Announcing 2024 AJC Merit Research Scholars
Several engineering and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of Northeastern’s AJC Merit Research Scholarship, which will fund a July to December 2024 co-op in the laboratory of a Northeastern University STEM faculty member.
  AJC Merit Research Scholar: Sidharth Annapragada COE’25, Electrical Engineering and Behavioral NeuroscienceMentor: Professor Dagmar Sternad, COE/COS, Electrical and Computer Engineering/BiologySid Annapragada will be working in the lab of Professor Dagmar Sternad this summer and fall, doing research into human motor control. A behavioral neuroscience and electrical engineering dual major, Sid’s interest in this co-op emerged out of taking Professor Sternad’s class on motor control and realizing that his field of study could have a big impact on helping populations with impaired motor systems. Prior to this co-op, Sid conducted part-time research in Professor Sternad’s lab, as well as two previous co-ops at the Datta Lab, doing wet-lab neuroscience research, also on motor and sensory systems. Sid hopes to learn more about human motor control and experimentation in this co-op and go on to do an MD/PhD treating patients with nervous system impairments. Outside of class, Sid is a member of the Wireless Club and loves spending time outdoors and reading. |
  AJC Merit Research Scholar: Cassidy King COE’26, Chemical and Environmental EngineeringMentor: Professor Kelsey Pieper, COE, Civil and Environmental EngineeringA combined chemical and environmental engineering student minoring in Spanish, Cassidy King looks forward to contributing her interdisciplinary skillset to the Pieper Lab. Cassidy’s experience with environmental chemistry and pollutants will serve as the backbone for her efforts in planning a drinking water sampling project in North Carolina. During her co-op with the Pieper Lab, she will help design and implement a campaign to provide free well-water sampling kits to residents in flood zones. At her previous co-op at Foodberry, Cassidy developed a solid foundation in analytical thinking, data interpretation, and wet lab techniques as a valued member of the R&D team. When she’s not in the lab, Cassidy leads her peers as Captain of the Women’s Club Squash team and President of SDP, Northeastern’s Spanish Honors Society. She also loves skiing and DJing on college radio. Post-graduation, Cassidy hopes to work directly with environmentally and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. |
  AJC Merit Research Scholar: Maren Ritterbuck COS’26, BiologyMentor: Professor Sandra Shefelbine, COE, Bioengineering/Mechanical and Industrial EngineeringMaren Ritterbuck will be joining the Shefelbine Lab for the summer and fall of 2024. Under the mentorship of Professor Sandra Shefelbine and in conjunction with the Monaghan Lab, she will explore mechanotransduction in cartilage and bone in addition to the causation of cam morphology. As an open water lifeguard in California, Maren grew an appreciation for the musculoskeletal system and classes at Northeastern advanced this appreciation into an academic interest in bone biomechanics. Over the past year she has worked in the Albro Lab, a mechanobiology lab at Boston University, using Raman spectroscopy as a cartilage health diagnostic tool. As a biology major with a minor in juman movement sciences, she is eager to further her biology research and expand into the mechanical engineering field. After graduation she plans to attend an MD/PhD program to further her research in the medical field. Outside of academics, Maren is working on co-founding a pre-MD/PhD club at Northeastern and jumps at any opportunity to travel, scuba dive, or run along the Charles River. |
  AJC Merit Research Scholar: Madeline Szoo COE’25, Chemical Engineering/BiochemistryMentor: Professor Cynthia Hajal, COE, Mechanical and Industrial EngineeringMadeline Szoo (she/her) will be working in the lab of Professor Cynthia Hajal this summer/fall for her third and final co-op. She will be investigating the effects of bevacizumab (an anti-angiogenic agent), gemcitabine (a common chemotherapeutic), and ONC-201 (a novel anti-cancer drug) on the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG), as well as the correlation between tissue stiffness and treatment responsiveness given the presence of the blood-brain barrier. Madeline’s passion for cancer research stems from her grandmother’s battle with triple-negative breast cancer. Prior to this co-op, Madeline completed co-ops at Beam Therapeutics and in the lab of Professor Tayyaba Hasan at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School through the CaNCURE Program. As an AJC Merit Research Scholar, Madeline hopes to learn more about engineered predictive vascularized tumor models for preclinical assays and plans to pursue a PhD in Bioengineering upon graduation in Spring 2025. Outside of class, Madeline is the President of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society, and enjoys reading and exploring Boston! |
  AJC Merit Research Scholar: Riya Vemana COS’26, Behavioral NeuroscienceMentor: Professor Eno Ebong, COE, Chemical EngineeringRiya Vemana will join the Ebong Mechanobiology Laboratory at Northeastern University this summer and fall. As a part of the Ebong Lab, Riya will work with Professor Ebong and Ron Mitra to study the glycocalyx coat of blood vessel wall endothelial cells in healthy and diseased conditions using various methods, such as confocal and electron microscopy. Riya is a behavioral neuroscience major interested in pursuing medicine, with prior clinical and laboratory research experiences at institutions such as Emory University, Boston Children’s Hospital, and the CDC. She recently completed a co-op opportunity at New England Baptist Hospital as a Rehabilitation Aide and is excited to diversify her skills and experiences further with this opportunity. Following graduation, Riya hopes to pursue a master’s degree in bioinformatics at Northeastern University, then go on to attend medical school. Outside of research and classes, Riya is the Vice President of Community Palette, an organization focused on art volunteering, and a member of Nu Rho Psi, a neuroscience honors society. |