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.

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 (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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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!

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!

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 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.

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!

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.

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 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.