The Team
Mariana received dual bachelor's degrees summa cum laude in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the Florida Institute of Technology in 2005 and her Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2010 from Princeton University. As a graduate student, Mariana characterized human chromatin proteins and their modifications both at the global and single protein level using mass spectrometry based proteomics in the laboratory of Prof. Benjamin Garcia.
After completing her doctoral thesis, Mariana joined the laboratory of Prof. Kent Vrana at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, where she aimed to understand Tryptophan Hydroxylase 2 (TPH2). Eventually she won a NIH NRSA F32 fellowship and became a Neuroscience Scholar. Following her time at Penn State, Mariana became a PENN-PORT fellow at the University of Pennsylvania in 2012. In the laboratory of Prof. James Shorter, Mariana investigated Hsp104, a molecular chaperone that disaggregates misfolded proteins and restores them to their normal structure/function. In 2015, established her own research program as an Assistant Professor in the Chemistry Department at Brooklyn College. In 2023, Mariana was promoted to Associate Professor (with tenure).
Doctoral Students
Raven Fisher
GS3, PhD in Biochemistry
BS in Biochemistry; Manhattan College
Raven is a PhD student in the Biochemistry Program. Her long-term goal is to become a professor and continue to bridge the gap between epigenetics and various diseases such as neuropsychiatric disorders. During her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and playing music.
Fun fact: Raven plays three instruments and is currently learning her fourth!
Diana Rodriguez
GS2, PhD in Chemistry
BS in Chemistry; Queens College
Diana is a student in the Chemistry PhD program. Her long term goal is to become a principal investigator in biomedical research at a research hospital or university. In her free time, Diana likes to draw and read.
Fun Fact: Whenever Diana is on a flight, she always watches Inception. It’s traditional for her.
Arefa Yeasmin
GS2, PhD in Biology
BS in Chemistry; Brooklyn College
Arefa is a PhD student in the Biology program. Her interest lies in uncovering the mechanisms of neurodegeneration, particularly via the epigenetic landscape pertaining to diseased states. Outside the lab, she enjoys reading, dabbling in calligraphy, and spending time family.
Fun fact: Arefa
does henna for special events.
Research Specialists
Rania Frederic
Brooklyn College, Class of 2023
MARC Program
Rania recieved her BS in psychology with plans to attend graduate school. During her free time, she enjoys reading, watching basketball, and going for walks.
Fun Fact: Rania’s favorite number is 7.
Undergraduate Students
Class of 2025
Kaitlyn Chan
BA/MD Program
Kaitlyn is in the Brooklyn College Coordinated BA/MD Program double-majoring in psychology and biology. She is interested in studying the pathophysiology behind neurodegenerative disorders – specifically Alzheimer’s and ALS – and hopes that by working and conducting research with Dr. Torrente, she will be able to better understand the dysfunctional neural circuitry associated with such conditions. Kaitlyn is also very passionate about combatting anti-Asian hate and advocating for greater Asian-American representation in politics and media. By participating in rallys and volunteering with organizations such as Main Street Patrol, she hopes to take action against the recent rise in anti-Asian hate incidents. In her free time, Kaitlyn enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles, watching Kdramas, playing the piano, and reading psychological thriller novels.
Fun Fact: Kaitlyn’s favorite movie of all time is Spirited Away.
Maisha Sheikh
BA/MD Program
Maisha is majoring in History, and she hopes to attend medical school in the future. During her free time, she enjoys crocheting, spending time with family, and trying new foods.
Fun fact: Maisha loves watching cast interviews of shows she’s never seen.
Class of 2026
William Villasi
BA/MD Program
William is in the BA/MD and Scholars Program. He plans to major in Biology and minor in History. He loves to play the piano and learn new languages. During his free time, he likes to play video games and tutor other people. His long term goal is to be a physician-scientist and attend medical school after graduation.
Fun Fact: William loves memorizing subway maps. His goal is to ride every single NYC subway line (3 more to go!).
Moshe Janani
Scholars Program
Moshe is majoring in chemistry. His long-term career goal is to become a neurosurgeon. By studying the epigenetics of neurodegenerative diseases in the Torrente Lab, Moshe hopes to gain knowledge and skills that will help him in his future career. Moshe has also worked as a peer engagement intern and web developer for The Tanger Hillel at Brooklyn College. His internship entailed engaging students in the Hillel organization's programs and opportunities, something that he found very rewarding. In his free time, Moshe enjoys practicing martial arts and watching anime.
Fun fact: Moshe worked as a martial arts staff at his taekwondo dojo.
Priscilla Ramchand
William E. Macaulay Honors College
Priscilla is majoring in Biology and Minoring in Philosophy, Chemistry and Math. Her long term goal is to conduct research in the field of precision medicine as a physician-scientist. She enjoys hiking and being in nature; baking cupcakes and watching crime documentaries.
Fun fact: Priscilla went to New Zealand to collect Dragonflies specimens for an evolutionary biology research project at the American Museum of Natural History.
Class of 2027
Evelyn Ayedemo
SURGE Program
Coming soon!