Natalia Quintana Parrilla was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez with a B.S. in Biology. As a Bioinformatics Research in Data Science for Genomics (BRIDGE) REU program participant at the University of Maryland, Natalia expanded her programming skills while working on a RNA-seq splicing ambiguity project. Her main motivation for joining OHSU PREP is to expand her wet lab experience and combine those skills with computational techniques and approaches. Honing these skills will allow for a smooth transition into graduate school. Natalia's goals this year are to apply to PhD programs that match her interests and allow her to pursue her long-term career coals.

Olivia Hougham obtained her B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chinese from the University of Oregon in 2024. While at UO, she joined the Herman lab and worked on identifying the molecular mechanisms that cause age-dependent memory decline using Drosophila as a model organism. She is currently interested in studying the genetic and molecular components that influence human health and disease. As a PREP scholar, Olivia hopes to strengthen her scientific research and communication skills, which will prepare her to pursue a research career where she can contribute new insights to the field of genetics.

Miles Carter obtained his B.S. in Neural Science from New York University in 2024. His prior research experiences at NYU including his recent work in the Andre Fenton lab involved investigating methods of biomarker detection in Alzheimer’s Disease and observing behavioral and molecular changes under different spacing effects. As a PREP scholar, Miles is looking forward to honing his computational skills while working on a independent research project. He hopes to transition to computational neuroscience graduate study with the aim of working with Brain-Machine Interfaces in the future.

Angel Reddy is a graduate from the University of Washington, Tacoma where she earned a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences. As a Washington native who grew up in Lakewood, WA she is excited to continue her scientific growth in the Pacific Northwest. She joined OHSU PREP to learn more about how to navigate the graduate school journey, from finding programs to applying and thriving while in graduate school. During her year at OHSU, she hopes to better understand what research looks like at a large institution. Angel also hopes to learn more about ongoing biomedical research, especially in the field of immunology as she aspires to work in this field one day.

Jordi Martinez grew up in Riverside, California and recently graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Neuroscience. With a background in human neuroimaging, Jordi joined the OHSU PREP program to gain valuable molecular neuroscience research experience and to prepare for entry into a neuroscience graduate program. As a PREP Scholar, Jordi aims to learn more about axon-glial interactions and the mechanisms that control myelination in the central nervous system. After completing graduate school, Jordi plans to pursue a career in research studying neurodegenerative diseases, with an additional focus on science communication, teaching, and mentoring.