Christian Cepeda ('23) is a transfer student who is majoring in Human Biology with a concentration in Neuroimmunology. He is also an FLI, Latinx student from Jefferson City, Missouri. He has had an interest in Neuroimmunology ever since his younger brother was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis. Christian plans on obtaining an M.D./Ph.D. once he graduates from Stanford and eventually doing full-time research while volunteering at a free clinic for the underserved.
Richard Coca ('22) is a junior majoring in Human Biology and minoring in Medical Anthropology. He is involved with the Undiagnosed Disease Network site at Stanford and is interested in their approach to neurological disorders. On campus, Richard is involved with The Stanford Daily, Stanford Food Recovery, the First-Gen and/or Low Income Partnership, and Comunidad for Health Equity. In his free time, Richard enjoys running, listening to music, and reading along with No Name's Bookclub.
Mohammad Elmojtaba Gumma (he/him) is a junior majoring in Human Biology with a concentration in the Socio-Cultural Determinants of Health and minoring in African and African-American Studies. His love for medicine is entwined with his aspiration of becoming a physician and organizer who invigorates trust and care in the Black and Brown communities that have long been ignored and neglected by the healthcare system. At Stanford, he is involved in the Black Student Union as co-president, serves as the Co-Director of Racial Justice in the ASSU, and works at the Black Community Services Center.
Chris Hughes ('23) is a sophomore at Stanford double majoring in Physics and Philosophy. From a young age, Chris was interested in fundamental questions, and this led to a strong interest in both subjects. During the summer before college, Chris worked as a research intern at the Air Force Research Laboratories in the Cold Atom Lab. Since arriving at Stanford, he has been working in the Kasevich group researching novel lidar techniques utilizing pockels cell based electro-optic switching.
Hannah Jeoung (‘24) is a freshman currently planning to study Human Biology under the neurobiology track. Her passion for the neurosciences and autism-focused research stemmed from her years of volunteer service with special needs students, as well as her close relationship to her Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosed older brother. Furthermore, Hannah is a Diversity and Empowerment officer of Stanford Premedical Association, a member of the program Leadership Education for Aspiring Physicians 2020-2021, and a cartoonist for the Stanford Daily.
Meghan Jin (’24) is a freshman interested in studying neuroscience and dementia, while also exploring various fields. Originally fascinated by the molecular impacts of biology and the brain, she was drawn to delving into different neurodegenerative diseases. She previously pursued research focusing on the effects of various chemicals on Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) at SUNY Old Westbury. Currently, she is working in the Mormino Lab at Stanford, where she plans to investigate and better understand racial differences in AD pathology, with a focus on Asians.
Blen Kedir (‘23) is a sophomore at Stanford majoring in Biology, on the Neurobiology track, and minoring in Philosophy. Currently, she works in the lab of Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray at Stanford, investigating the role of aging and immune pathways in neurodegeneration, with a focus on Alzheimer's Disease. Her past research experiences involved microbiology and biochemistry at her local laboratory at the University of North Texas. Outside of science, she is passionate about activism for racial equality through education.
Zeena Khazendar is currently a pre-med sophomore on the varsity beach volleyball team at Stanford majoring in Human Biology and minoring in Human Rights. She grew up in Jordan and her grandparents were Palestinian refugees, which led her to develop a fierce passion for serving underrepresented populations. Pursuing this passion, Zeena became an Associate Director of BeAGoodDoctor, a nonprofit that serves the ED at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center by providing interpretation and volunteer services, largely for marginalized groups.
Abigail Leyva (‘24) is a freshman at Stanford who plans on majoring in Biomedical Computation and minoring in Psychology. Her passion for Neuroscience stems from her curiosity in the way we behave as we do. She is intrigued by how the brain implements learning, specifically motor learning, at the circuit level. Previously, Abigail participated in Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine research at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. Amongst Abigail’s many interests, she is passionate about health care equity.
Idalia Lopez-Martinez is a sophomore majoring in Psychology. Her love for Psychology began at a young age, during a time where she struggled with her own mental health. As a child, she loved superheroes and had this seemingly crazy idea that she could save the world one day. She was determined and confident that she would make the world a better place. And along the way, maybe become the next Batman. If there’s one thing she has always wanted to do, it’s to change the world and help others. She hopes to help change the stigma surrounding mental health and educate others.