Meet the Editors
David Kwon
Editor-in-Chief
David is a fourth-year Marine & Coastal Sciences major. He's enthusiastic about all things science communication and is especially passionate about exchanging new perspectives in scientific research with others—perhaps that's how he ended up at The Aggie Transcript! David is also deeply fascinated with evolution in the ocean and aspires to study its interface with ecosystems and oceanography. He's currently engaged in undergraduate research at the Hill Lab, analyzing ocean acidification data from the California Current. Outside academics, David is an active Wikipedia contributor and enjoys reading, archery, and his coffee black.
Emma Hui
Managing Editor
Emma is a third-year Biotechnology major specializing in plants. She is currently working as a laboratory assistant in Lou Lab under the plant biology department at UC Davis, investigating acyltransferases and their function in producing secondary metabolites for herbivorous defense in Solanaceous plants (I ♡ tomatoes). Emma’s research interest in biotechnology primarily focuses on synthetic biology in plant systems, and she hopes to go to graduate school to pursue a career in this field. Outside of classes, she enjoys photography, buying new plants, and making sure that her cat Sesame does not chew on her plants.
Adyasha Padhi
Treasurer
Adyasha is a fourth-year Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Sociocultural Anthropology double major with minors in Public Health & Computer Science. She is an undergraduate researcher in the Gomes Lab, studying the side effects of commonly used drugs such as ibuprofen on the heart and the signaling pathways involved in proteostasis (protein homeostasis) in cardiac and skeletal muscle diseases. She hopes to attend graduate school to pursue a career in translational research. In her free time, she enjoys doing puzzles, playing video games, reading, and baking.
Siri Manthapuri
Director of Outreach
Siri is a second-year Biochemistry & Molecular Biology major. She is currently an undergraduate researcher in the Ori-McKenney Lab, studying microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins like tau, with a focus on neurodegeneration. Her research interests lie in understanding the molecular mechanisms of tauopathies and tau-mediated neurodegeneration, and she hopes to eventually pursue a career in the healthcare field. Outside of classes, she enjoys playing the guitar, practicing Muay Thai, and is on a quest to find all the different ways to cook tofu.
Rokhshid Rafiei
Senior Editor
Rokhshid is a fourth-year Genetics and Genomics major.
Fenna Candy
Senior Editor
Fenna is a fourth-year Genetics and Genomics major with minors in Professional Writing, Neuroscience, and Linguistics. As an undergraduate researcher in the Kaplan Lab, she studies how proteotoxic stress in neurodegenerative disease alters nuclear homeostasis. In the future, she plans to attend graduate school to build a career as a researcher and professor. In her spare time, Fenna enjoys knitting, cooking, ceramics, collage poetry, estate sales, cool maps, and Wikipedia deep-dives.
Aninditha Keshavan
Junior Editor
Aninditha is a third-year Global Disease Biology major.
Aparna Chatterjee
Junior Editor
Aparna is a third-year Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major with a minor in Computational Biology. She is an undergraduate researcher in the Wang Lab, where she uses single-cell RNA sequencing and machine learning to study neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Canavan disease. Her research interests lie in bioinformatics and its applications in precision medicine, and she hopes to attend graduate school to further explore this field. Outside of academics, she enjoys reading mystery novels, biking around Davis and singing.
Bianca Ho
Junior Editor
Bianca is a first-year Cell Biology Major. She is interested in molecular and cellular biology. She has worked on research projects concerning embryogenesis, cell signaling, and neurodevelopment. In her free time, Bianca enjoys trying new foods, playing tennis, and exploring nature.
Dirgha Sheth
Junior Editor
Dirgha is a first-year Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior major at the University of California, Davis. Passionate about advancing women's health and increasing healthcare access for underprivileged communities, Dirgha aspires to make a meaningful impact in the healthcare field after graduation. In addition to serving as a junior editor for the Aggie Transcript, Dirgha volunteers with the Red Cross. Outside of academics and volunteer work, Dirgha enjoys hiking, exploring diverse cuisines, traveling, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Ester Weinhardt
Junior Editor
Ester is a first-year Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior major with a possible minor in English. Her position on the Aggie Transcript came from her joint love of science and literature/writing. She is interested in studying human behavior and communication through neuroscience. She has worked on research involving electrical activity, eye activity, and response inhibition in humans, as well as autoimmune diseases. In her free time, she likes reading, writing, drawing, watercolor painting, and playing DnD.
Isaac Yang
Junior Editor
Isaac is a third-year Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major with a minor in Professional Writing. He is currently working in Beal Lab, where he studies the application of ADAR (adenosine deaminase acting on RNA) as a therapeutic approach to treat novel genetic mutations. He hopes to continue his career in academia, with goals of attending graduate school and leading his own lab in the future. When Isaac isn’t preparing for his next class, he enjoys playing his guitar and competing in games with friends.
Jake Campo
Junior Editor
Jake is a third-year Environmental Science & Management major with a minor in Professional Writing. He is fascinated by the intersection between science and writing and loves delivering scientific topics in an accessible way to general audiences. In terms of Environmental Science, he is interested in a broad spectrum of topics: birds and waterfowl, agriculture, climate change, trees and forests, urban nature, and much more. In addition to the Aggie Transcript, Jake is an intern for Urban Tree Stewardship at the UC Davis Arboretum, and he enjoys soccer and rock climbing.
Japneet Kaur
Junior Editor
Japneet is a second-year Biotechnology major. She is especially interested in bioethics and biomedical policy and hopes to further this interest as she continues her educational career. She plans on specializing in bioinformatics and hopes to continue on to grad school before pursuing a career in this field. Outside of science, she enjoys writing and engaging in artistic pursuits.
Katelyn Burns
Junior Editor
Katelyn is a third-year Biological Sciences major with a possible minor in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning. In addition to the Aggie Transcript, she is also a Science Writer for The California Aggie, a Herd Health Intern at the Horse Barn this quarter, and a Foal Team volunteer in the NICU at the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital. In her free time, Katelyn enjoys dancing, photography, and reading.
Kyle Heye
Junior Editor
Kyle is a second-year Genetics and Genomics major. He is super interested in all things biology, especially evolution and genetics. In his free time, Kyle enjoys rock climbing, playing the bass guitar, and reading.
Miranda Zhu
Junior Editor
Miranda is a third year third-year Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior major, with a minor in Psychology. In addition to Aggie transcript, she is also a Mandarin Patient Advocate at Paul Hom Asian clinic. In her free time, she enjoys playing guitar and staying fit by researching and taking Chinese medicine and various supplements.
Sarah Khan
Junior Editor
Sarah is a third-year Biotechnology major, with a minor in Technology Management. She plans on specializing in animal biotechnology. She has a vested interest in viruses and immunology, and hopes to contribute to the research field in these topics one day. A good way to start a two hour-long conversation with Sarah is to mention anything related to early 2000s animated TV shows, or something about her hobbies, including photography and reading.
Tyler Murai
Junior Editor
Tyler is a first-year Plant Biology major. He is interested in studying the effects of microgravity on plant development and hopes to pursue a career of research in this field. In his free time, he enjoys reading, drawing, and constructing elaborate population demographics spreadsheets for his Sims.
Andrew Jones
Photographer
Andy is a fourth-year Plant Biology Major. In his free time he plays basketball, ping pong, and tennis, identifies plants, and eats popsicles.
Dr. Silvia Carrasco Garcia
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Silvia Carrasco Garcia is an Assistant Professor of Teaching of Molecular and Cellular Biology at UC Davis.
Dr. Sean Burgess
Founding Faculty Advisor
Sean Burgess is a professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at UC Davis. She has been teaching MCB 164 (Advanced Genetics) and MCB 121 (Advanced Molecular Biology) for over 14 years. When not in the classroom you will find Dr. Burgess in her lab where she oversees research on chromosome dynamics and organization in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and zebrafish Danio rerio. When not in lab she is typically enjoying time with her family or drinking coffee. You can visit her lab page for more information.