Do you know a current or past student that deserves the spotlight?
Share their information in one of the links below to nominate them! They can then share any an all professional accomplishments and any interesting facts about themselves with the University of Delaware community. What a great way to get to know our fellow Blue Hens!
Have you already been nominated? Please fill out the form below to let us know about all of your accomplishments and some fun facts about you!
Previous Spotlights:
Ms. Charitha Sumeet (Fall 2023)
Yagmur Toptas is currently pursuing a master's degree in the Bioinformatic and Computational Biology Program, with plans to graduate in May. Prior to this, she earned another master's degree and a Ph.D. in the field of microbiology from Eskisehir Osmangazi University in Turkey. In her doctoral thesis, Yagmur focused on acidophilic microbial diversity and biomining applications. Throughout her academic journey, she engaged in various research projects, spanning topics such as microbial hyaluronic acid production and microbial fertilizer production. Her contributions as a researcher can be explored through her publications available at this link. Yagmur also gained hands-on experience as an R&D Scientist at Microbiota Biotechnology, a startup biotechnology company in Turkey. She values the knowledge acquired from the Bioinformatics program, aiming to apply it to her future microbial ecology endeavors post-graduation. Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Yagmur enjoys outdoor activities such as walking and swimming during her free time.
Ms. Julie Nguyen (Fall 2023)
Ms. Nguyen chose UD because it has a successful Bioinformatics program that emphasizes team science and career building. An additional bonus is that Delaware is in close proximity to several states, so she can network in the surrounding area and travel whenever possible. In her free time, she loves to hike, and trying hands at different art hobbies. She can take a road trip anywhere with good food!
Spandan Pandya (Fall 2023)
Spandan Pandya is a master’s student in the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology program. He also works as a Senior Associate Scientist at Bristol Myers and Squibb where his current project focuses on efforts in biomarker drug discovery using computational methods and single-cell transcriptomic analysis of the immunological landscape in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Autoimmune diseases. His research interest is to develop phenomenological models of the gut-brain axis and study the role of gut microbiome in shaping the immune landscape of the gut-brain axis. He is also interested in studying B-cell immunology to develop computational models of antibody class-switching patterns. His broad interest is in the field of Computational Immunology and Translational Medicine. In spare time, he likes to spend time with his family and cook a good dish or two.
Ms. Esther Weyer (Spring 2023)
Esther is a Master's student in the Bioinformatics program. She is interested in the mathematical modeling of biological systems. Earlier, she worked at the Winterthur research lab where she contributed to the Poison Book Project and a species identification project using MALDI-TOF. More recently, she has been involved in research with the Darrin Freshwater Institute up at Lake George, NY on mussel populations. An interesting fact about Esther is that she likes martial arts and is also a black belt in Kenpo.
Ms. Rachel Keown (Spring 2023) 
Rachel Keown is a Ph.D. candidate and T32 CBB fellow in the department of Bioinformatics. Her current research focuses on the biochemical characteristics of viral marker genes used in DNA replication as clues to environmental phage phenotype. She works under the supervision of Dr. Shawn Polson and Dr. Eric Wommack. She earned an M.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Delaware in 2021 and a B.S. in Molecular Biology from Arcadia University in 2019. Rachel published her first 1st-author paper last year (2022) in Frontiers in Microbiology, and was recently awarded a prize for best graduate student poster presentation at Biology Research Day. Rachel is currently in the process of training to run a half marathon this year, inspired by the weekly run club at the local brewery Autumn
Mr. Guna Ranjan Gurazada (Spring 2023)
Guna Gurazada is a Ph.D. student in the Bioinformatics Data Science program.He conducts research in Dr. Polson’s group at the Bioinformatics core facility at UD. His current project focuses on applying machine learning-based computational methods for the integration and analysis of multi-omics data, aiming to discover novel insights into the biology of host mammalian cells that produce biotherapeutic proteins. Before that, Guna worked as a Senior Bioinformatics Analyst at Corteva Agrisciences (previously Dupont) for over a decade. In his spare time, he loves spending time with his son and family, and sometimes ride the trails on his mountain bike. He is an avid fan of Formula 1 car racing. Among other awards, Guna was recently awarded the 2023 Doctoral Fellowship for Excellence award.
Ms. Ashlin Callahan (Spring 2023)
Ashlin Callahan is a Master’s student in the Bioinformatics program and plans on graduating this May. She currently works as a scientist at the Clinic for Special Children, a healthcare nonprofit in Lancaster, PA that serves Amish and Mennonite patients with rare genetic diseases. Her role at the Clinic has given her the opportunity to participate in published research and clinical trials on Branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase deficiency (maple syrup urine disease) and Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Ashlin appreciates the flexibility that the Bioinformatics program has provided her while pursuing a master’s degree. She enjoys spending time outdoors, mountain biking, skiing, and trail running with her dogs.
Ms. Vishruta Prashant Yawatkar (12/16/2022)
Vishruta is a Ph.D. student in the Bioinformatics Data Science program working under Dr. Evan Usler and Dr. Ho Ming Chow. Her research pertains to investigating biomarkers of the stuttering phenotype using signal processing and machine learning. She recently presented her work this past October at the Society for Neurobiology of Language in Philadelphia! The University of Delaware was attractive to her because of the proximity to the coast which allows her to observe the unique nature and wildlife of Delaware such as Bombay Hook! She enjoys birding which is distinct from birdwatching where you go out into nature rather than watching them from the comfort of your home. Believe it or not, Vishruta is a trained Kathak dancer which is characterized by intricate footwork where the dancer controls about 100 ankle bells! Being a graduate student at UD has been a joy for her as her work has given her a lot of flexibility to work on multiple projects. She has been able to explore different fields under the guidance of her amazing supervisors and mentors. Vishruta is an outstanding student and will be with us till 2026 when she expects to graduate!
Mr. Jonathan Hicks (11/23/2022)
Jonathan Hicks is a Ph.D. student in Bioinformatics Data Science working under the supervision of Dr.Robert Akins in Nemours. He is a recipient of the NIH NIGMS T32 Fellowship. Jonathan's research is focused on studying the epigenetics of cerebral palsy and applying machine learning in medicine. Jonathan recently attended the conference – “American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine”. He expects to graduate in 2026 and is interested in pursuing a career in industry focused on big data and machine learning.
In his free time, he likes to work on cars by himself. During his attendance at UD, he enjoys the proximity to his family that UD offers.
Ms. Neha Sindhu (11/23/2022)
Neha is a second-year Ph.D. student in Bioinformatics Data Science expecting to graduate in 2026. She studies the role of ADAM9 in colorectal cancer under the guidance of Dr. Shuo Wei. Neha employs various omics techniques and performs an integrated approach to identify the substrates and targets of ADAM9 in colorectal cancer cell lines.
Being an international student, Neha attributes UD's work ethic to being candid and kind and far different from what she has been used to. She finds it in her interpersonal interactions too and that is her favorite part of UD. She loves books, specifically the history genre, and takes long walks.
Ms. Aksana Dallakoti (03/30/2022) 
Aksana Dallakoti is currently pursuing MS in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. She is working as a research assistant under the supervision of Dr. Mark Parcells from the department of Animal and Food Science. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science and Animal husbandry from Agriculture and Forestry University in Nepal.
Her current research is focused on transcriptomics and proteomic analysis of exosomes released by Marek’s Disease Virus and the role of exosomes on Marek’s Disease Virus Vaccine response. She is also working on flow Cytometric and proteomic Analyses of Chicken Monocyte Cell Line HD11 patterned to become macrophages and dendritic cells.
Ms. Rita Hayford (11/11/2021)
Rita Hayford is a Bioinformatics Data Science PhD student, who is looking forward to graduating in 2022. She is an exemplary student who was honored with the UD Dissertation Fellowship Award in 2021 as well as the Graduate Scholars Award in 2017 and 2018. Rita has worked closely with her advisor Dr. Cathy Wu on her research, which is focused on understanding environmental stress response in plants using system biology approaches and text mining methods.
Rita recently travelled to the 10th Annual Health Informatics and Data Science Symposium early this year. She also attended the 14TH Annual Biocuration Virtual Conference by the International Society for Biocuration (ISB) at which she gave a poster presentation. This poster presentation then led to an invitation for Ms. Hayford to give a talk at the Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG2022), which is the largest agricultural genomics meeting in the world.
You may have read about her in her recent publication, “Extracting plant stress genes and functions from scientific literature to support annotation of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) genes” [version 1; not peer reviewed]. F1000Research 2021, 10:1016 (poster) (doi: 10.7490/f1000research.1118818.1).
Rita’s favorite part of the UD experience is the beautiful view of the green. Her plans after graduation include participating in local community engagement programs, and exploring other opportunities on how to grow her leadership skills. She is very passionate about mentoring K-12 students in the STEM field, and shares that, “it’s always exciting and inspiring to hear some of the interesting ideas the students share.”
Mr. Kyle Wang (10/18/2021)
Kyle Wang is a Bioinformatics and Data Science PhD student, who was honored with the prestigious 5 year Unidel Distinguished Graduate Scholars Award starting during the Fall 2020 semester. Kyle has worked closely with his advisors Dr. Roghayeh Barmaki and Dr. Cathy Wu. His research is focused on virtual reality in the healthcare sector.
Kyle recently travelled to the ACM’s Symposium on Spatial User Interaction this year. You may have read about him in one of his recent publications in the proceedings of ACM Symposium on Spatial User Interaction 2021, entitled "An LSL-Middleware Prototype for VR/AR Data Collection," and "Enjoyable Physical Therapy Experience with Interactive Drawing Games in Immersive Virtual Reality." Kyle also was awarded 3rd place in the GSG 2021 Hackathon on "Misinformation and Cybersecurity."
Kyle’s favorite part of the UD experience is one that many student enjoy, the UD Creamery. His plans after graduation include developing a plan for his own personal financial sustainability and traveling. He hopes to experience the wonders of the world and find the meaning of life.
Mr. Adam Faranda (05/01/2020)
Adam Faranda is a PhD Candidate in the Bioinformatics Data Science program. Under the supervision of Dr. Melinda K. Duncan, he focuses on mining lens transcriptomic data to better understand the molecular pathology of the lens injury response in Posterior Capsular Opacification, Pax6-dependent congenital disorder Aniridia, and aging processes in the ocular lens. Prior to entering the program, Adam was a member of the genetic toxicology group at the former DuPont Haskell laboratory. He received his Master’s in
Bioinformatics and Systems Biology in the spring of 2018, investigating transcriptomic signatures associated with metastatic dormancy in breast cancer. He was the recipient of the Sigma XI Fight for Sight grant.
