Our Scholars

I will be obtaining my bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Mathematical and Statistical Modeling of Complex Systems. I am currently a McNair Scholar and University Honors Student. Over the summer I completed a Summer Research Opportunity Program on cancer research, specifically looking at Health Promotion Initiatives and Cancer Prevention through HPV Vaccination. Over the summer I was also able to gain shadowing experience through a speech pathologist. My future goal is to complete a master's and Ph.D. track in Communication Disorders to practice and conduct research in the field of speech pathology.

I’m majoring in Physics and minoring in Computer Science and Mathematical and Statistical Modeling of Complex Systems. I am also a McNair Scholar, Honors student, and Hispanic Scholarship Fund scholar. I serve as the vice president of Northeastern’s Society of Physics Students chapter, and tutor mathematics at the Learning Success Center. I am currently working with Dr. Joseph Hibdon and Dr. Emina Stojkovic to mathematically model and simulate myxobacterial growth phenomena. In addition, I do research in theoretical particle physics with Dr. Kevin McFarland at the University of Rochester. Specifically, I work on models of neutrino multi nucleon knockout interactions in MINERvA. I am passionate about all physics topics, including biophysical applications such as muon scanning technologies and quantum functions in the body and brain. I am hoping to pursue a Ph.D. in theoretical or experimental particle physics after completing my undergraduate degree.

My name is Andrea Thompson, and I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree with a major in Chemistry and a minor in Mathematical and Statistical Modeling of Complex Systems. I work with Dr. Denana Miodragović in the Chemistry Department to develop arsenoplatin anti-cancer drugs to treat triple-negative breast cancer. My professional goal is to pursue a graduate degree in chemical and biological sciences.

I am majoring in Biology and minoring in Biomathematics. I am also a McNair scholar and work as a tutor for the Center for Academic Writing. My research is in the progressive neurodegenerative disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) with Dr. Cindy Voisine where I am currently working with the Rbg-1, an autophagy gene, to see if changes to genes will improve the function of cells. I am hoping to pursue a Ph.D. in microbiology with a focus on virology once I have completed my undergraduate degree. 

I am majoring in Biology with a minor in Mathematical and Statistical Modeling of Complex Systems. In addition to being a MARC scholar, I am also an Honors student. Currently, I work under the guidance of Biology Professor, Dr. Emina Stojkovic, focusing on understanding the secondary metabolites of myxobacteria. Over the summer (2024), I completed a research project investigating the effect of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 (FGFR1) on breast cancer at University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. Looking ahead, I aspire to pursue an MD-PhD degree to combine my research and medical interests.

I am a U.S. Marine Corps veteran driven by a passion for science and a commitment to making a meaningful impact through research. I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry with a Biochemistry concentration, I am particularly interested in the intersection of chemistry and physics, which I wish to explore further through an MD/PhD in Biophysical Chemistry. I believe that this combination could allow me to understand and contribute to critical advances in the biomedical field, especially those that bridge molecular mechanisms and clinical applications. Currently, I work at Argonne National Laboratory investigating lubrication chemistries to understand material wear and failure mechanisms, which has broadened my knowledge of applied physics. At Northeastern Illinois University, I work on synthesizing carbon nanodots to incorporate them into complex chromatography systems like HPLC for potential biomedical and industrial applications. Additionally, I have done research at the University of Alberta synthesizing polymers for gene delivery systems. I feel that my diverse experiences have instilled in me resilience, adaptability, and dedication, and I am quite motivated to contribute to the biomedical field through my work. I aspire to contribute to the development of new biomedical technologies and discoveries that could improve healthcare outcomes for patients.