Announcing the 2021 ReMed and ReTech Fellows

By Niall Schroder on April 29, 2021

Congratulations to the 2021 ReMed and ReTech Fellows!

Re-Imagining Medicine and Re-Imagining Tech are two innovative summer fellowship programs that allow students to explore the intersection of ethics and their respective fields.

ReMed will engage pre-health undergraduates in an exploration of the character and commitments required to address the field’s most pressing issues. Physicians, philosophers, and historians will work with students to explore foundational elements of change in medicine. Healthcare providers in a variety of fields will share their own training and experience to explore the moral purpose, practical wisdom, imagination, and practices needed to work effectively in contexts of healing and human suffering and to ensure the opportunity for optimal health outcomes for all. On ReMed’s faculty advisory committee are: Jeff Baker (Med/Trent/History), Neelima Navuluri (Med/DGHI), Warren Kinghorn (Med/Divinity), Jose Gonzalez (Classics), Alyssa Perz (Biology), Patrick Smith (Divinity/Trent), and Damon Tweedy (Med).

ReTech is designed to explore issues at the intersection of ethics and technology. The Fellows will meet throughout the summer to engage in conversation with experts and workshops pertaining to questions like: What historical and sociological understandings must inform our work to ensure technology is just, fair, humane and equitable? What does it mean to work with character, a sense of meaning and purpose, and to contribute to the public good? How do we design and make with thoughtful intent and cultural competence? On ReTech’s faculty advisory committee are: Jolynn Dellinger (Law), Owen Astrachan (Computer Science), and Ann Saterbak (Biomedical Engineering).

This year’s diverse cohort represent an astounding 19 departments, majoring or double majoring in the following subjects:

Computer Science • Global Health • Mathematics • Evolutionary Anthropology • Electrical Engineering • Public Policy • Mechanical Engineering • Visual Arts • Aerospace Engineering • History • Neural Engineering • Education • Cultural Anthropology • Sociology • Chemistry • Biology • Psychology • Philosophy • Neuroscience

ReMed

Beles Abebe, a rising senior from Holly Springs, NC, majoring in Sociology and minoring in Chemistry and Global Health, enjoys taking photographs of loved ones and nature, adores children and working with them, and is interested in research pertaining to social determinants of health and addressing healthcare disparities. — Beles Abebe

Connor Blue is a junior Psychology major with minors in Chemistry and German from Denver, CO. He does research on how creativity intersects with organic chemistry and aspires to a career in international medical relief. — Connor Blue

Danielle Kapustin is a senior (philosophy major; biology & chemistry minors) from Charlotte, NC, pursuing a career in medicine. She loves group exercise classes, collaborative brainstorming, crafting, thin mint ice cream from the Parlour, philosophizing about her life purpose (for better or worse!), and spending time with friends and family. — Danielle Kapustin

David Moon is a junior majoring in biology. Born in South Korea and raised in Boston, he is currently researching cancer biology and enjoys playing golf and listening to music. In the future, he hopes to become a physician-scientist in oncology. — David Moon

Ethan Bott, a fourth year Psychology major from Soldotna, AK, is most passionate about issues of substance use/addiction, healthcare inequalities, and education reform, and he currently conducts research on Pompe disease. In his free time, Ethan enjoys exercising, watching sports, and spending time with his friends and family. — Ethan Bott

Evan Liu, a rising senior studying biology from Honolulu, HI, researches couples communication and racial implicit bias in healthcare, loves exploring cities’ food scenes, and is an avid basketball, football, and tennis fan. When not on Zoom, he is hiking, attempting to cook, playing spikeball, or sleeping on the beach. — Evan Liu

Gianni Lacey-Howard, a junior Sociology major from Durham, NC, is working toward a career in community or family medicine. She is a QuestBridge Scholar, B.N. Duke Scholar, Cardea Fellow, and a member of Alpha Pi Omega Sorority, Inc. Her hobbies include beading jewelry, dancing, painting, and exploring new foods. — Gianni Lacey-Howard

Ishaan Kumar is a rising senior from London, England, majoring in Philosophy, with a Chemistry Minor and a Science and Society Certificate. He works as the technical manager for Bluesmith, the home of medical 3D printing at Duke, and volunteers at the Community Empowerment Fund, a local Durham non-profit. He likes jazz and citrus fruit. — Ishaan Kumar

Jack Mulcrone, a rising junior Philosophy major from Vernon Hills, IL, is passionate about Chipotle, his two dogs, and a future career as a urologist. His hobbies include photographing abandoned buildings, playing basketball and tennis, and reading true ghost stories. He has recently discovered a love for Il Forno at WU. — Jack Mulcrone

Jenny Liu is a senior from College Station, TX, majoring in Neuroscience. She studies adolescent ethanol exposure in the Swartzwelder Lab, is happiest hiking in the mountains, and dabbles in playing the piano and guitar. She has become quite good at embroidery since the pandemic. — Jenny Liu

Kristin Ankoma-Sey is a rising junior from Houston, TX, majoring in Cultural Anthropology who hopes to pursue a career as a physician. She currently conducts research in the Willis lab about mimulus guttatus and has previously conducted research about electronic medical records. Some of her hobbies include reading, travelling, and gardening. — Kristin Ankoma-Sey

Melody Gao is a junior from Folsom, CA. She is majoring in History with a concentration in American history and minors in Chemistry and Spanish. She loves visiting history museums and historic sites, volunteering with the elderly, and practicing Taekwondo. — Melody Gao

Michael Larbie is a junior Biomedical Engineering major originally from Ghana, now from Matthews, NC. He is passionate about football, prosthetics, and global health, and hopes to help close the gaps in healthcare available to people across the US and around the world. — Michael Larbie

Olivia Santos is a rising junior from Atlanta, GA, studying Evolutionary Anthropology and Religious Studies. She is passionate about reproductive justice and is working towards a career in women’s health. In her free time, she enjoys baking, playing music, and reading stories about women. — Olivia Santos

Rebecca He, a rising junior from AZ double majoring in biology and visual arts, loves to drink boba (bubble) milk tea. Her passion is to establish medical clinics around the globe to provide quality healthcare and to demonstrate the love of Christ. She also loves playing tennis, music, and advocating that pineapple is the BEST topping on pizza. — Rebecca He

Saagar Jain, a senior Biology major, is from Fort Lauderdale, FL. He enjoys playing basketball, traveling, trying new food, and playing with his dogs. He is involved in neurobiology research at Duke and is interested in the role of technology in healthcare. — Saagar Jain

Sreya Rahmanis a rising senior from Houston, TX,studying neuroscience and chemistry. She is passionate about addressing healthcare inequities, her research on chronic pain and itch, and baking bread. — Sreya Rahman

Stephanie Green is a rising senior studying Public Policy and Global Health from Metro Detroit, MI. She’s an avid Michigan fan, does child policy research, and is working toward a career as a child psychiatrist. She’s also a vegetarian foodie, traveler, and Disney enthusiast. — Stephanie Green

ReTech

Ahana Sen is a rising senior majoring in computer science and mathematics. She has data science and software engineering experience from a variety of academic and professional projects and is broadly interested in the topics of data privacy, algorithm bias, and gender/racial equity in computing. This summer she will be working at Goldman Sachs as Technology Analyst in the Global Markets division. On campus, she is involved in Duke Student Government, the Duke Debating Society and the Association for Women in Mathematics. — Ahana Sen

Ameer Syedibrahim is a rising senior studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He enjoys exploring the intersection between software and real-world applications that impact humans. He is particularly interested in the use of machine learning in the medical realm. One prior work of his involves the use of deep learning to identify prostate cancer malignancies in patients. Through his pursuit of this endeavor and other software-oriented projects of his, he is striving to be more mindful of the ethical implications of the technology he is constructing. — Ameer Syedibrahim

Annika Allado is a member of the class of 2023 studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Visual Arts. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, she is extremely passionate about inciting change back at home and other third-world countries through the intersection of art + design with engineering. She is interested in the field of product design/development with a focus on medical devices and conservation technology. At Duke, she is an engineering consultant at Design Hub, the Community Development Head for DTech, the Design Chair for the Street Medicine Dance Team and a researcher at the Aeroelasticity Department. In her free time she loves to dance, draw, analyze Christopher Nolan and WWII movies, and collect sneakers. — Annika Allado

Cathy Wang is a rising senior from Minneapolis, Minnesota studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. She is interested in tech for social good, software engineering, and data science. In her free time, Cathy can be found hiking, reading, or playing board games. — Cathylin Wang

Grace is an incoming senior from San Diego, California studying Neural Engineering through the Pratt IDEAS program. She is excited about applying technology to improve medicine and education, and she hopes to find her space somewhere at the intersection of biomedical engineering research, education, and industry. In her free time, she plays flute in DUMB (Duke University Marching Band), tutors local elementary students in science and math, and loves rock climbing. — Grace Dessert

Jacob is a rising senior from West Jefferson, North Carolina studying biomedical engineering. He is a member of the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program and a team lead for Duke Enable, an organization that produces prosthetic devices for people in Durham. After graduation, Jacob plans to pursue a career at a medical device company. — Jacob Key

Jacob Manders is a rising junior from South Jersey studying mechanical and aerospace engineering. Outside of the classroom, he is involved in campus research, Duke Motorsports, and Chabad at Duke. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, reading, meditation, and playing basketball. — Jacob Manders

As a prospective computer science major, I am constantly fascinated by the computational technologies but at the same time believe that our technological prowess comes with a need for responsibility and accountability. As a woman in S.T.E.M., I have always been personally empowered as I learn to code - I wish to give back and help extend such empowerment to more individuals and communities. I am committed to a better future where we design and implement technology with intention and a full consideration of its ethical and social implications. — Jiayi Hao

Hi, my name is Kara Lindstrom! I am a sophomore at Duke studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. Outside of class I am involved in the Duke Enable Club and the Duke RoboSubmarine Team, and I work at the Duke Innovation Colab. In my spare time I like to draw, rock climb, and play guitar. — Kara Lindstrom

Hello, my name is Major, and I’m excited to be a Re-Imagining Tech Fellow this summer. I am a native Memphian in the class of 2024. As an introspective and passionate learner, bridging different personal interests has always excited me. My desire to study STEM lies within my love for studying relationships and connections in our world. As a child, I spent significant time reading in my grandmother’s den, and my favorite topics to explore always concerned numbers or nature.

Currently, I intend on studying mathematics, computer science, and education while at Duke. I am a lover of classical studies and classical music, and I enjoy laughing, eating, dancing, and sleeping. As a product of a family of educators, I am also passionate about closing achievement gaps and examining the forces that create them. I plan on pursuing research opportunities throughout my time here, and I will either continue into graduate school or work in industry as a data analyst or software engineer. — Major Glenn

I’m a rising senior studying Electrical and Computer Engineering with a concentration in machine learning and a Science and Society certificate in Digital Intelligence! My interests are in machine learning research and regulation, specifically in the technical sides of model fairness, translatability, robustness, and explainability. My research has mostly been in healthcare applications, working with Dr. Nimmi Ramanujam on domain translation in a cervical cancer diagnosis model, and on models for pulmonary performance prediction and risk assessment in organ transplants. I also sing in Duke’s Chorale, am an RA, and help facilitate discussions for Duke’s Effective Altruism group. — Megan Richards

"Mohammad Ehsan Khatami is a junior ECE and Public Policy
major from Pittsburgh, PA. He's an entertainment and media fanatic who wants to develop and direct immersive experiences. He's spent countless hours playing video games and watching movies, but he loves creating them even more. You can usually find him at MMA practice, the arcade, or the Friday prayer." — Mohammad Khatami

Nikhita Gopisetty is a second-year student from the South Bay Area, California pursuing a double major in Biomedical Engineering and Global Health with a certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She aspires to develop and implement accessible technologies in low-resource settings to improve quality of life for people around the world. She serves as a peer coach for adolescents and young adults living with chronic conditions and a community health navigator at Lincoln Community Health Center in Durham. On campus, she is involved with Engineering World Health, Bass Connections, and E-Team. — Nikhita Gopisetty

I am a junior from the San Francisco Bay Area studying Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry. I believe that engineering not only provides a set of tools to think about and solve problems, but also a medium to empower the underserved and to celebrate human creativity. I currently research self-assembling immunogens in the Collier Group as a Pratt Fellow and have studied injectable hydrogels for stroke repair in the Segura Lab as a Huang Fellow. Through the Science, Law, and Policy Lab, I also evaluated the ethical concerns around DNA collection from immigrants to the U.S. and the privacy implications of thermal facial recognition surveillance during COVID-19. In my free time, I am an avid cook and squash player. I hope that the conversations in Reimagining Tech will continue to nurture my interests at the intersection of engineering and ethics, sociology, and health policy. — Rishabh Jain

I am a rising junior from Marlboro, New Jersey studying electrical engineering and math. I am also passionate about the intersection of health and engineering. Specifically, I am interested in medical devices and robotics that improve the lives of patients and physicians. On campus, I am involved with the dance community. I am on the Defining Movement and Duke Dhamaka dance teams, and I teach classes to kids in the local Durham community. This summer, I am excited to discuss important ethical issues with like-minded students and faculty. — Rishi Salwi

Samarth Lamba is doing a double major in Electrical and Computer Engineering & Computer Science with a minor in Psychology. Samarth has previous tech experience working at companies like Amazon Robotics, Tesla, and Cummins and leadership experience on campus working with DSC, DBS among others. Samarth is interested in the intersection of Tech and policy and how tech can be best used to enable all of us. — Samarth Lamba

I am a rising junior from Calabasas, California studying mechanical engineering. I am interested in international development, infrastructure, and product design and am excited to explore how ethical considerations can be effectively applied to engineering work. — Sophia Simms

I'm a rising senior from Durham, NC. I'm pursuing a double major in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science and am especially interested in robotics and embedded systems. After graduating, I hope to work in R&D or at a start-up and help build the next generation of cutting-edge technology -- which is why I'm excited to spend this summer exploring the ethics of technological development. In my free time, I like to tinker (building little robots or neat bits of software), go rock climbing, play with my dog, or eat good food at Durham's amazing restaurants! — Thomas Owens

The ReMed and ReTech Fellowships are programs of The Purpose Project. The Purpose Project, sponsored by The Duke Endowment, makes matters of character, questions of purpose and explorations of one’s life’s work signature features of the Duke experience.

Niall Schroder

All posts by Niall Schroder