Meet the President
Ahmed is a junior in the college majoring in biology and minoring in sociology. He was born in Ohio and raised in Missouri. At Penn, he works at the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, where much of his focus has been in the development of algorithms to quantify TDP-43 pathology in frontotemporal dementia cases. He also enjoys being on the speech and debate team and the Penn Bioethics Journal. He is looking forward to a great year!
Meet the Vice President
Angela Zhu is a junior from Fremont, California studying Biology and Finance. She has been involved with research since high school, in which she analyzed catalysts for the Fischer-Tropsch reaction that converts biowastes into fuels. Currently, she is involved in translational research at the Smilow Center, studying the adverse effects of sleep deprivation on memory formation, but her interests have grown to include healthcare on a broader scope. In her free time she enjoys reading classic novels, playing volleyball, and trying new tea flavors.
Meet the Treasurer
Stephanie Honig is a Junior in the College of Arts and Science, majoring in Chemistry with a minor in Fine Arts. Besides serving as Treasurer for Phi Sigma, Stephanie plays on Penn's Varsity Field Hockey team and is a member of Sigma Delta Tau sorority. She is a co-chair of the Grassroots On-Site Work (GROW) committee of GlobeMed, and her global health interests extend to medical missions that she has participated on in Central America. In her spare time, Stephanie loves to spend time with friends, run, draw, and root for her hometown football team (Go Ravens!).
Meet the Co-Science Directors
Tina Kartika is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences studying Molecular Biology as well as Medical Anthropology and Global Health. Her love for science started when she read about DNA in a children's magazine when she was a second grader in Indonesia. She currently cultivates her passion for biology and anthropology by conducting evolutionary genetics research at the Tishkoff lab. Outside of Phi Sigma, she channels her food obsession by writing a blog column about all things sweet in Philadelphia for Penn Appetit.
Duyen is a junior in the School of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Korean. She is ethnically Chinese, but was born in Vietnam and moved to Philadelphia when she was ten. She is currently working on a semi-independent project related to coronary artery disease at the Smilow Center for Translational Research at Penn. In addition to her interest in biomedical research, Duyen also loves to learn new languages and travel around the world. She is currently taking advanced level Korean classes at Penn and hopes to eventually become fluent in Korean, so that she is able to use her ability to speak multiple Asian languages to further assist those who are experiencing a language barrier. In her spare time, Duyen enjoys playing the piano, painting and learning a new skill.
Meet the Recruitment Chair
Sharon is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Chinese. Although born in Hong Kong, she spent the majority of her life in Canada, living in both Vancouver and Toronto. Her interest in biomedical research first developed during her senior year of high school and she continues to spend time in the lab at Penn as a researcher in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Outside of Phi Sigma, classes, and lab work, Sharon spends her time tutoring math, trying out different brunch places, and planning a vacation to Europe.
Meet the Volunteer Chair
Busra is a junior in the College majoring in Biological Basis of Behavior and minoring in Healthcare Management. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine and is passionate about research in neurodegenerative diseases. On campus, she is involved in the Synapse Journal and is a member of Alpha Phi Omega. Born in Turkey and raised in Nashville, she enjoys a hot cup of Turkish tea and is often caught saying “ya’ll."
Meet the Webmaster
Zach is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Biology with a concentration in Neurobiology and a minor in Spanish. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida but grew up in the Atlanta suburb town of Marietta, Georgia. He started working in the Pierce Lab of Addiction Neuroscience the summer after his freshman year and is finally used to the smell of rats, cocaine, and brains. Beyond classes, lab work, and Phi Sigma, Zach plays the saxophone in the Penn Wind Ensemble, enjoys going out to eat with friends, and spends way too much time on Netflix.