Peer Reviewers and Outreach Specialists

Aaryan Sukhadia(Peer Reviewer)

Aaryan is a junior at the British School Jakarta. He is fascinated by mathematics, and has participated and earned prizes in several international math competitions. He loves reading and researching about astronomy and quantum mechanics, aspiring to be a theoretical physicist one day. He founded his own physics club in his school with the goal of improving communities through science projects, and is passionate about STEM education. Apart from science and math, he also enjoys debating in MUN, making comic strips and creative writing.

Alyssa Park (Peer Reviewer)

Alyssa is a junior at Albemarle High School in Charlottesville, Virginia. She has been conducting research at an immunology lab at the University of Virginia since her freshman year of high school and has taken interest in immunology and cardiology. She also spends her summers volunteering at the UVA Hospital and has interned at a pediatric cardiology lab at Duke University. During the school year, Alyssa is actively involved in the local science fair, Science National Honor Society, and Key Club. She loves to hear about recent research in different areas of biology and has attend the Harvard Science Research Conference for the second time this October. Currently, she took her hobbies of writing and public speaking and combined them to lead an independent study course on bioethics. She hopes to expand her knowledge of science while giving constructive advice to her fellow peers through NSHJS.

Amber Arif (Outreach Specialist)

Amber is currently a freshman college student on the pre-medical track studying neurobiology in New York. She is very passionate about research and has been conducting research throughout high school. Amber’s previous research has involved creating a mobile application to reinforce CPR skills. Currently, her research endeavors revolve around using medical simulation and virtual reality to improve healthcare outcomes. Amber is excited to continue to delve into research and connect it with different aspects of medicine. Outside of her studies, Amber enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with her friends and family.

Aparna Pillai (Peer Reviewer)

Aparna is a senior at Trabuco Hills High School in Mission Viejo, California. She is interested in the natural sciences, particularly human biology, and has furthered this passion by completing a medical internship at Stanford University and having volunteered at a local hospital. She is currently conducting independent research on the biological effects of cultural eutrophication. As a member of NHSJS, she hopes to encourage and help other high school students publish their scientific findings. At her high school, she is pursuing an IB diploma; outside of academics, she is in her school’s orchestra and is the founding president of her school’s Girl Up club. In her free time, Aparna enjoys singing and reading. Aparna is deeply involved in service and aims to go into the medical field to continue to help others, changing the world one molecule at a time.

Camila Gutierrez (Peer Reviewer)

Camila Gutierrez is currently a junior at Paul VI High School in Virginia. She has a strong zest for learning and is specifically passionate about molecular biology, veterinary medicine, and genetics. A long-time avid reader of Science magazines and NCBI Veterinary Journals, she loves research and recently won 1st place in an international science competition. She is conducting an independent study at school regarding the use of thiostrepton as a FOXM1 inhibitor in cancer treatments. She has interned as a veterinary assistant and, hoping to share her love of animals with peers, founded an animal service club called Paws Fur a Good Cause. Likewise, she enjoys giving back to her community by organizing visits to a local nursing home as the president of an all-girls religious service club. In her free time she enjoys dancing, competing in agility competitions with her dog, and watching foreign movies.

Caroline Xue (Peer Reviewer)

Caroline is currently a sophomore at Stanford Online High School. She loves to play hockey, violin, and outdoor rock climb in her free time. In order to pursue her passion of oncology, Caroline founded her school’s Pre-Med club and got involved in the 50 in 50 project with the Cure Campaign, an organization that strives to increase the federal cancer budget through political involvement.

Deeptisai Ayyappaneni (Outreach Specialist)

Deeptisai Ayyappaneni is a senior at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. She is very interested in pursuing a biological sciences or biomedical engineering degree as an undergraduate student and then receiving and MD. In high school, Deepti has participated in a variety of STEM activities such as competing in the Health Occupation Students of America(HOSA) medical competition, being an active member of the Future Doctors of America(FDA) club at her school, and volunteering at a local hospital as a Guest Services member. She is an American Red Cross blood donor ambassador, volunteering for the Biomedical Task Force/Workforce and has learned quite a bit about phlebotomy and people skills from it. Deepti has also enjoyed being a treasurer for her school’s Peer Helpers club(advocates mental health and inclusivity throughout the school body), founding ExtendAHand(an initiative that aims to provide essential workers with mask extenders and support during the COVID-19 pandemic), being a teen volunteer at the local library for 2 summers, and being a Rotary Youth Club volunteer. One memorable research experience for her has been thoroughly studying the Yellow Fever pandemic through the Pioneer Open Summer Study program. She spends her free time playing tennis or basketball, solving puzzles like Sudoku or the Rubik’s cube, and hanging out with her family and friends.

Eric Choi (Peer Reviewer)

Eric is a senior at Bellarmine College Preparatory, California. He is incredibly passionate about engineering and loves to play basketball in his free time. Aside from NHSJS, Eric worked as a research intern at NASA and as a technical intern at Globaleur. He is also a part of his school’s world-champion First Robotics team, team 254, and was selected to be a drive team member. Ever since Eric was in middle school, he had a fascination with Arduinos and computer programming, motivating him to create his school’s Arduino Club. Eric hopes that he could make an impact on the world by fighting issues through STEM and recommends every student to pursue challenging research.

Fiona Pollack (Peer Reviewer)

Fiona Pollack is a Cuban-American high school student based in Philadelphia, PA. Outside of NHSJS, Fiona has worked as an intern at NASA, a research assistant at the University of Pennsylvania, and a night volunteer at the Wagner Free Institute of Science, specializing in planetary science, geography, and statistics. Fiona is also a prolific brass musician and composer, and has performed at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Chris’s Jazz Cafe, Penn’s Landing, and Lucas Oil Stadium. When she’s not working in an academic or musical capacity, Fiona can be found studying Arabic, obsessing over Philadelphia sports teams, or listening to Chance the Rapper’s mixtapes on repeat.

Hamid Torabzadeh (Outreach Specialist)

Hamid Torabzadeh is a junior at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, CA. He is an aspiring Physician Leader, and is thoroughly interested in how the fields of clinical medicine, biomedical/biological sciences, emerging technologies, and business intersect. He is currently Co-Captain of his school’s robotics team, Poly Rabbotics; President of Long Beach Poly Red Cross; Tech Director of Speech and Debate; and a committed member of Boys’ Tennis, The Knowledge Society, Model United Nations, and Math Team. He has also had the opportunity to serve as an intern in the healthcare and biotechnology areas, including service with Healthcare: The Journal of Delivery Science and Innovation and Biotech Connection Los Angeles. In his capacity as an Outreach Specialist for NHSJS, he strives to expand diversity and equity initiatives within the journal while supporting cutting-edge high school scientific research.

Hyunjin Christina Lee (Peer Reviewer) 

Hyujin Christina Lee is currently a junior at Conestoga High School in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. Hyunjin’s primary interests are Physics, Astrophysics, Math, and Chemistry. Hyunjin is an editor of Conestoga’s newspaper, The Spoke, and is a member of the academic competition team. Hyunjin is also involved in multiple volunteer programs, STEM outreach, and is the founder of her school’s Operation Smile club. In her free time, Hyunjin enjoys reading and plays the cello in the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO).

Janice Rateshwar (Peer Reviewer)

Janice Rateshwar is a sophomore at Jericho High School in Jericho, NY. Ever since her CTY BIomedical Summer Camp in 7th grade, Janice has had a great passion for STEM-related fields. She began pursuing research in 8th grade regarding the potential for plant-based treatments in cancer therapy. She has won many awards for her research and is in the process of publishing her work. Janice is also branching out into obesity research which she plans to continue to look into alongside with her cancer research. Her field of expertise is mainly biology and chemistry, particularly at the molecular level. In school, Janice enjoys participating in the Science Olympiad club, where she is able to learn about topics that are more challenging and require a higher level of thinking and in the Environmental Club where she is able to give back to her community and help raise awareness about climate change. Janice is currently working with her peers to further establish their company STEMCellz, which aims to help expose elementary school students to STEM. Janice hopes to make a difference in the world with her passion for science and medicine.

Jessica Liang (Peer Reviewer)

Jessica is a student at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School in Massachusetts who is curious about exploring the different branches of STEM. At the moment, she enjoys biology, chemistry, and is learning computer science. However, with a variety of possibilities in this field, she’s motivated to learn more about what the world of science has to offer. In her free time, she enjoys running, playing piano, reading, tutoring others, and volunteering.

Keertana Yalamanchili

Keertana Yalamanchili is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Northern Virginia. She is passionate about biology and mathematics. Her current research is on the efficacy of various enzyme inhibitors as potential treatments for ischemic stroke as well as the modeling of T lymphocytes and mitochondrial pore activity. At her school, she is currently the secretary of Medical Society and Neuroscience Society. In her spare time, she enjoys singing and dancing, playing the violin, reading books, and tutoring.

Khalid Rashad (Peer Reviewer)

Khalid Rashad is an upcoming senior in the Math Science, and Technology Center at Dunbar High School in Lexington, Kentucky. He is heavily interested in biology and computer science and currently serves as a bioinformatics student researcher at the University of Kentucky, where he has won numerous awards for his research involving more effective Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnoses. In school, Khalid is involved in a plethora of science extracurriculars, as he serves in leadership positions in his school’s Science Olympiad, Science Bowl, and Science National Honor Society. He also enjoys partaking in community service as a volunteer at Baptist Health Hospital and by serving as an officer in his school’s Beta Club and Disaster Relief Fund. Khalid hopes to encourage more high school students to conduct valuable research as a member of the NHSJS team.

Lily Ge (Peer Reviewer)

Lily Ge is a current senior at the Bergen County Academies in New Jersey. She is extremely passionate about neuroscience, specifically regarding machine learning and memory. She is the captain of the BCA Brainiacs, the 4th place national team winners of the USA Memory Championships, an opportunity that she is immensely thankful for and from which she has learned so much. Lily has been involved in (though “steeped in” might be a better phrase) research for the majority of her high school career, from conducting and co-authoring Multiple Sclerosis research at NYU’s Langone Medical Center to studying genomics and epigenetics at Columbia University Medical Center. Lily has also dedicated her time to helping others fall in love with science, as she has, even volunteering over 150 hours of hands-on science teaching and fun at the Liberty Science Center. And, similar to the goals of the NHSJS, Lily has also been involved in her school’s school-run science research journal, Academy Scientific, for the past couple years, both as a writer and as an editor. Finally, other than science, Lily loves to stay busy with Model United Nations conferences (organizing, chairing, and being a delegate), debate, writing poetry, and playing the mandolin.

Lily Li (Peer Reviewer)

Lily Li is a junior from Long Island, New York. They are passionate about AI and its intersection with the social sciences, and hopes to double major in computer science and sociology in college. Currently, their research endeavors involve creating deep learning models for fake news detection and fact verification. Their research has recently been published and selected for oral presentation at an international conference in computational linguistics. Outside of academics, they enjoy reading, rock climbing, and caring for their houseplants. 

Mir Zayid Alam (Peer Reviewer)

Mir Zayid Alam is a junior at Manhasset High School in Manhasset, New York. He is interested in neuroscience, biochemistry, and molecular biology, and has performed research at various levels, from at-home projects to professional lab work. He is part of Science Olympiad and Mathletes and can be found tutoring peers. He helps run community organizations and volunteers for various causes. In his free time, he reads avidly.

Nicholas Famularo (Outreach Specialist)

Nick is a junior at Ponte Vedra High School in Ponte Vedra, Florida. He is extremely passionate about environmental science and sustainability. He hopes to attend an Ivy League school after graduation and earn a degree in environmental science and public policy. This year, Nick is completing a science fair research project on mangrove habitat expansion. He is also working on a sustainability project with the goal of converting his school’s energy to 100% solar-based. In his free time, Nick enjoys hanging out with friends, spending time outside, and volunteering at his local environmental education center. When he isn’t studying for his rigorous courses or participating in extracurriculars, he enjoys sleeping.

Parsa Nayyara (Peer Reviewer)

Parsa Nayyara is an Indonesian high school junior based in Surabaya, Indonesia. She is keenly interested in the natural world and loves exploring through the mechanisms of how life works. As an aspiring biologist, Nayyara enjoys conducting her own life science research and has earned several awards in both local and international science fairs. She also finds genetics and synthetic biology intriguing. When she is not doing science, she can usually be found reading comic books, or growing plants in her little hydroponic garden.

Phillip Batov (Peer Reviewer and Outreach Specialist)

Phillip Batov is currently a student at Staten Island High School in New York City. He is extremely ambitious in the field of STEM, and strives to benefit the world with his innovations. Ever since he was a child, his imagination has always been wrapped up in miniscule engineering activities, and various scientific questions about the world. He is an active member of the Science Olympiad in his school, and has taken part in engineering, physics, and biology competitions throughout his high school career. Also, Phillip is a member of the Science and Engineering Research Program (S.E.R.P.) in his school, and works on many different projects and competitions. He is currently attempting to limit the spread of bacteria in his school through different implementations. Phillip received a plethora of awards for his scientific achievements, including the highest award in excellence of science at Mark Twain School for the Gifted and Talented. In his spare time, he enjoys volunteering and being a part of non-profit organizations, such as the American Red Cross, Key Club International, and the Campaign for a Presidential Youth Council. He also revels in journalism, and is an editor and submitter for several publications. Joining the National High School Journal of Science was his way of giving back, and helping other aspiring researchers with their studies.

Rajit Tummala (Peer Reviewer)

Rajit Rajit Tummala is a senior at the Center for Medical Sciences at Mills E. Goodwin High School. At school, he volunteers as a writing center tutor and regularly edits peer literary and research papers for grammar, clarity, and content. He has worked for Cell Signaling Technology (CST) Inc. as an intern performing technical research skills in CST Production Team 5 such as ELISA assays, western blots, Bradford protein assays, and antibody lyophilization. Outside of school, he loves watching Bollywood movies, listening to music, writing poetry, and reading. He was fortunate during his research to have wonderful teachers/mentors help him in the process, so he wishes to return the favor for others.

Rayland Ho (Outreach Specialist)

Rohan Adwankar (Outreach Specialist)

Rohan Adwankar is a sophomore at Irvington High School. He is interested in organic chemistry and interdisciplinary research utilizing data science. Past papers he has been involved in include: “Late-Stage Beckmann rearrangements of 2,6-dibenzylidene cyclohexanones and 10-arylated anthrones towards the design, synthesis, and development of novel caprolactam non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors”, “Kinetic monitoring and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of the green oxidation of (-)-menthol to (-)-menthone”, and “Pharmacophore-based screening and identification of molecular-level descriptors applied to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs)”. Aside from writing papers and doing research, he is an avid member of Irvington’s Varsity Parliamentary debate team. Additionally, he is a co-founder of a scientific writing organization at his school.

Sarah Tang (Peer Reviewer)

Sarah Tang is a junior at Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado. As an astronomy aficionado, she loves to explore the world beyond; she has been collecting data and conducting scientific research on exoplanets for the past two years. She hopes to pursue the field of astronomy in her future, and currently, she is working on ground-based followup observations of TESS exoplanet candidates! She has presented her work in a plethora of science fairs, such as the Intel ISEF, as well as various symposiums in the Boulder area. Sarah is also the founder and CEO of The Education in Asia Charity (TEACH), a nonprofit organization aiming to provide underserved rural Chinese villages with greater access to educational resources and supplies. When she is not pondering the world beyond, she likes to play with her pet bunny, ski, hike, and dabble in photography.

Sameen Mahmood (Outreach Specialist and Peer Reviewer)

Sameen Mahmood is one of our Outreach Specialists here at the NHSJS. In addition to being an Outreach Specialist, Sameen is an avid Science Olympiad, Academic Decathlon, orchestra, and Speech & Debate member, taking officer positions in each club. She is also the president of her school’s PTP Club and is known by her friends as a huge science fanatic. Academically, Sameen takes a full load of IB (international baccalaureate) courses, along with offering chemistry tutoring for fellow peers. Her hobbies include playing the violin, singing, cooking, and anything science-related.

Tanya Singh (Peer Reviewer)

Tanya Singh is a writer and editor from Chandigarh, India. They are on the staff of several publications, including Pulse, and Moledro Magazine. They are also the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Cerurove, a journal that celebrates original works quality. Their work has appeared in Gone Lawn, Eunoia Review, Polyphony H.S, and elsewhere, and has been recognized by Times of India and The Great Indian Literary Festival, among other places. They like to read philosophical works and poetry. They believe that if you are reading, you are learning, as such changing and evolving, and to be learning is one of the greatest accomplishments.

Tessa Rock (Outreach Specialist)

I am an undergraduate student at the University of New England. I am majoring in Marine Science with a minor in Anthropology. At my institution I have been involved in the Plankton lab and the Crustacean physiology lab. IN the Plankton lab I conduct a research project on identifying phytoplankton in an estuary on different tidal cycles. In the Crustacean physiology lab, I have conducted genetic analyses on European green crabs and am currently working on learning CRISPR technologies. Besides being involved in research I also hold multiple leadership positions at my institution: I am a residential advisor, peer mentor to first years, and President of multiple clubs. My goal after my undergraduate years is to go to Graduate school for conservation research. 

Vishruth Hanumaihgari (Peer Reviewer)

Vishruth Hanumaihgari is a sophomore at Parkland High School in Allentown, PA. He has been intrigued by human anatomy and medicine ever since he was in 6th grade, and has developed this interest by exploring the specific fields of neuroscience and epidemiology. Moreover, he has completed several research projects studying potential treatment pathways for cancer using gene therapy and presented his findings at statewide science fairs and conferences. He has also successfully competed in several STEM Competitions, such as Science Olympiad, Science Bowl, and USABO, and has dedicated large amounts of time to volunteering at his local hospital and offering free tutoring services to hospitalized students. Some of his other interests include Scholastic Scrimmage, psychology club, and the debate team, and outside of school, Vishruth loves photography, writing, and playing basketball.