Kristen believes the NSIP program prepared her well for her current role as a Cell Therapy Discovery Scientist at AstraZeneca, having taught her many of the skills and laboratory techniques she uses every day. After graduating from UMD, Kristen joined a rotational program at AstraZeneca, where she continued developing her laboratory skills and published a first author manuscript. During the program, Kristen’s passion for oncology research increased as she moved into her present position working on CAR-T cell therapy for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

“I am incredibly grateful for my time in NSIP, not only for the technical skills and scientific knowledge I learned, but also for the meaningful professional relationships I gained. I am excited for future cohorts to have the opportunity to experience this amazing program!”

- Kristen Zaranski

Ayoo’s previous participation in University of Maryland, Baltimore’s inaugural ACS-IMPACT program prepared him for NSIP’s intensive summer cancer-related research program. He has continued working with NSIP, volunteering his time on the 2025 and 2026 alumni panels. Ayoo is currently a medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the proud recipient of the 2024 Dean Emeritus Donald E. Wilson scholarship. As a first-year medical student, Ayoo was awarded a 2025 Program for Research Initiated by Students and Mentors (PRISM) fellowship.

“One skill from NSIP that I especially appreciate is the art of giving effective presentations. Presenting information clearly and confidently has become an important part of my third-year clinical rotations, and I am grateful for the exposure and practice I received through NSIP.”

- Ayooluwakiitan Oluwafemi

Catie graduated from Loyola University with a BS in Biology & Chemistry, as well as a MBA in Interdisciplinary Business. Now a third-year PhD candidate in the Molecular Medicine program at UMB, Catie continues to foster the connections she made with students and faculty during her time at NSIP. She is currently co-mentored by Dr. Min Yu and Dr. Ryan Riddle, working on a project about breast cancer bone metastasis, and recently won an award while presenting her thesis work at the 16th annual Cancer Research Retreat poster session.

“My favorite parts about NSIP were the people and all the inspiring work being done in cancer research, and I am ecstatic to still be involved in both of those things.”

- Catie Corolla

Michelle returned for a second year at NSIP in 2026 to continue studying the interactions between the immune system and cancer. During this time, she worked on publications with her NSIP mentor, Dr. Nevil Singh, and presented an abstract of that work at The Association for Academic Minority Physicians 40th Annual Scientific Meeting. Michelle was accepted into the inaugural BS-MD program at UMCP and will matriculate at UMSOM in 2028. Michelle (left) is pictured above with SOM Dean, Mark Gladwin.

“One of my favorite parts of NSIP has been building incredible relationships with mentors who have continued to support me even after the conclusion of the program, as well as learning how to approach research independently and think critically about scientific questions. I’m excited to continue building on these connections, skills, and lessons as I work toward becoming a physician-scientist.”

- Michelle Radov

After completing her internship with NSIP, Paige presented her summer research at the International Cancer Education Conference, winning second place in the student poster competition. As part of her NSIP experience, Paige served as a near-peer mentor in the NCI CATALYST program in which middle school teachers develop cancer-focused lessons for UMB CURE scholars and their classrooms. Paige is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Pittsburgh.

After completing his NSIP summer internship, Matt received an award to continue his project during the school year under the mentorship of Aditi Banerjee, PhD. The project focused on proposing a novel biomarker panel for detection and treatment of high risk medulloblastoma. Matt is currently pursuing multiple volunteer opportunities, both at the Carroll Hospital Center PACU and with Dr. Grace Snow, MD (Laryngology, Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery), at University of Maryland School of Medicine. These experiences in both the clinic and OR setting allow Matt to observe compassionate, quality patient care. Matt (right) is pictured above with his NSIP mentor, Dr. Aditi Banerjee.

“Developing the critical thinking and bioinformatic skills necessary to prepare a manuscript for publication has been an incredibly rewarding experience.”

- Matt Hiersetter