Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI) welcomes 13 students to prestigious Summer Fellowship program

(Press-News.org) UTICA, NY – MMRI is thrilled to welcome 13 undergraduate students to its highly esteemed 2025 Summer Fellowship program. For ten weeks, these Summer Fellows will study in the laboratories of MMRI’s principal investigators (PI) gaining invaluable scientific research experience.

This rigorous and competitive program selects students based on academic excellence and demonstrated drive to partake in cutting-edge research programs that include areas of cardiovascular disease biology, autoimmunity and autism.

“We are delighted to welcome these impressive students into MMRI’s coveted Summer Fellowship program,” said Maria Kontaridis, Ph.D., executive director and Gordon K. Moe professor and chair of biomedical research and translational medicine at MMRI. “We look forward to seeing the culmination of their research experiences at the end of this program. This is a testament to our mission, which includes our commitment to training future generations of science and medicine.”

Throughout the program, the Summer Fellows will engage in hands-on research using state-of-the-art techniques, such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and targeted drug delivery. They will also participate in professional development workshops and didactic lectures on the various scientific disciplines in which MMRI excels. The program will culminate in a graduation ceremony on Friday, July 25, 2025, where the Fellows present their research to MMRI staff, colleagues, families, and community members.

MMRI is proud of its legacy and the success of its fellows, with many moving on to top tier graduate schools, medical schools, pharmacy schools, veterinary schools, and more. It has trained hundreds of aspiring scientists, many of whom have gone on to have diverse careers in research and medicine, some of which have been employed at local health systems, such as Mohawk Valley Health System, or nationally at organizations such as the Lupus Research Alliance. Many of these Summer Fellows have even returned to MMRI as postdoctoral fellows or research assistants, a true testament to the program’s success.

The 2025 MMRI Summer Fellowship program includes:

Maria Kontaridis, Ph.D.:

Natalie-Lorine Barber, SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Genesis Campbell, University at Buffalo

Riley Collis, Emory University

Amna Khan, SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Claire Marshall, Rochester Institute of Technology

Sandi Myint, Yale University

Chase Kessinger, Ph.D.:

Willa Pratt, University of Delaware

Zhiqiang Lin, Ph.D.:

Angelina Tangorra, Nazareth University

Jason McCarthy, Ph.D.:

Lucas Constantine, Hamilton College

Nurhaliza Syukur, Utica University

Matthew Nystoriak, Ph.D.:

Cooper Borelli, Boston College

Emma Burke, Bates College

Tongbin Wu, Ph.D.:

Victoria Cioni, Nazareth University

The 2025 MMRI Summer Fellowship program was made possible thanks to the generous support from its sponsors, including:

Alera Group Company Dr. Sidney J. Blatt Burrows Foundation Drs. Atul and Amita Butala First Manhattan Masonic District Mr. Gary T. Forrest Cecelia and Ronald Gouse Hazen B. Hinman, Sr. Foundation, Inc. Health Forward Foundation R⸫W⸫ Walter R. Leong M&T Bank / Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation Drs. Frank Dubeck and MaryBeth McCall The Give Back to Utica Fund/Steven H. Oram UpMobility Foundation Utica Lodge #47 F. & A.M. “We’d like to thank our generous program funders,” said Stephen F. Izzo, principal development officer at MMRI. “Their support is enabling our world-class faculty to train the next generation of scientists to understand and overcome some of the world’s most pernicious diseases.”

about the MMRI Summer Fellowship here: 

https://www.mmri.edu/summerfellow/

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