TEAM EVICT
MEET THE TEAM
Dr. Yanjin Zhang
Mentor
Dr. Yanjin Zhang had veterinary training background from Shandong Agricultural University, Shandong, China. He continued his post-graduate training in Microbiology & Immunology and got M.S. degree from China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control, Beijing, China. His thesis research was on rapid methods for the detection of Rabies virus infection. He got his Ph.D. from College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA in 1998. His dissertation research focused on monoclonal antibody preparation, molecular virology and vaccine development against porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (PRRSV). He had postdoctoral training at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA and worked on molecular virology and virus-cell interactions of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). He was promoted to an Instructor at the same institute in 2001. He was recruited as an Assistant Professor in 2002 at the Eastern Virginia Medical School. He conducted studies on morpholino oligomers as antivirals against PRRSV, KSHV and hepatitis E virus (HEV). He joined the VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD at the end of 2005 as an Assistant Professor. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012. He continues his study on molecular virology, virus-cell interactions and vaccine development for PRRSV, HEV, Zika virus and SARS-CoV-2. Currently he serves as Director of the Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBSC) graduate program in the Department of Veterinary Medicine. He is also a faculty member of Molecular and Cell Biology Program (MOCB). He has over 65 peer-reviewed publications, two book chapters, and several patents or invention disclosures.
VICTORIA CARTER
Victoria is a premed student with a minor in French studies in addition to her neuroscience major. She is passionate about humanitarian relief work and holds two volunteer positions with the Red Cross. She is a recruitment chair for a service club on campus called One Tent Health, a club dedicated to providing free HIV screening in high risk areas. She loves going to spin classes and one day dreams of becoming a spin instructor.
NEDELINA TCHANGALOVA
Librarian
Nedelina Tchangalova is a Public Health Librarian at the UMD STEM Library in College Park. She assists researchers in finding information resources. She also teaches workshops on information literacy and bibliographic management tools. In her library career, she had a wide array of duties, including reference, instruction, collection development, and web services. She thrives on collaborating with colleagues across the organization and is very excited about working with Gemstone PHAT-cells. Nedelina enjoys reading, hiking, and exploring MD-VA-DC areas with her husband and three children.
MCKENZIE FUNK
McKenzie Funk is a premed student currently studying Neurobiology and Physiology as her major with a minor in Spanish. She is excited to explore cancer research with her team through Gemstone. Outside of her classes, she enjoys tutoring students in the surrounding community, working as a TA, and listening to music. She currently works at local blood drives and spends most of her day playing with her dog.
ROTIMI SOFOLA
Rotimi is a Pre-med student who enjoys learning about biology. On team EVICT, Rotimi wishes to bring his passion for the biological sciences to the table in discovering how viruses can fight against cancer. Outside of school, he enjoys playing the guitar both by himself and in a band at UMD. He also enjoys spending time with his peers in the College Success Scholars (CSS) program and Phi Delta Epsiolon fraternity on campus.
SRUTHI SRINIVASAN
Sruthi is passionate about helping other people. She is excited to conduct research on team EVICT and contribute to the field of cancer therapy. Outside of Gemstone, she is involved in undergraduate research with the Mount lab, tutoring, community service with Terps for Change, and book club. She is interested in biomedical research as well as educational services.
KATHERINE LUO
Katherine is a huge bubble tea enthusiast with a love for biology and chemistry. She is looking forward to working in a lab and learning more about cancer therapy. In her free time, Katherine volunteers with a worldwide service organization called Tzu Chi and works at her local Chinese school. With a love for kids, she wishes to work with them in the future in the therapy field.
JORDAN JOHNSON
Jordan is a premed cell biology and genetics and computer science double major from Upper Marlboro. MD. He is excited to explore his interest in immunology and virology through team EVICT. Outside of Gemstone, he works as a laboratory assistant for the Henry M. Jackson Foundation’s Military HIV Research Program and is a member of the College Success Scholars (CSS) program. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports with his friends.
GRISHMA PATEL
Grishma is a Neurobiology and Physiology major from Washington County, Maryland. She is a current pre-med student who hopes to make a career out of helping others. Outside of Gemstone, she is involved in community service, tutoring and mentoring, and research. Through Team EVICT, she is excited to pursue her passion of biology and oncology by learning more about viruses and their application to cancer therapy.
EILEEN SHIH
Eileen is a biochemistry major and a rising sophomore at the University of Maryland. Originally from Montgomery County, Maryland, Eileen is especially interested in public health and research. She was a member of United2Heal while on campus, which was a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing medical supplies towards areas in need all over the world. She hopes to be able to pursue a career in helping others. From Team EVICT, Eileen hopes to be able to gain lab experience and contribute towards the existing knowledge of cancer treatment, while exploring the implications of viral technology within the field of cancer.
EVA LOWENSTEIN
Eva is a Cell Biology and Genetics Major who is excited about being a part of Team EVICT where she hopes to learn more about conducting research in the field of cancer therapeutics. In the future, she hopes to have a career in research. Besides being a part of Gemstone, Eva is involved in a variety of community service organizations.
DOMINIC LANASA
Dominic is a sophomore at the University of Maryland in the Gemstone Honors Program with a major in cell biology and genetics. In his spare time, he enjoys playing soccer and the saxophone.
