Course Content2026 Participants
Aike Cardenas (2026 REU Participant)
Undergraduate Student, Imperial Valley College
ORCID: 0009-0000-3980-8726
Aike is an undergraduate student at Imperial Valley college, currently working towards an Associates in Biology and Chemistry. They are particularly curious about molecular biology, molecular chemistry, and genetic chemistry. Outside of the sciences, they enjoy drawing, playing board games, and swimming. Their biggest dream is to improve lives through the lab. Their second biggest dream is to go skydiving.
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email: mcardenasquintero_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Skye Carmody
High School Student, Clairemont High School
ORCID: 0009-0001-9912-4710
Skye is a sophomore at Clairemont High School with a strong interest in STEM, leadership, and service. After her sister’s diagnosis with a rare brain tumor, Skye became especially interested in medicine and engineering. She is involved in FRC Robotics, where she helps design and build robots, and mentors younger LEGO FIRST teams. In addition, she founded a Math Club that tutors middle school students and an Astronomy Club focused on hands-on learning. Outside of academic activities, Sky is the varsity tennis team captain, a fencer, and a volunteer with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation that supports cancer research.
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Josue Castillo
Undergraduate Student, Bioengineering, San Diego City College
ORCID: 0009-0008-2659-7972
Josue Castillo is an undergraduate student in the San Diego Community College District pursuing an Associate’s degree in Biology (Class of 2027) and preparing to transfer to a four-year university to study Biomedical Engineering. As a participant in the UC San Diego MRSEC RIMSE-STEMULATE program, he is interested in nanomaterials and biosensors, especially how materials can be engineered to control properties for biomedical applications. He is also passionate about science outreach in his community and creating short science videos.
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Keira Curry
Undergraduate Student, NanoEngineering, UC San Diego
ORCID: 0009-0004-0124-2367
Keira Curry is a third year transfer student at UCSD majoring in NanoEngineering. She previously attended MiraCosta College, where she developed strong interests in chemistry and nanomaterials. Her academic interests include clean energy research, applications of nanotechnology, and materials science. Through RIMSE, she hopes to further explore nanoscale materials and their real world applications through research and engineering.
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email: kcurry_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Jay Doctor
Undergraduate Student, Chemistry, UC San Diego
ORCID: 0009-0000-5763-9567
Jay is a sophomore at UC San Diego, majoring in Molecular Synthesis in the Department of Chemistry. Fields of interest include drug development, materials science, and textile engineering. He enjoys running, watching football, and hiking in his free time.
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email: jadoctor_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Njideka Ekwuru
Undergraduate Student, Biochemistry, UC San Diego
ORCID: 0009-0004-0431-5998
Njideka is a first year undergraduate majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Ethnics Studies. She is interested in pursuing medicine as a career, she’s particularly hoping to go into a specialization under pediatrics. She loves reading and staying active.
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email: nekwuru_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Ivey Furlow
Undergraduate Student, Biomedical Eng., NCAT
ORCID: 0009-0005-9724-4160
Ivey Furlow is a sophomore Biomedical Engineering student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCAT). She is passionate towards her major and looks forward to working in the medical industry to aid in the innovation and accessibility of future medical devices. Ivey’s hobbies include traveling, shopping, and trying new food dishes from various cultures.
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Jade Gregg
PhD Student, Chemistry, UC San Diego
ORCID: 0009-0004-0717-0915
Jade is a PhD student in the Sailor Lab at UC San Diego, where she focuses on the design and characterization of porous silicon biochemical sensors. She graduated from Bucknell University in 2025 with a B.S. in Cell Biology and Biochemistry and a double major in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies. During her undergraduate tenure, Jade conducted four years of research under the mentorship of Dr. Brian Smith, specifically elucidating novel structures and studying the flexible dynamics of the COF-300 framework system. She now aims to leverage her multi-faceted background to develop next-generation sensing technologies at the intersection of materials science and chemical biology.
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email: jagregg_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Yixing Guan
PhD Student, Chemistry, UC San Diego
ORCID: 0009-0009-2126-7293
Yixing is a first-year PhD student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego. He completed a bachelor’s degree (Honors) in materials science and engineering at both Monash University and Wuhan University of Technology. His previous research mainly focused on flow chemistry, monodisperse polymer particle synthesis, and their biological application in tissue engineering. He is interested in porous silicon and drug delivery systems. Outside his academic work, he enjoys playing piano and is a good singer.
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Joshua Kuo
MS Student, Bioengineering, UC San Diego
ORCID: 0009-0009-0301-7530
Joshua is a first-year MS Student in the UC San Diego Department of Bioengineering. He received his B.S. in Bioengineering from UC Riverside, where he worked in Dr. Vullev’s group to develop a NiO p-DSSC prototype that uses pyranoflavylium dye. He is interested in utilizing nanomaterials for drug delivery systems.
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email: jok077_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Isabella Mejorado (2026 REU Participant)
Undergraduate Student, Chemistry, Imperial Valley College
ORCID: 0009-0004-3204-3125
Isabella, a second-year Chemistry major at Imperial Valley College, is excited to explore the world of silicon nanoparticles and their applications in drug delivery. When she’s not busy at school, you can find her playing piano, hiking, experimenting with new baking recipes, or bringing energy to the volleyball court as both a coach and a player.
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Nerissa Molejon
PhD Student, Chemical & Nanoengineering, UC San Diego
ORCID: 0000-0002-5741-6256
Nerissa Molejon is a student researcher at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where she has worked on biosensor development. She will be joining the NanoEngineering PhD program at the University of California, San Diego in Fall 2026 and is broadly interested in developing nanostructured platforms for real‑world sensing challenges. In her free time, she enjoys baking, cooking, and exploring historic cities through their culinary culture.
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email: Nerissa_Molejon_at_student_dot_uml_dot_edu
Janell Nunez
Undergraduate Student, Biochemistry, CSULB
ORCID: 0009-0006-4655-9223
Janell Nunez is a third-year undergraduate student at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Applied Math. She plans to pursue a PhD in Cancer Biology or Biochemistry as she is interested in investigating potential effective anti-cancer drug delivery systems. Outside of her studies, she enjoys cooking and hanging out with friends.
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John Paul Ortiz
Undergraduate Student, Biology, CSULB
ORCID: 0009-0000-4813-9720
John Paul is a second-year Biology major at CSULB.
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Katherine Perez
Undergraduate Student, Chemistry, UC San Diego
ORCID: 0009-0004-6081-867X
Katherine is currently a first year undergraduate Pharmacological Chemistry major at UC San Diego. She is excited to gain in-lab experience and tinker with experimental processes! Katherine enjoys cats, live music, baking, and spending time with family.
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email: kap030_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Karina Revenko
High School Student, Pacific Ridge High School
ORCID: 0009-0009-1918-2127
Karina is a rising senior at Pacific Ridge High School. She is very interested in silicon nanotechnology and its applications, especially with enzymes.
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Eilene Rosholt
High School Student, Scripps Ranch High School
ORCID: 0009-0001-3924-4243
Eilene is a rising junior attending Scripps Ranch High School and is joining the UC San Diego MRSEC 2026 RIMSE Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology. She is immensely interested in the applications of nanotechnology in medicine such as enhancing biological materials and repurposing them for treating illnesses.
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Jhalak Sethi
PhD Student, University of Tartu
ORCID: 0009-0002-2673-5868
Jhalak is entering her third year of PhD in Medicine at the University of Tartu, Estonia, where she is a part of the Lab of Precision and Nanomedicine. She primarily focuses on the synthesis of silver and lipid nanoparticles and their functionalization with homing peptides for efficient targeted drug delivery. She is excited to expand her knowledge in the field of Nanomedicine by understanding the underlying mechanisms of silicon nanotechnology.
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email: jhalak_dot_sethi_at_ut_dot_ee
Angela Shi
High School Student, Vermont Academy
ORCID: 0009-0009-2117-3705
Angela Shi is a high school sophomore at Vermont Academy with a strong interest in biology, chemistry, and materials science. She is looking forward to exploring porous silicon nanoparticles and their applications in drug delivery. Outside of school, she enjoys playing the piano, riding horses, and playing tennis.
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Zachary Silverman
Undergraduate Student, Biomedical Engineering, CSULB
ORCID: 0009-0001-7542-7901
Zachary Silverman is pursuing a B.S. in biomedical engineering with a minor in chemistry as a second-year at California State University, Long Beach. He is currently researching pneumatic digital logic, a microfluidic system for point-of-care diagnostic applications in Dr. Siavash Ahrar’s lab. Zach is excited to participate in this summer program to connect silicon nanotechnologies with his research on microfluidic chips to create a more accessible alternative to the current Medicare. In his free time, he enjoys weightlifting and cooking.
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Matthew Slavin
High School Student, La Jolla Country Day
ORCID: 0009-0003-7446-3227
Matthew is a Junior at La Jolla Country Day School (class of 2027) with a passion for science. On monthly trips to Tijuana and Mexicali, he volunteers in a free clinic alongside UCSD students and physician volunteers. At school, he leads the Biology Olympiad club, where he coaches his peers prepare for the National Biology Exam. He also has a passion for teaching, and has been a math tutor for the Russian School of Mathematics for the last 4 years. In his free time, he is a competitive swimmer, and enjoys spending time outdoors, including surfing, skiing, and hiking. He aims to explore more about the potential of microporous silicon in targeted drug delivery.
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David Tran
Undergraduate Student, Biomedical Engineering, CSULB
ORCID: 0009-0005-1849-6758
David is an undergraduate Biomedical Engineering major at California State University, Long Beach (Class of 2027). His previous research focused on microvascular formation in 3D tissue models. He is interested in learning more about biomaterials and nanotechnology and their biomedical applications. In his free time, he enjoys going to concerts, playing basketball, and running.
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Zephyr Wu-Zucker
Undergraduate Student, Biochemistry, CSULB
ORCID: 0009-0009-2208-8481
Zephyr is a biochemistry transfer student at CSU Long Beach from Contra Costa College. He is interested in developing biomaterials for medical and energy applications. Outside of lab, Zephyr can be found playing bass or riding his bike.
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email: zephyr_dot_wu-zucker01_at_student_dot_csulb_dot_edu
2026 Mentors
Gael Alvarado
Undergraduate Student, Chemical Engineering, Palomar College
ORCID: 0009-0001-1226-6741
Gael is an undergraduate student at Palomar College majoring in Chemical Engineering, with a focus on materials science engineering. He is a returning UC San Diego MRSEC RIMSE participant hoping to continue his work on the phenomenon of on-off intermittency of boron doped porous silicon.
Belfu Berkol
Undergraduate Student, Bioengineering, UC Berkeley
ORCID: 0009-0000-6919-4075
Belfu is a first-year student at the University of California, Berkeley, pursuing a dual degree in Bioengineering and Business Administration as part of the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology (M.E.T.) program. Her research interests center on bioinspired materials and biomimicry. Belfu previously participated in the RIMSE program at UC San Diego within the Sailor Lab, where she focused on nanoparticle loading for Traumatic Brain Injury applications. In addition to her studies, she serves as a North American Ambassador and Training Team Lead for iGEM.
Benjamin Case
High School Mentor, San Diego High School
ORCID: 0009-0008-8031-7580
Ben Case recently graduated from San Diego High School. He plans to major in Natural Sciences with a concentration in Physics in the UK. He participated in the RIMSE 2025 program in the Sailor Lab (focusing on polymer-silicon composites), and has continued research part-time throughout the year.
Joseph P. Briggs
Post-Doc, Chemistry & Biochemistry
ORCID: 0000-0001-7892-4869
Joseph is a post-doctoral researcher in the UC San Diego Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida and his Ph.D. from Colorado School of Mines in Chemical and Biological Engineering, with a minor in Quantum Engineering, jointly advised by Carolyn Koh (CBE) and Reuben Collins (Physics). His PhD work focused on alternative forms of silicon for quantum information science.
email: jobriggs_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Jiuk Byun
PhD Student, Materials Science & Engineering
ORCID: 0000-0001-9810-8869
Jiuk is a PhD student in Materials Science and Engineering at UC San Diego who joined the lab in 2023. She received her B.A. in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics from Mount Holyoke College. She conducted her undergraduate research with Professor Wei Chen and helped develop a new procedure for spin coating polydopamine thin films. She also worked with Professor Dirk Englund’s group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, on nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. Before joining UCSD, she researched coatings and carbonization of nature-inspired polymer materials in Professor Haeshin Lee’s lab at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. She participated in the Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology remotely in 2021 and in-person in 2023, and served as a mentor in 2024. Her research interests include surface modification of porous silicon nanoparticles and materials for sensing and catalysis applications.
email: jibyun_at_ucsd.edu
James S. Cohan
PhD Student, Chemistry
ORCID: 0009-0005-6155-057X
James is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry. He received his B.S. in Biochemistry from Florida State University, where he worked in Robert Schurko’s group on solid-state NMR spectroscopy of coordination polymers and dopant effects on ZnO nanoparticles. He is interested in nanoparticles for drug delivery and characterizing them using solid-state NMR methods.
email: jcohan_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Oscar Calzada
PhD Student, Chemical & Nanoengineering
ORCID: 0000-0001-8922-4438
Oscar Calzada Martinez is a PhD student in the UCSD Department of Chemical and Nanoengineering who joined the lab in 2022. He has been a participant (2021) and a Senior Mentor (2022-24) in the Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology (SSSiN), one of the UC San Diego MRSEC RIMSE research immersion programs. Oscar has projects on porous nanoparticles used as small molecule delivery systems for bacterial infections, and as targeted therapeutics for treatment of brain injuries.
email: ocalzada_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Brayden Jones
Undergraduate Student, Chemical & Nanoengineering
ORCID: 0009-0006-9827-8474
Brayden is an undergraduate student at UC San Diego, majoring in Chemical Engineering, with an expected graduation date of June 2027. Brayden is exploring career paths in both industry and graduate studies as he considers pursuing a master’s degree. Outside of school and research, Brayden enjoys staying active through outdoor activities such as basketball, volleyball, and running.
email: bmj001_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Joshua Neal
Undergraduate Student, Physics, NCAT
ORCID: 0009-0001-4955-7497
Joshua Neal is a 2nd-year Undergraduate Physics Major at North Carolina A&T University. He was a participant of the Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology (SSSiN) in 2025 and is returning as a mentor. His research consists of defining and categorizing the properties of porous silicon gradient photonic crystals and continuing to work on developing an affordable spectrometer for education.
email: jlneal3_at_aggies_dot_ncat_dot_edu
Edward T. Nguyen
Post-Doc, Chemistry & Biochemistry, UC San Diego
ORCID: 0000-0002-4787-8270
Eddie is a post-doctoral researcher in the UC San Diego Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry who was previously Adjunct Professor of Chemistry in the San Diego Community College and Grossmont College districts. He received both his B.S. and M.S. from CSU Long Beach (Advisor: Xianhui Bu) and obtained his Ph.D. from Florida State University (Advisor: Geoffrey F. Strouse, Focus: transition metal carbide nanocrystals). He participated in the SSSiN program as an RET (Research Experiences for Teachers) trainee in 2024, and is serving as a Senior Mentor in the 2025 SSSiN.
email: edn005_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Gabriella Stark
PhD Student, Chemistry & Biochemistry, UC San Diego
ORCID: 0000-0003-1304-9404
Gabriella is a PhD Student in the UC San Diego Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. She was a participant in the 2021 Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology (SSSiN), one of the UC San Diego MRSEC RIMSE research immersion programs, and acted as a Senior Mentor in the 2022 through 2024 SSSiN. Her research focus is on surface chemistry of porous silicon nanoparticles to load and deliver biologic therapeutics, preserving function, extending release, and maximizing circulation time.
email: gastark_at_ucsd.edu
Ashley Tamura
MRSEC Associate Education Director, UC San Diego
ORCID: 0000-0002-2540-6125
Ashley Tamura is the Associate Education Director of the UC San Diego MRSEC. She received both her B.S. and M.S. from UC San Diego while working on the phase-tunable colloidal synthesis of tungsten disulfide nanocrystals with Dr. Alina M. Schimpf. With her research background and her experience as an Adjunct Professor in the San Diego Community College and Southwestern College districts, Ashley forms a bridge between the research and the education elements of the MRSEC and the RIMSE program. She participated as an RET in the 2023 Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology, and as a Senior Mentor in 2024. Her research focus is on the physical, chemical, and optical properties of porous silicon.
email: aktamura_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Elaina Truong
Undergraduate Student, Biochemistry, UC San Diego
ORCID: 0009-0009-6859-5112
Elaina is an undergraduate at UC San Diego studying Biochemistry (expected 2028) with interests in nanomedicine, drug delivery, biosensors, and thermoelectric devices. Her work and interest focuses on using porous silicon nanoparticles to encapsulate enzymes, preserving their function under non-biological conditions by dynamically restructuring mesopores. She participated in the 2025 RIMSE Spring Break Research Experience and the Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology (SSSiN).
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email: e8truong_at_ucsd_dot_edu