Senior Leadership Committee
Amanda Addiego
Graduation Year: 2020
Email Address: aappling@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biology and Economics majors
Research: I investigate the genetics of multiciliated cell development in the kidney using a zebrafish model in Dr. Wingert's lab
Post-Graduate Plans: Medical School
Favorite Biology/ES course: Classical and Molecular Genetics
Extracurriculars: Irish Fighting for St. Jude's Kids, SUB representative, Uplift, Biology Club, LRC tutoring, Right to Life Babysitting, Genetics lab TA
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Explore your interests! Finding a research lab, club, or other activity that you truly enjoy not only helps you stay well-rounded but makes your day-to-day more fun. Stay connected! Always reach out to peers, professors, and upperclassmen who will be more than willing to help you learn and want you to succeed.
Aleah Appling
Graduation Year: 2019
Email Address: aappling@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Environmental Science & Spanish Supplemental
Research: McLachlan Lab (ecology and STEM education research)
Post-Graduate Plans: Something involving environmental policy–not sure yet!
Favorite Biology/ES course: Planet Earth
Extracurriculars: Community Alliance to Serve Hispanics (C.A.S.H), we teach English as a new language to South Bend residents!
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Become an ES Major.
Meridith Balbach
Graduation Year: 2019
Email Address: mbalbach@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biology, Anthropology (minor)
Research: Investigating evasion of RIPK1-mediated mitophagy in metastasizing cells (Schafer Lab)
Post-Graduate Plans: Medical School
Favorite Biology/ES course: Tumor Cell Biology
Extracurriculars: Memorial Hospital peds unit volunteer, Badin Hall RA, track/ XC manager, Uplift mentoring
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Stick with it! Take advantage of the many opportunities uniquely available to our program. I've formed connections with so many awesome biology professors who genuinely care about my success by reaching out and going to office hours. I've gained many mentors (many of whom I'm now asking questions as they go through med school) through bio opportunities like Uplift. Don't ever hesitate to reach out to someone in the bio community for help, whether it be for a class or a summer internship-- someone will be happy to help you.
Cayla Bales
Graduation Year: 2019
Email Address: cbales@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biological Sciences, Latino studies minor
Research: Boone Lab studying Gastrokine-1 function
Post-Graduate Plans: Medical School
Favorite Biology/ES course: Genetics
Extracurriculars: Uplift, volunteering at Family Medicine Center, interhall flag football, cooking
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Be selective with your activities! Don't always choose to participate in things just because you think they will look good on a resume or a future application. You'll have limited time as a student, so always do what you love.
Katheryn Barnhart
Graduation Year: 2019
Email Address: kbarnha1@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Environmental Sciences, Anthropology minor
Research: Hellenthal Lab; Identifying Lepidoptera from different biomes and looking at color variation/convergent evolution amongst species in these biomes
Post-Graduate Plans: Graduate School in either biology, environmental science, or archaeology/paleontology
Favorite Biology/ES course: Planet Earth, Biostatistics, General Ecology
Extracurriculars: I work as a program assistant for the Eck Institute of Global Health, am a graduate of UNDERC, and am involved in Uplift
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Don't get discouraged if the first year is difficult. First year deals with a lot of covering the basics- gen chem, orgo, bio, and math, and it can get overwhelming. However, if you stick with it, it is really rewarding and you'll be able to take classes that are more specific to what you really love- classes you wouldn't be able to thoroughly understand without the basics. I struggled, but am so happy I kept with it and I know you will be, too.
Paul (Trey) Cannon
Graduation Year: 2019
Email Address: pcannon@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biology/Theology/Molecular Biology
Post-Graduate Plans: Medical School
Favorite Biology/ES course: Physiology, Evolution, and (though I haven't taken it yet), Anatomy
Extracurriculars: Cross Country, Rock Climbing, EMT, Navy
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Work hard. Study harder. And enjoy your time here at ND. Bio is a blast and a really incredible community to be a part of. Join the Bio Club, get involved in research, or volunteer. It's the best way to live what you love.
Henri Chung
Graduation Year: 2019
Email Address: hchung2@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biological Sciences - Computational Biology
Research: Jones Lab - Whole lake hydraulic resident time manipulation, nutrient analysis of lakes across DOC spectrum. Perkins Lab - time series analysis of Zika and dengue epidemics.
Post-Graduate Plans: Graduate School - Phd
Favorite Biology/ES course: Intro to Biocomputing
Extracurriculars: TAing
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Relax.
Christina Del Greco
Graduation Year: 2019
Email Address: cdelgrec@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biological Sciences with a minor in Science, Technology, and Values
Research: Stark lab: studying cisplatin-induced gene expression in MCF-7 breast cancer cells
Post-Graduate Plans: Graduate school in biomedical sciences
Favorite Biology/ES course: Biostatistics and Medical Molecular Genetics
Extracurriculars: Uplift co-coordinator, Walsh Hall RA, Dublin study abroad, dog enthusiast
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Take advantage of how broad the biology major is! You'll have plenty of time to take the electives you're most interested in but also try to use the opportunity you have to learn about a field of biology you wouldn't have otherwise taken a class in.
Melissa Gozun
Graduation Year: 2020
Email Address: mgozun@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biology Major; Japanese Minor
Research: Drug Development Research in the Chang Lab
Post-Graduate Plans: Medical School
Favorite Biology/ES course: Genetics or Physiology
Extracurriculars: Sorin Scholars; Uplift Mentor; Pasquerilla West Hall Council; Hawaii Club; FAST; Shadowing at the South Bend Clinic
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Don't be afraid to reach out for help! All the professors are super approachable and want you to succeed during your time here at Notre Dame. And, they love talking about what they're passionate about. If not, come talk to one of us! We're more than happy to talk!
Amelia Grose
Graduation Year: 2020
Email Address: agrose1@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Environmental Sciences, Sustainability minor
Research: Tank Lab - sources of water contributing to agricultural streams, Museum of Biodiversity - Hemiptera (True Bugs) identification and chemical defenses
Post-Graduate Plans: Peace Corps, Graduate school
Favorite Biology/ES course: Planet Earth with Clive Neil
Extracurriculars: Fossil Free ND, GreeND
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Don't be afraid to reach out to upperclassmen in your major if you need advice or help with a class - they will often be happy to help out!
Firas Houssein
Graduation Year: 2020
Email Address: fhoussei@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biology with Ecology Track
Research: Lamberti Lab (Ecology Lab)
Post-Graduate Plans: Medical School
Favorite Biology/ES course: Genetics
Extracurriculars: MEDLIFEND, AFCI, Dorm Government
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Be sure to stick with it, it gets easier and, more importantly, more enjoyable.
Yutong Liu
Graduation Year: 2019
Email Address: yliu25@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biological Sciences/Philosophy, PPE
Research: I work in the Fraser Lab. There are currently two projects: characterization of the antiviral activity of UCN-01, and construction and characterization of a trivalent grp-1 intron for Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya.
Post-Graduate Plans: I plan to work for a year or two in healthcare before going into graduate studies in infectious disease/global health.
Favorite Biology/ES course: Medical Microbiology, Medical Molecular Genetics, Virology
Extracurriculars: Take Ten, ND Global Health Case Competition, ND International Admission Committee
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Do your readings and try to have fun! Do not be afraid to reach out to any of the Professors for a coffee chat or talk about research opportunities. Your should also feel free to reach out to the various institutes out side of COS for research and other opportunities. The Eck Institute for example is a very good resource for people who are interested in global health.
Yanting (Raven) Luo
Graduation Year: 2020
Email Address: yluo3@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biological Sciences, Japanese (minor)
Research: Dr. Xin Lu's Lab; Characterization of the Molecular Mechanisms of VHL Disease
Post-Graduate Plans: PhD with the ultimate goal of academia or industry
Favorite Biology/ES course: Genetics, Cell Biology and Genetics Lab!
Extracurriculars: Biology Club, Scientia, Genetics Lab TA, CSLC Japanese Tutor, Kung Fu Club
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Regardless of your post graduate plans, try out research! Start with a research class (IUR or Cell Biology Research in your second year) or find a lab, and see where it takes you! For me, lab research is what completes me besides classes and extracurriculars, and trains me to become a true, independent, working scientist. My friends who do not intend to pursue a PhD enjoy research as well. I hope you too would take advantage of the resources available here at Notre Dame!
Catherine Moseley
Graduation Year: 2019
Email Address: cmoseley@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Environmental Sciences
Research: Dr. Adrian Rocha's Lab; Characterizing the effects of wildfire on climate forcing and vegetation recovery on the northern slope of Alaska
Post-Graduate Plans: Veterinary School
Favorite Biology/ES course: Ecology, Biostatistics, and Genetics
Extracurriculars: Interhall flag football/basketball/tennis, GreeND, and hiking
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Have an open mind! The umbrella that envelopes biology is huge, so have patience in knowing that not all topics will be your primary interest and that there will be a course/lecture/module that will spark a pursuit in your academic career here at ND!
Nhu-y Nguyen
Graduation Year: 2020
Email Address: nnguyen7@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biology/ Anthropology/ Biomedical Science
Research: Malarial research based in Indonesia (Lobo's Lab)
Post-Graduate Plans: Master in Global Health then Medical School
Favorite Biology/ES course: Genetics
Extracurriculars: VSA President, AAA, Scribe for ScribeAmerica, State Representative intern for Union of Vietnamese Student Association of the Midwest
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: 1. The first year is tough but just push through it. The first year is mostly general classes, so don't base your judgement on the major on them. It gets better and more interesting.
2. Put yourself out there. Reach out to the professors and TAs. They're there to help you; all you need to do is ask. Build a connection with your professors, it will make recommendation letters so much easier for you and the professor.
3. Do what you like and are interested in. Explore the classes offered in the department.
Love Osunnuga
Graduation Year: 2020
Email Address: losunnug@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biological Sciences; Honors Mathematics
Post-Graduate Plans: Medical School
Favorite Biology/ES course: Genetics
Extracurriculars: Biology Club; Multicultural Pre-Med Society
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Make sure that you get to know the professors in the biology department. They're really cool people with tons of experience that they are more than willing to share with you.
Henry Perillo
Graduation Year: 2019
Email Address: hperillo@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Environmental Sciences/Italian
Research: Genomics and eDNA in Dr. Pfrender's lab
Post-Graduate Plans: Graduate school or a job in environmental protection
Favorite Biology/ES course: Biostatistics, Topics in Environmental Sciences
Extracurriculars: WVFI Student Radio DJ, Men's Boxing Club Member, Keough Hall Resident Assistant
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Determination. This one word is the key to success because not everything goes our way. As you've already been told, science isn't easy; sometimes, we don't ace an exam or receive the praise for our research we deserve or get great internship positions. But don't despair–go fail again. I have found that a little humility and a lot of determination go a long way into building character that not only prepares you to be an insightful scientist, but a great person overall. And in my opinion, that's what truly matters.
Kelson Pike
Graduation Year: 2019
Email Address: kpike1@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biological Sciences/ Cell and Developmental Biology
Research: I did research in the Jones lab on protein half-life in bacteria and the role of environmental stress on that quality between species.
Post-Graduate Plans: Medical School
Favorite Biology/ES course: Genetics
Extracurriculars: Interhall Soccer, Volunteering at Memorial and the Center for the Homeless
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Stay curious about what you're learning and find your spot on campus that you can get away to for studying or to just take some breaks every once in awhile.
Eileen Reeves
Graduation Year: 2019
Email Address: ereeves@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Environmental Sciences
Research: Insect Identification with Dr. Hellenthal, UNDERC
Post-Graduate Plans: Research, grad school for Entomology
Favorite Biology/ES course: Entomology and Aquatic Entomology
Extracurriculars: Marching Band, Hockey Band, Irish Dance
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Study hard, don't let a bad test score get you down.
Michael Sokolowski
Graduation Year: 2020
Email Address: msokolow@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biology; Glynn Family Honors Program
Research: Schafer Lab
Post-Graduate Plans: Medical School
Favorite Biology/ES course: Cell Biology
Extracurriculars: Biology Club, Timmy Global Health, Scientia, Scholastic
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Mass cramming the night before the exam stops working after the first few semesters...
Helen Streff
Graduation Year: 2020
Email Address: hstreff@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Major: Biological Sciences Minor: Glynn Family Honors Program, Bioengineering Track: Computational Biology
Research: I do chemoresistant breast cancer research with Dr. Prosperi's lab team.
Post-Graduate Plans: PhD Program in Genetics or Bioengineering
Favorite Biology/ES course: Genetics
Extracurriculars: Uplift, Badin Hall Government, Civic Duty, Right to Life Babysitting Commission, figure skating, and Basilica lectoring
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Try to do an REU one summer! They're super fun and teach you a lot about your research interests.
Abigail Zellmer
Graduation Year: 2020
Email Address: azellmer@nd.edu
Major(s)/Minor(s)/Track: Biological Sciences / Science, Technology, and Values Minor
Research: Nervous system development and regeneration in Smith Lab
Post-Graduate Plans: Graduate school (PhD)
Favorite Biology/ES course: Medical Molecular Genetics
Extracurriculars: Active Minds, GlobeMed, McGlinn Hall Comissioner, Student Union Board (SUB)
Advice for Freshmen Biology Majors: Don't feel like you need to immediately join a research lab freshman year, it's okay to get settled into college life and wait to find a lab you're really going to enjoy.