= 2024-2025 =

Co-Chair: Qixiu Fu
Pronouns: She/Her

Qixiu is currently a 3rd year Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience studying the computational mechanisms underlying the effects of DBS. Outside of her lab, she enjoys exploring various aspects of the NYC queer community and meeting new queer folks. One fun fact about Qixiu is that her hometown Chengdu is locally known as a queer city in China. (:

Co-Chair: Aleta Murphy
Pronouns: She/Her

Aleta is a Neuroscience PhD student in Dr. Nan Yang’s lab, where she works on human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) modeling to investigate autism spectrum disorder (ASD) -associated mutations on neural development and function. She completed her Master’s of Biomedical Science at Mount Sinai in 2021 in the lab of Dr. Kristen Brennand, where she studied 3D organoid models of brain development. Prior to Sinai, she completed her B.A. at Rutgers University, majoring in Cell Biology & Neuroscience (CBN) and Psychology, and minoring in Art History. Outside of the lab, Aleta enjoys reading mystery novels, attending metal concerts, and collecting Sonny Angels and Smiskis.

Treasurer: Josh Grey
Pronouns: He/Him

Josh is a PhD student in the Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell MTA with a particular interest in stem cell epigenetics and regeneration. He completed his most recent undergraduate in Michigan at Grand Valley State University in 2019 and earned his Master of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology in 2020 from the same institution. He spent the last 3 years before Sinai as a research assistant in the Teixeira Lab at Michigan State University where his research focused on characterizing the epigenetic landscape of uterine fibroids. When he’s not being a fervid methods nerd, Josh enjoys cooking at home and trying to consume the city’s art, music, and fiction.

Henry Weith
Pronouns: He/Him
Henry graduated from Northeastern University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering. During his undergrad he explored various types of research including mitochondrial population dynamics, genetic of wing patterning in butterflies, fluid dynamics of biomedical devices, and cancer immunology. Currently, he is a PhD student in the Developmental, Regenerative, and Stem Cell concentration of the Biomedical Sciences program. He works in Dr. Ali May’s lab studying the development of exocrine glands in mouse and humans. Outside of lab Henry enjoys reading, visiting art galleries, running, and techno. 

Tri Dong
Pronouns: He/They

Tri graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences. During his undergraduate, he worked in the lab of Dr. Marcelo Wood, where he studied how the epigenome integrates external experiences to impact learning and memory throughout the lifespan. This experience has inspired him to pursue a career in research.

Currently, Tri is a PhD student in the Neuroscience program. Still interested in the topic of learning and memory, he is investigating circuit mechanisms underlying emotional memory encoding in Dr. Roger Clem’s lab (though most of the time, he breaks things and plays with the mice while wondering why he has yet to be fired).

Outside the lab, Tri enjoys the outdoors. He also likes reading, thrifting, and going to concerts.

Alissa Valentine
Pronouns: She/They

Alissa graduated from Haverford College having studied perinatal mood disorders in female mice under supervision of Dr. Laura Been. Following further exploration into rodent work at Northeastern, Alissa switched focus towards working only with computers and away from working with living things. Currently, Alissa is a 3rd year PhD student and still studying psychiatric disorders (but in the human dimension) under the mentorship of Dr. Isotta Landi and Dr. Alex Charney. However problematic it may be, she enjoys utilizing Mount Sinai’s extensive electronic health records to examine health disparities within psychiatry. Outside of research, Alissa enjoys sleeping, eating, disassociating from her body, and undermining capitalism.

Austin Aguirre
Pronouns:  He/Him

Austin is a PREP Scholar in Dr. Benjamin Chen’s lab, where he studies HIV latency. Originally from Southern California, he graduated from UCLA in 2024 with a major in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, and a minor in English. At UCLA, he studied avian urban ecology, focusing on a small passerine called the Dark-eyed Junco. He plans to pursue a PhD in the biomedical sciences. Outside the lab, he enjoys going to the movies, keeping up with contemporary fiction, and discovering new favorite foods in the city.