The start of the fall semester means fresh haircuts, sharpened pencils, and best of all a new class of first year MSTP students. Our entering cohort of seven magnificently accomplished students hail from a wide range of prestigious institutions, bringing with them a wealth of interesting clinical and research experiences. Thomas, Camelia, Kevin, Dillon, Erin, Alex, and Jay have all successfully survived the challenging first few months of medical school and are settling into their new Long Island lives. The first year students have brought vitality and enthusiasm to our bimonthly journal club and clinical scientist dinners, helping us all to stay abreast of what the “youths” consider hip. Please carry on reading to learn more about each of these truly exceptional students. We posed a series of serious and silly interview questions to the students and received many insightful and surprising responses. Welcome to our MS1s! We are so glad you decided to join us and cannot wait to see the incredible double doctors you will become.
The entering MSTP class 2018. From left to right: Alexander Baez, Thomas Kim, Yuejiao (Camelia) Zheng, Dillon Voss, Erin Sipple, Jay Gupta, Kevin Murgas
Thomas Kim (B.S. University of California, Berkeley)
Where did you grow up? Where else have you lived? I don’t really have one place I grew up. I was born on Columbus, Ohio and lived there for 4 years. My family then moved to Seattle, Washington and lived there for 4 years. We then moved to Champaign, Illinois and stayed there for 2 and a half years. Then, I went to Sydney, Australia where I finished elementary school and then moved to South Korea. I went to middle and high school in Korea and then came to Berkeley for college. Now, I am here in Stony Brook!
What are our research interests and what sort of research were you doing before coming to SB? Neuroscience, especially neurodegenerative diseases. I am also interested in stem cells. I worked as a research associate at Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco and worked on the topic of interneuronal dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease.
Has anything about medical school surprised you? I was surprised by how much support the school tried to give and how much support we had from fellow classmates.
Camelia (Yuejiao) Zheng (B.S./M.S. Brandeis University)
Did you take some time between undergrad and MSTP? What did you do during this time? After graduation, I spent two years studying Alzheimer’s disease at Massachusetts General Hospital. I tried to identify novel ADAM10 substrates in the brain and studied the function of some potential substrates. It was a challenging yet rewarding experience. I learned a lot from the process of leading a project and collaborating with researchers of different backgrounds, different from my undergraduate research experience.
Where did you grow up? Where else have you lived? I was born and raised in Chengdu, China. I studied in Shanghai, China for one year and then transferred to Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. It is very obvious that one of my life goals is to move closer to the water. Therefore, here I am in Stony Brook.
When you’re not studying, what do you like to do for fun? Running. Running is how I explore a new place. I travel a lot; but even when I am not traveling, running allows me to discover changes in familiar places. Recently I have been tracking the color changing of a few trees in my neighborhood. My goal this year is to compile the pictures I have been taking into a fake scientific figure.
Kevin Murgas- (B.S Duke University)
What was it about Stony Brook that drew you to apply and accept a position here? I actually met a former Stony Brook MD alumni who was studying his PhD in Duke’s BME department, and shared one class with him in my senior year. He was a great resource when applying to medical school and suggested I apply to Stony Brook, which wasn’t even on my radar, coming from North Carolina.
What part of the MSTP program do you enjoy most and what are you looking forward to in the future? I’m loving the bimonthly dinners, especially when we get Curry Club. I also look forward to rotating in different labs and working with different research faculty at SBU and CSHL.
What are your hobbies and favorite foods? Pizza, I’m currently surveying all of the local options. Going into NYC is great for my pizza cravings. I like to play music (guitar, piano), cook, explore nature, watch Game of Thrones.
Dillon Voss (B.S. California, University of Pennsylvania, M.S. Case Western Reserve University)
Did you take some time between undergrad and MSTP? What did you do during this time? I took 4 years after graduating from my undergraduate university. During this span most of my effort was directed towards basic science research in a neurosurgery lab at Case Western Reserve University that focused on cell signaling pathways in glioblastoma multiforme. I also spent 2 of these years obtaining a Master’s in Medical Physiology from Case Western Reserve University.
Have you discovered anything special about Long Island since beginning the program? Fire Island is a great place to go whenever in need of a beach. I also love that living on Long Island provides accessibility to just about any of the typical necessities that I need to manage everyday life, and the neighborhoods are quiet which really gives me the chance to relax. Then, whenever I want to explore, I can easily hop on a train to the city in about an hour and a half. Also there is a rock climbing gym about a half hour west of campus that allows me to keep up with one of my favorite hobbies
Imagine yourself in 10 years, what do you see? As a 1st year, I likely will find myself in an internal medicine residency or pediatric residency preparing myself for a future medical oncology, hematology/oncology, or pediatric oncology fellowship, with hopes of jumping on a track to junior faculty while maintaining at least 2 days in the clinic.
Has anything about medical school surprised you? It has been incredible to meet so many classmates both passionate about learning medicine but also really adamant about making time to enjoy life. One worry of mine was that medical school would be isolating, or competitive, but it’s been incredibly enjoyable so far. It’s actually kind of ridiculous how much fun I am having.
Erin Sipple (B.S. Carnegie Mellon University)
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Erie, PA, and I lived in Pittsburgh the past 4 years before moving here.
When you’re not studying, what do you like to do for fun? I like to go running, play with my dog, draw, do watercolor paintings, listen to podcasts, and go to EDM shows. I can say the alphabet backwards!
Imagine yourself in 10 years, what do you see? In 10 years I will most likely be in the middle of a research-focused Psychiatry residency as an MD/PhD. Hopefully I will be even more excited about the capacity for neuroscience research to positively impact the lives of those with mental illness.
What are our research interests? I’m broadly interested in neurobiological research that has applications in psychiatry. My past research focused on cortical immune activation in schizophrenia.
Jay Gupta (B.S University of California, Berkeley)
Did you take some time between undergrad and MSTP? What did you do during this time? I took two years off to do an NIH IRTA postbac. I worked at the NIA in Baltimore. It was a really good time, I really enjoyed Baltimore, it’s kind of a quiet, sleepy city, but still has lots of good food / coffee / bakeries / etc. At the NIH I worked on a optogenetics and a neuroimaging project.
What is your favorite food? Pancakes make me consistently happy. Especially when you butter and syrup those suckers.
What are your research interests? All neuroscience related stuff, specifically as it pertains to the neural circuits that modulate anxiety, motivation and social interactions. I’m interested in studying the physical bases of symptomology like anhedonia, antisociality and/or abulia.
Have you discovered anything special about Long Island since beginning the program? Finding a climbing gym 40 minutes west was cool. Having west meadow beach a mile away from my house and many other beaches 15 minutes south is cool. Avalon park is super cool. I want to do more exploring to find more running and biking trails.
Alex Baez (B.S. Stony Brook University)
What are our research interests? Neuroscience/Synaptic Physiology
Has anything about medical school surprised you? Advice and mentorship from more senior students is constantly doused on us, which is great
What are your hobbies? When you’re not studying, what do you like to do for fun? Backpacking, cycling, playing music and socializing
Where did you grow up? Grew up in Denver, Colorado, living in Stony Brook for 6 years now.
Imagine yourself in 10 years, what do you see? Grey head of hair, resident/fellow, still feeling like I have a lot to learn.