COVID Corps Biomedical Research Internship Program: 2021 Cohort
2021 Cohort Summary
We are pleased to announce our 2021 cohort of the MGH COVID Corps Biomedical Research Internship Program. We have selected 17 exceptional interns from a pool of 138 applications. 100% of our cohort are from groups historically underrepresented in biomedical science, with an average graduate and undergraduate GPA of 3.68.
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8 are cisgender women, and 2 are genderqueer, non-binary, questioning or unsure.
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4 are Black or African American, 2 are Hispanic or Latinx, and 10 are Asian or Asian American.
Meet Our 2021 Cohort
Elizabeth Abe
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
DO Candidate
Class of 2024
Mentors: Jehan Alladina, MD, and Benjamin Medoff, MD
![AbeElizabeth.jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_b812a45f40904bd997032621f5a01fec~mv2.jpeg/v1/crop/x_0,y_159,w_2016,h_2012/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/AbeElizabeth.jpeg)
Sebastian Cota
Boston College
Applied Psychology and Human Development
Class of 2024
Mentor: Altaf Saadi, MD, MSc
![CotaSebastian.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_5498f1656a1046cf80a057e7932462a6~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_25,w_1040,h_1043/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/CotaSebastian.png)
Kenechukwu "Kenny" Egbuonu
MIT
Biology
Class of 2021
Mentors: Caitlin Dugdale, MD, and Emily Hyle, MD, MSc
![EgbuonuKenechukwu.jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_fed1d750e5034fefb0b4fe2940efb0a5~mv2.jpeg/v1/crop/x_0,y_15,w_494,h_493/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/EgbuonuKenechukwu.jpeg)
Ramla Hagi
UMass Boston
Biology and Political Science
Class of 2022
Mentor: Zachary Wallace, MD, MSc
![HagiRamla.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_e3c2f371d85746ea96171c40d7596604~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_1947,y_956,w_2075,h_2075/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/HagiRamla.jpg)
Meghna Iyer
Northeastern University
Health Science
Class of 2022
Mentor: Stephen Bartels, MD, MS
![IyerMeghna.JPG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_d0b8a64d96034c7289d35c4677a9e2eb~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_246,y_137,w_413,h_411/fill/w_165,h_164,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/IyerMeghna_JPG.jpg)
Shilei "Lisa" Li
Smith College
Biochemistry
Class of 2024
Mentors: Lauren Breithaupt, PhD, and Randy Gollub, PhD, MD
![LiShilei.jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_ce8658fd44d34e8babd05dcf3e00da11~mv2.jpeg/v1/crop/x_0,y_58,w_960,h_960/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/LiShilei.jpeg)
Leonardo Nguyen
Boston College
Neuroscience
Class of 2024
Mentor: Aswita Tan-McGrory, MBA, MSPH
![NguyenLeonardo.PNG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_35e917a0adc64e22aebfced9cc02f568~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_190,w_640,h_640/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/NguyenLeonardo_PNG.png)
Shwetabh "Tabo" Tarun
The Ohio State University
Political Science
Class of 2021
Mentors: Kimberly Blumenthal, MD, MSc, and Upeka Samarakoon, PhD, MPH, MS
![ShwetabhTarun.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_3e5e52d209324fa5858055509a26e8c8~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_160,w_641,h_641/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/ShwetabhTarun.jpg)
Nina Zhang
Brandeis University
Health Science, Society, and Policy
Class of 2024
Mentor: Jagpreet Chhatwal, PhD
![ZhangNina.jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_4b28e4859b7144b3b32a6b3fa9d1706f~mv2.jpeg/v1/crop/x_0,y_181,w_749,h_749/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/ZhangNina.jpeg)
Taylor Chiang
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
MD Candidate
Class of 2024
Mentors: Karen Sepucha, PhD, Lauren Leavitt, MA
![ChiangTaylor.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_c2d5341b9c4a42209901d5d42b6f3eb0~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_158,w_1463,h_1463/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/ChiangTaylor.jpg)
Vicki Do
Tufts University
Biology and Philosophy
Class of 2023
Mentors: Kenneth Shelton, MD, and Jonathan Ludmir, MD
![DoVicki.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_f4979ee2b8444c9aae085cb5ba46eafd~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_0,w_4133,h_4141/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/DoVicki.jpg)
Christina Exilhomme
Northeastern University
American Sign Language
Class of 2024
Mentor: John Hsu, MD, MBA, MSCE
![ExilhommeChristina.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_8b6454be521b45a7b2badf43376f8ede~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_15,y_424,w_1227,h_1229/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/ExilhommeChristina.png)
Buuthien Hang
UMass Amherst
Computer Engineering
Class of 2024
Mentors: Zachary Wallace, MD, MSc
![HangBuuthien.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_0bbebfc10af6423ead6494743f597d24~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_21,w_1150,h_1149/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/HangBuuthien.jpg)
Jian Li
Columbia University Mailman Public Health
Public Health
Class of 2022
Mentor: Alice Ho, MD, MBA
![LiJian.jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_a96d8f9042f44bf6bff51ccbda9d3e73~mv2.jpeg/v1/crop/x_0,y_504,w_3024,h_3024/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/LiJian.jpeg)
Adna Mohamed
Williams College
Political Economy
Class of 2022
Mentor: Peggy Lai, MD, MPH
![MohamedAdna.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_822299bfb5ac4e21a01a14a2ad6b7148~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_30,w_255,h_240/fill/w_165,h_155,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/MohamedAdna.png)
Won Shin
Pacific Lutheran University
Biology
Class of 2021
Mentor: Matthew Tobey, MD, MPH
![shin_Wo.JPG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_672708a7487d4055a33ca53465940a64~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_748,w_2492,h_2492/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/shin_Wo_JPG.jpg)
Jingwen "Mordred" Yuan
Smith College
Chemistry
Class of 2021
Mentor: Amit Joshi, MBBS, PhD
![YuanJingwen.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_ee6a0bc3c9664a169c59ecdbe9e37392~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_116,w_2408,h_2408/fill/w_165,h_165,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/YuanJingwen.jpg)
Meet Our 2021 Mentors
Upeka Samarakoon, PhD, MPH, MS
Senior Program/Project Manager, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, MGH
![Samarakoon_Upeka.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_c210600e3afa449ab21f6f213fb4256b~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_139,y_0,w_1012,h_1013/fill/w_168,h_168,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/Samarakoon_Upeka.jpg)
Program Leadership
Nicole Taikeff Gabela
Project Coordinator, Disparities Solutions Center, MGH
![NT_Portrait Picture.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7094a_2f90d8d446e746fbbdea527d4cac49c7~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_34,w_518,h_517/fill/w_168,h_168,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/NT_Portrait%20Picture.jpg)