Meet the People

Administration

Internal Advisory Board

Sallie Permar, MD, PhD
Carl Nathan, MD
Randi Silver, PhD
Linnie Golightly, MD

External Advisory Board

Marcus Lambert, PhD (SUNY Downstate)
Victoria Freedman, PhD (Einstein)
Todd Nystul, PhD (UCSF)
Ryan Hernandez, PhD (UCSF)

Staff

Janet Lam, MSW (Program Manager):

Janet is a seasoned research program manager and presently manages a longstanding, highly successful K12 program (the Pediatric Scientist Development Program). Her experience in program management will allow her to effectively oversee the administrative and logistical management of all components within the ASPiRE program. This includes database data entry quality control, annual reporting to the program’s sponsor and stakeholders, development and retention of program data, and other senior administrative functions.

Kadiatou Diallo (Program Assistant):

Kadiatou supports the development and administrative functions of the ASPiRE program. She supports the Program Directors in all aspects of the program, inclusive but not limited to meeting scheduling, documentation and follow-up, communication between all program participants, editing educational content and supporting technical delivery, supporting in-person and remote meetings for all participants, documenting relevant information in the program database, tracking expenses, submitting reimbursements for travel, managing purchasing as necessary, supporting consulting contract processing, managing computer inventory for the program.

Faculty/Mentors

Each of the following WCM faculty members have expressed commitment to participation in this program. Additionally, they all have prior research and mentoring experience, laboratory space and resources necessary to support the proposed activities.

Scholars

Akua Agyemang (2024-2025, Christopher Mason Lab)

Hi! I'm Akua, I am a Lorain County Community College and Yale University alumna. Currently, I am a member of the Mason Lab, working on spatial transcriptomics to investigate the recovery cycle of liver fibrosis and liver cancer patients. I will be applying to MD-PhD programs in the 2025 application cycle. NYC has been a huge change of pace from Ohio and Connecticut, but I love that I am able to meet so many new people and pick up new hobbies; I've gotten into aerial hoop recently and am obsessed :)

David Gragirenes (2024-2025, John Blenis Lab)

Hi, my name is David Abel Gragirenes Delgado and I’m proud to be born and raised in the island of enchantment, Puerto Rico. I recently obtained my B.S. in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico at the town that saw me grow, Cayey. I’m interested in pursuing a Ph.D. focused on molecular biology/ biochemistry to better understand the underlying mechanisms that are directly related with disease progression and cancer. Outside of the laboratory I really enjoy going out to restaurants or coffee shops with friends. I’m very passionate about music, so I love going out to concerts and since 2015 I’ve been playing the viola. In my me time, I like watching series, anime, reading manga and connecting with my loved ones. I consider myself as a very passionate, resilient and friendly person who is always working hard to achieve my goals everyday.
At Weill Cornell Medicine, I am part of the Dr. John Blenis Laboratory working alongside Dr. Nikolaos Koundouros. My project aims to characterize the signaling and metabolic alterations that contribute to resistance to the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors. For this matter, I am using the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line as a model due to their high sensitivity to mTOR inhibitors.

John Ramos (2024-2025, Sallie Permar Lab)

My name is John Ramos, and I graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Behavior and a concentration in Public Health. I am eager to pursue a career in pediatrics, specifically in adolescent medicine. As a physician-scientist, my prior research in cardiometabolic disease and pediatric vaccine development has inspired my dedication to cardiovascular health and preventative care. I plan to conduct clinical research aimed at creating innovative treatments to tackle the disproportionate impact of hypertension on Latine communities. Currently, I am investigating HIV vaccine strategies in non-human primate models, exploring ways to modulate the immune system for enhanced protection against viral infections in early life.

Best,
John

Eseosa Uwaifo (2024-2025, Jacqueline Burre Lab)

Hello, my name is Eseosa Uwaifo. I graduated from Brown University in 2023, where I majored in Neuroscience. I am interested in studying neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental mechanisms to produce better therapeutic and diagnostic measures for related diseases and disorders. I am currently performing research at the Burré Lab at Weill Cornell Medicine, working on in vivo and in vitro projects to elucidate further the role of the protein alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease pathology. I am applying to MD/PhD programs in the hopes of becoming a physician-scientist and advancing the fields of neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration.

Sincerely,
Eseosa

Lexi Tempera (2024-2025, Gregory Sonnenberg Lab)

Hi, I'm Lexi! I graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, where I conducted research on anthropological markers related to immune regulation in Alzheimer's disease under Dr. Molly Fox. My current research interests focus on aging and the gut-brain axis in mucosal immunology, specifically exploring innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). I am preparing to apply to PhD programs in Immunology and Interdisciplinary Science, with aspirations to become a principal investigator.

Best,
Lexi