William Shawn Morris completed his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He discovered medicine later in life, while working as an engineer in orthopedics. During his 10-year engineering career, his interest in cancer was inspired while working on medical devices and implants for cancer patients. His interest in cancer research grew during his graduate studies at the University of Minnesota where he worked on cancer gene therapy and immunology research in Dr. Subree Subramanian’s lab. William is now a 2^nd year medical student at the University of Minnesota Medical School, and plans to pursue orthopedic surgery. His career as an engineer taught him the importance of innovation, and merging of engineering and medicine to advance medical treatments. As a Jan Mauldin Sarcoma Scholar, William is excited to expand education, awareness, and treatment of sarcoma cancer. 

Harper O’Neill is a second year medical student at the University of Minnesota School Duluth campus. She earned a BS in Neuroscience and a MS in Biochemistry at Colorado State University. Prior to medical school, she worked in biotechnology to develop biomarkers for cancer screening and point of care testing for infectious disease. She is interested in oncology as a specialty, and is passionate about the intersection of medicine, research, and education. As a sarcoma scholar, she is excited to teach others about sarcomas, contribute to research, and connect with patients and their communities.

Elena Bueltel is a second-year Doctor of Nursing Practice student specializing as a Family Nurse Practitioner at the University of Minnesota. She completed her undergraduate nursing degree at the University of Minnesota and have four years of experience as a bedside oncology nurse at M Health Fairview’s East Bank Hospital, where she provides care on a hematology/surgical oncology unit. Her passion lies in oncology nursing, and she is excited to continue advancing in this field as an advanced practice provider. 

Clare Keddy was born and raised in northern California and earned a BA from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. After graduating, she spent four years working in pediatric cancer research investigating mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapies. She is currently a second year MD/PhD student at the University of Minnesota. She has completed her first year of medical school and will finish her second before starting her graduate training in the Molecular Pharmacology & Therapeutics graduate program. Her longer term research interests are to work in the identification of molecular drivers of disease and the development of new targeted therapeutic options. She hopes to pair these research interests with a clinical practice in oncology or pathology to take advantage of the privilege of training as a physician scientist.  As a Sarcoma Scholar, Clare looks forward to connecting with and learning from the Rein in Sarcoma community and sharing that information with the clinical and research groups that she is a part of now and throughout her career. 

Anny Tran is currently a Master of Nursing student at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Growing up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, she developed a deep passion for healthcare and a strong commitment to making a positive impact on others’ lives, especially through volunteering. As an Asian American woman, she embraces her cultural heritage and values diversity and unity, which fuels her dedication to providing compassionate and equitable care. She is excited to leverage her background and experiences to contribute meaningfully to the nursing profession and support the well-being of those she serves. 
 

Tiana Carlson is an M2 at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) – Milwaukee campus. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Science with minors in Spanish and Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. Before starting medical school, she worked as a clinical research coordinator in the hematology/oncology department and really loved the meaningful, longitudinal relationships formed with patients in this field and the ever-evolving knowledge base. She plans to pursue an oncologic specialty and enjoys her current research project working with neurostimulator devices to try to reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea in pediatric oncology patients. She hopes to better understand how to educate others about sarcoma and how to best communicate with cancer patients and survivors during her time as a Jan Maudlin Sarcoma Scholar.

Stella Ma is a second year MD/PhD student at Mayo Clinic. She grew up in Madison, WI, and earned her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Nutritional Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As an undergraduate, she conducted research on innate immune responses to tumors, wounds, and infections. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked at the NIH, conducting clinical immunology research. She is particularly interested in cancer immunology and plans to conduct research on tumor-associated inflammation during her PhD. In her free time, Stella enjoys running, kayaking, and other outdoors activities, as well as drawing, crocheting stuffed animals, and walking her cats. Stella is especially passionate about community outreach and empowering patients through education in nutrition, prevention, and general medical knowledge to enhance overall health. Through the Sarcoma Scholars program and as co-leader of the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine Oncology Interest Group, Stella is excited to pursue ventures focused on raising public awareness and understanding of sarcomas. 

Alex Hilalgo is a rising second-year M.D./Ph.D. student at Mayo Clinic, originally from Ciudad Juárez, México. He holds a Bachelor’s in Neuroscience from the University of Southern California (USC), a Master’s in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine from USC’s Keck School of Medicine, and a Master’s in Bioinformatics with a Graduate Certificate in Big Data Analytics from the University of Texas at El Paso. Axel’s research interests lie at the intersection of bioinformatics, oncology, and clinical outcomes, with a particular emphasis on unraveling the molecular drivers of cancer through multi-modal data approaches. As a JM Sarcoma Scholar, Axel is passionate about bridging the gap between medical knowledge and public awareness, especially within diverse and underserved communities. He is particularly committed to educational outreach in bilingual and multilingual contexts, striving to make vital health information accessible to all. In his role as a scholar, Axel aims to amplify his impact by creating educational resources and actively engaging the Rochester community to raise awareness about sarcomas. His dedication to research, education, and community engagement is driven by a steadfast desire to improve patient outcomes and contribute meaningfully to the field of oncology. In his free time, you can find Axel playing classical guitar, brewing espressos, or on Rochester’s pickleball courts.

Lauren Lavender is a second-year medical student at the University of Florida College of Medicine. She graduated from Auburn University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience. At Auburn she was heavily involved in Academic Support, engaged in neurophysics research of Alzheimer’s disease, and volunteered with hospice care. Though three seemingly unrelated endeavors, they each played valuable roles in fostering her interest in oncology. Her passion for education drove her to work in academic support, pushing her to do her very best to convey complicated and often devastating information to patients in a manner that is digestible and compassionate. Her research allowed her to dive deeply into the unknown and let her creative mind run wild in the intricacies of uncertain mechanisms of biological processes. Finally, her work in hospice showed her what a gift it is to walk with someone through their suffering. Together these experiences not only shaped her as a person but are actively molding her future as she pursues a career in oncology. She is humbled and honored to be involved with Rein in Sarcoma, and looks forward to joining in on its mission to support patients and families touched by sarcoma! 

Bri Iverson is a current M2 at the Carver College of Medicine.  She attended University Iowa for undergrad and studied biology and public health. In her free time, she enjoys watching football, listening to Taylor Swift, and reading. She hopes to better understand sarcomas and to be able to educate herself, her peers, and the surrounding community.   

Firas Hikmat completed his undergraduate degree in Biology at UCLA where he was also involved in pancreatic cancer research. Following his graduation, he worked in translational oncology and nuclear medicine at UCLA’s Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology. He is now a 2^nd year medical student at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public health where he participated in machine learning model research for PET/CT lesion detection in patients with lymphoma. During medical school he was part of the leadership team of the American Medical Association school chapter, the Technology and Entrepreneurship organization, and on the Interprofessional Practice and Education Advisory Council.

Jordyn Nepper is a current M2 a the Medical College of Wisconsin. She is from Superior, Wisconsin, where she attended University of Wisconsin-Superior studying biology. She was first introduced to sarcoma during her undergraduate studies, when she completed a summer research fellowship studying pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma using a zebrafish model. Since, her interest in oncology has grown after hearing the lived experiences of patients and their families. She hopes to contribute to research and improved outcomes for patients diagnosed with sarcoma cancers. In her free time, she enjoys camping, road trips, crafts and listening to her favorite artist Zach Bryan. 

Rafat Solaiman completed his undergraduate degree in Human Physiology as part of the University of Minnesota BA/MD 7-Year Joint Admissions Program. During this time, his research was primarily focused on understanding cancer immunology and potential therapies. He is now a 3rd year medical student at the University of Minnesota Medical School, where he continues to be involved with orthopedic oncology research under the guidance of Dr. Christian Ogilvie. He plans to pursue a career in orthopedic surgery. 

Allison Dona grew up in Central Oregon and earned a BS and BA from the University of Oregon. She is currently a fourth year MD-PhD student at the University of Minnesota. She completed the first two years of medical school and is now in the second year of her PhD. Her research focus is in cancer epidemiology, where she is invested in several projects to better understand how we can improve the quality of life of people diagnosed with cancer. As a Sarcoma Scholar, Allison is looking forward to learning from people who have been diagnosed with sarcoma as well as sarcoma expert physicians and sharing that information with both clinical and public health communities. 
 

Claire Thomas is currently a third-year medical student at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She grew up in Rochester and studied biology in college. She is passionate about medical 3D printing and virtual reality, which she hopes to apply to patient care to bring awareness to sarcoma cancers. 

Conan Zhao attributes his interest in a career physician-scientist to his father’s -infectious enthusiasm for microbiology. Conan completed his undergraduate degrees in physics and math at Washington and Lee University, where he learned how much he disliked pipetting, but loved leveraging mathematical and computational approaches to understand biological systems. This led him to pursue a Ph.D. in Quantitative Biosciences at Georgia Tech, where he studied cystic fibrosis microbiomes under the guidance of Dr. Sam Brown. His research spans microbiomics, epidemiological modeling and medical AI. As a medical student at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Conan aims to merge microbiomics, AI, and clinical oncology, with aspirations to one day lead his own cancer informatics lab. Outside of medicine, Conan plays piano in a band with his fellow medical student. Conan has been heavily involved in international student advocacy and mentorship, drawing from his own experiences as a first-generation immigrant. As a Sarcoma Scholar and co-leader of the MCASOM Oncology Interest Group, Conan is eager to join the Rein in Sarcoma community and encourage his fellow medical students to pursue careers in oncology. 

Julia Debertin completed an undergraduate degree in International Relations and a master’s degree in Public Health from Tufts University, with a thesis in cancer epidemiology. During this time, she developed a passion for working at the intersection of broader social systems and individual needs, in the context of health equity. Entering medical school as a first year at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Julia was drawn to the field of oncology and began to engage in shadowing opportunities and oncology research projects.