2025 Participants

Franco Fabian Amigo Acuña is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Duke University. His research focuses on improving healthcare quality by addressing the structure, coordination, and integration of care through advancements in health policy, management, and organizational dynamics. He holds a bachelor of science in industrial engineering and a master’s degree in public policy and management from the University of Chile, as well as a master’s degree in public health from Pompeu Fabra University in Spain. Franco has professional experience as a project manager, consultant, and researcher, contributing to projects on care coordination, healthcare utilization, and mental health trajectories. In his free time, he enjoys running, tennis, and traveling.

Jacey Anderson, Ph.D. is the inaugural Bill and Lorna Chafe Postdoctoral Fellow in Oral History and Social Justice, a position in the History Department and Center for Documentary Studies. She earned her Ph.D. in environmental history at Montana State University in 2024, where she studied grassroots resistance to mining projects in southeastern Montana and northeastern El Salvador. Her methodologies draw from the fields of public history and popular education, prioritizing community-based participatory research. She has published book chapters and journal articles in both English and Spanish.

Nagham Bazzi, M.D. is a first-generation medical doctor with one year of a master’s in medical and biomedical ethics and one year of surgical training in Lebanon. Currently, she is pursuing postdoctoral training in abdominal transplant surgery, focusing on transplant immunology. Driven by passion and discipline, Dr. Bazzi aspires to become an academic surgeon specializing in kidney transplantation, aiming to improve outcomes with minimal immunosuppression and cross-ABO transplants. Her journey reflects resilience, having trained in challenging conditions to refine her skills and knowledge. Outside medicine, she enjoys playing the piano and drawing calligraphy, blending precision in surgery with creativity in art.

Alicia M. Bedolla, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral associate in Dr. Terrando’s lab in the Department of Anesthesiology. She was a first-generation college student at Berea College where she received her bachelor of arts degree in neuroscience before going on to a Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati. Alicia’s primary research interests are in aging and neurodegeneration. Her current work is studying choroid plexus in post-operative delirium in the context of Alzheimer’s disease and aging. Outside of science, she enjoys bouldering, playing tennis, hanging out with her dogs and cat, and playing music.

Kathryn Blethen, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral associate in Dr. Grant’s laboratory in the Department of Neurosurgery. She completed her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical and pharmacological sciences at West Virginia University in 2023, where she received training in neuro-oncology, blood-brain barrier physiology, and pharmacokinetics. Her current research focuses on improving drug delivery strategies across the blood-brain barrier to increase efficacy for the treatment of brain tumors. As a woman from a rural small town in West Virginia, Dr. Blethen is passionate about inspiring students from rural communities to pursue higher education and research.

Sheilla Faith Bosire is a first-year master’s student in Global Health, with a background in clinical medicine and experience working in both private and public hospital settings as well as in clinical research. She is currently a project manager for equitable access to medicines in the LMICs project at the Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy and a research assistant at the Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, working on reforming the research and development ecosystem in Africa. Her interests lie in understanding the formulation of evidence-based policy practices and how these can inform healthcare strengthening through financing. She is passionate about building a framework tool for resource mobilization and capacity building through a grassroots-based, bottom-up sustainable healthcare financing model.

Uthpala Herath, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral associate in the Ab-Initio Materials Simulations (AIMS) Group in the Duke Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Department where he leverages high-performance computing to design, characterize and advance novel materials crucial for semiconductors and energy applications. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and a Ph.D. in computational condensed matter physics from West Virginia University. Uthpala serves in the Duke University Postdoctoral Association (DUPA) council where he helps address the needs of postdocs and organizes events to bring postdocs from different backgrounds together. Beyond the lab, he enjoys exploring the great outdoors.

Yixuan Jiang is pursuing her M.A. in Graduate Liberal Studies at Duke University while also working toward a Certificate in East Asian Studies. Her current research focuses on immigrant literature, postcolonial studies, feminist theory, East Asian literature and cultural studies. Passionate about education equity and reaching underserved communities, Yixuan has been actively teaching K-12 in rural schools. After completing her M.A., she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in literature to advance her academic and professional goals. In her spare time, Yixuan enjoys hiking, reading and traveling.

Keyu Li is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Dr. David Carlson's lab at Duke University's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, specializing in machine learning. She holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and technology from the Central University of Finance and Economics and was a visiting researcher at Harvard University. Passionate about entrepreneurship, she is completing the Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship Certificate. Beyond academia, Keyu explores aesthetics, traditional Chinese medicine, nutrition science, and Eastern philosophies. A skilled dancer (Chinese traditional, jazz, K-pop), she also enjoys cooking, reading, writing, and quality time with her goldendoodle, Nomi.

Ben Jammaine Ncube, LL.B., MBA is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur whose research focuses on global health policy, health equity, and health-seeking behaviors. At 23, Ben founded the first men's health clinic in Zimbabwe, which has impacted over 24,000 men. He has received 15+ awards for his work, including two healthcare Innovation awards from the President of Zimbabwe in 2024. Ben holds a bachelor of laws degree and two Global Master of Business Administration degrees in impact entrepreneurship, as well as 30+ certificates in community health, management, and leadership. As a first-year master’s student in population health sciences, Ben is exploring how big health data can inform the creation of male-inclusive interventions and adaptive healthcare facilities around the world.

Maria Emilia Panzetta, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Integrative Immunobiology. She completed her licentiate and Ph.D. in Chemistry at the National University of Cordoba (Argentina). She participated in international exchange programs in Spain and the U.S. and has teaching experience. Her current work focuses on the role of gut microbes in neurological disease. She hopes that her research can lead to the development of tools to improve disease progression in people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In her spare time, Emilia enjoys baking, traveling, taking photos, and spending time with friends and family.

Nhi Van Phan is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in Dr. Tatiana Segura’s group in biomedical engineering. Her current research work investigates how biomaterials can help the brain heal after ischemic stroke, leading to motor recovery for patients. Originally from Massachusetts, Nhi holds B.S. and M.Eng. degrees in biomedical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Aside from her research, Nhi enjoys rock climbing, traveling, and baking.

Davide Schilirò, M.D. is a postdoctoral associate in the Transplant Immune Regulation and Tolerance Lab (TIRTL) at Duke, working with Dr. Knechtle and Dr. Kwun. His research focuses on nonhuman primate models of kidney transplantation, investigating immunosuppressive regimens for sensitized recipients, tolerance induction, and xenotransplantation. Previously, he was a junior clinical research fellow in organ retrieval and transplantation at The Roy Calne Transplant Unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital and an anatomy demonstrator at the University of Cambridge. Davide finds transplantation uniquely inspiring for its unparalleled spirit of cooperation, where innovation thrives at the intersection of diverse expertise, and success is only possible through seamless teamwork and shared purpose.

Shamitha Shetty is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering with a focus on nanomaterial-based immunotherapy for treating chronic inflammation. She brings over four years of biotechnology industry experience, including contributions to vaccine development at NIH and leadership in venture capital and entrepreneurship at Duke University. Shamitha has held roles such as senior associate at Duke Capital Partners and director of case competition at the Duke Advanced Degree Consulting Club, where she honed her strategic planning and team management skills. Passionate about bridging science and impact, she aims to lead innovative initiatives that drive meaningful advancements in healthcare.

Valerie Tsao is a first-year Ph.D. student in civil and environmental engineering, specializing in climate modeling and prediction with a focus on enhancing community resilience. Her research explores computational frameworks to deepen environmental understanding, including applying physics-informed neural networks for climate forecasting, investigating land heterogeneity’s impact on carbon emissions, and utilizing diffusion models to reconstruct atmospheric fields. Valerie holds an M.S. in structural engineering and geomechanics from Stanford University. Beyond academia, she enjoys experimenting with creative baking recipes, exploring new coffee shops, practicing Pilates, and immersing herself in a good book.

Yi Wang is a second-year physics Ph.D. student at Duke, working with Professor Eve Vavagiakis. Her research focuses on the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the afterglow of the Big Bang. She is also involved in building a next-generation telescope designed to map the CMB with unprecedented precision. Passionate about science communication and outreach, she co-leads the Duke Cosmology Outreach Group and is currently creating her first pop-up book about the universe. Outside of research, she enjoys hiking, snowboarding, surfing, and playing various sports. Yi is also a van lifer and a student pilot.