BMES Graduate Student Leadership
For more information about the Graduate Student Chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) at Cornell, outreach activities, industry partnerships, and professional group networking opportunities, email cornellbmes@cornell.edu or see more information on our BMES Graduate Student Chapter page.
President: Lainie Eisner
Lainie (she/her) is a Ph.D. student in the Andarawis-Puri Lab, where she studies tendon fatigue injury and repair. She is originally from Livingston, New Jersey and received a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2020. In her free time, Lainie likes to go to the theatre, practice yoga, watch sports and play guitar.
Vice President: Brooke Filanoski
Brooke is a Ph.D. student in the Antaki lab working on an imaging device that could make monitoring and diagnosing breast cancer easier. She grew up in Spokane, WA, and completed her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and master’s degree in Optics and Photonics from Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. While Brooke misses the big mountains out west, she eager is to explore the wonders of the east including the food, big cities, and people.
Outreach Co-chair: Cole Latvis
Cole (he/him) is a Ph.D. student in the Wang Lab where he works on synthesizing new elastomers for use in electrowritten vascular grafts. He grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia and received a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Virginia in 2021. When not in the lab, he enjoys a range of activities including hiking, kayaking, and 3D printing.
Outreach Co-chair: Matalin Pirtz
Matalin (she/her) is a Ph.D. student co-advised in both the Cosgrove Lab and the Nikitin Lab, where she studies endometrial cancer using organoid modeling and single-cell RNA sequencing. She is originally from Billings, MT and received a Bachelor's degree in Biological Engineering from Montana State University-Bozeman in 2021. In her free time, Matalin enjoys reading, caring for her plants, and crocheting.
Professional Development Co-chair: Subash Bhandari
Subash (he/him) is a PhD Student in the Xu Lab and the Rudd Lab working on using multiphoton imaging to study T-cell behavior in the lymph nodes. He grew up in Nepal and came to the United States in 2016 to pursue college. He completed his bachelor’s in biomedical engineering from Wichita State University. In his free time, Subash likes to work out, play table-tennis and soccer, write poems, play guitar, and enjoy the nature.
Professional Development Co-chair: Jeremiah James
Jeremiah is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Rong Yang’s lab studying nanoparticle synthesis and drug delivery. He attended East Carolina University as an undergrad, researching hydrogel drug release models under Dr. Michelle Oyen. He is originally from Tampa, Florida, and definitely misses the sun during the winter months in Ithaca. He regularly enjoys reading, yoga and strength training, wine, and trying new food places.
Community Engagement Co-chair: Ben Johnston
Ben (he/him) is a Ph.D. student in the Andarawis-Puri lab where he studies the early stages of chronic tendon disease progression. He is originally from LaGrange, IL, a suburb of Chicago and received his bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in 2021. In his free time Ben enjoys playing and watching sports, listening to his record collection, hiking, and reading.
Community Engagement Co-chair: Coulter Ralston
Coulter (he/him) is a Ph.D. student co-advised in the Cosgrove and Nikitin Labs, where he studies cancer-prone cell states contributing to ovarian cancer. He grew up in Burlington, MA, and he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2021. Outside of the lab, Coulter loves to run, hike, and get a little too competitive in intramural sports.
Communications Director: Rena Fukuda
Rena (she/her) is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Cira Lab where she is currently developing randomized, high-throughput methods for biochemical analysis. She grew up in Long Island, NY and received a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from Hofstra University in 2021. She enjoys ballroom dancing, trying new foods, and hiking.
Treasurer: Aiyana Fortin
Aiyana is a Ph.D. student in the Bonassar Lab investigating conjugated C’ dot nanoparticles as a theranostic for cartilage degeneration and osteoarthritis. She is from Vermont, where she received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Vermont in Burlington, VT. As treasurer, she aims to responsibly manage the financial resources of the club to facilitate opportunities for social, educational, and professional events. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, cycling, and photography.