The SACB Organizing Committee is pleased to present the 2025 SACB Scholars. This initiative supports travel and registration to bring new scientists and new perspectives to the cancer systems biology community.
Natalia Quintana Parrilla (Oregon Health Science University)
Natalia Quintana Parrilla graduated with a Bachelor’s in Science in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez. Currently, she is a part of Oregon Health and Science University’s (OHSU) Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) to gain more research experience and prepare for doctoral training in Cancer and Computational Biology research. As a PREP scholar at Dr. Laura Heiser’s lab, she works simultaneously building and optimizing an image analysis computational pipeline for data generation and analysis and performing biological experiments treating human and mouse breast cancer cells with various drugs and ligands.
Achyudhan Kutuva (Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh)
Achyudhan Kutuva is a first-year Ph.D. student at the Joint CMU-Pitt Program in Computational Biology. He is originally from Tampa, Florida, and previously attended the University of Florida. There, he achieved Summa cum laude honor distinction with majors in Data Science and Microbiology and Cell Science. His research has previously spanned mathematical oncology and systems medicine. During his Ph.D., he is interested in bridging mechanistic modeling with machine learning to develop more interpretable models within oncology and immunology.
Oliver Cope (University of North Carolina)
Oliver Cope graduated with Highest Distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Since graduating, Oliver has worked as a research technician in Dr. Elizabeth Brunk’s lab, studying cancer cytogenomics and the evolution of ecDNA heterogeneity across different cancer lines. This research explores the dynamic genetic and cellular diversity within tumors and contributes to a deeper understanding of cancer evolution.
Adesuwa Igbinigie (University of North Carolina)
Adesuwa Igbinigie is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, born and raised in Kernersville, North Carolina. She is an avid learner who enjoys gymnastics, language learning, and playing the piano. Adesuwa’s academic pursuits revolve around exploring how mathematics can be used to decode the complexities of biology. For the past year, she has worked under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Brunk in the Brunk Lab, where she develops genomic data analysis workflows and investigates genetic heterogeneity of extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) in triple-negative breast cancer. Adesuwa aspires to pursue an MD/PhD in systems biology, bioinformatics, or computational biology. Her long-term goal is to bridge patient care and research, addressing health disparities and ensuring that advancements in cancer treatment are accessible to all.
Adriana Del Pino Herrera (University of Florida)
Adriana Del Pino Herrera from the Canary Islands, Spain, is a fourth-year PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering in the BEAT Cancer Lab at the University of Florida. She previously obtained her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Duquesne University in 2021. She initially started her research career working with microfluidic devices but was interested in studying cancer for her graduate career. Their current research focuses on using mathematical models to develop new treatment schedules to delay the onset of treatment resistance in ovarian cancer. Her project aims to utilize interdisciplinary techniques from bioinformatics, mathematical modeling, and ecology to avoid recurrence in ovarian cancer patients and prolong their life spans. She is also involved in the UF’s Cancer Center as an ambassador where she has been able to mentor several students in cancer research and is committed to diversity and inclusion through different on-campus organizations.
Dorothy Beck (University of Virginia)
Dorothy (Dori) Beck is a second-year undergraduate student at UVA studying Biomedical Engineering. She initially got involved in biomedical engineering research during her first semester of college, and she currently works on a project under the mentorship of Dr. Shayn Peirce-Cottler and Dr. Chris Highley. Her work focuses on developing agent-based models to inform the design of biomaterials that promote vascularization. She is also applying this coupled approach to engineer in vitro models that better recapitulate the tumor microenvironment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Her ultimate goal is to become a physician-scientist, combining tissue engineering, biomaterials, and computational models to conduct oncology research.