Student Profiles

PhD Student, Public Health Genetics 
Jingheng Chen is a PhD student with a background in biology and public health genetics, having earned her BS in Biology from Georgia Institute of Technology and her MPH in Public Health Genetics from the University of Pittsburgh. She is particularly interested in developing and implementing genomic medicine applications to improve healthcare outcomes.
Her primary goal is to develop and deliver public health genetics and genomics initiatives in areas such as hereditary cancer screening and precision medicine. Through her work, she aspires to contribute to the advancement of genomic medicine and its integration into public health systems, ultimately promoting better health outcomes for patients and communities.

Shuyan (Susie) Cheng is a PhD student with a background in biology and health informatics. She earned her MS degree in Health Informatics from Weill Cornell Medicine, and her BS degree in Biochemistry & Pharmacology from the University of Strathclyde and China Pharmaceutical University. 

She is interested in identifying and validating genetic causal variants and risk factors of complex diseases. Through her research, she aims to contribute to genetic study through the innovative use of large-scale genetic data and approaches, ultimately promoting a better understanding of human genetics with public health implications.

PhD Student, Public Health Genetics 
Betty Cohn is a PhD student with a background in biomedical ethics. She earned her B.A. in Biomedical Ethics from Binghamton University and went on to complete her Master of Bioethics (MBE) at Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. Her research interests lie in ELSI (Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications) of genetics and genomics, with a particular focus on direct-to-consumer genetic testing, data privacy, and ethics.
Betty's ultimate goal is to conduct ELSI research that delves into the ethical and societal aspects of direct-to-consumer genetic testing and data privacy. She aspires to become a professor at an academic institution, where she can continue her research and contribute to the understanding of these complex issues.

PhD Student, Public Health Genetics 
Nikhita Damaraju is a PhD student with a computational background, having completed her Integrated BS-MS from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and earning her Master of Science from Columbia University. Nikhita's primary interest lies in developing and applying statistical methods to integrate different public health genetic datasets to derive meaningful information.
Her academic focus is in biostatistics, and she envisions leading diverse interdisciplinary groups that work on utilizing information from various datasets to address healthcare challenges. Nikhita's dedication to this field is driven by her desire to make a tangible impact on public health through the innovative use of data and statistics.

Taylor is in her third year of the Institute's PhD in Public Health Genetics program. She previously earned an MS in Genetic Epidemiology and is interested in the genetic and environmental relationship that influences susceptibility of infectious diseases. Taylor wants to conduct research discovering genetic susceptibility to disease and host-gene interactions that influence disease progression.

Kelsey Kanavel is an MS student with a background in molecular and cellular biology, having earned her BA in Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley and her MA in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at UC Santa Barbara. She is looking forward to building on her prior education with training in genetic epidemiology, statistical genetics, bioinformatics, and bioethics. Her primary focus is to learn how to study genetic susceptibility to complex diseases. She plans to pursue a PhD in human genetics.

Joyti is an MPH student with a background in genetic counseling. She earned her MS in Genetic Counseling and worked as a Certified Genetic Counselor in the clinical setting for several years. 

Her primary areas of academic interest are ethical, legal, and social implications of public health genetics and genomics; genetic counseling; and access to genetic and genomic healthcare and information. She seeks to combine her knowledge and expertise in genetic counseling and public health to help shape the societal aspects of genetic and genomic health. 

MPH Student, Public Health Genetics 
Viveka Raol is an MPH student with a diverse educational background, including a BS in Biochemistry & Zoology from St Xavier’s College (Mumbai), an MS from the University of Massachusetts, and an MBA from the University of Washington - Foster School of Business. Viveka began her career as a research scientist in hybridoma development, followed by her role as a Senior Associate Scientist at Amgen. Currently, she works as a Project Manager in Cellular Therapeutics at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center (FHCC), where she supports targeted immunotherapies for the treatment of hematological cancers.
Viveka is particularly interested in evaluating opportunity costs from traditional cancer treatments, such as stem cell transplants and associated therapies, and studying the economic evaluations and budget impact analysis of new therapies. She aims to contribute to the optimization of healthcare resources and the development of more effective and efficient treatments for patients.

MS Student, Genetic Epidemiology
Aparajita Saha is an MS student with a medical background, having earned her MBBS from Sir Salimullah Medical College, Bangladesh. Her primary interest lies in investigating the genetic association with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and clinical outcomes in high burden areas.
Aparajita's academic focus is on the interaction between host genetics and infectious disease susceptibility, along with their various clinical outcomes. Her ultimate goal is to become an academic researcher, contributing to the understanding of the complex relationship between genetics and infectious diseases. Through her research, she aims to inform and improve public health strategies to combat and prevent infectious diseases in high burden areas.

PhD Candidate, Public Health Genetics 
Sruthi Sravanam is a PhD candidate in Public Health Genetics with a background in biotechnology and biomedical informatics. She earned her B.Tech in Biotechnology from Jawaharlal Technological University and her MS in Biomedical Informatics from the University of Nebraska Omaha. 
Sruthi enjoys working in various aspects of the research environment, ranging from core wet lab to bioinformatics and biostatistics, with a keen interest in infectious diseases. Her ultimate goal is to work in a public health or research-based setting, focusing on infectious disease studies. Sruthi brings her experience working on experimental neuroscience projects related to HIV, which will contribute to her ongoing research and passion for studying infectious diseases.

PhD Student, Public Health Genetics 
Tesla Theoryn is a PhD student with a diverse academic background, having earned her B.S. in Biological Anthropology from the University of Arizona and an M.Ed in Instructional Practice from Lipscomb University. She is particularly interested in understanding how harmful social determinants of health, such as poverty and systemic racism, affect access to and use of genetic resources and information. Tesla's research also explores the effectiveness of genetic counseling as a potential community resource.
Tesla's ultimate goal is to contribute to research that shapes the use of advancing genetic technology and resources to more equitably meet the needs of society - either by influencing policy or informing practices. Through her work, she aims to promote greater understanding and accessibility of genetic resources for all communities.

MPH Student, Public Health Genetics 
Sarah Wang is an MPH student with a background in biotechnology and molecular bioscience, having earned her BS from Rochester Institute of Technology. Her academic interests include public health programming and legal advocacy, with a focus on the intersection of genetics and public health policy.
Sarah's primary goal is to enhance genetic screening programs within governmental public health agencies. Through her work, she aims to improve the integration of genetic services into public health systems, ensuring that communities have access to essential screening and support services. Her dedication to public health is driven by her passion for promoting equitable healthcare opportunities for all individuals.

PhD Candidate, Public Health Genetics 
Hang Yin is a PhD candidate with a background in experimental medicine and epidemiology, having earned her BS in Experimental Medicine from Peking University and her MS in Epidemiology from the University of Washington. She is particularly interested in genetic and cancer epidemiology, as well as pharmacogenetics.
Hang's ultimate goal is to work as a research scientist in the area of public health genetics. Through her research, she aims to contribute to the understanding of the complex relationships between genetics, environment, and health, and to develop effective strategies for disease prevention and treatment tailored to individual genetic profiles.