2024 interns
Sidney Archer is a senior Health Science major at Howard University, Sidney has a strong aspiration to work in the medical field driven by her love for helping people and thriving in patient-centered environments. Through CTOSI, she has had the invaluable opportunity to shadow health professionals, explore the complexities of oncology and gain an understanding of the operations behind successful clinical trials. Sidney has worked closely with the breast team during her internship, which has, and continues to, change the lives of so many women. This experience has provided first hand insight into the dedication and compassion required as a health care professional.
“This internship has been an eye-opening and rewarding experience, solidifying my passion for pursuing a career in the medical field by being in an environment where people genuinely care about patient needs and are committed to finding solutions to challenging problems.”
Omika Malhotra is an undergraduate senior at American University majoring in Psychology and minoring in Biology on the premed track. She gained experience working in a chemistry lab at American University conducting research focused on creating carbon electrodes and using cyclic voltammetry to detect biological molecules, such as neurotransmitters. She also worked under Dr. Jonathan Tubman, a professor at American University. She assisted him in his research on how sexual minorities are affected by domestic violence and sexual assault and looked into methods in which mental health professionals can be more trauma-informed. Her interest in research and clinical trials led her to CTOSI at Massey. Omika hopes to attend medical school and become a physician who understands the importance of diversity and equity in health care.
Ryan Roberts is a rising junior majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Math at VCU, Ryan has had an interest in pursuing a career in medicine since elementary school. Over time, that interest has expanded to include learning about how to use technology to assist in diagnosing and curing diseases. Throughout his undergraduate journey at VCU, Ryan has gained valuable experience participating in laboratory research and various projects related to his major, including leading a correlative research team study that assessed the effects of daily meditative practices on heart metrics. Ryan also learned to use 3D printing to create and produce small parts as well as frequency selective surfaces which can be used in a variety of medical applications.
“I am currently striving towards completing my bachelor’s degree and will follow-up with an accelerated master’s degree in engineering. Upon graduating, I aspire to pursue and create transformational research in the technology used to diagnose and treat cancer. Fortunately, my passion for medicine, my rigorous education and opportunities for hands-on experiences like the Rudene Mercer Haynes Clinical Trials Summer Office Internship, is positioning me to become a future change agent in the detection and treatment of cancer.”
Sophia Ratliff is a rising senior at VCU studying Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. She has gained research experience in the areas of behavioral and social sciences through previous internships and classes and has been a mathematics and statistics tutor for the past two years. Sophia is interested in assistive technology and behavioral design, they hope to attend graduate school to further explore the intersection of design and psychology. Long-term, she has aspirations to work as an engineer or product designer in a career centering on sustainability and culturally informed design.
“The CTOSI internship has allowed me to observe a wide variety of medical disciplines and facets of clinical trials. Through this experience, I’ve gained a more well-rounded perspective of what goes into clinical trials, and a more holistic view of the biomedical design process that will serve me well in my engineering career.”
Briza Avellaneda
Briza graduated from VCU in May 2023 with a major in Biology. She gained oncology experience through a position with the VCU Acute Care Oncology unit as a Patient Care Technician providing quality and compassionate patient care. Additionally, Briza is conducting research with Dr. Leon-Perez at VCU focusing on the under-represented community in Richmond and the different life experiences surrounding immigrants. Briza understands the importance of research and how it changes lives every day. In her personal statement she refers to Oncology as being very tough, yet it's a field worth fighting for. Upon completing the internship, Briza accepted a research role at Massey.
Emilio "EJ" Frijas
EJ recently graduated from Virginia Tech this past May 2023 with a minor in Biological Science - International Relations. He has gained research experience as a Research Assistant at the Virginia Tech College of Plant and Environmental Science. During this experience his primary focus was to determine how much nitrogen gets fixated throughout the legume plant species while using, as he described; top of the line technology in the lab. EJ hopes to find a career in the world of biology and research where he can make a difference by developing and researching new pharmaceuticals that are clean for our environment. He describes himself as being adaptable, responsible, organized, motivated, hard working, and detail-oriented.
Kennedi Smith
Kennedi joins us as an Undergrad Sophomore at North Carolina A&T with a major in Biology. She has a strong passion for leadership in medicine and healthcare. Throughout her lab and lecture courses she has expanded upon her understanding of medicine and research. Her goal is to become a doctor where she can work for social justice while helping people live healthy and honorable lives. As stated in her personal statement, she has what it takes to become a physician who can be challenged for solving problems and developing unique creative solutions to cure patients. Kennedi maintains an extremely high level of academic achievement that positioned her for the CTO Summer Internship.
Kandice Wimbush
Kandice recently graduated from Old Dominion University this past May 2023 with a major in Biomedical Sciences. Kandice has gained research experience throughout her microbiology course where she conducted research on Ebola to create a novel disease control plan. This experience allowed her to critically analyze data used for research. Kandice also conducted research to determine the effects of social media on mental health for teenagers. During this experience, she collected data from interviews with teenagers, and she presented her findings through a presentation. The medical field and research has been a passion since high school. Kandice hopes to expand her healthcare knowledge and understand medicine and research while networking with research professionals during her internship. Throughout her roles in healthcare she has become very familiar and comfortable with the healthcare setting. It continues to fuel her passion to gain a career in healthcare after completing her internship.
Pamela A., Biology Major at VCU
“Starting the Rudene Mercer Haynes CTOSI, I looked forward to enhancing both my knowledge of clinical research and related skills. At the end, I look back and see the impact this experience has had on me. The impact of one meeting that lasts a lifetime.”
Rebecca G., Biology Major at VCU
"The Rudene Mercer Haynes CTOSI is great exposure to an aspect of patient care you couldn't see anywhere else. I've gained valuable perspective that I'll carry with me throughout my career. This has been one of the best experiences I've had as an undergraduate."
Madisonne J., Biology Major, Marketing Minor at VSU
“The Rudene Mercer Haynes CTOSI is a prime example of two things: 1) inclusion and 2) productivity. There is always a task to be completed and when you have an issue there's always someone there to help. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to participate.”
Sera L., Biology Major, Chemistry Minor at VCU Honors College
"As a participants in the Rudene Mercer Haynes CTOSI, I was not only able to build my knowledge, improve my interpersonal skills and expand my personal network, but I was also able to partake in meaningful, patient-centered clinical trial activities. My experiences from this internship have helped define my career goal of pursuing both medicine and cancer research.
Questions? Contact us at mcccrtec@vcu.edu.