President - Yasmine Issah

Yasmine is a second year PhD student in the Immunology & Microbial Pathogenesis program at Weill Cornell. She is most interested in maternal-child health outcomes and studying ways to modulate the immune system to provide protection against viral infections during the early stages of life. In the Permar Lab she does just that by evaluating different HIV vaccine strategies in NHP models for children and adolescents. Yasmine got her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her ScM from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Yasmine was born in Ghana but grew up in Rockland County, NY. Yasmine joined TIMS to engage in community outreach and mentorship as well as explore the diverse community the Tri has to offer. Outside of the lab she likes to play games, read books, play/listen to music, and start random hobbies.

Publicity Chair - Esther Lee

Esther is a first-year PhD student in the Immunology & Microbial Pathogenesis program at Weill Cornell. She is interested in studying cellular immunology, particularly lymphocyte biology, at a basic level. Before moving to NYC, Esther received her BA in Biochemistry from Bowdoin College and worked as a research technician at Duke University in NC. She joined TIMS because she is passionate about creating a culture across the Tri-I community where people with unique identities are respected and appreciated! Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, baking and eating the treats she bakes.

Publicity Chair - Aliya Holland

Aliya is a 2nd year graduate student in the Pharmacology Program at Weill Cornell in the lab of Morgan Huse. She is currently studying the role of mechanosurveillance in the detection and clearance of senescent cells. Aliya is committed to promoting diversity initiatives in the Tri-I well as mentoring underrepresented students in science.

Treasurer - Zirong Chen

Zirong is a first year Tri-I Chemical Biology graduate student. He received a BS in Biochemistry from SUNY Binghamton University. As a graduate student, he is interested in profiling protein-protein interactions and developing chemical biology tools. Zirong joined TIMS with the goal of promoting a more inclusive scientific community via outreach. Outside of the lab, he enjoys reading, cooking, and running.

Community Engagement/Outreach Chair - Ana Codo

Ana is a first-year PhD student in the Immunology & Microbial Pathogenesis program at Weill Cornell. She is interested in studying cellular metabolism regulation of immune cell functions. Before moving to NYC, Ana received her BSc in Pharmaceutical Biochemistry from Sao Paulo State University in Brazil and worked as a visiting scholar at the University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus in Colorado. She joined TIMS because she is enthusiastic about creating a more diverse and safe community for people with different backgrounds and identities! Outside of the lab, she enjoys watching true crime documentaries, trying different foods, and solving puzzles.

Professional Development Chair -Purnima Ravisankar

Purnima is a second-year IMP graduate student in Dr. Melody Zeng’s lab. Her research focuses on studying the immunomodulatory effects of gut microbial metabolites in early life. She is from Chennai (India), where she got her Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology. She moved to Baltimore for her Master’s in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. Purnima joined TIMS to engage in outreach. The support and encouragement she received from her mentors has inspired her to promote STEM research as an inclusive space to all students in the Tri-I community. Away from the bench, she enjoys listening to true-crime podcasts, traveling, and reading.