Dembo Baldeh

Bakersfield College

I am excellent driven student majoring in Biology at Bakersfield College. I am the second in my extended family to pursue higher education. As the only son to my mom, I take it as an honor to set examples for my younger siblings, encouraging them and others to take advantage of any available resources for personal and academic success. Renowned for academic excellence, I strive not only to meet expectations but to exceed them, driven by the desire to inspire and uplift those who believe in my journey.

I expect to use my skills and experiences to successfully achieve the objectives of this program. I aspire to contribute meaningfully, and to take advantage of my academic achievements and commitment to inspire others. As this internship offers an opportunity for hardworking college students to foster personal and professional growth, I anticipate a dynamic learning environment where the experiences and skills to be obtained could be used for an excellent academic success.

Daniella Gonzalez Rivera

University of Puerto Rico

I am an undergraduate student who lives in Juncos, Puerto Rico. I'm in the third year of my bachelor's degree in industrial chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico. During my undergraduate years, I've had the opportunity to work in the fields of organic chemistry with the Synthesis of New NIR Fluorescent Dyes for Biomedical Imaging, and biochemistry with the investigation of triple-negative breast cancer and will shortly be immersed in the field of biophysics with the research of Fluorescence study of a fluorene-Shiff- base derivative for Ga+3 sensing. My long-term career goal is to obtain my bachelor's degree and later, pursue a Doctorate

in Pharmacy.

My expectations for this research experience are to gain hands-on experience in this new field as well as gaining knowledge and learning from mentors which will help me improve my skills and grow personally, I also hope to learn a great value from the other undergraduates. I expect to learn in this research so that it can help me in preparation for my future plans.

Pablo Luna

Indiana University Bloomington

I am a freshman attending Indiana University - Bloomington and I am working to earn my bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in Chemistry. I am working very hard to be able to attend medical school and become a doctor. I am also a Mexican, first-generation college student. I hope to work hard to become the doctor I want to be.

Few words of expectations of the program: I hope to gain the skills and mind set while in the program, so I can strive anywhere I go. I want to be able to leave the program having the leadership skills to be able to work with others and to also do research of my own someday.

Evelyn Redmond

Albany State University

I am a senior majoring in forensic science at Albany State University. In March of 2023, I was able to travel to the 2023 Society of Toxicology (SOT) Conference hosted in Nashville, TN. While there, I was able to learn about toxicology, public health, and environmental health. What interested me were all the talks given about lung health. This piqued my interest in lung health and pulmonary medicine.

My expectations from this program are to dive deeper into lung disease research and cardiac health and use this knowledge in my future career.

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Emely Peregrina

Indiana University Bloomington

 I am excited to be a new member of the REAL-DEAL program!  I'm a proud member of the 2023 IUB graduating class and completed majors in both neuroscience and Spanish. Outside of academics, I like to pass the time by going on long walks, practicing pilates, crocheting and curling up with a good book. A fun fact about me is that I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain during my last semester of university!

 Through participating in this program, I am anticipating furthering my knowledge on the functionality of the lungs and the respiration process as a whole. This lab has the unique asthmatic lens, which I hope adds another dimension to the work at hand. As a program participant, I expect to gain insight into the role of a researcher, positively contribute to the inner-workings of the program, and build community with my program peers. 

Amy Nguyen

Indiana University Bloomington

I am a second year Epidemiology student at Indiana University Bloomington! Since coming to Indiana University, I’ve had the opportunity to immerse myself in relevant coursework and research workshops relating to public health and infectious diseases; these events have enhanced my knowledge and my curiosity in the world of Epidemiology. During my free time I like to travel, paint, try new foods, and most of all, sleep!

I am very excited to be a part of the REAL-DEAL Program! As an aspiring Epidemiologist, I believe that it is very important to learn about a disease as prevalent as asthma and lung cancer. Through this program I hope to explore career options in lung disease research, learn about adaptive leadership principles, and create a working network of peers and professionals that I can rely on.

Melanie Vazquez

University of Chicago

I am excited to join this year’s REAL-DEAL cohort as a first-generation Mexican-American! I am an undergraduate student majoring in biological sciences on the global health track at the University of Chicago. I hope to pursue a career in public health research and earn my master’s in public health. I am devoted to research that aims to serve and research underrepresented groups specifically in relation to chronic diseases such as lung disease which is what drove me to Dr. Silveyra’s Lab. I am eager to gain more research experience in a lab that shares the same values I do. I hope to gain more insights into public health research and learn what it takes to run a lab of this caliber. I look forward to new research experiences with this team!

Maddie Coggan

Indiana University Bloomington

I am a sophomore at Indiana University, majoring in epidemiology and Spanish. After graduating, I hope to pursue a masters in epidemiology. I am involved in RideOn Cycling, a Little 500 team at IU, as well as WIUX, our student radio.

I am excited at the opportunity to be involved in research and meet new people! 

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Sarasi Gunasekara

University of Maryland Baltimore County

As an undergraduate student pursuing Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, my interests have been geared towards research and learning how to help others through medicinal science and research. It is fascinating to me how there is still so much for us to learn and discover. As a Firefighter, I have encountered many individuals struggling with a variety of illnesses and disorders, many of which include lung diseases such as COPD, tuberculosis, and pneumonia.

I hope to gain more experience with research and face real-world applications with the REAL-DEAL program, so that it can help me have a better understanding of these diseases to better care for my patients.

Karen Fecht

Indiana University Bloomington

I am so excited and honored to be a part of REAL-DEAL this summer! I am a current sophomore at IU Bloomington studying human biology. My goal is to gain experience and surround myself with fellow peers who I can learn from. I am particularly interested in this experience because of how prevalent vaping/inhalation of pollution is. 

In my free time I love to bake and do "Do it yourself projects."  I also have a cat named Feta who keeps me company! I am eager to get started this summer. 

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