Executive Leadership Team
Carlo Maley, PhD
Principal Investigator, Arizona Cancer Evolution CenterProf. Maley is a cancer biologist, evolutionary biologist and computational biologist, working at the intersection of those fields. His lab uses genomic data mining, phylogenetics, computational modeling, as well as wet-lab techniques to develop better methods to prevent cancer and improve cancer management. For more information, please visit Dr. Maley's profile here.
Gissel Marquez Alcaraz
Co-Director, ACE Scholars ProgramGissel is an evolutionary biologist and wet lab scientist at ASU, working on a Ph.D. in Evolution. Gissel has been conducting research since 2018 and has been a member of ACE since 2021. Her research covers various topics, including kombucha, the microbiome, and cancer evolution.
Harley Richker
Co-Director, ACE Scholars ProgramHarley is a Ph.D. student interested in understanding the evolutionary mechanisms behind adaptive cancer therapy. He holds a bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Master's in Molecular and Cellular Biology.
Walker Mellon
Co-Director, ACE Scholars ProgramWalker Mellon is a graduate student at Arizona State University, studying Data Science, Analytics, and Engineering. Walker has been a member of ACE Scholars since 2021, working on a wide range of research projects. His research focuses on bioinformatics, comparative oncology, phylogenetics, machine learning, and large language models.
Scientific Advisory Board
Cristina Baciu, EdD
Co-Founder & Former Co-Director, ACE Scholars ProgramCristina is a mentoring expert and research program manager working with interdisciplinary teams at the intersection of cooperation and cancer evolution research at Arizona State University. She holds bachelor's degrees in economics and psychology, and a doctorate in educational leadership in higher education. Both practice and research-wise, Cristina is interested in mentoring undergraduate college students, barriers to students’ success, and the intersection between technology and higher education. For more information, visit Cristina's website here.
Zachary T. Compton, PhD
Co-Founder & Former Co-Director, ACE Scholars ProgramDr. Compton received his doctorate in Evolutionary Biology at Arizona State University and is currently a NIH T32 Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Arizona Cancer Center and the College of Medicine. He is interested in all of the intersections that cancer biology makes with evolutionary theory, particularly comparative oncology - the study of cancer across the tree of life. Dr. Compton is the co-founder and former director of the Arizona Cancer Evolution (ACE) Scholars program, one of the largest undergraduate research training programs in the country, where he now serves as a scientific advisor. He is passionate about bringing evolution into the cancer clinic, as well as the community.
Undergraduate Leadership Team
Maritza Ramirez
Maritza is a fourth year undergraduate student studying Biomedical Sciences and serves as a lead for the Leukemia team. She has a passion for pediatrics and aspires to work as a PA in her future. She currently works as a nursing assistant at a children's hospital and loves to work out, read, and listen to old music in her free time.
Manasa Iyer
Manasa recently graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Arizona State University, where she is currently working towards attaining her M.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology. She has pursued projects in comparative oncology, cancer outreach, and adaptive therapy preclinical studies alongside ACE since 2020. Manasa and her team currently analyze the relationships between human reproduction variables and their respective conferral of lifetime reproductive cancer risk. With aspirations to attend medical school in the future, Manasa’s ultimate goal is to utilize her research findings to optimize currently accepted medical standards of care to improve patient outcomes.
Amanda Le
Amanda is a senior at Arizona State University studying Biomedical Sciences, Asian Pacific American Studies, and Evolutionary Medicine. She joined the ACE Scholars Program in 2022 and now leads the Metaphors of Cancer team. Amanda has prior research experience working on projects related to population genetics, early cancer detection, and molecular mechanisms of evolution. Amanda hopes to further explore her research interests in cancer treatment with like-minded individuals and raise greater awareness of cancer evolution to the public.
Nicholas Howell
Nick recently graduated with Bachelor’s degrees in Biological Science and Computational Mathematics and is now a postbaccalaureate fellow at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) in Bethesda, Maryland. He’s been a member of the ACE Scholars program since Spring 2022 and is a team lead studying cancer progression and somatic evolution in patients with Barrett’s esophagus. Nick is planning on applying to graduate programs in computational biology in Fall 2025, with a specific interest in computational approaches to precision medicine.
Bryan Yavari
Bryan is a senior with a major in Neuroscience and a certificate in Evolutionary Medicine. He serves as the Team Leader for the Language of Cancer research group, focusing on the study of cancer communication between healthcare professionals and the general public. Bryan is also a member of the Adaptive Therapy team where he researches colorectal cancer and Adaptive Therapy strategies. His goal is to research cancer in an interdisciplinary landscape from communication to its treatment. Bryan currently leads Project Koyash, a nonprofit that is dedicated to providing solar powered air filtration to families in Mongolia. In his free time, Bryan enjoys running, reading, and hiking.
Myka Williams
Myka Williams is a senior undergraduate student at Arizona State University majoring in Biomedical Sciences with minors in Global Health and Business. She works as a medical assistant at a dermatology practice, where she applies her clinical skills and passion for patient care. Myka currently leads the Skin Cancer in Mammals research project and is an active member of the Human Reproductive Study group. She aspires to attend medical school and become a physician, where she hopes to contribute to cancer research and patient education. She is excited to collaborate with the program to raise awareness about cancer evolution and educate the public on potential risk factors.
ACE Scholars Team Members
Alexandria Rumschlag
Hello, my name is Alexandria Rumschlag. I am studying Biological Sciences with a concentration in Biomedical Sciences and a certificate in Evolutionary Medicine at Arizona State University. I aspire to become a Histotechnologist after obtaining my bachelor’s degree. Since I joined ACE in June 2023, I have been a part of the Language of Cancer team as well as the Cancer Education team. Aside from my educational endeavors, I enjoy spending time with my two sons and husband, playing video games, and doing special effects makeup professionally.
Gabrielle Feldman
I am currently pursuing a concurrent degree in Biomedical Sciences and Global Health at ASU. Additionally, I am also a member of Barrett, The Honors College at ASU. This is my first semester as an ACE Scholar and I am pleased to be working with the Human Reproductive Study Team. In the future, I plan to pursue a masters here in Germany in either epidemiology, biophysics, or bioengineering. Currently, I work as an assistant engineer, automating laboratory and medical devices. Additionally, I love learning languages, journaling, and hip hop dancing.
Jacob Swette
Jacob Swette (pronounced 'Sweety') is pursuing a Master of Science in Biomimicry through Arizona State University's School of Complex Adaptive Systems. He is also a practicing acupuncturist with experience treating cancer-related symptoms and the side effects of cancer treatment. As a member of the Arizona Cancer Evolution (ACE) Center, he is actively involved in the Cancer Within Elephant Species project, which examines cancer prevalence across two species of elephants. This project uses evolutionary concepts and analytics to explore how and why these species have developed resistance to cancer.
Brandiana Evans
Brandiana is an undergraduate pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences along with certificates in Evolutionary Medicine and Computational Life Sciences. Currently in her first semester of the ACE Scholar Program, she is a part of a team dedicated to developing evolutionary biomarkers for acute myeloid leukemia. Brandiana is passionate about the advancement of computational life sciences, with a particular focus on computational oncology, and plans to pursue a PhD in computational biology. She is excited to collaborate with peers who share similar and complementary interests, aiming to make significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of cancer.
Caroline Castle
Caroline Castle is a Senior getting her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience, a certificate in Evolutionary Medicine, and a Minor in French. Her goal is to attend medical school. She is especially interested in PNEI (Psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology) and Integrative Medicine and hopes to integrate the two in her future practice. Caroline is a member of the Canadian Wildlife team and has enjoyed learning about how the incidence of cancer in animals applies to human health and important ecological issues. As someone who has never coded before, she has also appreciated learning a new and valuable skill in ACE. In Caroline’s free time, she enjoys baking, reading, listening to and playing music, as well as watching Korean dramas and Harry Potter movies.
Brian Martins
Brian recently graduated from the Barrett, Honors College at ASU with a degree in BioMedical Science and a Minor in Psychology. Driven by his motivation to understand the mechanisms of cancer development and progression, Brian has. contributed to five independent research projects within the field of comparative oncology since the Fall of 2021. He conducted his Honors Thesis at ACE, utilizing an evolutionary perspective to cancer to analyze cancer diagnosis rates within a
diverse cohort of 220,181 Americans. During his free time, Brian enjoys playing basketball and hiking! Brian is currently applying to medical school in hopes of becoming a physician who advances the health outcomes of patients through impactful research and compassionate care.
Devangana Shah
Hi! My name is Devangana Shah and I am a sophomore majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Math and Computational Life Sciences. This is my first semester with ACE Scholars and I am working with the Barrett's Esophagus Cancer team. After graduating, I hope to go to Law school and merge Biology and Law. Outside of class, I enjoy dancing, baking, and trying new DIY crafts!
Bailey Kane
Bailey is a third-year senior studying Genetics, Cell, and Developmental Biology with a certificate in Computational Life Sciences. She is concurrently pursuing her Master's in Biology through ASU's accelerated degree program. With major research interests in genetic engineering, genome science, and cancer biology, Bailey has worked on a number of projects in her time with ACE and is excited to continue working with her team on her Honors Thesis this year. Her undergraduate thesis aims to investigate the influence of the gut microbiome on the tumor immune microenvironment and bring tangible developments to a burgeoning field of research. Outside of the lab, Bailey fixes computers and is an avid jazz bassist who enjoys attending late-night gigs with her fellow musicians.
Abhave Abhilash
My name is Abhave Abhilash and I am an Undergrad Computer Science student who has a focus on machine learning and I am trying to learn more about machine learning through ACE Scholars. Currently, I am working on Proggy.Ai, which is a machine learning/artificial intelligence app that focuses on trying to make cancer research more accessible to the general public. I am excited to work with my team and I look forward to the amazing direction in which ACE is headed.
Dustin Nguyen
Dustin is a junior in electrical engineering at Arizona State University and Barrett, the Honors College. He plans to apply to medical school once I graduate and hope to work in biomedical technology. As a part of the Canadian Wildlife team, Dustin is currently exploring neoplasia trends and prevalence across Canadian animals. In addition to the ACE Scholars program, he is involved in various engineering organizations and clubs, worked at an anesthesiology clinic, and volunteered at a local hospital. Outside of school, Dustin enjoys musical theater, sports, and reading.
Giavonna Sabatini
I’m Giavonna Sabatini, a junior studying Medical Microbiology with a minor in Military Sciences and a certificate in Evolutionary Medicine. I aspire to serve the United States Air Force as a Flight Surgeon or Medic of a specified field. I am looking forward to working with the coding program R and become more efficient working with my team!
Perla Luna
Perla is an undergraduate student majoring in Microbiology. She loves microbes! After
completing her degree, she hopes to attend Medical School and become an OB/GYN. But first
she plans on traveling through Europe during her gap year. She has always had an interest in
learning to code, so joining the Barrett’s Esophagus team was truly fate. When Perla is not
volunteering at her local clinic, she is wandering through the largest Ponderosa pine tree forest
in the world with her quarter horse and trains for horse shows.
Tea Zawilak
Tea Zawilak is a senior at Arizona State University studying Biomedical Informatics with minors in Mathematics and Vocal Performance. She joined the ACE Scholars Program in 2022 and is a member of the Metaphors of Cancer and Clonal Deconvolution of Barrett's Esophagus teams. Tea has prior research experience related to population genetics, clinical decision-making tools, and machine learning modeling of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data. She is excited to continue expanding her research skills as an ACE Scholar and appreciates the interdisciplinary environment of the program.
Madds Garza
Hello! My name is Madds, and I'm a current junior here at ASU studying Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology and well as Biochemistry! So far I've worked on studying the role of neutrophils in MCF7 breast cancer and am now working on adaptive therapy trials for colorectal cancer. My ultimate goal is to become a research scientist studying infectious disease. So far I've learned many applicable skills from my lab such as poster making, how to present at conferences, microtoming, immunhistochemistry, and autoclaving: and I hope to learn many more!
Hannah Human
Hi! My name is Hannah Human and I am a current first-generation undergraduate student, majoring in Neuroscience, Chemistry, and French. I plan to become a pediatric neurosurgeon after attending medical school. Other than volunteering in the ED at my local hospital, conducting research in multiple labs at ASU, and cramming for the MCAT, I love to cook, read, take care of my plants, and interior decorate! I am super excited to start my first semester as an ACE Scholar!
Rebecca Taylor
My name is Rebecca Taylor, and I am an undergraduate majoring in Biological Sciences (Biomedical) and Health Sciences. This is my first semester as an ACE scholar on the Science Communication and Outreach Team. Once I graduate, I plan to go to medical school and specialize in oncology.
Jacob Moyer
Jacob recently completed postbaccalaureate coursework in foundational sciences, following a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with minors in Statistics and Philosophy from Arizona State University. Since 2023, he has been an active contributor to the ACE phylogenetics team, focusing on comparative oncology. Currently, Jacob is engaged in full-time clinical research on bladder cancer at the Mayo Clinic, while also applying to medical schools. He is particularly interested in leveraging evolutionary biology to address contemporary challenges in clinical oncology.
Amanda Davidson
My name is Amanda Davidson and I am a third year undergraduate student at Arizona State University majoring in Anthropology. This is my first year as an ACE Scholar and I am on the molecular subtyping team! I have a passion for studying bones, evolution, and disease (especially in the prehistoric record!), and hope to apply the skills I learn here towards obtaining a PhD. When I am not in school, you can find me baking, playing video games, or hiking!
Haarika Atluri
My name is Haarika Atluri, and I am currently an Undergraduate student studying Biological Sciences at Arizona State University with an interest in becoming a Pediatrician. I joined the ACE Scholars Outreach team in the Fall of 2022. Along with being part of the ACE Scholars program, I am also an ER Medical Scribe, a UGTA for Digital Design, and I am interested in learning about various fields and how they may relate to medicine. I have also always loved observing how much information can be obtained from a small sample and am equally interested in wet lab research as I am in clinical research. Outside of my academic life, I have always had a passion for music and love reading books and watching movies!
Eden Kim
Eden is a Master’s student at Claremont Graduate University, studying Public Health. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences from Arizona State University in December of 2023 with minors in Psychology and Data Science, and is applying to the medical school cycle of 2025. Eden has been with the ACE Scholars Program since the Fall of 2022, starting with the Palliative Care team and is now on the Cancer Education Outreach team. She is dedicated to using education to promote cancer awareness and resources to empower individuals to make informed choices about their health.
Ritika Anand
My name is Ritika Anand, and I am currently an undergraduate student at the Barrett Honors College here at ASU! I have a passion for medicine and science, and am currently studying Biological Sciences with a minor in Global Health in hopes of one day becoming a doctor. I joined the ACE Scholars Cancer Across Vertebrates Team in the Fall of 2022, and absolutely enoy the interdisciplinary perspective that ACE brings to the study of cancer. Outside academics, I absolutely love to travel and explore new places, whether that be in Arizona or abroad. COVID also allowed me to reconnect with my passion for baking, and I absolutely love to experiment with and try new deserts.
Jyolna Behera
Jyolna is an undergraduate student studying Neuroscience with a minor in Spanish at Arizona State University. As a member of the ACE Scholars Program, she is working on the Skin Cancer in Mammals research project while also gaining additional lab experience to explore various scientific fields. With a strong interest in public health, she plans to attend medical school to become a physician, emphasizing community education to improve patient outcomes. Outside of her academics and volunteering with various organizations, Jyolna enjoys hiking and composing music.
Alumni
Former ACE Scholars
Former Team Leads
Clarissa Chang
Zaid Nour
Yasmin Silva
Selin Aksoy
Patrick LittleHarshini Darapu
Ashley Peraza
Sergio Mendoza, MD
Jacob Benevento
Former Team Members
Ethan Michael
Mané Sargsyan
Nellisabel Coira
Cameron Chew
Lucia Ramirez
Sheba Philip
Savannah Nelson
Mohammad Hasan KattanRyan Kilinski
HD Cross
William Levi Shelton
Kaley Norris
Nilofar Kolbehdari
Enyce Fairbanks
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