Officers

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.

Olabisi Titilayo Bamidele is a PhD candidate in the Cancer, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology program. As a member of Dr. Salma Khan's laboratory at the Centre of Health Disparity and Molecular Medicine, her research focuses on how the tumor microenvironment drives health disparities seen in thyroid cancer. She aims to identify unique biomarkers that can predict patient responses to various treatment modalities, ultimately paving the way for more personalized and equitable care strategies. As the Vice President of BSSC, Olabisi is passionate about fostering a supportive community that empowers scientists to maintain a healthy balance between rigorous research and personal well-being.

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.

Nathaly Manrique is a second-year PhD student in the Cancer, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology program at Loma Linda University. She is a member of Dr. Carlos Casiano’s laboratory, whose research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that drive prostate cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. Her research explores the transcriptomic landscape of resistant prostate cancer, with a particular interest in the LEDGF/p75 interactome and its role in mediating cross-resistance between androgen receptor signaling inhibitors and taxane-based chemotherapy. As Treasurer of the Basic Sciences Student Council, Nathaly is committed to supporting initiatives that enhance the graduate student experience through responsible financial stewardship, collaboration, and service. She is passionate about fostering an inclusive and supportive community while contributing to research that advances our understanding of prostate cancer and the development of more effective therapeutic strategies.

Zipporah Idowu is a third-year PhD student in the Neuroscience, Systems Biology, and Bioengineering program at Loma Linda University. Her research explores the role of brain insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease, with the goal of identifying novel therapeutic strategies, including GLP-1 dual agonists and ellagic acid metabolites. She works in the Talbot Lab under Dr. Konrad Talbot, whose pioneering research established brain insulin resistance as a major contributor to cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. As the Social Vice President of the Basic Sciences Student Council, Zipporah looks forward to bringing the basic sciences community together through fun and engaging events. In her free time, she enjoys food tourism, and spending time outdoors exploring nature.

Desirae Escalera is a fourth-year PhD student in the Cancer, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology program. She currently serves as the Academic VP, acting as the graduate student representative on the Admissions Committee and Curriculum Committee for the Department of Basic Sciences. Since joining the Goulopoulou Lab, Desirae’s research project has focused on the role of mitochondrial dynamics on uterine artery reactivity during healthy pregnancy and in a model of gestational hypoxia. Her aim is to mechanistically understand how mitochondrial fission regulates uterine artery contractile responses using the ex-vivo assay, wire myography to assess vessel function and a range of molecular analysis techniques to assess mitochondrial function" 

Efe Precious Onakpojeruo  is a PhD student in the Neuroscience, Systems Biology, and Bioengineering (NSBB) program at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Near East University and previously conducted postdoctoral research with the CERN CMS Experiment, contributing to advanced detector technologies for particle physics. His current research focuses on developing targeted nanomedicine platforms to improve therapies for aggressive pediatric brain tumors. By designing drug delivery systems that can cross the blood–brain barrier and selectively target tumor cells, he aims to improve treatment precision while reducing toxicity to healthy brain tissue. His interdisciplinary work integrates biomedical engineering, nanotechnology, cancer biology, and neuroscience to advance the development of next-generation precision therapies

Anakha Udayakumar is a PhD student in the Cancer, Development, and Regenerative Biology (CDRB) track at the Musculoskeletal Disease Center, VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, under the mentorship of Dr. Weirong Xing. Her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms regulating skeletal development and bone remodeling, with an emphasis on the role of LRRK1 in endochondral bone formation and growth plate biology. Her long-term goal is to identify mechanisms underlying skeletal diseases and contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies. As the Community Service VP of the Basic Sciences Student Council, Anakha is committed to expanding volunteer opportunities and encouraging student involvement in meaningful community service.

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.

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.

Ryan Bax is an MD/PhD student in the Neuroscience track of the NSBB program. His research project focuses on the immune system's critical role in ischemic stroke recovery. Current ischemic stroke therapies are limited by strict time windows for treatment, leading to most patients going untreated. Using a rodent model of delayed recanalization (mechanical thrombectomy performed at time late points), he investigates the role of blood borne macrophages in aiding brain tissue recovery. Ultimately, his research seeks to expand the therapeutic window of mechanical thrombectomy treatment in order to increase the number of stroke patients who receive treatment and improve their long-term functional outcomes.

Josh Lee is an MD/PhD student in the Neuroscience, Systems Biology, and Bioengineering program at Loma Linda University. As the MD/PhD representative for the Basic Sciences Student Council, Josh hopes to facilitate communication between MD/PhD students and the broader Basic Sciences community. He works in the lab of Dr. Charles Wang, where his research focuses on how prenatal drug exposure influences the development of reward circuitry using transcriptomic and behavioral approaches.

Adelaide V. Makamure is a third-year PhD student in the Earth and Biological Sciences (EBS) department. Through her role as one of the EBS representatives on the Basic Sciences Student Council, she promotes the council’s activities to the EBS faculty and students and advocates for the concerns of the EBS students to the council. Her undergraduate training in Biology at the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, Kenya prepared her for her research in Dr. Casiano’s laboratory, where she focuses on understanding the role of the protein LEDGF in regulating prostate cancer immunity and response to immune check point inhibitor immunotherapy.  

Nelson Llempen is a senior year MS Geology student at the Earth and Biological Sciences Department at Loma Linda University. He is a member of the TRACE group led by Dr Raúl Esperante from Geoscience Research Institute, whose research is focused on understanding preservation of vertebrate tracks in the fossil record. His research deals with the paleoecological and taphonomic implications of a dense suite of Cretaceous avian and dinosaur tracks in Bolivia. As representative of EBS Geology, Nelson aims to foster closer collaboration among EBS students and the Basic Sciences student community in terms of unified identity, fellowship and a familiar environment. He is committed to employ in the future his geological training expertise into the formation of new scientists as well as industrial applications.

Faculty Advisor for BSSC