Stony Brook’s Summer Research Program Opens Doors for SUNY Undergraduates

Stony Brook University welcomed a diverse group of SUNY undergraduates for its 2025 SOAR (Summer Opportunity for Academic Research) program, a 10-week initiative designed to provide research opportunities for first-generation and economically disadvantaged students from the SUNY system.

Hosted on Stony Brook’s campus, SOAR brings together students from SUNY institutions. Participants receive full-time research placements with faculty mentors, on-campus housing, meal support, and a $5,400 stipend, enabling them to focus on cutting-edge research in high-impact STEM fields such as artificial intelligence, microelectronics and semiconductors, biotechnology and bioengineering, quantum information science, and climate and sustainability.

Throughout the summer, students attend weekly professional development workshops and research seminars, building not just technical knowledge but also critical academic and career skills. The program will culminate in a poster presentation at the annual Summer Research Symposium.

“​​My SOAR students can truly focus on their research projects in this 10-week summer program without having to worry about studying for classes or doing a part time job,” said Mei Lin (Ete) Chan-Lo, an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and mentor to two SOAR student participants. “We’re only in the third week of the program and my students Aldey Brutus (electrical engineering, ‘27) and Mohammad Kader (biomedical engineering, ‘27) have already made great progress.” 

This year’s cohort includes 29 Stony Brook students, along with two students from Farmingdale State College and two students from Puerto Rico.

SOAR is led by principal investigator Karian Wright, assistant dean for diversity and inclusion, The Graduate School, and director of the Center for Inclusive Education (CIE), along with co-principal investigators Karen Kernan, director, Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URECA); Maria Nagan, associate professor, Department of Chemistry; and Lisa Ospitale, program manager, CIE. The program is managed by Lisa Ospitale and coordinated by Diana Champney in the CIE.

2025 SOAR Participants and Their Research Projects:

• Aldey Brutus
  Research Mentor: Mei Lin (Ete) Chan
  Research Focus: Constructing a device that mechanically stimulates T-cells to increase proliferation and advance cancer research.
• Samiah Cann
  Research Mentor: Eric Josephs
  Research Focus: Utilizing Compartmentalized CRISPR Reactions (CCR) in microemulsions to screen guide RNAs for highly accurate base editing.
• Steven Chen
  Research Mentor: Austin Giordano
  Research Focus: Using Laser Speckle technology to analyze internal stress in cavitating solids to optimize propeller efficiency.
• Xing Ying Chen
  Research Mentor: Siu Chiu Chan
  Research Focus: Investigating the role of HNF-1β SUMO conjugation and its effects on kidney disease development.
• Amy Chen
  Research Mentor: Guanyu Huang
  Research Focus: Developing AI tools to detect ozone damage in plants using CNNs, satellite data, and environmental sensors.
• Suyee Chi
  Research Mentor: Gábor Balázsi
  Research Focus: Studying the RhoC protein’s role in breast cancer metastasis using synthetic gene circuits and computational models.
• Fatemeh Dehpanah
  Research Mentor: David Montrose
  Research Focus: Exploring how serine depletion induces autophagy and mitochondrial clearance in colon cancer cells.
• Winnie Dong
  Research Mentor: Hyowon Seo
  Research Focus: Synthesizing Boc-protected neutral red compounds to prevent radical polymerization and assess electrochemical behavior.
• Jaylynn Elias
  Research Mentor: Maya Endoh
  Research Focus: Investigating how E. coli adheres to different crystalline forms of polylactic acid using microscopy techniques.
• Kevin Gogoyi
  Research Mentor: Fang Luo
  Research Focus: Designing a 20kW DC-DC converter control system with noise and EMI reduction.
• Carlos Manuel Velez Gonce
  Research Mentor: Elizabeth Boon
  Research Focus: Studying quorum sensing and phenazine signaling’s role in bacterial homeostasis and antibiotic resistance.
• Muhammad Hamza
  Research Mentor: Jorge Mendez
  Research Focus: Exploring how large language models can assist in robotic planning and machine learning applications.
• Alexander Morales Hernandez
  Research Mentor: Ruwen Qin
  Research Focus: Using Raspberry Pi and sensors for data collection and machine learning, including GPS, acceleration, and object detection.
• Hua Huang
  Research Mentor: Anurag Purwar
  Research Focus: Building a low-cost autonomous robot with ROS and LIDAR for navigation and embedded system research.
• Brandon Jaipersaud
  Research Mentor: David McKinnon
  Research Focus: Analyzing mouse epithelial cell RNA using Python and R to perform cellular annotation.
• Jessinya Jaipersaud
  Research Mentor: Amin Shirangi
  Research Focus: Examining the role of Explainable AI in FDA-approved diagnostic devices and its impact on clinicians.
• Mohammad Kader
  Research Mentor: Mei Lin (Ete) Chan
  Research Focus: Developing frequency-modulated mechanical signals to mimic exercise and stimulate T-cell proliferation for immunotherapy.
• Jialin Li
  Research Mentor: Jeffrey Lipshultz
  Research Focus: Utilizing photochemistry to mimic aminomutase activity for green synthesis of pharmaceutical amino acids.
• John Li
  Research Mentor: Kedar Kirane
  Research Focus: Investigating compressive failure in composite materials with holes using open hole compression testing.
• Justin Lim
  Research Mentor: Hyungjin Kim
  Research Focus: Exploring MDC1-TIPIN protein interactions in cancer senescence and targeting MDC1 to enhance chemotherapy response.
• Evan Lin
  Research Mentor: Dmitri Averin
  Research Focus: Developing a theory of supercurrent decay in Josephson Junctions due to Andreev Bound State fluctuations.
• Jun Lin
  Research Mentor: Lina Carlini
  Research Focus: Studying how mitotic spindle function during mitosis affects mitochondrial outputs using biosensors.
• Jula Marzouk
  Research Mentor: Ci-Jyun Liang
  Research Focus: Creating thermal 3D building models using mobile robots and centralized communication systems.
• Lucille McKenzie
  Research Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Watson
  Research Focus: Using satellite imagery to analyze post-Hurricane Sandy vegetation recovery, especially invasive phragmites.
• Nisat Nosin
  Research Mentor: Nengkun Yu
  Research Focus: Exploring Quantum Key Distribution protocols as alternatives to classical encryption vulnerable to quantum computing.
• Simon Ramirez
  Research Mentor: Klaus Mueller
  Research Focus: Designing a Graph Neural Network model to visualize systemic financial risk in interbank networks.
• Lorena Rivera
  Research Mentor: Jeffrey Lipshultz
  Research Focus: Investigating radical decarboxylation of amino acids using vitamin B6 analogs and radical clock substrates.
• Simon Salmon
  Research Mentor: Fang Luo
  Research Focus: Designing high-power DC-DC converters with simulation-based safety optimization for renewable energy applications.
• Manas Singh
  Research Mentor: Niranjan Balasubramanian
  Research Focus: Improving Retrieval-Augmented Generation in code LLMs by fine-tuning models for syntax-aware API usage.
• Raisa Suha
  Research Mentor: Kathryn Gunn
  Research Focus: Transfecting HEK293 cells with candidate proteins to analyze vesicular distribution linked to pancreatitis.
• Charles Wang
  Research Mentor: Madani Khan
  Research Focus: Optimizing nitro-oxidation parameters in fiber chemistry and analyzing outcomes using titration and FT-IR.
• Ben Weng
  Research Mentor: Hyeongrak Choi
  Research Focus: Developing Q-CHARM microscopy to analyze large qubit arrays for quantum computing applications.
• Erica Zheng
  Research Mentor: Zhishan Wang
  Research Focus: Genotyping mouse models to understand genetic drivers of tumor progression and cancer development.

— Beth Squire