Ari Aviles

-Co-president-

Originally from Florida, Ari received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Florida Atlantic University in 2022. However, his participation in a research internship at Texas A&M University in 2021 led him to pursue graduate level research with a focus on molecular biology applied to cancer. He returned to Texas A&M for the Genetics and Genomics interdisciplinary PhD program in late 2022. As part of the department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Ari applies mixed wet and drylab methods to characterize novel isoforms contributing to multiple myeloma (Plasma cell cancers) and also propose them as biomarkers for drug responsiveness and patient risk assessment in the clinic. He hopes his work will benefit clinicians by supporting treatment efficacy and increase patient health spans.

ariaviles@tamu.edu

Hussain Alcassab

-Co-president-

Hussain Alcassab is a 2nd year Genetics and Genomics Ph.D. student in Dr. Carl Gregory’s lab. His thesis project seeks to treat canine osteosarcoma using antisense oligonucleotides, and utilize the yielded results of that as a potential surrogate model for human osteosarcoma. The implications of this research could create a novel therapeutic agent in the care regiment of both human and canine osteosarcoma. Hussain received both his undergraduate in 2022 and his masters in 2024 studying Cytogenetic Technology and Diagnostic Genetics respectively at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

halcassab@tamu.edu

Danyka Ramos-Meléndez

-Finance Chair-

Danyka Ramos-Meléndez earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez. She joined the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology at Texas A&M in 2024 as a PhD student. Her research investigates how Colletotrichum sublineola infects sorghum, focusing on identifying and characterizing effectors using bioinformatics, machine learning, and genetic transformation. Danyka aims to support sorghum breeding programs by developing a curated database of pathogen effectors to inform resistance strategies.

danyka.ramos@tamu.edu

Grace Hall

-Logistics Lead-

Grace is a 3rd year PhD candidate a the Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN) under the mentorship of Dr. Rahul Srinivasan. Her work studies the role of astrocytic mitochondria in Parkinson’s Disease.

grace.hall@tamu.edu

Mridula Senthil

-Research Coordinator-

Mridula Senthil is originally from India and completed her B.Sc. (Hons) in Agriculture from Vellore Institute of Technology, where she developed a strong foundation in plant science, crop improvement, and biotechnology.

She is currently pursuing her Master’s at Texas A&M University under the guidance of Dr. Janie Moore. Her research focuses on coffee and the application of emerging technologies such as atmospheric cold plasma to study seed germination and quality enhancement. Her work explores innovative, non-thermal processing techniques and their effects on biological systems. She also integrates bioinformatics and data-driven approaches into her research to analyze complex datasets and better understand underlying biological responses. Her broader interests lie in combining food science, biotechnology, and computational tools to develop sustainable and efficient solutions in agriculture and food systems.

esmecope@tamu.edu

Valeria Duran Salas

-Operations Lead-

Valeria is a PhD student in the Genetics and Genomics under the mentorship of Dr. Akhilesh K. Gaharwar. Her work focuses in biomaterials-augmented mitochondtrial transfer for cardiomyopathy, in search of a therapeuthic model for cardiac dysfunction. Valeria is originally from Mexico, and received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Biology from East Texas A&M University.

v.ds5@tamu.edu

Lance Nuique

-Media Lead-

Lance Nuique is a part of the Interdisciplinary Program of Genetics in Genomics at Texas A&M as a first year genetics student. He is a part of Dr. Masako Suzuki’s lab in the Department of Nutrition and his research project looks into the effects of macro and micronutrient deficiencies due to diet on the gut microbiome and serum metabolites and whether those changes increase risk for metabolic syndrome. Lance received his bachelor’s degree in Bioinformatics from Bowie State University.

nuiquetexas@tamu.edu