Future Scientists, Tech Leaders Take Center Stage at Graduate Research Symposium

May 19, 2025 By: daviddefusco

Tahereh Ghafoori explained to President Berman her role in exploring how a little-known protein, called SUMO, plays a major role in the complex biological process that creates sperm, using genetically engineered mice to study what happens when this protein is turned off.

At its annual Graduate Symposium on Science, Technology and Health, the Katz School of Science and Health showcased the next generation of scientific and technological innovators, where students presented pioneering research designed to improve lives and tackle global challenges. The symposium highlighted projects across disciplines—from artificial intelligence and biotechnology to occupational therapy and digital marketing—demonstrating the Katz School’s commitment to advancing knowledge and preparing students to lead in a rapidly evolving world.

Dean Paul Russo called the symposium “one of the highlights of our year,” a moment when the è��app community comes together to celebrate the talents, creativity and passion of its graduate students. This year’s standout projects included AI-powered tools to improve lung cancer detection, intergenerational trauma on children’s development and how diet affects diabetics, as well as cross-disciplinary work to facilitate children’s development through play and to create a rare disease database to improve diagnosis and treatment.

Laticbe Elijah, Joy Awoleye and Christine Macharia created Campus Circle, a secure, inclusive online platform designed to serve as a one-stop hub for students and alumni associations from multiple universities in the New York metropolitan area.

Each project below reflects the school’s mission, said Dean Russo, to “make the world smarter, safer and healthier”:

Artificial Intelligence

“LungAware: AI Lung Cancer Detection App” Nikhil Deekonda. Faculty mentor: Youshan Zhang

“RetinFormer: Augmented ViT-based Retinopathy Classification" Hyeonwook Kim and Puneeth Batchu. Faculty mentor: Ming Ma

“LLM-Enhanced mmWave Data Synthesis for Environment-Adaptive Human Activity Recognition" Chengyi Liu. Faculty mentor: Yucheng Xie

“Confident Pseudo-labeled Diffusion Augmentation for Canine Cardiomegaly Detection” Shiman Zhang. Faculty mentor: Youshan Zhang

“AI-Powered Play Assessment Using Video Language Models” Dengyi Liu, Ayesha Padghane and Chana Cunin. Faculty mentors: Amiya Waldman-Levi and Honggang Wang

“DX-Mamba: Exploring State Space Model for Dog X-ray Report Generation” Jialu Li. Faculty mentor: Youshan Zhang

Ilana Rouhani presented a systematic review of the evidence surrounding one of the most pressing questions in chronic disease management: Can a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet outperform standard approaches in managing Type 2 diabetes?

Biotechnology Management and Entrepreneurship

“Studies of SUMO Protein and Spermatogenesis Using Transgenic Mouse Models” Tahereh Ghafoori and Rupali Khane. Faculty mentors: Margarita Vigodner and Benjamin Lucas

“Building a Global Rare Disease Information Hub to Advance Knowledge, Diagnosis, and Treatment” Naveen Khetarpal, Dandan Wang, Ebenezer Ajao and Prashant Soni. Faculty mentors: Rana Khan and Youshan Zhang

“Development of Radioimmunoconjugate for Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteosarcoma with a Focus in Pediatric Population” Jenny Maharjan. Faculty mentor: Robert Friedman. Industry Partner: Natasha Shtraizent

“Using PNA Oligomers for RNA Visualization and Function Inhibition” Rutu Jagtap and Andres Romero. Faculty mentors: Rana Khan and Irina Catrina

Cybersecurity

“A Unified Online Platform for University Student and Alumni Associations” Laticbe Elijah, Joy Awoleye and Christine Macharia. Faculty mentor: Elad Hod

Data Analytics and Visualization

“A Dynamic Framework for Optimizing Reward Policies in the Sharing Economy” Chengkun Yao and Cheng Li. Faculty mentor: David Li

Digital Marketing and Media

“Hilton NY Fashion District: Reputation Marketing Strategy” Mansi Kamboj. Faculty mentor: Larry Cohen

Kayla Bissell’s systematic review explored how a mother’s exposure to trauma in her own childhood may impair her child’s language and emotional and behavioral development.

“Revolutionizing Sternotomy: A Precision-Driven Approach to Safer and Faster Recovery” Vani Nair and Sheera Kraitberg. Faculty mentor: Thomas Kennon. Corporate Partner: Healers

“Beyond the Classroom: Shaping Student Identity Online” Sagarika Shrestha. Faculty mentor: Joseph Panzarella

Occupational Therapy Doctorate

“Measuring Cognition and Self Care Ability in Multiple Sclerosis Using the Expanded Disability Status Scale” Arielle Caplan. Faculty mentors: Marissa Barrera and Gioia Ciani

“Resource for Dental Professionals Providing Care to Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Utilizing Occupational Therapy Modalities” Lior Nissanian. Faculty mentor: Amiya Waldman-Levi

“Steady Steps Outdoors: An Outdoor Fall Prevention Program” Briana Tucci. Faculty mentor: Alexandra Laghezza

“Promoting Family Resilience: Tier-1 Strength-Based Program to Enhance Parent-Child Play Interactions” Bella Chilczuk. Faculty mentors: Amiya Waldman-Levi and Sarah Fabrizi

Bella Chilczuk discussed how something as joyful and fundamental as play can help families reduce stress and deepen bonds between parents and their young children.

Physician Assistant Studies

“Effectiveness of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Acute Ulcerative Colitis: A Systematic Review of Clinical Outcomes” Ewa Gerlak. Faculty mentor: Margaret Ewen

“Safety & Efficacy of Topical Ruxolitinib vs. Corticosteroids in the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis” Allison Moore. Faculty mentor: Margaret Ewen

“Efficacy of the Ketogenic Diet in Reducing Hemoglobin A1c for Glycemic Control in Overweight Type 2 Diabetics” Ilana Rouhani. Faculty mentor: Margaret Ewen

Speech-Language Pathology

Through a systematic review of both qualitative and quantitative studies, Genevieve Shaffer sought to define an androgynous voice, how it’s measured and how professionals help clients reach that goal.

“The Intergenerational Effects of Parental Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on a Child’s Development” Kayla Bissell. Faculty mentor: Elisabeth Mlawski

“Exploring Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: A Multi-Factor Approach” Samantha Golin. Faculty mentors: Marissa Barrera and Kathleen Fitzgerald

“Maximizing Speech Outcomes in Children with ASD: Group vs. Individual Therapy” Sharon Matalon. Faculty mentor: Michaela Medved

“Shaping Androgynous Voice: Bridging the Research Gap in Gender-Affirming Voice Therapy” Genevieve Shaffer. Faculty mentor: Andrew Christler

“Cognitive Crossroads: PTSD, Executive Function, and the Role of the Medical Speech-Language Pathologists” Brooke Smith. Faculty mentor: Marissa Barrera

è��app

YU News

News Channel