What is U-Rise?
This NIH (National Institutes for Health)-funded program is designed to support undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds as they complete their baccalaureate degree and transition into and complete biomedical, research-focused higher degree programs (e.g., Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.).
The program offers generous support, offsetting the cost of stipends, tuition and fees, and training related expenses for the appointed trainees in accordance with the approved NIH support levels.
Our 2024-2025 cohort
Elijah Singh
Elijah Singh is majoring in Psychology with a minor in Urban Studies. He is also in the accelerated masters track for Behavioral Neuroscience and would like to explore the connections between biological processes and environmental influences on how people function. Currently he’s working in the Fragile X Premutation lab, with aspirations to get his doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology.
Alan Cantos
Alan Cantos was born in Ecuador, a small country in South America. He moved to the United States in 2019 to finish high school and start his college journey. He is part of the Transfer Honor program as a transfer student from LaGuardia Community college. He majors in Biology with a minor in psychology. He is currently working in Dr. Savage-Dunn’s Laboratory in identifying factors that interact with TGF-beta signaling in the regulation of lipid metabolism. He goal is to earn an MD/Ph.D.
Our 2025-2026 cohort
Sharon Whinston
Sharon Whinston is a student in the Transfer Honors Program, majoring in Biology and minoring in Health Sciences, Chemistry, and Illustration. She obtained her associate degree in digital art from QCC and spent a year studying medical illustration in Michigan. During her time at QCC, she worked with Dr. Nguyen on inflammation research using macrophages. Additionally, she worked in Dr. Jacob's laboratory at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, studying Mycobacterium tuberculosis. She has also worked with Dr. Harris at Northern Michigan University’s Forensic Research Outdoor Station, where she created medical illustrations to accompany forensic science research. Sharon's research interests center on ornithology and inflammatory responses. Her goal is to pursue an MD/Ph.D. and work as a forensic pathologist, conducting research and incorporating scientific illustrations.
Francisco Jimenez
Francisco Jimenez is a junior currently pursuing a B.A. in Computer Science. He is on track to pursue an M.S. degree with a concentration in Data Science or Machine Learning. He is most interested in the application of computational methods to analyze human movement and behavior. During his summer internship at the Alvarado Lab, he contributed to research on classifying martial arts poses via pose estimation and machine learning techniques. He is continuing his work with the lab and aims to further advance his skills in machine learning and computer vision, with a long-term goal of advancing research in these and related fields.
Ashley Jaime
Ashley Jaime is a transfer honors student from Queensborough Community College majoring in Biology with a minor in Health Sciences. She is currently conducting research in Dr. John Dennehy’s lab, where she investigates phage therapy by isolating and characterizing bacteriophages to better understand their biology and therapeutic potential.
Hemlata Gocool
Hemlata Gocool is a rising junior majoring in Biology, with a minor in Data Analytics. Her goal is to attain a PhD in molecular biology to explore the interactions of biochemical molecules and their effects on organism expression through laboratory research. Currently, she is working in Dr. Short's lab to elucidate the role of phytochrome photoreceptors in the fern, Ceratopteris richardii.
Da Eun Kim
Da Eun Kim (he/they) is a Macaulay Honors Scholar currently pursuing a B.A. in biology. Currently a member of the Alvarado lab, he is aiming to continue into higher education, achieve a PhD, and become an effective science communicator. He’s most interested in the study of cephalopods and synaptic labeling using transgenics. As an openly queer nonbinary person, he wants to create a welcoming space for all in STEM. In his free time, he likes to root for the New York Rangers and draw silly cartoons of mice and fish.
Dialikatou Dia
Dialikatou Dia is a senior majoring in Neuroscience & Psychology. Before joining Dr. Tajerian’s lab she was studying biomedical research on the histological changes to the retina following the optic nerve crush in different animal models. Researchers were interested in finding treatments for glaucoma. Conducting biomedical research motivated her to think about future experiments to develop her findings and use them to help patients. Entering her first year of college she was very eager to join Dr. Tajerian's lab. She is now studying neuroplasticity in the pain brain and is interested in applying the techniques she has mastered to understand how chronic pain causes neuroplasticity in the extracellular matrix. Her future career goal is to obtain an MD/PhD to conduct research in patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.
Meet the Leadership Team
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Maral Tajerian
Program director
Dr. Maral Tajerian is a Neurophysiologist with particular interest in Brain Plasticity. Following undergraduate training in Biology and Psychology , Dr. Tajerian received a Master’s degree from the department of Biology and a PhD degree from the department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University, Canada. She then completed a postdoctoral tenure at the School of Medicine at Stanford University, where she received the prestigious Ruth L. Kirschtein fellowship in pain research. She is currently appointed as an Assistant Professor at the Biology department at Queens College, City University of New York.
In addition to Laboratory research, Dr. Tajerian is passionate about teaching and mentoring graduate and undergraduate trainees. She is an advocate of science outreach and is the co-founder of Thwacke science-media consultancy.
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Sebastian Alvarado
Program co-director
Dr. Sebastian Alvarado is an Assistant Professor at Queens College, City University of New York. He completed his Ph.D. at McGill University and was an A.P. Giannini Fellow at Stanford University. He is interested in how plastic molecular substrates can shape a genome to dynamic changes in the environment.
Outside of his research program, Dr. Alvarado consults for the entertainment sector with Thwacke and writes books about science fiction.
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Tasmain Warren
Program coordinator
Tasmain Tiffany Warren is an Environmental Advocate and recent graduate of CUNY Queens College, where she acquired her second baccalaureate in Environmental Studies. She is a goal-oriented individual with an interest in sustainability and environmental conservation. This interest first peaked during her Bachelor of Laws degree and deepened during her time as a paralegal where she worked on several environmental consultancy projects.
Outside of her professional life she spends much time as a peer mentor and volunteers with the Rotary International organization giving back to her community.
