in chemistry. Before coming to the US, Acacia lived in Malawi, and has been involved in several NGOs, such as the Malawi Blood Transfusion service and the Woman’s Corona Society. Additionally, she has shadowing experience in surgery at Malomulo, Mwaiwathu and SDA hospitals as well as in the HIV clinic at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Acacia is particularly interested in the ethics of global healthcare distribution and HIV. At Mount Holyoke, she is involved in the Student Global Aids Campaign as well as the equestrian centre.
Acacia Sheppard
Mount Holyoke College
Alexis Woodhouse is a student at Columbia University, pursuing a dual degree in Earth and Environmental Engineering and Dance. Having previously worked in Benin, West Africa with the CDC and USAID, and in Quito, Ecuador with UBECI, she is excited to continue her interest in public health, bioethics, and global medicine with GBI. Her passion for accessible and ethical medicine stems from her travels and her desire to see a change in public health infrastructures abroad. Alexis eventually plans to either go to medical school or get her Masters in Public Health after pursuing dance following her undergraduate education.
Alexis Woodhouse
Columbia University
Student Interns, Spring 2016
Aura Gomez-Tagle is an engineering student at Stony Brook University, specializing in management, and is actively involved in Engineers Without Borders. She also co-founded Stony Brook’s Global Innovation Team and plays the violin in the University Orchestra. Aura is passionate about creating a sustainable world and helping transform infrastructure in developing communities. She also loves to travel and is fluent in Italian, Spanish and German.
Aura Gomez-Tagle
Stony Brook University
Ellen Arkfeld is a senior at Sarah Lawrence College, where she focuses on biology, psychology and philosophy. During her undergraduate years, she complemented her studies with volunteer work in clinical and research settings. She became interested in the field of bioethics after studying philosophy, epistemology and the history of medicine during a year at Oxford University. Through bioethics, she hopes to merge her focus on psychology and biology with her passion for philosophy. She is particularly interested in the ethical issues surrounding the growth of medical technologies and the structure of healthcare organizations.
Ellen Arkfield
Sarah Lawrence College
Princess graduated from Fordham University with a B.S. in General Science in 2015. She is completing her Master’s degree in Ethics and Society from Fordham University, as well, with a focus on Biomedical Ethics. As an undergraduate, Princess conducted biotechnological research, where she designed and synthesized novel substitutes (usually plant-based nano-materials) to aid in drug delivery to cancerous tumors and act as antimicrobials and photocatalysts, to name a few. Her interests in biomedical ethics are linked to her next goal of attending medical school.
Princess Chukwuneke
Fordham University
Maria is a graduate of Fordham University Lincoln Center with a B.A. in English on the premedical track. She is currently completing her Master’s degree at Fordham in the Ethics and Society program. After graduation, she hopes to continue her ethics education by pursuing a joint MD/PhD program in bioethics. She is also a graduate assistant at Fordham University’s Institutional Review Board and a research assistant at Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry. Most of her coursework and research experience is in research and medical ethics. Her current interests are ethical research practices involving vulnerable populations in health-related research.
Maria Coluccio
Fordham University
Rimah Jaber received her BS from John Carroll University in 2015 in Biology with minors in Spanish and Women’s & Gender Studies. She is currently working toward a Master’s degree in Ethics & Society at Fordham University focusing in bioethics. During her undergraduate career, she worked with organizations such as Middle Eastern Student Association and Cleveland Peace Action engaging in discourse and social action for human rights and international justice. Her interests include a range of ethical issues surrounding women’s health and advancements in biotechnology, as well as those issues aligning with human rights. Rimah plans on pursuing a PhD in bioethics to ultimately work in research and clinical ethics.
Rimah Jaber
John Carroll University
Trisha is currently attending New York University and plans to graduate in May 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in French and Linguistics and a minor in Art History. Her studies focus on the cultural evolution of language and its impact on society. Trisha is an engaged member of her campus community, involved in the organization of various leadership programs. She has worked in a diverse number of research posts in the fields of marketing, social work and linguistics. Growing up in Dubai, she was exposed to an extremely multicultural environment which fostered her love for travel, community outreach, international relations and foreign languages.
Julia graduated from New York University in 2011 with a BA in Medical Humanities. She joined the NYU Fertility Center as a Clinical Research Associate and Coordinator where she studied early embryo development. In 2013 she became an undergraduate Adjunct Instructor teaching Human Reproduction and a reproductive biology Research Fellow investigating ezrin and estrogen receptor expression in cervical carcinogenesis. Julia is an active member of the epilepsy research community taking on leadership roles in both the NYU Finding A Cure for Epilepsy and Seizures (FACES) non-profit and the North American Twenty-20s Epilepsy Awareness Group. Julia volunteered in Nepal in April 2015 as a women’s education and empowerment advocate. She is excited to start medical school in August 2016.
Julia Buldo-Licciardi
NYU
Hadas Richardson currently attends Fordham University and is set to graduate in 2018. She is majoring in psychology and minoring in philosophy and bioethics. Last summer Hadas spent a month studying in Granada, Spain with some of her colleagues at Fordham. She also worked as a legal assistant at the Kraus Flaming, LLC in Chicago. Hadas is currently training to become an Emergency Medical Technician of Fordham University Emergency Medical Services. Hadas is currently a member of Fordham’s Pre-Law Society, Autism Speaks-U and Active Minds.
Hadas Richardson
Fordham University
Nicole Fenghea, BS
After completing high school in the United States, Nicole decided to continue her university studies abroad in England at City University London. This opportunity has allowed her to expand her field of view and helped her understand and analyze problems from a long term worldwide perspective. From an early age she acquired a profound fascination towards the mechanisms of life. As she got older she became aware of the impact that medical advances have on our society. Her longing to contribute to the advancement of healthcare, kindled her interest in medical advances and in biomedical engineering. Her interests and focus are based on new medical advances such as DNA Nanotechnology, Stem Cell bioengineering and cellular therapies. Nicole’s own scientific belief relies on the theory that humanity will always depend on medical advances to treat health problems.
Agata Ferretti, MA
Agata Ferretti is currently pursuing her M.A. in Moral Philosophy at Università degli Studi of Milan, focusing on bioethics and neuroethics. Her master’s thesis will most likely focus on the relation between enhancement and the post-human. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in June 2014 with a B.A. in Moral Philosophy with a thesis titled “Free Will and Responsibility: Neuroscientific discoveries challenge the freedom of the will and moral responsibility”. Agata will start an exchange program at KU Leuven, Belgium, in Fall 2015, attending courses in the Erasmus Mundus Master of Bioethics. She attended bioethics courses at Helsinki University and participated in a series of conferences at Zurich University Winter School on Human Enhancement. She hopes to pursue with a PhD in Neuroethics and find a career that can integrate her interests in philosophy, neuroscience and biotechnologies, and health policy.
Jessica Haushalter, BS
Jessica Haushalter graduated Magna Cum Laude from The Ohio State University in May 2015 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Psychology. She graduated with Research Distinction in Psychology for completing her research thesis titled Cognitive Distortions and Antisocial Behavior Among Adults with Traumatic Brain Injury. Jessica will start law school at Vanderbilt University in Fall 2015 and hopes to find a career that integrates law, neuroscience, and psychology. While in undergrad, she worked in two research labs, one focused on Traumatic Brain Injury and the other focused on Social Neuro-Chemistry. She has interned with the United States Postal Inspection Service, a Physical Rehabilitation Center, and the law firm Thompson, Dunlap & Heydinger, Ltd.
Yasmine Karma, BA
Yasmine Karma graduated magna cum laude from Binghamton University in May, 2015 with a B.A. in Cell and Molecular Biology. She was born and raised in Queens, NY, to which she owes her familiarity and deep appreciation of the diversity of people. Her academic career includes experience as an undergraduate researcher conducting biostatistical analyses and as an undergraduate teaching assistant in an introductory biology lab. Yasmine plans on marrying her two passions in science research and socioeconomics by pursuing a graduate degree in epidemiology in order to enter the public health field, where unanswered questions in immunology and sociology merit equal importance.
Grace Kim, BS/MS
Grace Kim is a concurrent undergraduate and graduate student at Arizona State University. She is majoring in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Biology & Society, and she is in the MS Biology and Society program focusing on Bioethics, Law, and Policy. Her honors thesis focuses on evaluating sexual health education and if sexual wellness programs affect future sexual behavior attitudes of university students. Grace originally wanted to become a physician with an interest in gynecology. However, after taking a medical humanities course in her final year of her undergraduate career, she switched focuses and is now interested in pursuing a career focusing on science policy, science communications, and public health in order to bridge the gap between science and the public. Her research interests are primarily in women’s health, sexual health, and understanding the intersection between technology and health privacy.
Eija Lindroos, BA
Eija Lindroos is currently finishing her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Turku in Finland. She is majoring in Philosophy and with minors in Political Science and Sociology, she specializes on issues concerning ethics, society and biomedicine. Before coming to New York she attended Maastricht University and studied their “Cultures of Knowledge and Technology”-module which inspired her to study further the relation between technology and our value systems. She has also interned at I.S.E.O Institute in Italy which is a non-profit organization that promotes analysis and discussion about the world economy. Her interest thus lie in the challenges society, development, medicine and the conceptions we have about ourselves have to face as the development on biotechnology advances.
Syra Mehdi
Syra Mehdi is a junior at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, MA. Syra’s interest in the field of science and philosophy began with Human Genomics at Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth’s Bioengineering course at Roger Williams College in 2012. Syra created ‘Today in Science’ for East Bridgewater Community Television where she hosts, produces and edits scientific content featuring research. She has actively created episodes featuring Global Bioethics Summer School’s program. Forming the Nobles Philosophy Club, Syra and her team competed in the Boston Ethics Bowl this year. Her acceptance into the dual enrollment program in Massachusetts allows her to complete college courses in the field of philosophy, ethics and biology. Syra has performed the lead role in 8 musicals, a national commercial spot produced by the Farrelly Brothers for the NHL, and many solo performances. Syra co-wrote, recorded and performed for PTV World the ‘Unity Song’ in Pakistan which was nominated for the first round of the 2014 GRAMMY Awards.
Andrew Scherffius, BA
Andrew Scherffius is a junior, philosophy major at Colorado College. He is originally from Bozeman, Montana, where he competed on a debate team and advanced to the “Sweet-16” round of the International Public Policy Forum debate competition. Outside of school, he volunteers with two organizations: a tutoring community for middle schoolers and a garden for public school students. His research interests include the philosophy of aesthetics, pre-Socratic Greek philosophy, and understanding the bioethical issues of organ transplantation. He is proficient in Spanish and is learning French.
Remy Servis, BA
Remy Servis is a rising senior at Washington University in St. Louis, studying Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology with a minor in Writing. More specifically, Remy’s studies are focused within the field of cognitive neuroscience, which are enhanced by her job during the school year working as an undergraduate research assistant in Washington University’s Cognitive Control and Psychopathology Lab. She is also passionate about fiction and poetry writing which she further developed last summer, attending the University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop for Fiction and interning at the Bellevue Literary Review in Manhattan. In Spring 2015, she studied abroad at the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland, taking classes in Psychology and Philosophy.
Waikei Tong, BS
Waikei Tong is a junior at New York University majoring in Biology and minoring in Philosophy and Chemistry. She is currently on the pre-med track and hopes to pursue medical school to ultimately become a cosmetic dermatologist. She first became interested in bioethics by taking a medical ethics course; since then, she has been fascinated by organ transplantation policies as well as in ethics behind vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques. Other than bioethics research, she has also conducted extensive research in DNA nanotechnology as a part of the Chemistry department at NYU. Waikei is fluent in Chinese (bothMandarin and Cantonese), and is planning on learning Spanish.
Stana Turney
Stana Turney is a senior at Rye High School and following at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel. Her interests include studying biology and marketing. She has attended the Entrepreneurial Business course at the Technion University in Israel last summer. She has volunteered at an orphanage and at Crece Camp for disabled children in Colima, Mexico. She is fluent in Romanian and proficient in Spanish and Hebrew.
Student Interns, Spring 2015
Michael Lausberg
Michael received his Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy in 2014 at the Munich School of Philosophy. His undergraduate thesis explored the work of Heidegger and Wittgenstein. He has worked as a development assistance intern in Jamaica and Mexico; through this work he has gained experience in the fields of education, event management, psychology, and psychiatry. His love of traveling has led him to explore South America, Australia, India, and most of Europe. He is fluent in German, English, and Spanish, and is working on learning Russian. He plans to begin a Master’s degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in the fall.
Richard Balagtas
Richard is a junior at Boston College double majoring in Philosophy and Political Science; his academic interests include applied ethics, international law, and human rights. He became interested in bioethics during his freshman year. This interest led him to write and publish a paper in Boston College’s undergraduate research journal Elements entitled “Death: A Conversation – The Moral and Legal Complexities of Assisted Suicide.” Since then, Richard has written papers on bioethics from the perspective of Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Richard recently studied abroad in Kuwait, researching the growth and development of Islam and how the religion is interpreted in other parts of the world. In the future, Richard hopes to attend law school to pursue a JD/MPH so he can work as a health care lawyer or policy writer.
Student Interns, Summer 2014
Rebecca Moore
Rebecca is a junior at Bucknell University where she is pursuing a major in Management with a concentration in sustainability and minors in Legal Studies and International Relations. During her time at Bucknell she has been involved with the Bucknell Brigade, a service-learning organization dedicated to providing sustainable relief to Nicaragua. Through her involvement with the Bucknell Brigade she has worked to develop a cervical cancer protocol to implement at the Nueva Vida Health Clinic and has been able to cultivate her passion for global health. Prior to attending Bucknell University, she served on the Junior Board of Northern Westchester Hospital where she worked on developing public health campaigns revolving around teenage public health issues. After graduation she hopes to pursue a J.D. and M.A. in bioethics.
Cristina Good
Cristina is a sophomore at the University of Virginia, majoring in Systems Engineering and completing her pre-med requirements. She plans on minoring in Bioethics, concentrating on the ethical decisions made during the start and very end of life. She has previously taken part in research analyzing the effect of increased screening on HIV/AIDS patients, which led her to the field of Bioethics. After interning in an Emergency Room, Cristina experienced first hand the need for ethical guidelines. Cristina intends to involve herself with the ongoing research at UVA, focusing on professionalism in healthcare and human subjects research.
Raina Jain
Raina is a rising senior at Columbia University where she is majoring in Biological Sciences. During her time at Columbia, she’s been extremely involved with Peer Health Exchange, a volunteer organization that sends college students to low-income high schools to teach health topics. Raina has also worked in several labs during the past few years, in topics ranging from Biochemistry to Pathology. She ultimately aspires to pursue a career in medicine with a focus on international and public health.
Chiru Mondo Murage
Chiru will be a junior at Harvard College concentrating in Government (International Relations) and French, with a citation in Arabic. She first became interested in bioethics after she took a class in the fall called “Bioethics: the future of human nature,” taught by Michael Sandel and Doug Melton. She is involved with the Harvard Institute of Politics and volunteers for a non-profit called Dig Deep, which works to bring clean water to rural schools in East Africa.
Najd Alfawzan
Najd Alfawzan is a student of the Bioethics Master Program at the University of Pennsylvania. She is interesting in medical anthropology and did her studies regarding organ trafficking and reproductive health ethics in the Middle East. Najd graduated with a BS in clinical laboratory sciences from King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She worked on a stem cell research project at King Faisal Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh. Najd is very knowledgeable in contemporary Islamic thoughts and she has been involved in many social activities. She established Saudi Book Clubs Organization and many other book clubs and intellectual dialogue groups in Saudi Arabia.
Noushaba T. Rashid
Noushaba T. Rashid graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a degree in History with a strong emphasis in microbiology and a minor in Middle Eastern Studies and Islam. She is currently a student at NYU completing her masters degree in Bioethics. Noushaba is primarily interested global bioethics issues such as organ transplantation and trafficking as well as women’s reproductive health in developing nations especially in South Asia. She wishes to further her career in the field of global health and bioethics.
Jake Stern
Jake Stern is a senior at Johns Hopkins University, where he is double majoring in International Studies and Philosophy. An active member in his campus community, he has founded two organizations, The Promotion of Campus Life and The New Political Society, both of which focus on fostering more political discourse on campus. His concentration in Philosophy is related to bioethical research and international awareness.
Student Interns, Fall 2014
Amy Xia
Amy Xia is a sophomore at Columbia College (’17) studying Biology and following a pre-med track. She has extensive scientific research experience, working on topics including HIV RNA and drug interactions, genome sequencing of bacteria, and surface metal alloy characterization. She conducted translational immunology research at the Columbia University Medical Center, focusing on influenza resident memory T-cells. She has participated in programs that bring scientific and medical education to elementary schools near Columbia University.
Zoe Siegel
Zoe Siegel is a sophomore at NYU studying Global Public Health and Applied Psychology with a minor in Sociology. She hopes to work as an advocate for women’s reproductive rights in the legal or non-profit sectors upon graduation. This past summer she spent time in Tanzania advocating for NAFGEM, The Network Against Female Genital Mutilation. Her interests include humanitarian issues, women’s issues and human trafficking.
Saara Akhtar
Saara Akhtar is an undergraduate student in Philosophy at King’s College London. She has taken courses in Bioethics at University College London and Birkbeck University. This summer, Saara attended the Sherwin B. Nuland Institute for Bioethics at Yale University to carry out research for her final year dissertation. Saara won the undergraduate award at Yale, after presenting a proposal entitled “Female versus Male Genital Mutilation and the Limitations of Honoring Diversity in Medicine.” Upon returning to King’s College London in October, Saara will serve as the President for the first undergraduate Bioethics Society at the University of London. She will work as an editor for their online journal. She intends to study in a Masters program in Global Health.
Student Interns, Spring 2014
Juan Duran
Juan Duran is a graduate of Fordham University where he received a B.A. in Natural Science. He is currently a medical student at Weill Cornell Medical College. Before starting medical school, he was a 2012-2013 Fulbright Research Fellow in Madrid doing Traumatic Brain Injury research and he functioned as a researcher at the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs where he developed an interest in Global Health and Humanitarian issues. His ultimate goal is to pursue a career in Neurology. He is currently a visiting researcher at the Global Bioethics Initiative in New York City.
Julie Killian
Julie Killian completed her B.A. in Cultural Anthropology, with a minor in Spanish Culture and Language at State University of New York at Purchase College. She has cross-cultural experience in education, and has studied in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia at Colegio Aleman (The German School) as well as at the University of Barcelona. Julie also received a fellowship on the behalf of the Government of Spain to teach English at a public high school(IES Garcia Morato) in Madrid, Spain from 2011-12. Her experiences at home and abroad have collectively inspired a strong interest in the values of health in contemporary culture. She is interested in cross-cultural applications of healing methods and health philosophies, as well as pursing a Master’s Degree in Medical Anthropology.
Kayla Santos
Kayla Santos is a senior at Manhattanville College, majoring in Biology with a minor in Sociology. Her interests include infectious disease, virology, immunology and epidemiology. She is currently conducting research at Manhattanville on the effects of mango supplements on the health, vitality and reproduction of the American chameleon, Anolis carolinensis. After graduating she hopes to gain experience in a laboratory and peruse an MD-PhD.
Student Interns, Summer 2013
Jonathan Amdur
Jonathan Amdur is a sophomore at Boston College, majoring in Mathematics with a minor in Faith, Peace, and Justice Studies concentrating in medical ethics. His interest in bioethics comes from his freshman seminar and Catholic morality classes he has taken that discussed topics in bioethics such as public health, end of life care, and patient rights. In the fall he will be volunteering at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. Jonathan is currently completing his pre-medical requirements in order to go into a career in medicine.
Emma Biegacki
Emma Biegacki is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Public Health (Health & Societies), with a minor in Medical Anthropology. Interests include medical social work, application methods in narrative medicine, culture and medical stigma, international development in public health, cultural sensitivity in medical training, and human rights in healthcare. Emma currently serves as Co-Director of Communications for GlobeMed@Penn and Editor in Chief of “Dreams in Development,” the blog for critical writing in International Development of PennSID, for which she also writes on Global Health development.
Taylor Coles
Taylor is a junior at Georgetown University, majoring in Philosophy and Government. He has previously worked with the Secular Coalition for America and is currently a researcher on the Georgetown debate team. He hopes to pursue philosophy in graduate school. He is currently developing a thesis discussing the relationship between ethical thinking and global knowledge practices for Georgetown’s Social and Political Thought program.
Alana Deluty
Alana Deluty is a junior at The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. A Philosophy major, she is interested in bioethics, specifically neuroethics and cognitive liberties. At Wooster, she has researched the relationship between memory alteration and identity, and will spend next year studying health care ethics in India and Argentina. Alana would like to pursue a career in the healthcare industry, possibly working for a government organization or an ethics committee.
Louisa Howard
Louisa Howard is a senior at the University of Virginia, majoring in Art History with a minor in Bioethics. She is taking her pre-med requirements in hopes of attending medical school. Louisa is a program director for the UVA hospital volunteer services program, where she oversees student volunteers as well as shadows and assists medical professionals in the ICU. After interning at a Fertility Center last summer, Louisa has become passionate about the ethical issues facing healthcare, especially in the field of Reproductive Medicine. Louisa would like to pursue a career in Women’s Health with a focus on Reproductive Ethics.
Etan Kuperberg
Etan Kuperberg is currently an M.A. candidate, studying Bioethics at NYU. He is writing his Master’s Thesis on the topic of value conflicts in clinical settings. He started working at GBI in January 2013, helping to organize the GBI’s launch event, “Crimes of 21st Century: Organ trafficking, Global Health, and Security.” His primary interests include meta-ethics and bioethics. He intends to pursue a Ph.D. degree in Applied Ethics with a focus on Bioethics.
Oana Adriana Lita
Oana is a student in the Department of Political Science, specializing in International Relations, at The National School of Political Science and Public Administration(Romanian: Şcoala Naţională de Studii Politice şi Administrative din Bucureşti, SNSPA) which is a public University in Bucharest, Romania. Oana volunteered for the National Anti-Drug Association (NAA) which works to ensure national coordination in fighting against illicit drug trafficking and consumption among young people. She is interested in organized crime, especially human and drug trafficking.
Connor McCleskey
Connor McCleskey is a junior at Oberlin College, majoring in Philosophy and Cognitive Studies. His interest in bioethics stems from his studies in neuroscience and contemporary philosophy. He is an editor of The Synapse, the Oberlin College science magazine, and served as a research assistant in Oberlin’s Psychology Department. In addition, he also serves as a member of the Oberlin College Student Health and Counseling Center’s Student Support Team, working to increase the visibility and availability of mental health resources on campus. He is currently completing his pre-med requirements and hopes to pursue a career in medicine.
Pria Narsiman
Originally from Australia and having grown up in Malaysia, Pria Narsiman is a junior at Columbia University in the City of New York double majoring in Neuroscience and Behavior and French and Francophone Studies. Her interests include international development in public health, neuroethics and the psychology of culture. Pria is currently a research assistant at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt hospital and serves on the executive boards of the Southeast Asian League and Journal of Global Health at Columbia.
Student Interns, 2011 – 2013
Sebastian Agredo
Sebastian Agredo graduated from Boston College in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and a minor in German Studies. His interest in bioethics stems from a course on the Philosophy of Health Sciences that he took at Boston College, and he joined GBI in the summer of 2012 to further explore this growing field. His time with GBI has provided him with a firm understanding of key ethical and medical issues that arise out of the disparities in policy and health care that exist throughout the world. Beginning in Fall 2013, Sebastian will attend Columbia University and pursue his Master of Science degree in Bioethics.
Brian Gabriel
Brian graduated from State University of New York, New Paltz in 2012 with a Bachelor’s of Arts in International Relations and in History. He joined the Global Bioethics Initiative in the winter of 2012. He joined GBI because of his interest in global health issues that disproportionately affect the developing world and his interest in global trafficking networks. Brian is now attending The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University for a Master’s of Arts in International Relations with a concentration in non-profit management.
Alejandra Garcia
Originally from Honduras, Alejandra Garcia received her B.S in Electrical Engineering at the City College of New York on 2011. She is currently enrolled an M.S. program in Electrical Engineering at the City College of New York. She has been an intern for Global Bioethics Initiative since July 2012 and besides engineering she is interested in global health, bioethics and public policy. She is involved in an ongoing project on Global Bioethics and Health Network. She is fluent in Spanish and English.
Csaba Bardossy
Csaba Bardossy studied medicine at Semmelweis University of Budapest, Hungary. Currently he is a law student at Pazmany Peter Catholic University, starting his fourth year. After graduation he intends to specialize in biotechnology patent law. He was also a participant of Summer Institute 2012 of Yale University giving presentation on comparative research on biotechnology and international intellectual property rights and patent issues. Csaba Bardossy is involved in our ongoing project on Global Policies in Organ Transplantation. He has also lived and worked in UK and Washington, DC.
Mouna Latouf
Mouna Latouf completed her B.Sc. in Honors Biology at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her thesis, “Parent-offspring communication in European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris,” is to be published with further data analysis and written work with professors Dr. Colleen Barber, Saint Mary’s University, and Dr. Jennifer Foote of Algoma University, Ontario. Mouna’s research interests include worldwide diseases affecting humans and animals, epidemiology, immunology, and the production, cause and effect of vaccines.
Katarina Lee
Katarina joined GBI in November 2012. She graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Dallas in May 2012. She is currently attending New York University and pursuing her M.A. in Bioethics. She will complete this degree by July 2013 and will be starting law school in August 2013. Her interests include genetic technologies, fertility ethics, organ transplantation, death/dying issues and health law. Her interests also include differences in health policy in different countries, especially the comparison between Canada and the USA, as she is a Canadian citizen.
Student Interns, 2009 – 2013
Jason P. Lott, M.D., M.S.H.P.
Jason Lott is a dermatology resident at Yale University Medical Center and a visiting researcher on a volunteer basis for the new Initiative. He is a former Marshall Scholar at Oxford University and a Gamble Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. His research interests include clinical ethics, health policy-making, and health economics. He has most recently worked as an intern researcher in the Evidence and Information for Policy Unit of the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
Amir Tarsha, B.S., M.S. Candidate
Amir Tarsha is a visiting researcher at The Global Bioethics Initiative. He graduated with distinction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. is Psychology and an Honors Degree in Liberal Arts. He is currently enrolled in the Union Graduate College-Mount Sinai School of Medicine Clinical Bioethics Program and plans to receive his M.S. degree next year. His ultimate goal is a career in health care, either as a physician or medical consultant. He is in the process of applying to MD/MPH programs.
Student Interns, Summer 2016
[modal_text_link name="Joseph" class="" id=""]
Emma Joseph
Colgate University
[/modal_text_link]