The Team

Dr. Kanglun(Michael) Yu  M.D. M.S.
Assistant Research Scientist
Since 2015~

KYU@augusta.edu

 Caihong Dai  B.S.
Research Associate, Lab Manager
Since 2023~

CADAI@augusta.edu

Dr. Husam Bensreti  B.DS. M.S. Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Since 2020~

HBENSRETI@augusta.edu

Dr. Alok Tripathi  Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Since 2024~

ALTRIPATHI@augusta.edu

Jennifer Dorn
Graduate Student
Since 2019~

JEDORN@augusta.edu

Dima Alhamad
Graduate Student
Since 2022~

DALHAMAD@augusta.edu

Shabiha Sultana
Graduate Student
Since 2022~

SSULTANA@augusta.edu

Lucas Yearwood
Graduate Student
Since 2023~

CYEARWOOD@augusta.edu

Colby Gross B.S.
Research Assistant 
Since 2021~

COGROSS@augusta.edu

Alumni

Graduate Students

  • Husam Bensreti: Fall 2019 – Spring 2024

      Awards:

  1. 2024: Virendra B. Mahesh Award for Research Excellence in Endocrinology, TGS, Augusta University Graduate Research Day
  2. 2023: Competitively selected for the Bone Marrow Adiposity Society Summer School
  3. 2023: Excellence in Research Award in Cellular Biology and Anatomy,TGS, Augusta University Graduate Research Day
  4. 2023: Competitively selected for the 2023 ASBMR Student Cohort program
  5. 2022: Travel Award, Bone Marrow Adiposity Society 2022 Annual Meeting (declined)
  6. 2022: Competitively selected for the 2022 ASBMR Student Cohort program
  7. 2021: Competitively selected for the Bone Marrow Adiposity Society Summer School
  8. 2021: ASBMR Young Investigator Award, 2021 ECTS Digital Masterclass for PhD Training
  • Anik Tuladhar: Fall 2019 – Spring 2024

      Awards:

  1. 2023: ASBMR Young Investigator Travel Grant
  2. 2022: ASBMR Young Investigator Award
  3. 2021: ASBMR Young Investigator Travel Grant
  4. 2021: Best Presentation in Session, TGS, Augusta University Graduate Research Day
  • Anuj Sharma: Fall 2017 – Spring 2021

      Awards:

  1. 2019: ASBMR Young Investigator Travel Grant
  • Mackenzie Hagan: Fall 2016 – Spring 2021

      Awards:

  1. 2019: ASBMR Fund for Research and Education Young Investigator Award
  2. 2019: AU Graduate School Excellence in Research Award
  • Jessica Pierce: Fall 2014 – Fall 2019

      Awards:

 

  1. 2019: PhD awarded, With Distinction
  2. 2019: ASBMR Diversity Travel Grant
  3. 2019: Fisher Scientific/Phi Kappa Phi Award for Excellence in Biomedical Research
  4. 2018: ASBMR Young Investigator Travel Grant
  5. 2017: ASBMR Young Investigator Award
  6. 2016: Honorable Mention, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
  7. 2016: ASBMR Young Investigator Travel Grant

Medical Residents

  • Medical residents, as research advisor: Medical College of Georgia

    1.       Allison Lewis, Fall 2021                                   (project leads: James Blair / Jana Davis, MD)

    2.       Branum (Gage) Griswold, Spring 2021            (project lead: James Blair, MD)

    3.       Bruce Byrd, M.D., Summer 2019                     (project lead: Mark Snoddy, MD)

    4.       James Raley, M.D., Spring 2019                       (project lead: McGee-Lawrence)

    5.       Bobby Shelly, M.D., Summer 2018                  (project lead: Steve Parada, MD)

    6.       Matthew Meng, M.D., Spring 2018                  (project lead: McGee-Lawrence)

    7.       Christopher Sutton, M.D., Spring 2017           (project lead: Edward Szabo, MD)

    8.       Vikram Sampath, M.D., Summer 2016            (project lead: Lynn Crosby, MD)

    9.       Justin Kennon, M.D., Summer 2015                (project lead: Lynn Crosby, MD)
    Awards:  1st place presentation Georgia Orthopaedic Society
                   1st place presentation Southern Orthopaedic Association

Medical Students

  • Medical students, as primary mentor: Medical College of Georgia

    1.       Rachel Hammer: Spring 2025-present                                     (MCG Class of 2027)

    2.       Shervin Eskandari: Fall 2024-present                                      (MCG Class of 2028)

    3.       Dev Shah: Fall 2024-present                                                    (MCG Class of 2028)

    4.       William Long: Fall 2024-present                                              (MCG Class of 2028)

    5.       Justin Howard: Spring 2023 – Fall 2024                                   (MCG Class of 2027) 

    6.       Yagni Patel: Spring 2023 – Summer 2024                                (MCG Class of 2026)

    7.       Eric (Chase) Morey: Spring 2023 – Spring 2024                       (MCG Class of 2026)
    Awards: Honorable Mention, American College of Surgeons 2023 Medical Student Program           

    8.       Hima Nesbit: Fall 2022 – Spring 2024                                     (MCG Class of 2026)

    9.       Kyle Burkhart: Fall 2022 – Fall 2023                                       (MCG Class of 2026)

    10.   Lindsey Grater: Fall 2022 – Spring 2023                                  (MCG Class of 2026)

    11.   Reginald Benson: Fall 2021-Summer 2022                               (MCG Class of 2025)
    Awards: 2022 Peach State Scholar

    12.   Ashley (Lexy) Ellingwood: Summer 2022 – Fall 2022              (MCG Class of 2025)

    13.   Matthew Campbell: Fall 2021-Summer 2022                           (MCG Class of 2025)

    14.   Michaela Cushing: Fall 2021-Spring 2024                                (MCG Class of 2025)

    15.   Samantha (Sam) Zhan-Moodie: Spring 2021-Spring 2022        (MCG Class of 2024)
    Matched for Residency in General Surgery, Wake Forest

    16.   Joseph (Joe) Shaver: Spring 2021-Spring 2024                         (MCG Class of 2024)
    Matched for Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery, HCA Florica JFK Hospital, U Miami

    17.   Hayden Faith: Spring 2021 – Fall 2022                                    (MCG Class of 2024)
    Matched for Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery, Orlando Health

    18.   Thomas (Ted) Dickerson: Spring 2021-Summer 2021             (MCG Class of 2024)
    Matched for Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery, Walter Reed

    19.   Vanshika Balayan: Spring 2020 – Spring 2021                         (MCG Class of 2023)
    Matched for Residency in Anesthesiology, UT Houston

    20.   Catherine (Katie) Valli: Spring 2020 – Spring 2021                  (MCG Class of 2023)
    Matched for Residency in General Surgery, UTHSC College of Medicine, Chattanooga

    21.   Nicholas Cantu: Spring 2019 – Fall 2019                                 (MCG Class of 2022)
    Matched for Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery, IU

    22.   Chase Wehrle: Fall 2018-Spring 2019                                      (MCG Class of 2021)
    Matched in General Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

    23.   Brooke Vinson: Spring 2018-Fall 2018                                    (MCG Class of 2021)
    Awards: 1st place, Graduate Student Platform Presentation Award, American Association of Anatomists
    Travel Award, AAA Annual Meeting

    Matched for Residency in Internal Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

    24.   Anabel Liyen Cartelle: Spring 2018-Fall 2018                          (MCG Class of 2021)
    Matched for Residency in Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

    25.   Daniel Blumenthal: Spring 2017-Spring 2018                          (MCG Class of 2020)
    Matched for Residency in Otolaryngology, Georgetown University Hospital

    26.   Anoosh Bahraini: Spring 2016 – Spring 2017                          (MCG Class of 2019)
    Matched for Residency in General Surgery, Duke University

    27.   Mattie Raiford: Spring 2016                                                     (MCG Class of 2019)
    Matched for Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery, U Rochester

    28.   David P. Sellman: Summer 2015                                              (MCG Class of 2018)
    Matched for Residency in Urology, Medical University of South Carolina

    Medical students, as primary mentor: other medical schools

    1.       Corally D. Lopez Vega: Summer 2024                         (Universidad Central del Caribe Puerto Rico)

    2.       Isai Y. Soto Colon: Summer 2023                    (Universidad Central del Caribe Puerto Rico)

    3.       Manuel Pizarro Mondesir: Summer 2022         (Universidad Central del Caribe Puerto Rico)
         Awards: selected to join Alpha-Omega-Alpha Medical Honor Society, 2024            

    4.       Alejandro Marrero-Gonzalez: Summer 2021   (University of Puerto Rico)

    5.       Marlian Montesinos-Cartagena: Summer 2019 (Universidad Central del Caribe Puerto Rico)

    6.       Zuleika Rodriguez-Santos: Summer 2018        (Universidad Central del Caribe Puerto Rico)

    7.       Natalia del Mazo Arbona: Summer 2017 (Universidad Central del Caribe Puerto Rico)

Undergraduate Students

  • Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students, as primary mentor

    [STAR: Student Training and Research; CURS: Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship]

    1.       Anthony Carrillo: Spring 2025-present (CURS / AU Honors Program Thesis Advisor)

    2.       Dylan Taylor: Summer 2024-present (CURS)

    3.       Susan (Laney) Willis: Summer 2024 (STAR)
         Awards: Muhammad Ebadullah (Ebad) Hasan Memorial Award, STAR Program

    4.       David Standeven: Fall 2023

    5.       Brooke Jewell: Summer 2023 (STAR)

    6.       Luke Horne: Spring 2023 – Summer 2023 (CURS)

    7.       Mary Beth Lowe: Summer 2022

    8.       Tate (TJ) Allen: Summer 2022 – present (CURS / AU Honors Program Thesis Advisor)

    Honors Thesis Defense Date: February 8, 2024

    9.       Colby Gross: Fall 2021 – present (CURS / AU Honors Program Thesis Advisor)

    Awards: ORS URM Undergraduate Travel Program grant recipient, Orthopaedic Research Society

    Honors Thesis Defense Date: December 4, 2023

    10.   Wesley McGee: Summer 2022 (STAR)
         Awards: Muhammad Ebadullah (Ebad) Hasan Memorial Award, STAR Program

    11.   David Weidner: Summer 2021 (STAR)

    12.   Reginald Benson: Spring 2020 – Summer 2021 (CURS)

    13.   Victor Piedra: Summer 2019 – Spring 2021 (CURS)

    14.   Riley Kendall: Summer 2019 (STAR)
         Awards: 2nd place, J. Eldridge Outstanding STAR Award , STAR Program

    15.   Jiali Zhu: Summer 2018 (STAR)

    16.   Natasha Culpepper: Spring 2017 to Spring 2019 (CURS)
         Awards:  Minority Undergraduate Internship, American Diabetes Association

    17.   Sarah Bass: Fall 2018 to Spring 2019 (CURS)

    18.   Eric Stokes: Summer 2017 (STAR)
         Awards: Muhammad Ebadullah (Ebad) Hasan Memorial Award, STAR Program
                 Outstanding Presentation, 2017 ABRCMS Conference

    19.   Peyton Marshall: Summer 2016 (STAR)

    20.   Kayce T. Vanpelt: Summer 2015 (STAR)
         Awards: Honorable mention, J. Eldridge Outstanding STAR Award, STAR Program

    21.   Calley J. Jones: Summer 2013

    22.   Samuel W. Carlson: Summer 2011-Summer 2012. 

    23.   Danielle M (Stoll) Tronnes, M.S.: Fall 2007-Spring 2009

    24.   Samantha J. Wojda: Fall 2007-Spring 2009

    25.   Steve E. Johnson: Fall 2006-Spring 2008

    26.   Keith W. Magic: Fall 2006-Spring 2008

    27.   Lindsay M (Barlow) Stafford, M.S.: Fall 2005-Spring 2007

    28.   Aaron J. Maki, Ph.D.: Fall 2005-Spring 2007