Lab Alumni


Laura Quillen
A graduate of Duke University and former study coordinator in both our and Zev Nakamura’s labs, Laura is now attending medical school in Memphis, TN. She is interested in how cancer treatment affects patients’ cognition, mood, and quality of life. She enjoys traveling to new places and watching college basketball. 


Courtney Nelson, MS
Courtney graduated with a Master in Physiology from North Carolina State University. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill and joined the lab her senior year. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym and playing with makeup.  


Kate Stanton, MPH
Kate served as research coordinator in Zev Nakamura’s psycho-oncology lab at UNC. She had previously worked as a Clinical Trial Assistant at IQVIA after receiving her Master in Public Health from UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Kate is currently studying to become a Physician Assistant. In her spare time, you can find her exploring new running trails or with an ice cream in hand. 


Yulissa Gonzalez
Yulissa graduated from UNC having studied Biology with minors in chemistry and neuroscience. She was a member of the Marching Tar Heels and plans to take a gap year before going to medical school. She is currently working full-time as a research coordinator at UNC Neurology. Outside of work, you can find her at a football game, a basketball game, or the gym.


Claire Hailey, MD
Dr. Hailey is currently a pediatric hospitalist at the University of Chicago. Born and raised in North Carolina, she attended medical school at UNC before moving to Chicago for her residency. Dr. Hailey is passionate about health education, transition care, and mentorship.


Caitlin Schille, MPH
Caitlin is a former research coordinator in the lab, having completed her Master of Public Health at the University of Michigan. She is currently a project researcher at Georgetown University. She works with the Georgetown Health Justice Alliance and the Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.


Sam Resnick, BS
Sam is currently an MD/PhD student at Columbia University. He graduated from UNC in 2015, and is interested in development and application of new biological tools. His graduate work focuses on developing new technology to understand and treat neurodegenerative diseases.


Elise Scott (formerly Stephenson), MD
Dr. Scott is a psychiatrist and currently the Medical Team Lead at Vanderbilt University’s Counseling Center. Originally from Durham, she completed her undergraduate and medical degrees at UNC. Her interests include reproductive psychiatry, collaborative and integrative care, and integrating neuroscience into psychiatric education.


Stephanie Chien, BS, Medical Student
Stephanie is a medical student at UNC-Chapel Hill. She earned her undergraduate degree in public health from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and worked as a research assistant with the lab prior to starting medical school. In her spare time, you can find her exploring new places to eat and hiking.

Samantha “Sammy” Yi
Samantha graduated from UNC in May 2021, having majored in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. She joined the lab at the beginning of 2019 and is invested in understanding how hospitals can serve patients in a multitude of manners along with medical treatment. She is currently a research coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital studying neurodegenerative diseases. In her free time, she is likely reading, practicing graphic design, or trying a new hobby.

Dallis Guilliams
Dallis graduated from UNC in 2021 in the Honors College. She studied Exercise and Sport Science with a minor in Neuroscience, and was Head Manager of the UNC Volleyball team. She is currently a research coordinator at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and hopes to attend medical school. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her two young pups, Tucker and Renly. 

Brittany Daniel
Brittany graduated from UNC having majored in Psychology, with minors in Neuroscience and Spanish, and served as a nursing assistant for UNC Health Care. She is currently pursuing Psychiatric Nursing at Johns Hopkins. In her free time she enjoys painting, going to all sporting events, and trying to keep her plants alive. 

Magdelene “Mags” Ramon
graduated from UNC in 2021, having majored in neuroscience and minored in chemistry. She is currently a data abstractor in the UNC Department of Radiology. When Magdelene is not studying with the help of her new kitten, Salmon Ella Ramon, she is probably out running or eating entomatadas. 

Rahul Mehra
Rahul is a medical student at East Tennessee State University. He graduated from UNC, majoring in global studies and minoring in chemistry and biology. He is interested in the mechanisms that cause the body to be in a disease state, and in how broader social forces amplify health concerns.  In his free time, Rahul likes to play guitar and watch basketball, as he is an ardent Memphis Grizzlies fan.

Brandon Oby
Brandon graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill after studying Neuroscience with a minor in Spanish for the Medical Professions. He currently works in research at Boston Children’s Hospital and plans to apply to medical school in the future. He likes to play the piano and take care of his variety of plants.


Ariella Hirsch
 


Ana Diaz

Ana is a sophomore majoring in biology and minoring in Spanish for the medical professions. After graduating, she plans to attend medical or PA school. Her main goal is to serve underprivileged communities with a focus on the Latinx community. She is currently involved in an undergraduate organization, Mi Pueblo, as director of communication and loves it! In her spare time, she loves discovering and trying new coffee shops and hanging with friends.

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Kaitlyn Miller, LCSWA
Kaitlyn completed her undergraduate and Master of Social Work degrees at UNC. She is currently an outpatient therapist in Raleigh.