For the first time, New York Blood Center Enterprises’ (NYBCe) Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute (LFKRI) hosted its Summer Internship Program at the Rye campus, where seven undergraduate interns presented their summer research projects on August 4.
The final presentations highlighted the interns’ work alongside LFKRI scientists and gave them an opportunity to share their findings with colleagues. Their projects covered a range of topics, including aging hematopoiesis, inflammation, sickle cell disease, stem cell research and blood-borne parasitic infections.
Throughout the summer, the interns gained hands-on research experience and worked closely with mentors across LFKRI’s laboratories.
Meet the summer interns and learn more about their research:
Sophia Shi
Sophia is a rising junior at Cornell University studying human biology on the pre-med track. She hopes to become a physician specializing in oncology.
Presentation: Engineering Human Bone Marrow Organoids to Model Aging Hematopoiesis
Mentors: Dr. Ying Liang and Dr. Xia Yao, Laboratory of Stem Cell Aging and Regeneration
Aliyah Phillips
Aliyah is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, majoring in biology with a minor in public health. She plans to pursue a career as a physician.
Presentation: Validation and Optimization of Precision Cut Lung Slices (PCLS) as a Tool for Inflammation Studies
Mentors: Dr. Bojing Shao and Dr. Pedro Negri Bernardino, Laboratory of Vascular Inflammation & Thrombosis Research
Leo Silverman
Leo is a rising senior at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, majoring in biology with a concentration in public health. He aspires to become an emergency medicine physician-scientist, with a focus on advancing health equity and serving underserved communities.
Presentation: Evaluation of NOD2 Expression in the Liver and Spleen of BALB/c Mice Following Administration of the Anti-Leishmania Drug Candidate HPX-612
Mentors: Dr. Sara Lustigman, Dr. Shobana Navaneethabalakrishnan and Nancy Tricoch, Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology
Sharon Lin
Sharon is a biomedical engineering student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and plans to pursue a graduate degree in the same field.
Presentation: Therapeutic Effects of Quinine on Hypoxia-Induced Vaso-Occlusive Crisis in Sickle Cell Disease Mice
Mentors: Dr. Hui Zhong and Dr. Kai Dou, Laboratory of Immune Regulation
Madeline Miller-Murphy
Madeline is a rising sophomore at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, pursuing a double major in biology and chemistry. She hopes to attend medical school.
Presentation: Characterizing Ca²⁺ Activity in jGCaMP8 Mice
Mentors: Dr. Larry Luchsinger and Dr. Nazia Nayeem, Laboratory of Stem Cell Regenerative Research
Quinn Heery
Quinn is a rising senior at the University of Richmond, majoring in biology with a minor in data science. He plans to pursue a graduate degree in biological sciences.
Presentation: Host Metabolic Reprogramming in Babesia divergens Infection Reveals the Sphingosine Pathway as a Therapeutic Vulnerability
Mentors: Dr. Cheryl Lobo, Dr. Divya Beri and Marilis Rodriguez, Laboratory of Blood-Borne Parasites
Yunxi (Abby) Zhao
Abby is a rising junior at New York University, majoring in chemistry. She hopes to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry.
Presentation: Defining Inflammasome Activation During Babesia Infection
Mentors: Dr. Venkat Magupalli and Giti Saha, Laboratory of Molecular & Mechanistic Cell Signaling
Special thanks to Dr. Yunfeng Liu, assistant member at LFKRI, who oversaw the program alongside Summer Internship Committee members Dr. Daniel McLaughlin, Dr. Shan Su and Dr. Ya-Ju Chang. The program also benefited from the expertise of Kathy Tang, head of the Laboratory of Animal Research, who provided specialized training to the interns.
Congratulations to all seven interns on their accomplishments, and thank you to the mentors, committee members and colleagues who helped make this summer’s program a success.
