Officers

Jeanyoung Kim is an Anatomy PhD candidate in the Molecular Embryopathy Research Lab of Dr. Kerby C. Oberg, whose lab investigates the molecular basis and genetic regulation of limb development. Specifically, her research focuses on elucidating the cis-regulatory mechanisms governing the expression of key LIM homeobox transcription factors required for proper limb axis establishment and limb patterning. Her long-term interests are in identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying congenital malformations and aberrant morphogenesis. As the Basic Sciences Student Council President, Jeanyoung is excited for the opportunity to serve the graduate student body, and is dedicated to building a strong, supportive community within all Basic Sciences programs.

Michael Hall is a second-year PhD student in the Cancer, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology program at Loma Linda University. He currently serves as Vice President of the Basic Sciences Student Council, where he is dedicated to fostering a sense of community and collaboration among graduate students and faculty. Michael is a proud graduate of Oakwood University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology with a Pre-Medical concentration. Passionate about both research and clinical care, his long-term goal is to become a physician specializing in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Neonatology. He is particularly interested in the intersection of developmental biology, cancer biology, and maternal-fetal health, aiming to contribute to advancements in women’s and infant health through both scientific discovery and compassionate medical practice.

Aditi Bhatnagar is a PhD student in the Anatomy program. As a member of Dr. Ciprian P. Gheorghe's lab at the Center for Perinatal Biology, Aditi's research focuses on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), particularly MSC-derived extracellular vesicles called exosomes, as therapeutic agents in mouse models of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a severe respiratory condition in preterm newborns.

Oasis Perez is a PhD student in the Musculoskeletal Disease Center within the Cancer, Development, and Regenerative Biology (CDRB) track. She is in the lab of Dr. Subburaman Mohan, whose research focuses on identifying the causes and proposing therapeutic approaches for different musculoskeletal diseases, including osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Her area of interest is the mechanisms that age implements on the quality and structure of bones and proposes novel therapies that may intervene.

Julio is a fourth-year PhD candidate in the Neuroscience, Systems Biology, and Bioengineering program at Loma Linda University. As the Academic VP of the Basic Sciences Student Council, Julio serves as the graduate student representative on the Admissions Committee and Curriculum Committee for the Department of Basic Sciences. As a member of the Fig NeuroLab, Julio’s research focuses on how diet and stress impact adolescent neurodevelopment of regions regulating reward-related behaviors, increasing susceptibility for maladaptive eating behaviors in adulthood.

Jacob is a fourth-year MD/PhD candidate in the Anatomy program. As the social vice president of the Basic Sciences Student Council, Jacob both plans and coordinates social events to foster community among basic science students. He works in the lab of Dr. Salvador Soriano on Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A), a hereditary neurodegenerative condition that affects his family members. His project involves slowing or reversing cell death through targeting the ferroptosis pathway, a newly described mechanism involving lethal oxidative stress. He hopes to translate anti-ferroptosis therapies into clinical trials, with the ultimate goal of healing CMT1A patients, including his family members.

Stephen Justinen is a PhD student working on the functional properties of an RNA edit that appears in sheep at high altitude that we suspect to be involved in the acclimatization response to hypoxia. This edit appears on the BK (Big Potassium) ion channel and may affect blood vessel diameter in portions of the cerebrovasculature. Further testing via RNAseq will determine if this edit is systemic or localized to specific tissues, with subsequent bioinformatic analysis examining activation pathway and phylogeny. His research and studying occurs at the labs of Dr. Isaac Kremsky and Dr. David Hessinger.

Caleb Darling is a third-year Earth Science PhD student in the Earth and Biological Sciences Department (EBS). He serves as the Religious VP on the Basic Sciences Student Council (BSSC). His primary research goal is to reconstruct the paleoenvironment of a dinosaur dig site in the Powder River Basin of eastern Wyoming. Other ongoing research initiatives have focused on establishing a modern analog using an ephemeral lake within Death Valley National Park, as well as the potential identification and naming of a new species of pterosaur from Wyoming.

Saul M. Zuniga is a third-year MS student in the Earth and Biological Sciences (EBS) Department. As the EBS representative, he promotes Basic Sciences Student Council events to EBS faculty and staff. He also brings up any concerns from program to the Basic Sciences Student Council and advocates for EBS. His research deals with the reconstruction of the paleoenvironment at a sedimentary bed filled with thousands of dinosaur tracks in Bolivia and the identification of the sedimentological controls which permitted the preservation of the tracks at the site.

Zion Shih is an MD/PhD student who graduated from Westmont College triple majoring in engineering physics, chemistry, and biology. She's excited to understand deeply the pathophysiology of disease and how to create whole person wellness. From needs shared through invitations to new communities and perspectives from diverse backgrounds, she is eager to develop and implement interventions to restore health for patients through a multidisciplinary lens. I am diving deeply into why conditions of vascular compromise (such as in neurocognitive illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease) develop. With illnesses that incur dramatic social and financial expenses to society, I am identifying transition points from physiology to pathology so I can directly translate molecular mechanisms into therapies to treat neurovascular conditions at the bedside better and improve quality of life.

Nana is an MD/PhD student in the Infection Inflammation Immunity program, with research interests in Systems Biology and Immunology. With early (undergrad) training in Biochemistry at Oakwood University, Nana currently studies the interplay between host-pathogen interactions, multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial infections, and antibiotic susceptibility

Kristian Holgersson is a PhD candidate in medicine specializing in radiation oncology and tumor biology. He has a special interest in cardiac toxicity in patients treated with chemoradiation for inoperable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). He founded the tumor-induced lactic acidosis hypothesis suggesting that tumor-derived metabolites such as lactic acid contributes to cardiac complications seen in these patients. This could potentially be an explanation to one factor of why cancer-related deaths occur. Kristian works together with Dr. Reinhard Schulte who is a pioneer in proton therapy. In his free time, he enjoys nature-related activities.

Faculty Advisor for BSSC