Students and Organizations That We Support

Individual Research Grants

1. Tina Wu, YC 2023:
   • Title: Screening for Tiger Mosquitos
   • Description: Develop protocols to screen for genetic variation of mosquito species Aedes albopictus, an important disease vector that has spread to nearly all continents.
2. Spencer Lott, YC 2024:
   • Title: Evolution of Gulf of Guinea Band-rumped Storm-Petrel
   • Description: Investigate the evolutionary uniqueness of the São Tomé population of the band-rumped storm-petrel.

Group Grants

1. Grady Morrissey, YC 2024; Elijah Bakaleynik, YC 2024; Andy Szymkowiak, YC:
   • Title: Cosmic Ray Detecting Satellite
   • Description: Bouchet Low Earth Alpha-Beta Space Telescope (BLAST) CubeSat project – Develop and fly a 2U cosmic ray detector (CRD) spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit. 
2. Esteban Figueroa, YC 2025:
   • Title: NASA Tensegrity Rover
   • Description: YUAA Tensegrity Project – Explore non-traditional rover designs by designing a piece of hardware capable of going through a deployment to landing to exploration sequence according to NASA’s goals and criteria.
3. Ryan Smithers, YC 2024; Henry Demarest (Technical Lead), YC 2025; Jonah Halperin (Operations Lead), YC 2026:
   • Title: Liquid Propulsion Engine
   • Description: Project Liquid – Feed system iteration; test stand iteration; thrust chamber iteration; electronics and controls iteration; specialized tools.
4. Zubin Kremer Guha, YC 2024 – Mechanical Engineering & Computer Science:
   • Title: High Voltage Battery Pack for Electric Vehicles
   • Description: Bulldogs Racing Formula SAE High Voltage Battery System
5. Hassaan Qadir, YC 2025; Will Liu, YC 2026: David Jeong, YC 2026; Lior Gurion, YC 2026:
   • Title: Synthesizing daidzein from p-coumaric acid via E.Coli
   • Description: IGEM: Create a novel E. Coli strain capable of synthesizing daidzein from p-coumaric acid, an essential step towards unlocking the therapeutic uses of equol.

Individual Research Grants

1. Angel David Alvarado Amaya:
   • Analyzing genetic connectivity of Sciurus carolinensis (eastern gray squirrels) across three different cities using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at neutral loci and loci of interest
2. Cage Cochran:
   • Extinction Is Not Forever: Looking for a Lost Lineage of Giant Galapagos Tortoises
3. Elizabeth Van Ha:
   • Using microsatellites to assess relatedness in Aotus azarae (owl monkeys)
4. Justin Nguyen:
   • Exploring population genomic structure & diversity across urban-rural gradients in Sciurus carolinensis (eastern grey squirrels)
5. Katie Burchfield:
   • Determining Population-Level Genetic Diversity of Aotus azarae (owl monkeys) using Mitochondrial DNA

Group Grants

1. Ian Denzer, Mina Cezairli, Joe Ostuno, Jack Morton / InnoWeight Home Gym:
   • G2 prototype of a servo-based pulley resistance system with weight training functionality of a traditional squat rack and barbell
2. William Sussman / Y-IEEE Yale Space Station Team:
   • Amateur radio station capable of contact with the International Space Station and doing Earth-Moon-Earth signal studies
3. Zack Andalman / YUAA Ornithopter Team:
   • 1) Design and build ornithopter using active adjustment systems to improve efficiency.
   • 2) Use mathematical and computer models to optimize its mechanical design

Innovation Grants

1. Victor Liu:
   • Collaborate with other students to push forward multiple YSEA projects. Primarily build the new YSEA website.
2. Yasheen Gao:
   • Study the effects nanobodies directed to the survival factor renalase (RNLS) on the growth of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
3. Hana Galijasevic / YHack:
   • 800+ students from colleges all over the US (and the world!) come to Yale for a weekend, forming teams of 2 – 4 to compete, brainstorm, design, and build technologies that address meaningful real-world problems.
4. Mehdi Baqri, Sami Elrazky / Yale Undergraduate Research Association Mentorship Initiative:
   • Database to match Yale faculty and Yale students for research opportunities.
5. Mehdi Baqri, Lukas Corey / Yale Undergraduate Research Journal:
   • New publication in the research journal
6. Mehdi Baqri, Joe Allen / Yale Undergraduate Research Symposium:
   • Annual research conference for undergraduates
7. Alex Dalrymple / Yale Undergraduate Science Olympiad:
   • An invitational competition where high school teams from across the country come to Yale to compete in 23 events pertaining to different areas of science, engineering, and technology to test students’ knowledge in these areas.

Individual Research Grants

1. Carli Rousch:
   • Studying Bacteriophage Adsorption Rates within Co-Evolved Populations

Group Grants

1. Shreyas Raman / Bulldogs Racing Team:
   • Complete Yale’s first ever all-electric race car (the BR18) and compete in the 2020 Formula Hybrid competition, to be held in New Hampshire from April 27 – 30, 2020
2. Will Rosenbluth / Engineers Without Borders:
   • Restore rainwater catchment pond in Naitolia, Tanzania
3. William Sussman / Y-IEEE Yale Space Station Team:
   • Transmit a sufficiently powerful 144 MHz signal toward the Moon, listen for its weak reflection, and measure the elapsed time between transmission and reception

Innovation Grants

1. Mina Cezairli:
   • Student participation in the JPL Visiting Student Research Program; Hypervelocity Sampling and Cupid’s Arrow
2. William Sussman / Y-IEEE:
   • Attending and presenting at the IEEE conference at Columbia University
3. Hana Galijasevic / YHack:
   • 800+ students from colleges all over the US (and the world!) come to Yale for a weekend, forming teams of 2 – 4 to compete, brainstorm, design, and build technologies that address meaningful real-world problems.

Individual Research Grants

1. Elizabeth (Lilly) Scheibe:
   • Using Genomic Tools for Captive Breeding in Giant Galápagos Tortoises
2. Emily Xu:
   • Improve the gene transfection efficiency of a validated gene delivery polymer system by complexing the PACE polymer with cell penetrating peptides

Group Grants

1. Will Polsky / Bulldogs Racing Team:
   • Complete and test Yale’s first ever all-electric race car: BR18.
2. Alex Briasco-Stewart, Alexander Hoganson, Warren Zhang / YUAA IREC Rocket Team:
   • Design & construct a rocket with a payload to be launched at the 2019 Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) in June 2019
3. Keshav Raghavan / YUAA CubeSat Team:
   • Design, construct & launch a cosmic ray detector (CRD) into low Earth orbit

Individual Research Grants

1. Jee Won (Jennifer) Shin:
   • Transcriptome analysis of normal human lung fibroblasts to advance microvascular tissue engineering
2. Julia Wei:
   • Inducing superconductivity in indium-doped tin telluride nanowires

Dean Kyle Vanderlick Research Grant

1. Valerie Chen:
   • A Formal, Model-based Approach to Enhancing the Safety of Autonomous and Connected Vehicles

Group Grants

1. Joyce Duan, Lauren Renee Chapey, Ethan O’Reilly / Happy Feet Team:
   • Build a minimally invasive insole device capable of collecting biometric data used to prevent, diagnose and treat running-related injuries
2. Brian Beitler, Maxim Baranov, Clio Byrne-Gudding / YUAA Advanced Three-Stage Rocket Team:
   • Design, construct, launch, and recover a high-power three-stage rocket
3. Kathan Roberts & Evan Hass / YUAA CubeSat Team:
   • Design, construct, & launch a CubeSat (small satellite) into space containing a cosmic ray detection payload along with an earth imaging system

Individual Research Grants

1. Hudson Lee:
   • Enhancing Tunability of Decellularized Constructs with Matrix-Coupled Electrospun Scaffolds
2. Kevin Nguyen:
   • Disparities in the Surgical Management of Clinical T1a Small Renal Masses
3. Mahima Kumara:
   • Generate a stable isotope record across a deep sea core capturing the global climate history of the last 65 million years to examine the relationship between climate change and weathering in the fossil record
4. Mindy Le:
   • Determining the role of the POLD3 subunit of the human DNA polymerase delta complex and its interactions with DNA repair proteins in break-induced replication (BIR)
5. Steven Pan:
   • Identify and define the features of the MG autoantibody-producing B cell antibody repertoire

Group Grants

1. Samuel Rapowitz / Bulldogs Racing Team:
   • Design, construct & race an all-electric formula car
2. Evan Hass / YUAA Hybrid Rocket Project Team:
   • Design, construct, & launch a hybrid fuel rocket motor, with a solid fuel and liquid oxidizer
   • End of Year Report
3. Kevin (Qian) Liang / YUAA Turbojet Engine Project Team:
   • Design & construct a small centrifugal flow turbojet engine capable of sustained combustion
   • End of Year Report

Individual Research Grants

1. Benjamin Lerude:
   • Application Sensing for Music: An Investigation into the Artificial Intelligence Behind Music Streaming
2. Kevin Nguyen:
   • Mechanisms of EXO1 and MRN in DNA Resection and Homologous Recombination

Group Grants

1. Samuel Rapowitz / Bulldogs Racing Team:
   • Design, construct & race a hybrid formula car
2. Betsy Li / YUAA CubeSat Team:
   • Develop a miniaturized satellite capable of one way laser communication
3. Andrew Arkebauer / YUAA High-Performance UAV Team:
   • Design, construct, and fly an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is optimized for efficient flight

Individual Research Grants

1. Andres Valdivieso:
   • Crosschecking haplotypes of Galápagos giant tortoises in preparation for Next-Generation Sequencing
2. Brianna Chrisman:
   • Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Two-Component Hydrogels

Group Grants

1. Andres Ornelas Vargas / Team NovaSheath:
   • Directional sheath for a safer and more efficient guidewire insertion using the modified Seldinger technique
2. Manjari Randeria, Phillip MacEachron / Yale Drop Team:
   • Trigger Actuated Rock Sampler (TARS) For Microgravity Bodies
3. Yamini Naidu / Yale iGEM:
   • Producing ampersan, a novel anti-microbial peptide coating for a regional iGEM competition
   • Project Description
4. Alex Carrillo / Yale Intelligent Vehicles Team:
   • Design & build an autonomous sailboat
5. Robert Loweth / Yale Solar Decathlon Team:
   • Enter and win a national Solar Decathlon competition that challenges 20 university teams to design and build a net-zero home in under two years
6. Ashton Wackym / Yale Undergraduate Rover Association:
   • Designing and constructing a fully functional “Mars-style” Rover to enter and win the University Rover Challenge

Individual Research Grants

1. Chelsea Messinger:
   • Zoonotic Infection in Cancer Patients in Romania
2. Glen Meyerowitz:
   • Thermochemical Analysis and Optimization of High Power Hybrid Rocket Motors
3. James Shirvell:
   • Population genetics of Leptospirosis-carrying rats (Rattus norvegicus) in urban slums in Salvador, Brazil
4. Josephine Smit:
   • Multi-locus phylogenetics and the evolutionary labiality of niche and shell shape through time in giant Galapagos tortoises
5. Yamini T, Naidu:
   • Synthesis and Structural Activity Relationship Studies of Limonin to Treat Stroke

Group Grants

1. James Volz / Bulldogs Racing Team:
   • Design, construct & race a hybrid formula car
2. Edward Kong / Yale iGEM:
   • Group undergraduate research project for regional iGEM competition
3. John Solder III / Yale Intelligent Vehicles Team:
   • Design & construct a vehicle for the 2014 Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC)
4. Christopher Coyne / Yale Undergraduate Rover Association
   • Designing and constructing a fully functional “Mars-style” Rover to enter and win the University Rover Challenge

Individual Research Grants

1. Cristiana Manole:
   • Genetic Structure of Leptospirosis Transmitting Rat Population in Salvador, Brazil
2. Damian Weikum:
   • Exploring Motivational Controls on Decision-Making: Comparing the Roles of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Nucleus Accumbens in the Control of Food-Seeking Behavior
3. Hillary Ryan and Jared Milfred:
   • Nitrile valve test for automated H-filter microfluidic instrumentation for use in microbiology reasearch
4. Michael Chang:
   • Using Microsatellites to Understand the Structure of Native Populations of the Comb Jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi

Group Grants

1. Karim El-Mubdi / Bulldogs Racing Team:
   • Design, construct & race a hybrid formula car
2. Phillip MacEachron / Yale Drop Team:
   • Curvature Effects of Spacecraft Propellant Management Screens
   • Journal Article

Individual Research Grants

1. Bo Fan:
   • Solid-State Supercapacitors for Novel Energy and Display Devices
2. Charlie Huang:
   • Characterization of the Blattabacterium Endosymbiont within the Cockroach Blaberus giganteus
3. Claire Henly:
   • Inorganic Desalination Fuel Cell Research
4. Connor Moseley:
   • Determination of population genetic structure of the ctenophore, Mnemiopsis leidyi, an invasive marine species and development of new genetic markers for field studies
5. Jonathan Hwang:
   • Vanadium Oxide as a Cathode Material in Lithium Ion Batteries
6. Michelle Atallah:
   • Localization of Pyrin during neutrophil migration in Familial Mediterranean Fever
7. Nathan Hardesty:
   • Implementing and testing bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) as the material for use in microfuel cells
8. Sisira Gorthala:
   • Employing Titanium Dioxide as a Preventive Health/Sanitation Development Initiative for Indoor Air Purification in Clinical Settings in India

Group Grants

1. Yusuf Chauhan / Bulldogs Racing Team:
   • Design, construct & race a hybrid formula car
2. Emma Alexander / Yale Drop Team:
   • Design, build & test a fully-automated apparatus that will maintain an air-liquid interface for development of esophageal cell cultures

Individual Research Grants

1. Adrian Godoy:
   • A Survey of Kdr-w and Kdr-e Alleles Conferring Insecticidal Resistance to Pyrethroids as a Consequence of Anti-Malarial Interventions in Equatorial Guinea
2. Cathy Chamberlin:
   • Reliability of hydrogen fractionation in leaf wax lipids is as a proxy for determining elevation
3. Eli Mitchell-Larson:
   • Paleoclimate reconstruction from non-tropical Mediterranean corals
4. Maria Correa:
   • Development and optimization of microsatellite markers for the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
5. Matt Ramlow:
   • Study of hyperthermal events that occurred during the Paleocene (isotope analysis)
6. Sam Vesuna:
   • Multi-modal imaging of prostate & breast tissue to demonstrate clinical applicability of 3D clearing and imaging process
7. Vanessa Obas:
   • Temporal Variation and Phylogeography of Aedes aegypti populations in the Florida Keys

Group Grants

1. Jonathan Biagiotti / Bulldogs Racing Team:
   • Design, construct & race a hybrid formula car
2. Chidi Akusobi / Yale iGEM:
   • Group undergraduate research project for regional iGEM competition

Individual Research Grants

1. Brittney Kajdacsi:
   • Evolutionary Relationships of Giant Galápagos Tortoises: Phylogeny from a Nuclear Marker in a Rapid Radiation
2. Lisa Simon:
   • Genetic study of germs in the mouth
3. Samantha Attwood:
   • Prevelance of Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis in Neotropical Frog Populations in Cuzco National Park, Honduras

Group Grants

1. Henry Misas / Bulldogs Racing Team:
   • Design, construct & race a hybrid formula car
2. Roxanne Carini, Joseph O’Rourke / Yale Drop Team:
   • Collection of publishable data on complex plasma kinematics under various gravitational conditions
3. Alan Hutchison / Yale Drop Team:
   • Apparatus Development for 3D Cell Culture in Microgravity