Lianna Marks
Doctoral Student, Global Health, Columbia University Medical Center
Lianna Marks is a Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Fellow at the Children's Hospital of New York and Columbia University Medical Center. She is a graduate of Columbia College and the Indiana University School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Her interest in Global Health has lead her to clinical work in Kenya, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. Her research investigates using natural killer cell immunotherapy in the treatment of cancer.
Lianna Marks
Fellow, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital of New York and Columbia University Medical Center
Lianna Marks is a Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Fellow at the Children's Hospital of New York and Columbia University Medical Center. She is a graduate of Columbia College and the Indiana University School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Her interest in Global Health has lead her to clinical work in Kenya, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. Her research investigates using natural killer cell immunotherapy in the treatment of cancer. She is also interested in how genetic sequencing can be used to identify targeted therapies and predict risk of relapse in patients with pediatric leukemia.
Working Group Affiliation
Bree Martin
Doctoral Student, Genetic Counseling, Columbia University
Bree Martin is from Los Angeles, CA, and received a bachelor’s degree in psychobiology with a minor in philosophy from UCLA. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Columbia University in Genetic Counseling. Bree has past research experience in genetic factors in schizophrenia, and was an active member of UCLA’s Bioethics Society. She hopes to be an advocate for equitable healthcare, specifically within genetic medicine.
Bree Martin
Graduate Student, Genetic Counseling, Columbia University
Bree Martin is from Los Angeles, CA, and received a bachelor’s degree in psychobiology with a minor in philosophy from UCLA. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Columbia University in Genetic Counseling. Bree has past research experience in genetic factors in schizophrenia, and was an active member of UCLA’s Bioethics Society. She hopes to be an advocate for equitable healthcare, specifically within genetic medicine.
Working Group Affiliation
Sarah McLaughlin
Graduate Student, Narrative Medicine, Columbia University
Sarah McLaughlin is a first-year graduate student in the Narrative Medicine Program at Columbia University. She is interested in prioritizing stories of marginalization in the clinical encounter, employing storytelling to better care for individuals in underserved communities, and understanding patients’ stories in the context of identity, community and society.
Sarah McLaughlin
Graduate Student, Narrative Medicine, Columbia University
Sarah McLaughlin is a first-year graduate student in the Narrative Medicine Program at Columbia University. She received her B.A. from Williams College earlier this year, where she completed a dual major in English Literature and Chemistry, with a concentration in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She was also on the pre-health track at Williams, and looks forward to pursuing a career in the medical field. She is interested in prioritizing stories of marginalization in the clinical encounter, employing storytelling to better care for individuals in underserved communities, and understanding patients’ stories in the context of identity, community and society. In her free time, she enjoys field hockey and weightlifting, playing and writing music, and exploring new places with friends and family.
Working Group Affiliation
K. Melodi McSweeney
Graduate Student, Genetics and Development, Columbia University
K. Melodi McSweeney is a fourth year PhD candidate in Genetics whose research focuses on modelling the effect of mutations that cause neurological disorders. Melodi is originally from Belize City, Belize and moved to Chicago, IL in 2008 to finish her Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular Biology at Loyola University Chicago. Melodi went on to complete a Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program at the University of Michigan in the Human Genetics department where she studied atypical progeria and DNA damage due to hydroxyurea, a treatment for sickle cell anemia.
K. Melodi McSweeney
Graduate Student, Genetics and Development, Columbia University
K. Melodi McSweeney is a fourth year PhD candidate in Genetics whose research focuses on modelling the effect of mutations that cause neurological disorders. Melodi is originally from Belize City, Belize and moved to Chicago, IL in 2008 to finish her Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular Biology at Loyola University Chicago. Melodi went on to complete a Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program at the University of Michigan in the Human Genetics department where she studied atypical progeria and DNA damage due to hydroxyurea, a treatment for sickle cell anemia. Melodi started her PhD in 2012 through the University Program in Genetics and Genomics at Duke University and then joined Dr. David Goldstein’s lab in 2013. Melodi relocated to Columbia University with Dr. Goldstein’s group in 2015 and is currently continuing her PhD research on the effect of microRNA manipulation on neuronal activity and the functional consequences of mutations in the ATP1A3 gene.
Working Group Affiliation
Sonia Mendoza-Grey
PhD Student, Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Sonia Mendoza-Grey is a PhD student in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences at Mailman School of Public Health. Mendoza-Grey employs her human biology, sociology, and qualitative research training to her dissertation research that examines precision medicine implications for the Latinx population. Specifically, her work investigates how recruitment and analysis of the Latinx population shapes and informs understandings of Latinidad, and how researchers’ work with Latinx populations illuminates the assembled connections among genetics, ethnicity, and race through contemporary bioscience.
Sonia Mendoza-Grey
PhD Student, Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Sonia Mendoza-Grey is a PhD student in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences at Mailman School of Public Health. Mendoza-Grey employs her human biology, sociology, and qualitative research training to her dissertation research that examines precision medicine implications for the Latinx population. Specifically, her work investigates how recruitment and analysis of the Latinx population shapes and informs understandings of Latinidad, and how researchers’ work with Latinx populations illuminates the assembled connections among genetics, ethnicity, and race through contemporary bioscience. This project engages science and technology literature, critical ethnic and race theory, as well as with health disparities research among minorities.
Working Group Affiliation
Shazia Mitha
PhD Student, Columbia University School of Nursing
Shazia Mitha, MSN, AG-ACNP-BC, RN is a Robert Wood Johnson Future of Nursing Scholar, who is currently a second year PhD student in Nursing. She is an exceptional student, leader, clinician and scholar interested in engaging in ethical, cultural and political conversations about precision medicine to improve the next generation of health care delivery in the world. She believes that as technology and science advance towards precision in health, clinicians must engage in these conversations to ensure the ethical, cultural, and social domains of precision medicine.
Shazia Mitha
PhD Student, Columbia University School of Nursing
Shazia Mitha, MSN, AG-ACNP-BC, RN is a Robert Wood Johnson Future of Nursing Scholar, who is currently a second year PhD student in Nursing. She aims to develop phenotypic risk identification and predictions models of high-risk breast cancer patients experiencing treatment-related cardiotoxicity, using natural language processing and other informatics approaches at Columbia University. She is an exceptional student, leader, clinician and scholar interested in engaging in ethical, cultural and political conversations about precision medicine to improve the next generation of health care delivery in the world. She believes that as technology and science advance towards precision in health, clinicians must engage in these conversations to ensure the ethical, cultural, and social domains of precision medicine.
Working Group Affiliation
Katherine Neimeyer
Doctoral Student, Narrative Medicine, Columbia University
Katie Neimeyer is a graduate student in the Narrative Medicine program at Columbia University, where she also works as a research coordinator in the Taub Institute and Sergievsky Center on several neurogenetic studies. As an intern in the Summer Internship for Indigenous Peoples in Genomics Canada (SING Canada) 2019 program at the University of Alberta, she participated in a dialogue about Indigenous bioethics and approaches to genomic sciences. She plans on pursuing a career in genetic counseling after she completes her M.S. in Narrative Medicine.
Katherine Neimeyer
Graduate Student, Narrative Medicine, Columbia University
Katie Neimeyer is a graduate student in the Narrative Medicine program at Columbia University, where she also works as a research coordinator in the Taub Institute and Sergievsky Center on several neurogenetic studies. As an intern in the Summer Internship for Indigenous Peoples in Genomics Canada (SING Canada) 2019 program at the University of Alberta, she participated in a dialogue about Indigenous bioethics and approaches to genomic sciences. She plans on pursuing a career in genetic counseling after she completes her M.S. in Narrative Medicine.
Working Group Affiliation
Christie Oliver
Doctoral Student, Biomedical Science, Columbia University
Christie Oliver will be starting at Columbia University, School of Professional Studies, as a graduate student in the Bioethics program in Fall 2017. She is from Edinburgh, Scotland and has a Bachelor’s degree with honors in Biomedical Science (Anatomy) from University of Aberdeen. Her thesis focused on fetal testosterone and the role it plays in the development of autism spectrum disorders. She is fascinated by the differences in health care systems globally and is passionate about the development of emerging medical fields. She is an active runner and loves to do yoga.
Christie Oliver
Graduate Student, School of Professional Studies, Columbia University
Christie Oliver will be starting at Columbia University, School of Professional Studies, as a graduate student in the Bioethics program in Fall 2017. She is from Edinburgh, Scotland and has a Bachelor’s degree with honors in Biomedical Science (Anatomy) from University of Aberdeen. Her thesis focused on fetal testosterone and the role it plays in the development of autism spectrum disorders. She is fascinated by the differences in health care systems globally and is passionate about the development of emerging medical fields. She is an active runner and loves to do yoga.
Working Group Affiliation
Kenia Pujols
Doctoral Student, Public Health, Columbia University
Kenia has a clinical background and is an MHA '22 graduate of the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University.
Kenia Pujols
Mailman School of Public Health, '22 graduate
Kenia has a clinical background and is an MHA '22 graduate of the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University.
Kenia applies her knowledge and skills to identify solutions to the most pressing challenges in the health care system. More specifically, this fellowship analyses the limitations of precision medicine, implementation processes and possible solutions to help improve the scientific literature and applied knowledge on personalized medicine.
Working Group Affiliation
Sikder Rabbi
Doctoral Student, Precision Medicine, State University of Bangladesh
Sikder Nahidul Islam Rabbi completed his Bachelor and Master’s in clinical pharmacy and pharmacogenetics from State University of Bangladesh. In the arena of research, he has worked with clinical pharmacokinetics, drug protein binding study, pharmacogenetics, SNP genotyping, HLA research and cancer genetics, better understanding about drug activation and pharmacodynamics variation based on patient’s genetics. His research interest includes, epigenetics, proto-oncogene mutation, cancer genetics and neuroscience.
Sikder Rabbi
Associate Fellow, Precision Medicine
Sikder Nahidul Islam Rabbi completed his Bachelor and Master’s in clinical pharmacy and pharmacogenetics from State University of Bangladesh. In the arena of research, he has worked with clinical pharmacokinetics, drug protein binding study, pharmacogenetics, SNP genotyping, HLA research and cancer genetics, better understanding about drug activation and pharmacodynamics variation based on patient’s genetics. He worked as a scientific officer in a pharmcogenetics lab and worked with FDA genetic biomarkers with several research groups of Bangladesh and Germany. He has several research articles on precision medicine, cancer genetics and HLA research. His research interest includes, epigenetics, proto-oncogene mutation, cancer genetics and neuroscience.
Working Group Affiliation
Syed Raza
Doctoral Student, Public Health, Columbia University
Syed Raza is a master of public health candidate in the department of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University where he is also completing a certificate in the Social Determinants of Health. His work focuses on the political economy, sociocultural aspects, and research methodologies of public health. His research interests include historical sociology, geopolitics, science and technology studies, social epidemiology, world-ecology analysis, and critical animal studies.
Syed Raza
Graduate Student, Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Syed Raza is a master of public health candidate in the department of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University where he is also completing a certificate in the Social Determinants of Health. His work focuses on the political economy, sociocultural aspects, and research methodologies of public health. His research interests include historical sociology, geopolitics, science and technology studies, social epidemiology, world-ecology analysis, and critical animal studies. For his master's thesis, he will examine the links between population health, precision medicine, health paradigms, health disparities, and political economy.
Working Group Affiliation
Andrew Ressler
PhD Student, Systems Biology, Columbia University
Andrew Ressler is a PhD Candidate in the department of Systems Biology. Andrew is currently a researcher in the Institute for Genomic Medicine in Dr. David Goldstein’s lab. He received his Bachelors of Science in Applied Math and Biology from Brown University in 2013. After graduating, Andrew worked as an associate in finance at Amgen for two years before beginning his PhD at Columbia University in 2015. As a graduate student, Andrew’s research focuses on developing methods to model and characterize neuropsychiatric disease using human stem cell derived cultured neuronal networks.
Andrew Ressler
PhD Student, Columbia University
Andrew Ressler is a PhD Candidate in the department of Systems Biology. Andrew is currently a researcher in the Institute for Genomic Medicine in Dr. David Goldstein’s lab. He received his Bachelors of Science in Applied Math and Biology from Brown University in 2013. After graduating, Andrew worked as an associate in finance at Amgen for two years before beginning his PhD at Columbia University in 2015. As a graduate student, Andrew’s research focuses on developing methods to model and characterize neuropsychiatric disease using human stem cell derived cultured neuronal networks.
Working Group Affiliation
Leah Rosen
Graduate Student, Narrative Medicine, Columbia University
Leah Rosen was raised in Denver, CO and graduated from Duke University in Durham, NC. At Duke, she created her own interdisciplinary major titled "Illness and Identity" and completed that in conjunction with the standard pre-med curriculum. She would describe the "Illness and Identity" curriculum as a medical humanities approach to patient-centered care--pulling from disciplines including psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, religious studies, and biology. She is excited to pursue a degree in Narrative Medicine at Columbia and then hopefully continue onto medical school.
Leah Rosen
Graduate Student, Narrative Medicine, Columbia University
Leah Rosen was raised in Denver, CO and graduated from Duke University in Durham, NC. At Duke, she created her own interdisciplinary major titled "Illness and Identity" and completed that in conjunction with the standard pre-med curriculum. She would describe the "Illness and Identity" curriculum as a medical humanities approach to patient-centered care--pulling from disciplines including psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, religious studies, and biology. Beyond her courses, she had the opportunity to work as a research assistant in the Duke Eating Disorder Research Lab and Health Humanities Lab. She is excited to pursue a degree in Narrative Medicine at Columbia and then hopefully continue onto medical school.
Working Group Affiliation
Maya Sabatello
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons
Maya Sabatello is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Bioethics, at the Department of Psychiatry, and a Lecturer, at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University. A lawyer with a PhD in political science, and post-doctoral training from Harvard Medical School and Columbia University Medical Center, she specializes in bioethics, medical ethics, disability studies, international law and comparative human rights. Her research focuses on law, society, and disability; a child-centered approach to assisted reproductive technologies; and the ethical, legal, and social implications of genetics, especially in pediatrics and judicial settings.
Maya Sabatello
Assistant Professor of Clinical Bioethics, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Maya Sabatello is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Bioethics, at the Department of Psychiatry, and a Lecturer, at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University. A lawyer with a PhD in political science, and post-doctoral training from Harvard Medical School and Columbia University Medical Center, she specializes in bioethics, medical ethics, disability studies, international law and comparative human rights. Her research focuses on law, society, and disability; a child-centered approach to assisted reproductive technologies; and the ethical, legal, and social implications of genetics, especially in pediatrics and judicial settings. She authored Children's Bioethics (Martinus Nijhoff/ Brill Publishing, 2009) and co-edited (with Marianne Schulze) Human Rights and Disability Advocacy (Penn University Press, 2014). Previously, Sabatello litigated cases of medical malpractice and has worked as a legal adviser to national and international nongovernmental organizations to promote health-related and disability rights.
Working Group Affiliation
Precision Medicine: Ethics, Politics and Culture, Project Director
Taylor Santoro
Doctoral Student, Bioethics, Columbia University
Taylor Santoro is a graduate student in the Bioethics program at Columbia University School of Professional Studies. In May 2017 she graduated with honors from Wake Forest University with a double B.A. in Economics and Studio Art. After graduate school she plans to attend medical school and continue to pursue her research interests in the biomedical field. In her free time she focuses the majority of her time between her passion for cooking and completing her current painting projects!
Taylor Santoro
Graduate Student, School of Professional Studies, Columbia University
Taylor Santoro is a graduate student in the Bioethics program at Columbia University School of Professional Studies. In May 2017 she graduated with honors from Wake Forest University with a double B.A. in Economics and Studio Art. After graduate school she plans to attend medical school and continue to pursue her research interests in the biomedical field. In her free time she focuses the majority of her time between her passion for cooking and completing her current painting projects!
Working Group Affiliation
Srishti Sardana
Doctoral Student, Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Columbia University
Srishti Sardana is a graduate student in the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, in the Global Mental Health Lab, Teachers College, Columbia University. She is also a Research Assistant at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Medical Center. She has assisted on various projects with the aim to build skills needed to conduct high-impact mental health research in low-resource settings.
Srishti Sardana
Graduate Student (Doctoral Scholar), Teachers College, Columbia University.
Srishti Sardana is a graduate student in the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, in the Global Mental Health Lab, Teachers College, Columbia University. She is also a Research Assistant at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Medical Center. She has assisted on various projects with the aim to build skills needed to conduct high-impact mental health research in low-resource settings. She has worked with faculty and advanced graduate students on several studies including examining the feasibility and acceptability of evidence-based psychotherapy (specifically, interpersonal psychotherapy) to address the mental health needs of adolescent girls trafficked for sex work and prostitution in India; communities impacted by the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon; and implemented a pilot study to assess the mental health needs of home-based female sex workers in rural India for her Master’s thesis, at Teachers College. Srishti is currently examining how the precision medicine initiative may benefit a larger population by ensuring an equitable racial representation of individuals of different ethnic groups. Before enrolling at Columbia University, Sardana was employed in the juvenile offender unit at the Institute of Juvenile Justice, Delhi Police where she initiated a narrative therapy-based intervention project for youth offenders. She also helped a local mental health NGO with the Building Bonds project, which trained 100,000 men and boys to become active stakeholders in prevention of violence against women and girls in Delhi, India. Srishti is the co-founder of Sishu Vikas, an NGO, where she assisted in clinical work focused on providing therapeutic support for child and adult clients in need for crisis and suicide assessment and intervention for individuals exposed to violence, neglect, and sexual abuse. As a doctoral student, Srishti’s research is focused on bridging the gap in clinical science research and practice, with a specific focus on socially disadvantaged communities with severe mental illnesses.
Working Group Affiliation
Jeremy Shropshire
Graduate Student, Columbia University
Jeremy Shropshire is a Louisiana native from Hammond, La. He is a recent graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana with a Bachelors of Science in Chemistry. At Xavier, Jeremy conducted research under the mentorship of Dr. Stassi DiMaggio in the Department of Organic Chemistry. His project focused on developing stimuli-responsive nanomaterials in order to be used as potential drug-delivery systems. He is also a Minority Access to Careers Scholar, Ronald E. McNair Scholar, and a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. He is currently enrolled in the Masters of Bioethics Program at Columbia University in the City of New York via the HBCU Fellowship Initiative.
Graduate Student, Columbia University
Jeremy Shropshire is a Louisiana native from Hammond, La. He is a recent graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana with a Bachelors of Science in Chemistry. At Xavier, Jeremy conducted research under the mentorship of Dr. Stassi DiMaggio in the Department of Organic Chemistry. His project focused on developing stimuli-responsive nanomaterials in order to be used as potential drug-delivery systems. He is also a Minority Access to Careers Scholar, Ronald E. McNair Scholar, and a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. He is currently enrolled in the Masters of Bioethics Program at Columbia University in the City of New York via the HBCU Fellowship Initiative. Jeremy has an acute interest in healthcare policy and the way that law regulates ethical practices. Jeremy looks forward to embracing his role as an Associate Fellow by contributing and learning from the Precision Medicine Program.
Working Group Affiliation
Oluwatomisin Sontan
Graduate Student, Narrative Medicine, Columbia University
Oluwatomisin Sontan is a first-year student in the Narrative Medicine Program at Columbia University. She graduated with a bachelor's degree from Yale in Literature & Comparative Cultures and concentrated her studies in bioethics and medical humanities. She hopes to use storytelling to bridge the gap between legal, medical, and philosophical understandings to promote health justice, health equity, and ethics in the biomedical space.
Oluwatomisin Sontan
Graduate Student, Narrative Medicine, Columbia University
Oluwatomisin Sontan is a first-year student in the Narrative Medicine Program at Columbia University. She graduated with a bachelor's degree from Yale in Literature & Comparative Cultures and concentrated her studies in bioethics and medical humanities. She hopes to use storytelling to bridge the gap between legal, medical, and philosophical understandings to promote health justice, health equity, and ethics in the biomedical space.
Working Group Affiliation
Natalia Romano Spica
Graduate Student, Columbia University
Natalia Romano Spica is a graduate student in the Narrative Medicine Program at Columbia University, where she also earned her B.A., double majoring in Biology and Medicine, Literature and Society. Born in the US and raised between Europe and the US, she has had the opportunity to explore life sciences and clinical research alongside her studies in the Classics, the Arts and the Humanities. She plans to continue her lifelong journey of bridging the sciences and the humanities as a physician.
Natalia Romano Spica
Graduate Student, Columbia University
Natalia Romano Spica is a graduate student in the Narrative Medicine Program at Columbia University, where she also earned her B.A., double majoring in Biology and Medicine, Literature and Society. Born in the US and raised between Europe and the US, she has had the opportunity to explore life sciences and clinical research alongside her studies in the Classics, the Arts and the Humanities. She plans to continue her lifelong journey of bridging the sciences and the humanities as a physician.
Working Group Affiliation
Harini Sridhar
Graduate Student, Narrative Medicine, Columbia University
Harini Sridhar is a graduate student of Narrative Medicine at Columbia University. She previously earned her Bachelor's in Biology, focused in Genomics, at Duke University. Harini is classically trained in Bharathanatyam, an age-old dance of India. Through movement, she has shared stories on stage exploring themes of community, environmental health, gender identity, and disability. The parallels she has drawn between the art of dance and the art of medicine has enlightened and reinforced her academic interests in the intersection of dance, mental health, and women's health.
Harini Sridhar
Graduate Student, Narrative Medicine, Columbia University
Harini Sridhar is a graduate student of Narrative Medicine at Columbia University. She previously earned her Bachelor's in Biology, focused in Genomics, at Duke University. Harini is classically trained in Bharathanatyam, an age-old dance of India. Through movement, she has shared stories on stage exploring themes of community, environmental health, gender identity, and disability. The parallels she has drawn between the art of dance and the art of medicine has enlightened and reinforced her academic interests in the intersection of dance, mental health, and women's health.
Working Group Affiliation