2025 T35 Recipients
Meet Our 2025 Cohort!
The BDHSC would like to congratulate the 2025 T35 Recipients. Read on to learn more about the cohort and their research interests:
Lensa Erenna (she/her)
Ball State University
Mentor: TBA
I am a Master of Science in Data Science student at Ball State University. My nursing experience, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, inspired my transition into clinical research. My academic interests include AI-driven predictive analytics for infectious disease prevention, genetic research, and developing ethical, human-centered AI solutions in healthcare. Through the T35 big data health scholar program, I aim to enhance my research skills and contribute to innovations in healthcare and public health policies.
Lexi DeFord (She/her)
University of Arizona
Mentor: Dr. Qian Wang
I am a PhD student in the Biosystems Engineering department at the University of Arizona. Currently I am working on detecting microplastics in water usng various machine learning algorithms; I hope to expand this work to include microplastic detection in environmental and human microbiomes. My undergraduate degrees were in Mechanical Engineering and Biology at the University of Utah, and I am broadly interested in the intersection of engineering and biological systems.
Preethi Ravikumar (she/her)
University of West Florida
Mentor: Dr. Swann Adams
I am a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in Data Science at the University of West Florida. I have always been passionate about data science and its applications, particularly in using statistical approaches to address healthcare challenges. My interests include machine learning and AI to drive data-driven solutions that improve public health outcomes.
Ram Aryal (He/him)
University of South Dakota
Mentor: John Brooks
I am a PhD student in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of South Dakota. My research focuses on systems biology approaches for cardiovascular repair and regeneration, with a particular interest in the roles and types of stem cells in these processes. I hold a BS in Professional Biology from the University of North Alabama and an MS in Human Biology from the University of Saint Joseph in Connecticut. Through my doctoral studies, I aim to advance regenerative medicine by uncovering novel insights into stem cell-based therapies for cardiovascular disease.
Sarah Spotten (She/her)
Colorado State University
Mentor: Dr. Hui Chen
I am a first-year graduate student in the Professional Science Master’s Degree program in Biological Data Analytics at Colorado State University. My career background is in molecular genetics laboratory work with applications in wildlife, conservation, and ecology. As a developing computational biologist, I am interested in harnessing Big Data ethically and effectively to improve outcomes in both human health and the environment, which I believe are deeply interconnected. An avid birder in my free time, I also hope to one day conduct independent ornithological research using large datasets generated by participatory science projects such as eBird.
Zachary Smith (he/him)
Ball State University
Mentor: Dr. Jiajia Zhang
I am graduating this May with a M.S. in Statistics from Ball State University (BSU), and I will start a PhD program in Statistics this fall at the University of Cincinnati. I have both teaching and research experience, and would like to continue improving both as I pursue a career in academia. My master’s thesis involved modeling and simulating ordinal time series data from a physiological study at BSU, and I am interested in applying my expertise in statistics to solve public health problems.
Every once in a while, a new technology, an old problem, and a big idea turn into an innovation
This is a great program! I learned how to work and communicate with researchers outside of my field.
The T35 program is a great blend of data science and public health, offering an enriching learning experience. Being part of the T35-2025 cohort was rewarding—the teamwork and peer learning were invaluable. This journey sparked new ideas for me in the field of public health and opened doors to future possibilities.
The T35 program was a transformative experience. It provided me with the opportunity to conduct meaningful research using real-world EMR data and refine my skills in data science, clinical reasoning, and manuscript development. The mentorship, especially from Dr. Brooks, was outstanding and deeply shaped my confidence as a future health science researcher.
The T35 Big Data Health Science Research Traineeship at the University of South Carolina helped shape the trajectory of the next phase of my career. I greatly value the connections I’ve made with mentors and colleagues, and I appreciate the opportunities to practice data analysis and science communication in a research environment.
This was a great experience for learning about the process of public health research, which I can integrate into my own future research, and for networking with my mentor, other professors, other graduate students, and the members of my cohort.