Advisory Board

Co-Founder

Aiden Chun is a junior in the Academy of Medical Science Technology at the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, NJ. As an Executive Board member of the Bergen SciChallenge, he wishes to expand and grow research opportunities for aspiring scientists. He has been a researcher in the Cell Biology Lab at Bergen County Academies for more than two years with a concentration in neurodegenerative diseases induced by cyclic neuroinflammation. In other labs, he has applied machine-learning models to various fields in a multitude of contexts, including immunology, oncology, chemical engineering, and materials design. His work addresses issues with biomedical and environmental implications. Working with and mentored by collegiate and post-collegiate researchers, he aims to pass down his knowledge and experience to others interested in research.

Co-Founder

Muhammad El-Sherbiny is a rising senior in the Academy of Medical Science and Technology at the Bergen County Academies and has achieved notable success in the STEM fields. As an International Science and Engineering Fair 23’ & 24’ Finalist, his projects concerning the creation of hyper-customizable egg models secured two grand awards in biomedical engineering, along with special award scholarships from North Carolina State Engineering College and the China Association for Science and Technology. He is continuing his pursuits with avian embryo hyper-customization research through the patenting of his intellectual property and the development of a bioengineering startup dedicated to solving the agricultural issue of male chick culling while creating cheap bioreactors for pharmaceutical proteins and vaccines. As the co-founder of a synthetic biology research group and a mentor to middle schoolers, he seeks to democratize STEM research opportunities so that others can find their passions like he did.

Mentor

Ria is a rising senior in the Academy for The Advancement of Science and Technology at Bergen County Academies. She has been part of the Cell and Molecular Biology Lab conducting independent research in osteosarcoma. With her research, she was able to present her research at The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and place 1st in Biomedical and Health Sciences Category as well as receive a Grand Award that provided her the opportunity to present her research in Sweden. Ria has mentored for research before and is happy to help!

Mentor, Webmaster

Hannah is a rising senior in the Academy for The Advancement of Science and Technology at Bergen County Academies. She is the president of FFA, the school’s agri-science research club, and a nationally recognized researcher in the field. She has worked with various environmental institutions such as the New York Botanical Botanical Gardens, Cornell University’s Green Cities, and the World Anthropological Union. Hannah is passionate about environmental research and wants to help others find the same enthusiasm.

Mentor

Aya Sghiouar is a high school student in Lycée Mohammed VI d'excellence, the most prestigious high school in Morocco, having excellence and high academic rigorous standards. She holds the position of President and Founder at CodeForAllll and has underlined great passion for computer science and information. She has participated in some of the most notable programs: Harvard OpenBio Undergraduate Laboratory, Girls Who Code, and Yale Young African Scholars Program. She is currently working on the prevalence of algorithmic bias and affirmative action, specifically when it comes to college admissions. On a lighter note, back home she is one of the Hype leaders; this is a non profit organization that covers health, youth, poverty and education. She loves tech and education equities and really looks forward to mentoring people in these spaces. 

Mentor

Shourya Shavkani is a student at Chattahoochee High School in Georgia. He participated in the Harvard Open Bio Program and serves on the SADD National Student Leadership Council (SLC). Shourya has created campaigns to raise awareness about diseases in Bauchi Nigeria and wants to focus on advancing research in neuroscience in the near future, specifically focusing on the impact of high-sugar diets on the gut microbiome and Alzheimer's disease.

Mentor

Linda is a junior at Scarsdale High School interested in the biological sciences, specifically genetics and molecular biology. In school, she enjoys traveling to tournaments and science fairs with the science olympiad or debate team. She has had the fortune to work on an original project in a molecular biology lab and publish a literature review paper on epigenetic inheritance. She particularly enjoys mentoring younger peers with similar interests to expose them to more opportunities within their field of interest. Outside of academics, you can find her sketching, going to karaoke with friends, or deciding between boba and coffee for the day!

Mentor

Akshaya Sreeram is a junior at the Downingtown STEM Academy in Pennsylvania with a deep passion for aerospace engineering. She had the opportunity to participate in the OpenBio Harvard Student Research Institute, where she conducted a PRISMA literature review on Free-space Optical Communication and CubeSats. Guided by a PhD mentor from Stony Brook University, Akshaya conducted her research and presented her findings at a virtual symposium, where she placed 4th. As a result, her work will soon be published in The Young Researcher journal. Beyond academics, Akshaya enjoys tennis and plays as a Varsity tennis player for her high school team and enjoys oil painting and charcoal sketching human figures in her free time.

Mentor

Ameen Kandathil is a senior from Los Angeles, California. He is interested in medicine and public policy. This past summer, he wrote a genomics paper at the Harvard OpenBio Laboratory and an economics paper with the help of a professor from Claremont McKenna. Currently, he is a research assistant at the USC Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics, conducting stem cell research focused on developing new treatment strategies for preventing blindness and restoring vision based on drug delivery, small molecules, prosthetics, and cell replacement therapies. His hobbies include reading, watching movies and TV shows, and playing sports (soccer, basketball, and tennis).