Etenesh Abebe
Hi, my name is Etenesh Seifu Abebe and I graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.S. in Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics. My interests lie in cancer biology, cancer immunogenetics, and human genetics, with a focus on understanding how genetic diversity shapes disease risk and therapeutic response. I hope to continue contributing to research that advances equitable cancer care and, one day, lead my own lab investigating these questions. In my spare time, I love to read and watch movies.
Megna Chalamala
Hello! My name is Megna, and I just graduated from UC Santa Cruz as a Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics major. During my undergraduate studies, I worked in Dr. Ali Shariati’s lab, uncovering the role of transcription factor isoforms on the formation of 8-cell-like cells. Here at UCSF, I work in Dr. Elphege Nora’s lab, where I work to understand the role of insulators in the genome and how we can synthetically block loop extrusion. My work is at the intersection of cell engineering, developmental biology, and bioinformatics. During my free time, I like to get outdoors, read sci-fi, and watch niche movies.
Kea Kyle
Hi! My name is Kea, and I graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology and a minor in Feminist Public Health. During my undergraduate studies, I worked in the Crouch Lab at UCSF investigating the emergence and development of mural cells in the developing human brain. Now, I work in the Mackenzie Lab, where we leverage genome- editing technologies to achieve in vivo editing. I'm primarily interested in developmental biology and exploring how cell types arise during development. I hope to one day contribute to the field. In my spare time, I collect Pokémon cards, lift, and explore the city with friends!
Varsha Ravi
Hi! My name is Varsha, and I graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a minor in Classical Civilization. During my undergraduate studies, I worked in Dr. Ladan Shams’s lab, exploring multisensory processing as it intersected with cognition and physiological metrics like heart rate variability, as well as Dr. Philip Kellman’s lab on a project developing perceptual-adaptive learning tools. At UCSF, I work in Dr. Sam Pleasure’s lab, quantifying sensorimotor deficits exhibited by mice with knockouts in the GluN1, GluN2A, or GluN2B subunits of the NMDA receptor. My interests lie in the neural mechanisms of sensory processing, particularly as affected by neurological and psychiatric disorders, and in turn perception and consciousness. In my free time, I love to read science-fiction and fantasy, write, and check out fun cafés!
PREP Outcomes
One scholar attending the Neuroscience Graduate Program at UCSF
One scholar attending the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at UCSF
One scholar attending the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at UC San Diego
One scholar attending the Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program at Pennsylvania State
Two scholars attending the Biophysics Program at University of Wisconsin-Madison
One scholar attending PIBBS at University of Southern California
One scholar attending the Molecular and Cell Biology Program at University of Washington