2019 - B.S. with Honors in Molecular Cell Biology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

2021 - M.S. in Epidemiology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 

Updated 2024 - Starting in a medical school at JABSOM 

Updated 2023 - Accepted to the ʻImi Hoʻōla Program at JABSOM! 

Updated 2022- I am currently a Laboratory Assistant in Pathology at Queen's Medical Center. Some of my responsibilities include assisting in bone marrow biopsies and processing various specimens. I also will be a part of a research project investigating cystic granulomatous mastitis in the patient population of O'ahu. 

One of my most favorite memories as an undergraduate student was my time as a part of Dr. Prisic's lab. Dr. Prisic is an incredible mentor who always encouraged and supported me through my academic journey. I made a lot of friends in the Prisic lab who have all helped to nurture my research skills that I continue to use to this day. I could not have asked for a more enriching lab to have been a part of. 

2021 - B.S. in Biochemistry, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

2023 - M.S. in Quantitative Health Sciences, JABSOM

Updated 2024 - Medical student in Western University, Oregon

2022 - B.A. in Microbiology with Honors, minor in Psychology, certificate in Spanish, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Updated 2023 - Graduate Student in M.S. Tropical Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine

I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Prišić as a senior in high school and during my undergraduate journey. She supported me throughout my time in her lab and continues to do so now that I have moved on. The Prišić lab prepared me well for graduate school and taught me how to be resilient and patient when faced with setbacks. I also created life long friendships with people from the lab and would not trade the experience for anything else. Mahalo to Dr. Prišić and everyone in the Prišić lab, I would not be where I am today without their encouragement and guidance!

2017 - B.S. Health Science, Boston University

2020 - B.S. Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

2021 - GCERT Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, JABSOM

Updated 2023 - I'm currently an MS candidate in Tropical Medicine at UH JABSOM under the mentorship of Dr. Angela Sy. I am a data specialist for the Hawaii Department of Health's Disease Outbreak Control Division and a research assistant for the NIH-funded RADx-UP "Puipuia le Ola" for Hawaii and Guam. Additionally, I am investigating clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted to Queen's Healthcare System. Since my departure from Dr. Prisic's lab, I have been recognized as a SMDP Biotech Scholar, recipient of the Rachel Wade Award by UH, recipient of the Minority Research Award by the American Thoracic Society, and an alumnus of the Minority Health in Research Training Program at UH.

Dr. Prisic's mentorship was essential to my professional development as a biomedical researcher. Under her guidance, I not only gained a profound understanding of meticulous experimental design, critical thinking, and data-driven storytelling, but also developed a strong inclination towards collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches, attending conferences and connecting with experts in the field. These comprehensive skills and experiences have equipped me to ensure reliable results, draw meaningful conclusions, make informed decisions based on rigorous evidence, and effectively communicate science to diverse audiences. 

2015 - B.S Microbiology, University of Hawaii at Manoa 

2021 - M.D. JABSOM 

Updated 2022 - Chief Resident Department of Emergency Medicine, Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs California

The picture is showing Dr. Lonzanida placing a central line

2017 - BS in Microbiology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Updated 2022 - Medical student at JABSOM, expected to graduate in 2023

2019 - B.S. in Microbiology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Updated 2022 - I’m a PhD candidate in the program of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh. Under the mentorship of Dr. Atianand, I investigate long noncoding RNA and how they regulate cellular responses to immune stimuli by controlling gene expression in cells of the immune system. 

The projects in Sladjana’s lab led me to my interest in wanting to understand novel forms of cellular regulation and RNA complexes. Under her mentorship I learned essential technical and life skills that have helped me gain the confidence to pursue a PhD in the biomedical sciences. I always admired how she stood up for her students and encouraged a community of friendship and learning. Having the opportunity to be a part of her lab was a crucial step to be where I am now.

2017 - B.S. in Biochemistry, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 

2021 - PharmD, University of Washington School of Pharmacy

Updated 2022 - Clinical Pharmacist, MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, WA

2019 - BS Microbiology and Psychology with Honors, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Updated 2022 - MD Candidate, John A. Burns School of Medicine

2020 - B.S. in Microbiology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

Updated 2022 - Currently, I work as a biomedical research associate at the Department of Clinical Investigations at Tripler Army Medical Center. A few of the exciting and diverse projects that I am working on involve in vitro blood-brain barrier permeability models, three-dimensional task trainer models, COVID-19 biomarkers in humans, and whole genome sequencing for respiratory virus surveillance. I am incredibly thankful for Dr. Prisic and the Prisic Group, having provided me with a passion for research, a team of the most supportive peers and mentors, a lab space to safely learn and grow as a young scientist, and a solid foundation of knowledge and skills that applies beyond the undergraduate experience.

2022 - BS in Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

Updated 2022 - My current role is as a Technical Laboratory Assistant at Diagnostic Laboratory Services. My time at the Prisic Lab was an enriching experience that allowed me to discover my passion for working in a laboratory. Not only did I gain a great amount of knowledge, I was also given much support and encouragement by my mentor and peers in the lab. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this wonderful lab.

ACRP-CP Certification (2022)

M.S. Microbiology (2020)

Clinical Research Professional Certificate Program (2020)

B.A. Biology (2015)

Updated 2022: Junior Clinical Research Coordinator at East-West Medical Research Institute, previously Clinical Research Assistant (2021-2022)

May 2022 - President Theodore Roosevelt High School graduate 

Updated 2022 - I am a freshman at Carleton College (Northfield, MN), expected to graduate in June 2026. 

Dr. Prisic, Jayna Wong, and Brandi Antonio were among my first mentors as a part of Dr. Prisic's AimHI initiative which I was a part of since 2019. With their guidance and support, I conducted 3 projects relating to alternative ribosomes in Bacillus subtilis and presented them at science fairs from the district to the international level. I have learned above and beyond what was taught in my high school science classes and found a passion for STEM and research along the way. I developed both personal and professional skills and learned about the importance of perseverance. My experience at the Prisic Lab has inspired me to carry on Dr. Prisic's value of mentorship and community outreach to help others. It has been an honor and privilege to be a part of this lab and this opportunity was very formative in my decision to further pursue scientific research in the future. 

2017 - B.S. in Molecular Cell Biology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

2019 - M.S. in Developmental and Reproductive Biology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Updated 2022 - M.D. Candidate, Wayne State School of Medicine (Exp. 2025); Medical Student Research Assistant, Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH

My experiences with Dr. Prisic as my lab mentor and undergraduate course professor helped spark my interests in translational research. I learned great science and the intricacies of wet lab research, knowledge and skills that I continue to use today. 

2016 - B.S. in Molecular Cell Biology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

2021 - M.D., JABSOM 

Updated 2022 - Internal Medicine resident at the University of Washington

2020 - magna cum laude B.S. in Global Environmental Science, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Updated 2022 - I currently serve as the Marine 30x30 Program Planning Associate, as part of the Holomua: Marine 30x30 Initiative under the State's Division of Aquatic Resources. Holomua is the State's initiative to work with communities to effectively manage at least 30% of our nearshore areas by 2030. 

Dr. Prisic was my first mentor as an undergraduate student, and I couldn't have wished for a better person to guide me as I first started my college career. Although I did not end up with a career in microbiology, my time in Dr. Prisic's lab taught me that if you invest your time, patience, and resources towards young people to explore different pathways, you help them realize that they are capable of so much more than they could have ever imagined. We may have been studying some of the smallest species in her lab, but Dr. Prisic definitely made a huge impact on my self-confidence to put myself out there and pursue opportunities that helped me grow outside my comfort zone - she believed in me, so I started to believe as well. I eventually found myself studying endemic lizards in Costa Rica, learning the importance of community-based science and science communication with Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, presenting my research with Loko iʻa o Heʻeia, an 800-year old Native Hawaiian fishpond, at NOAA's Headquarters as a NOAA Hollings Scholar, and so many other opportunities during my undergraduate career that helped shaped me to who I am today.