Undergraduates
Anant Pothakamury
Anant Pothakamury is an undergraduate researcher in the McReynolds Lab and is a second year BMB major. He has always been interested in the world of biochemistry ever since his high school biology teacher showed him the Pathways of Human Metabolism chart. As part of the Schreyer Honors College, Anant is examining the impact of dysregulated NAD+ metabolism on inflammatory responses. He is excited for first lab position and is ecstatic for the future.
Personal and Fun Facts About Anant:
Anant has arguably the cutest dog in the world and if asked will have pictures ready in seconds.
Honors and Awards:
- President Walker Award; 2023
Lily Williams
Lily Williams is an undergraduate researcher in the McReynolds Lab and is a second year BMB major. As part of the Schreyer Honors College and NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant, Lily is eager to learn more in molecular biology as she works towards her thesis in the future. She hopes to gain a better understanding of how stress can affect all stages of life. In the lab, Lily is working on understanding the connection between NAD+ and reproductive metabolism.
Personal and Fun Facts About Lily:
Lily completed an independent research project in high school which has led to her interest in the McReynolds Lab. In her free time, she enjoys dancing and spending time with friends.
Isaiah D. Diggs
Isaiah Diggs is an undergraduate researcher in the McReynolds Lab and is a second year BMB and MBA major. He is originally from Waldorf, Maryland within the DMV area, and is an active member in the Society of Industrial Biotechnology. As part of the Millennium Scholars Program and NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant, Isaiah is contributing to understand the connection between NAD+ dysregulation and acute kidney injury.
Personal and Fun Facts About Isaiah:
Isaiah possesses remarkable skills in bullet chess and acquired his chess-playing prowess in a barbershop setting. Beyond his academic pursuits, Isaiah has a charming quirk - he's the proud owner of a pet Leopard Gecko!
Donovan Mauney
Donovan Mauney is an undergraduate researcher in the McReynolds Lab and is a second-year Biology major. He is interested in biology, biochemistry, and biomedical engineering and is interested in going to medical school to specialize in anesthesiology. As part of the Millennium Scholars Program, Donovan is currently helping to establish Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to investigate how stress disrupts NAD+ homeostasis.
Personal and Fun Facts About Donovan:
Donovan has a variety of interests, including reading and staying active through regular workouts. He's also a participant in the Millennium Scholars Program. In addition to these pursuits, he's skilled at solving a Rubik's Cube in under a minute!
Jurny Canton
Jurny Canton is an undergraduate researcher in the McReynolds Lab. She is majoring in Biology. At first, Jurny was on the pre-med track, until taking Bio 230W where she found a love for research. This led to her discovering her interest in molecular biology and pursuing research. Jurny is currently in her second year of her undergraduate tenure.
Personal and Fun Facts About Jurny:
Jurny enjoys spending time with friends and family members.
Madison Wise
Madison Wise is an undergraduate researcher in the McReynolds Lab. She is a 4th year BMB major who plans on pursuing medical school following graduation. Maddi is originally from York, Pa and had transferred to University Park from Penn State York. Her work in the lab involves utilizing and repurposing metabolic drugs against multiple drug resistant ovarian cancer.
Personal and Fun Facts About Madison:
In her free time, Maddi enjoys baking and reading.
Alyssa J. Esack
Alyssa Esack is pursuing a Biology degree but also wants to minor in Biomedical Engineering (BME). She is majoring in Biology because she has always been fascinated by how life works, especially when it comes to human health and disease. Adding a minor in Biomedical Engineering lets her explore the creative side of science, finding ways to combine biology and technology to solve real-world medical problems.
Personal and Fun Facts About Alyssa:
Alyssa enjoys playing tennis for the PSU club team, listening to music, and hanging out with friends. She is also trying to get involved in THON and hopes to become a captain someday.
Emma Eckert
Emma Eckert is a lifelong resident of Bedford, New York, and is a current student at Penn State University, University Park. Currently enrolled in the BS/MBA program at Penn State, she is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Science alongside a Master's in Business Administration. This interdisciplinary program has provided her with a unique perspective, bridging her passion for scientific inquiry with strategic business acumen. She is passionate about exploring biochemical pathways and their implications in health and disease. As a member of the McReynolds Lab, she is excited to contribute to innovative research and deepen her understanding of molecular biology.
Personal and Fun Facts About Emma:
She enjoys playing the viola, which has been a creative outlet for her over the years. Her passion for science has led her to exciting opportunities, including conducting cancer metastasis research at Johns Hopkins University, where she collaborated with graduate students and published award-winning papers. She has also gained hands-on experience as a Nursing Assistant at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, supporting patients in their recovery and assisting with medical procedures under supervision. These experiences have deepened her appreciation for the intersection of science, research, and patient care, and she is excited to continue exploring these fields.
Ethan Lan
Ethan Lan is a Vertebrate Physiology Biology Major. He is originally from Ashburn, Virginia, and is interested in uncovering the mechanisms behind how external stressors can affect in vivo metabolism. He also wants to understand how these stressors can alter metabolic rate as well as stress-induced aging, and how NAD+ cycling can play a role in these pathways. Furthermore, he would like to unveil how daily life stressors can be attributed to conditions such as Metabolic Syndrome, Huntington's Disease, and Vascular Dementia.
Personal and Fun Facts About Ethan:
I am a part of the Club Wrestling team, I enjoy warm weather and any beach, and I like to cook.
Ting Le “Valentina” Yuan Lu
Ting Le “Valentina” Yuan Lu is a second-year Biotechnology major from Costa Rica. She is interested in the study of aging and genetics, hoping to find better and healthier ways to age.
Personal and Fun Facts About Ting Le “Valentina”:
She gets a teeny tiny bit competitive when it comes to games. She loves dogs (though she thinks she is kind of allergic), and her dog Puki loves bananas.
Everett Barbour
Everett Barbour is a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major and a Pre-Med student originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He loves exploring the outdoors. He is also a member of the Blue Band in the trombone section, which has been an amazing experience for him. When he is not busy with music, he likes to read science fiction. He encourages people to ask him about the Dune books!
Personal and Fun Facts About Everett:
He has been to 8 different countries and is still counting.
Emily Ritter
Emily Ritter is a Chemistry major with a minor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB). She is hoping that this experience will help prepare her for graduate school, where she aspires to pursue organic chemistry.
Personal and Fun Facts About Emily:
In her free time, she loves to read, binge-watch Netflix shows, crochet, and have game nights with friends. She also loves to travel; Switzerland has been her favorite so far, but nothing beats Italian pasta. Additionally, she has a crazy orange cat who keeps her on her toes!
Blanca Lizanne
Blanca Lizanne is a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Major (Junior) with a minor in Microbiology. She is from El Salvador and is interested in pursuing a PhD and specializing in molecular biology or pharmacology. She will be using a mouse model of kidney injury and disease to explore how kidney injury influences the cycling of NAD+ precursors between the host and gut microbiome.
Personal and Fun Facts About Blanca:
During her free time, she enjoys watching movies, hiking, swimming, and spending time with her friends.
Kate Olcott
Kate Olcott is an undergraduate researcher in the McReynolds lab and is from Fairfield, Connecticut. She is in her second year of her undergraduate studies and is a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major. Kate plans to attend medical school after completing her undergraduate degree.
Personal and Fun Facts About Kate:
She loves to exercise, bake, and play soccer.
Darryl A. Hobson
Darryl A. Hobson is an undergraduate researcher in the McReynolds lab and is a first year Forensic Science major on the Molecular Biology track. He is from Chicago, Illinois and is an active participant in many clubs such as the Society for Industrial Biotechnology and Nittany Chemical Society. Participating in the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Program, Darryl's research is helping to delve into the connection between the gut-brain axis and how it is impacted during organ injury and aging.
Personal and Fun Facts About Darryl:
Darryl was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. He loves to read and watch all different kinds of sports. He's looking forward to the many discoveries he could possibly make with his time in the McReynold's lab.
Noelia Rane
Noelia Rane is an Integrative Science major. She has always had a strong passion for science and medicine and hopes to devote her life to learning about both. With her goal of going to medical school, she wants to become a surgeon and have a positive impact on the lives of others. She is excited to learn more about AKI (Acute Kidney Injury) and its relationship with NAD while also working towards developing her senior thesis.
Personal and Fun Facts About Noelia:
She is on the competitive climbing team and absolutely loves The Beatles and Steely Dan!
Anjoreoluwa “Jore” Adegboyo
Anjoreoluwa “Jore” Adegboyo is a third-year Biology major with a Neuroscience option. She plans to pursue an MD/PhD to further understand underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, develop treatments for these disorders, and practice as a neurosurgeon.
Personal and Fun Facts About Anjoreoluwa “Jore:
She loves spending time outside and hanging out with friends! When she is not studying or doing homework, she can be found watching reality TV shows (her favorite is Survivor) or scrolling on TikTok. She also enjoys spending time with her family and often goes back to Maryland to visit them.
Julia Trumbo
Julia Trumbo is a second-year undergraduate student studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB), originally from Doylestown PA. She is an active member of the Phi Sigma Rho Sorority for women in STEM where she serves as a membership coordinator.
Personal and Fun Facts About Julia:
Julia loves being active and creating art! She is a big skiier/hiker, and super passionate about ceramics!
Ashlan P. MacDonald
Ashlan MacDonald is a rising sophomore majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Microbiology on a pre-med track. She has always been interested in Biochemistry since it explains what we observe in medicine on a molecular level. She is excited to dive deeper into the disciplines of Biochemistry and Microbiology through her projects on the Cancer Metabolism Team while she works toward her honors thesis and medical school with the goal of becoming a surgeon.
Personal and Fun Facts About Ashlan:
She is a scholar in the Schreyer Honors College as well as a member of the Pride of the Lions Pep Band and the Penn State Club Swim Team. In her free time, she loves playing her clarinet, spending time with friends, hiking, running, and watching college sports. She was raised in Connecticut just five minutes from the UConn Storrs campus prior to moving to PA, so she is a diehard UConn fan!
Esha K. Bains
Esha Bains is a pre-med student majoring in Biology and a 2+2 student from PSU-Lehigh Valley. She is passionate about research and wants to continue doing it as a medical student. Her prior research experience includes doing social science research related to math and computational chemistry research at Lehigh Valley. Besides her interest in science and medicine, she has an artistic side and loves to draw.
Personal and Fun Facts About Esha:
She likes to write short stories that are supernatural or fantasy focused. She also loves reading romance novels and watching anime and K-dramas.
Brielle Marsh
Brielle Marsh is a BMB (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) major undergraduate at Penn State, as well as a member of the Schreyer Honors College. She is interested in how chemical processes affect the human body as we age. Her career goals are to attend medical school and continue being active in research.
Personal and Fun Facts About Brielle:
She loves to spend summers down the shore, go shopping, and bake with her sister.
Krishay Sacdeva
Krishay Sacdeva is a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major. She will be working alongside the CABBI team under Mo, where she hopes to bring her experiences from the Fermentation Facility in the Ag. Eng. building to the McReynolds Lab. Outside the lab, you can find her involved with the undergraduate student government, the UPUA, or running around campus to catch meetings for other clubs.
Personal and Fun Facts About Krishay:
She loves photography and going on long walks. Since she doesn’t get much rain where she is from, you’ll usually find her out and about whenever it does. She is also an avid believer in side quests and is always down for something spontaneous when the opportunity pops.