AAMC’s MOSAIC Program Scholars are select National Institute of Health (NIH)-K99/R00 awardees who hail from diverse backgrounds, for example from groups underrepresented in research, as they transition from postdoctoral appointments into academic research faculty positions.
Eric N. Anderson, Ph.D.
Project Title: Investigating the Role of Traumatic Injury in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia (ALS/FTD)
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute on Aging
Eric N. Anderson was born in Guyana, South America, before migrating to Brooklyn, New York. He attended the City of New York University-Medgar Evers College and developed a passion for biomedical sciences after successfully completing summer research at California Institute of Technology and Ohio State University. He earned a Ph.D. in biology/neurobiology at the University at Buffalo. Dr. Anderson currently holds a postdoctoral (postdoc) position at the University of Pittsburgh and is a recipient of several awards, including the Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration postdoc fellowship, Kennedy Disease Association postdoc fellowship, National Institutes of Health T32 fellowship, and travel awards. Dr. Anderson is interested in understanding how genetic factors and traumatic brain injury alter neurodegenerative disease-related proteins' normal functions and pathways critical for cell survival. He aims to find therapeutic targets for diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and traumatic brain injury. He passionately believes that diversity is an integral part to the advancement of science because it will improve innovation, creativity, problem-solving, decision-making, and many other aspects of science. Upon assuming an independent academic career, Dr. Anderson will remain committed to recruiting and mentoring a diverse pool of candidates in his laboratory, as well as participating in the recruitment of underrepresented students at the high school and college levels into the STEM field.
Grant ID: AG75363
Kynon Jade Benjamin, PhD
Project Title: Comprehensive Computational Analysis of Genetic and Regulatory Differences Between Individuals With African and European Ancestries Across Four Brain Regions
Institution: Lieber Institute, Inc.
Born and raised in a large extended family from Indianapolis, Indiana, Kynon Jade Benjamin is proud to be the first doctor in his family. Science has always been a passion for Dr. Benjamin, and he remembers his family encouraging his interest by giving him a microscope and lab coat for Christmas when he was 10. He earned his GED with the support of his family before moving on to Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). At IUPUI, Dr. Benjamin completed his work study at a neuroscience research laboratory. This started his neuroscience research journey, leading to several undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral research awards, as well as poster and oral presentation awards. His current research at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine focuses on the improvement of therapeutics for underresearched communities (i.e., personalized medicine) via investigating ancestry genetic and epigenetic differences for neurological disorders in relevant tissues. Throughout his research path, Dr. Benjamin’s experiences have reinforced the critical need for diversity and creating inclusive spaces. As such, he has worked to provide mentorship and representation as well as advocate for opportunities for other underrepresented minorities.
Grant ID: MD0169640
Ganga S. Bey, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Project Title: Identity Influences on Psychosocial Traits, Biologic Age, and Cardiovascular Disease Disparities
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute on Aging
Ganga S. Bey hails from Cleveland, Ohio, where she was raised along with her nine siblings. Named after a holy river known for its healing waters, Dr. Bey has always felt a calling toward the healing professions. A medical anthropology course during her sophomore year at Princeton University sparked a passion for understanding and addressing the social causes of illness, particular among marginalized populations. She ultimately majored in anthropology and African American studies before receiving her M.P.H. from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and her Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Massachusetts. As a social epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she draws on her love for social science, centering on advancing theoretical frameworks for health disparities research through strengthening the integration of social, social psychological, and biological approaches in epidemiologic methods. Dr. Bey’s research currently focuses on understanding psychosocial and epigenetic mechanisms that influence disparate aging rates between dominant-status and marginalized persons with the goal of identifying novel points of intervening on the health consequences of structural inequity. Recognizing the multigenerational effort required to achieve this goal, Dr. Bey is enthusiastic to continue advocacy for and mentorship of scholars underrepresented in the sciences as a MOSAIC scholar.
Grant ID: AG075327
Kyle A. Cottrell, PhD
Project Title: Identifying Determinants of ADAR-Dependency in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Institution: Washington University
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
Kyle A. Cottrell grew up in a small town in southwest Missouri. He began his undergraduate studies at Ozarks Technical Community College before transferring to Missouri State University. It was there while volunteering in a laboratory that he became interested in biomedical research. He earned his BS and MS at Missouri State and his PhD from Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL). His doctoral studies focused on posttranscriptional regulation by miRNAs and RNA-binding proteins. As a postdoctoral research associate at WUSTL, Dr. Cottrell studies the RNA editing enzyme ADAR and its role in breast cancer. As a first-generation student from a low-socioeconomic background, he is keenly aware of the challenges those from disadvantaged backgrounds face in academia. Dr. Cottrell has taken an active role in improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in biomedical research, both at the individual level through his mentorship of trainees from underrepresented backgrounds and at a larger scale through his work outside of the laboratory. As a member of the Washington University Postdoc Society, he has organized several events focused on career development. Dr. Cottrell founded First-Gen Scholars to provide mentorship, community, and other resources for trainees who are first-generation students or who are from low-socioeconomic backgrounds so that they will be better equipped to navigate careers in academia.
Grant ID: MD016946
Mateo P. Farina, PhD
Project Title: Epigenetic Mechanisms Linking Lifetime Social and Environmental Exposures to Cognitive Aging
Institution: University of Southern California
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute on Aging
Mateo P. Farina attended high school in rural Oklahoma, where he became interested in health and aging after volunteering with a local hospice organization. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University, during which he became interested in the impact of social and policy contexts on health as well as how historical processes have shaped racial inequalities in the United States and Brazil. Dr. Farina completed his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin, where he focused on demography and the social determinants of aging through a life course perspective. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the University of Southern California’s school of gerontology. As a sociologist, demographer, and gerontologist, he seeks to understand how life course exposures impact physiological and cognitive aging with attention to differences in life course pathways across racial and ethnic groups. Dr. Farina is also excited about promoting and supporting diversity in the sciences; he currently mentors several graduate students from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds.
Grant ID: AG076964
Daysha Ferrer-Torres, Ph.D.
Project Title: Utilizing a Human Stem Cell Model of the Esophagus to Understand Racial Disparities During Injury Repair
Institution: University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
An abundance of curiosity, the challenge of solving problems, and perseverance led Daysha Ferrer-Torres to where she is today and where she wants to go in science. At an early age in Puerto Rico, Dr. Ferrer-Torres became involved in science when her parents bought her a microscope. From then on, she marveled at the complexity of the structures she could see through the lenses and how science helps describe and explain the processes we observe daily in nature. For over a decade, Dr. Ferrer-Torres has spent her time in academic training and working in evolutionary genetics, cancer biology, tissue modeling, and stem cell biology. She obtained a bachelor’s in science at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, and a Ph.D. in cancer biology from the University of Michigan, where she’s been training in stem cell biology and tissue modeling. Her passion lies in answering the scientific questions that can shape how we prevent or delay the onset of cancer with a focus on racial disparities. Dr. Ferrer-Torres strongly believes that the evolution of medical care and preventive medicine lies in our ability to perform interdisciplinary, diverse research and to be inclusive at all levels of scientific advancement.
Grant ID: DK133804
Leandra K. Figueroa-Hall, PhD
Project Title: In Vivo Inflammatory Challenge to Elucidate the Role of the Toll-Like Receptor 4 Pathway in Depression
Institution: Laureate Institute for Brain Research
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute on Mental Health
Leandra K. Figueroa-Hall grew up on the island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, with her Puerto Rican father and Trinidadian mother. It was a privilege to be the first person in her family to receive a Ph.D. Her interest in science began with her participation in an after-school program called Medical Explorers. She earned an M.Sc. from the University of Maryland School of Medicine with a focus on molecular mechanisms of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and a Ph.D. from the Oklahoma State University’s Center for Health Sciences focused on characterization of TLR4 neuroinflammatory signaling. After a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University gaining experience in translational-based research and cutting-edge techniques, Dr. Figueroa-Hall is now a postdoctoral research associate at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR). Her cumulative training in TLR4 has led to her current interest in defining the role of TLR4 signaling in major depressive disorder. During her graduate studies, she participated in STEM mentorship and outreach activities with elementary school children. Dr. Figueroa-Hall is currently a member of LIBR’s Diversity Committee and the Philanthropy and Community Engagement subcommittee, and she is committed to continuing her work mentoring underrepresented students and young scientists.
Grant ID: MH126950
Melissa Flores, PhD
Project Title: Toward Accurate Cardiovascular Disease Prediction in Hispanics/Latinos: Modeling Risk and Resilience Factors
Institution: University of Arizona
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Melissa Flores grew up in Midland, Texas, and has always been avidly curious about the natural and social world. Her undergraduate research experiences at the University of Texas at Austin and early community work in behavioral health spurred her interest in social dynamics and health. She continued her education at the University of Arizona, where she earned a PhD in family studies and human development and a minor in biostatistics. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the department of psychology at the University of Arizona, working with Dr. John M. Ruiz. As a developmental scientist, she aims to understand both social and structural factors associated with the persistence of health disparities in Latina/o/x populations using a resilience-focused lens. She is interested in novel and advanced quantitative methods to model complex social environments as they relate to cardiovascular disease. Dr. Flores is enthusiastic about and committed to strengthening the academic pipeline for diverse scholars. She is an active mentor across several academic domains spanning middle (6th to 10th grade) to graduate school.
Grant ID: HL157611
Cherice N. Hill, Ph.D.
Project Title: Tissue Structure and Mechanical Function Relationships of the Human Temporomandibular Lateral Capsule-Ligament: Investigation of Sexual and Racial Dimorphisms
Institution: Clemson University
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Cherice N. Hill grew up in Cary, North Carolina, surrounded by family, friends, and mentors in science and engineering. She participated in precollegiate STEM programs and a research internship in high school, which fueled her interest in scientific research and encouraged her to continue her STEM training. Dr. Hill discovered her passion for biomechanics while completing her B.S. in biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia. She continued her training with an M.S. and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Virginia Tech, focusing on movement mechanics. Currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Clemson-Medical University of South Carolina bioengineering program, she studies the structural and mechanical influence of ligamentous structures on temporomandibular joint function and related health disparities. In addition to participating in conferences, seminars, and programs aimed at diversifying representation and academic approaches within higher education, Dr. Hill has mentored a diverse set of trainees in support of creating a more diverse academic workforce. Her commitment extends to her research, with the aim of improving diversity within research and optimizing research translational equity to mitigate health disparities.
Grant ID: DE031345
Amanda M. Hunter, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Project Title: Native Spirit: Culturally Grounded Substance Use Prevention for Indigenous Adolescents
Institution: Northern Arizona University
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Amanda M. Hunter is a proud citizen of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. Her interest in public health research ignited after working in the medical field and recognizing the great need for prevention of chronic disease that often brought patients into the office and pharmacy. Dr. Hunter received her M.P.H. and Ph.D. in health behavior and health promotion from the University of Arizona. She’s currently a postdoctoral researcher at Northern Arizona University’s Center for Health Equity Research. Since 2015, she has worked with Indigenous communities in Arizona to develop, implement, and evaluate a culturally grounded after-school program. The program aims to strengthen cultural identity, self-esteem, and resilience while decreasing substance use in Indigenous youth. As an Indigenous person, Dr. Hunter is deeply invested in the advancement of Indigenous peoples and unable to separate her identity from her work. For this reason, all of her research, service, work experience, and teaching has centered around health promotion and disease prevention for Indigenous communities. Any future funding she receives will go toward Indigenous students at various education and community members to guide research priorities and to serve as community researchers.
Grant ID: DA056842
Mijin Kim, Ph.D.
Project Title: Machine Perception Nanosensor Array Platform to Capture Whole Disease Fingerprints of Early Stage Pancreatic Cancer
Institution: Sloan Kettering Institute
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Mijin Kim grew up in South Korea. She became interested in material science and physical chemistry while working as an undergraduate research assistant in the analytical spectroscopy laboratory at Hanyang University in Korea. Dr. Kim moved to the United States to earn a doctorate in chemistry at the University of Maryland, College Park. During her Ph.D. studies, she investigated the methods of chemical modification to improve the quantum efficiency and functionalities of carbon nanotubes. Now in her postdoctoral training in molecular pharmacology at the Sloan-Kettering Institute, Dr. Kim utilizes the chemically modified carbon nanotubes to address challenges in cancer diagnostics and biomedical research tools. She’s developed a machine-learning enabled nanosensor array platform to identify a disease fingerprint of ovarian cancer from patient sera. Dr. Kim currently investigates the molecular mechanism of sensor response and works on validating the methodology for another clinical target. Throughout her training, she’s been committed to promoting diversity in science and engineering through outreach at a local high school and through mentoring students from underrepresented minority and disadvantaged backgrounds.
Grant ID: EB033580
Vivian S. Lee-Kim, Ph.D.
Project Title: Tspan14 Expression and Function in Cardiovascular Disease
Institution: Brigham and Women's Hospital
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
An Oklahoman by birth, Vivian S. Lee-Kim was raised in Oklahoma and Washington, where her passion for science and nature sprouted from her childhood summers spent collecting and observing insects. Dr. Lee-Kim’s first foray into biomedical research began through the undergraduate research program at the University of Washington, where she majored in biochemistry and performed independent research on nanoparticle toxicity in pulmonary cells. With the support of strong mentors and collaborative colleagues, her zeal for science continued to accelerate, inspiring her to pursue and obtain her Ph.D. in developmental, regenerative, and stem cell biology at Washington University in St. Louis. Her thesis focused on identifying and validating novel mutations for familial thoracic aortic aneurysms. Currently, she is a postdoctoral fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital studying noncoding variants associated with coronary artery disease. Throughout her scientific career, Dr. Lee-Kim recognized the diversity challenges within the scientific community and dedicated herself to the recruitment and empowerment of young scientists from underrepresented groups through various outreach programs. As a MOSAIC scholar, she is committed to magnifying diversity and entrenching inclusion as a pillar of her future research program, institution, and wider scientific community.
Grant ID: HL163411
Gabriela López, Ph.D.
Project Title: Event-level Antecedents of Heavy Drinking Among Bisexual and Heterosexual Women With and Without Histories of Sexual Assault
Institution: Brown University
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Gabriela López was raised in Chicago, Illinois, by Mexican immigrant parents. Her close ties to family kept her local for her undergraduate education, and she completed dual bachelor’s degrees in applied psychology and gender and women’s studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. While an undergraduate student, she became interested in mental health disparities among women, particularly among sexual minority women. Dr. López earned her Ph.D. in psychology at the University of New Mexico, where she examined mental health disparities and protective factors among Black, Latina, and White bisexual and lesbian women. She completed her clinical internship at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, expanding her skillset in women’s mental health. She then completed postdoctoral training at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University’s School of Public Health, where she focused on further understanding mental health and alcohol use disparities among bisexual+ women with histories of sexual assault. Dr. López is very interested in promoting diversity in higher institutions. She serves as mentor at Brown University’s mentoring program and as a member of the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging subcommittee, which gathers, examines, and maintains data on the recruitment and retention of persons from diverse backgrounds across all levels of training for both the university’s department of psychiatry and human behavior and Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies.
Grant ID: AA030079
Erica L. O’Brien, PhD
Project Title: Pathways Linking Negative Self-Views of Aging to Physical Activity in Daily Life: An Intensive Within-Person Approach
Institution: Pennsylvania State University
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute on Aging
Erica L. O’Brien has lived in various parts of the United States, as well as abroad. Her interest in science emerged from her undergraduate research experience, which focused on older adults and the experience of aging. She earned her BS in sociology from Virginia Tech and a PhD in psychology with an emphasis on lifespan development from North Carolina State University. In 2019, she began her postdoctoral training as a T32 fellow in the center for healthy aging at Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests are in understanding and promoting the everyday psychological and behavioral pathways that lead to healthy aging. Dr. O’Brien has consistently sought to integrate her scientific training with mentoring, education, and outreach activities aimed at engaging students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds in STEM work. She looks forward to continuing initiatives designed to promote diversity in science and academia as an independent investigator.
Grant ID: AG075259
Maria Mora Pinzon, MS, MD
Project Title: Improving Access to Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Care Services for Latinx Individuals at Community Health Clinics. A Multiphase Mixed Methods Study.
Institution: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute on Aging
Maria Mora Pinzon was born and raised in Venezuela, where she attended medical school at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, Escuela José María Vargas. After immigrating to the United States, she completed a master’s degree in clinical research from Rush University in Chicago, Illinois, and in 2017 she completed her residency in general preventive medicine and public health at the University of Wisconsin (UW)–Madison. She also completed a T32-funded primary care research fellowship at the UW–Madison department of family medicine and community health and is currently a scientist with the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute. Dr. Mora Pinzon has a leadership position in the American College of Preventive Medicine and is co-founder of the Twitter community #LatinasInMedicine, which serves to amplify the voices of Latinas in the health care field. Her work in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias seeks to improve access to care for Hispanic/Latino older adults, particularly those whose primary language is Spanish. To achieve this goal, she works with stakeholders and communities to improve services in ways that are culturally appropriate and sustainable.
Grant ID: AG076966
Mitali Ray, Ph.D., R.N.
Project Title: Allostatic Load and Race: Implications for Cardiovascular Health in Pregnancy and Beyond
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute of Nursing Research
Mitali Ray was born to Indian immigrants from Kolkata, West Bengal, in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, where she grew up. Her deep love for science was sparked during an undergraduate prerequisite biology course when she learned about the structure and function of the protein, ATP synthase, in cellular respiration (yes, really!). Dr. Ray earned a B.S. in biology from Towson University, a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, and an accelerated B.S. in nursing from West Chester University. Her ongoing postdoctoral training has taken place at University of Pittsburgh, where she has been supported by T32 programs in omics and cardiovascular disease epidemiology in the Schools of Nursing and Public Health, respectively. Dr. Ray is strongly committed to developing a diverse research workspace and creating inclusive spaces for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and neurodivergent communities in science. She is currently a postdoctoral representative for the Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Discrimination Advocacy Committee of the University of Pittsburgh senate and a board member for Queer Family Planning Project, a nonprofit dedicated to offsetting family planning costs for the queer community in Pittsburgh.
Grant ID: NR020215
Carleara Weiss, R.N., M.S., Ph.D.
Project Title: The Benefits of Nicotinamide Riboside Upon Cognition and Sleep in Older Veterans
Institution: State University of New York at Buffalo
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute on Aging
Carleara Weiss grew up in Miracema, a small town in rural Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was raised in an intergenerational household, surrounded by strong and driven women. Her great-grandmother was a doula and ignited her curiosity in biomedical sciences. As a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Weiss joined the Federal Fluminense University Nursing Program in Brazil, hoping to become a midwife. However, the influence of her intergenerational household steered her toward a career as a geriatric nurse to improve quality of life of people with dementia. She earned an M.S. in health care from Federal Fluminense University and a Ph.D. from University at Buffalo School of Nursing in New York, studying the impact of sleep disturbances on fatigue and quality of life of older adults. She then pursued a National Institutes of Health T32 fellowship, exploring mouse models of circadian disruptions and cognitive impairment. Currently, Dr. Weiss combines laboratory and clinical expertise to explore biomarkers associated with cognition and sleep in older adults, with particular interest in racially minoritized communities. She founded the Brazilian Students and Scholars Conference to support the networking and career development among Brazilian scientists in the United States. She also regularly mentors biomedical science students from diverse backgrounds. As a MOSAIC scholar, she hopes to continue empowering diversity in science.
Grant ID: AG079117
Sonya J. Wolf-Fortune, Ph.D.
Project Title: Role of IFN Kappa in Psoriasis-Mediated Diabetes Development
Institution: University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Sonya J. Wolf-Fortune grew up in Cypress, Texas. She developed a passion for research throughout college at Prairie View A&M University (PVU), working in a lab learning about the immune response of corneal epithelial cells following infection. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from PVU, she pursued a Ph.D. in immunology from the University of Michigan (UM). During graduate school, she became fascinated with studying skin inflammation. Her current postdoctoral research at UM furthers this interest by focusing on elucidating the mechanisms by which psoriasis promotes metabolic dysfunction, with a particular interest in epigenetics and structural-immune cell crosstalk. Dr. Wolf-Fortune is passionate about increasing diversity in science. Her efforts have included mentoring and teaching at community colleges with diverse student populations to assist in exposing students to scientific careers. Additionally, she is vice president of program development for Legacy Avenue Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on empowering underrepresented students as they pursue higher education. She is committed to teaching, mentoring, and establishing diversity-focused science programs that can benefit generations and assist in creating an inclusive scientific community.
Grant ID: DK133828