Who we are:
We are scientists and engineers. We are real people with real experience in real research. And we are brought together every year with a common passion for STEM and a common goal of bringing out the best for the high school students we mentor.
Leadership & Administration
David Linnevers
Director of Operations
Over three decades of experience in working in higher education administration and admissions at institutions such as UCLA Medical School. Mr. Linnevers holds a BS in Aviation Science and a M.B.A. in Marketing and Management
Larry McMahan, PhD
Chair of Computer Science & Engineering
Dr. McMahan holds an M.S. and Ph.D. from Rice, and has four decades of experience in industry (Hewlett-Packard) and in academia as a professor. Chair, Computer Science and Engineering, Quantum Physics, Quantum Computing, Machine Learning & Autonomous Vehicle Research
John Wang, PhD
Chair of Biological & Life Sciences
Dr. John Wang received his PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from Indiana University, and following that was a postdoctoral reserach fellow at Stanford Medical School in Oncology. Following this, Dr. Wang has been a leader in modern cancer immunotherapy, and has served as the chief scientific officer of a leading biotech company. Dr. Wang and his colleagues have previously placed multiple candidates, including most recently an interleukin-15 construct, into human clinical trials with the FDA.
Diego Martinez
Asst. Director of IT
Diego Martinez leads the design, development, and operation of ASDRP’s core technical systems, building scalable, custom solutions that keep the organization fast, reliable, and connected. He owns projects end-to-end—from architecture to deployment—automating workflows, integrating platforms, and maintaining mission-critical systems across admissions, data system, CRM, LMS, events, and public web infrastructure. His work enables real-time visibility, reduces operational overhead, and ensures every request is handled with speed, clarity, and accountability, directly supporting ASDRP’s growth and student-first mission.
Edward Njoo, PhD
Director of Research & Development, Chair of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Dr. Njoo received his PhD in organic chemistry from Stanford University, MA from Biola University, and BSc from Loyola Marymount. Edward has published mulitple peer-reviewed papers in natural product synthesis, fluorine NMR, and chemical biology.
Phil Mui, PhD
Computer Science Advisor & Board Member
Phil Mui, Ph.D., is Senior Vice President of Technology in Salesforce, and of the Office of the CTO. He received his S.B., M.Eng., and Ph.D. from MIT, and an M.Phil as a Marshall Scholar at Oxford.
Robert Downing
Emeritus Chair, Department of Computer Science & Engineering
Data Science, Machine Learning, Applied Engineering, & Astrophysics
Four decades of experience in the high-tech and data systems industry (3COM, IBM, etc.) and as a professor and instructor at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
OCF Board of Directors
Joni Jen
Board President
Educator and founder of Olive Children Foundation with over a decade of experience in education and in community service in the Fremont and greater East Bay Area.
Sara Mithra
Board Member
Sara completed her undergraduate studies at UC Santa Cruz and a Master's degree at UC Berkeley in literature and creative writing.
Tammy Long
Board Member
Tammy holds a Master's of Education from CSU East Bay and a Master's in Christian Formation from North Park Seminary.
Edward Njoo, PhD
Board Member
Dr. Njoo received his PhD in organic chemistry from Stanford University, MA from Biola University, and BSc from Loyola Marymount. Edward has published mulitple peer-reviewed papers in natural product synthesis, fluorine NMR, and chemical biology.
Research Investigators
Marx Akl, PhD
Computational Physics, Material Science, Modeling and Simulations: DFT and MD, Data Science and Machine Learning
Dr. Marx Akl stands as a distinguished physicist, holding a Ph.D. in Physics from the esteemed Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where his groundbreaking dissertation delved into "The Mechanical Response of Materials at the Nanoscale via Simulations." This academic prowess extends to master's degrees in Physics and Mechanical Engineering from RPI and the University of Southern California, underscoring a comprehensive and well-rounded educational journey.
With a rich tapestry of over a decade in research and professional experience, Dr. Akl occupies a unique intersection of Computational Physics, Material Science, and the avant-garde applications of machine learning and data science. His expertise is not confined to the theoretical realm; instead, it's a dynamic interplay with practical applications. Dr. Akl is renowned for employing sophisticated techniques such as density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) modeling and simulations, unveiling new perspectives in solid-state physics and materials.
What sets Dr. Akl apart is his ability to seamlessly traverse diverse domains, where his work becomes a nexus of modern materials, theoretical and quantum physics, and the cutting edge of machine learning. This distinctive skill set positions him as a driving force in groundbreaking advancements at the confluence of these disciplines. Dr. Akl's journey is not just one of academic achievements but a testament to his capacity to merge theoretical insights with tangible, real-world applications, making him a transformative force in the realms of physics and data science.
Zane Chen, PhD
Chemistry
Dr. Chen completed his PhD in Biochemistry at Oregon Health Sciences University with a thesis: Regulation of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I gene expression in vivo. He received his MD from Qingdao Medical College. He has done his Post-Doc at Oregon Health Sciences University.
Chris DeGrendele, PhD
Computational Physics, Supercomputing, Machine Learning
Chris DeGrendele is a computational scientist at NASA Ames Research Center in the Advanced Supercomputing Division - Computational Aerosciences Branch. He received his PhD in Applied Mathematics from University of California Santa Cruz. His research focuses on computational physics and physics based machine learning models.
Sahar Jahanikia
Computational Cognitive Neuroscience, AI & Data science
​Experienced computational cognitive neuroscientist proficient in Computational Neuroscience, Neuroimaging, Behavioral Sciences, Neuroinformatics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science, Machine Learning (ML), Design Thinking, and Bioinformatics. Brining extensive experience in designing, gathering, and analyzing cutting-edge neuroimaging data studies using various modalities such as fMRI, NIRS, EEG, and simultaneous EEG-fMRI. Additionally, she is expertised in incorporating Large Language Models (LLMs) into cognitive science research.
Madhulika Jupelli, PhD
Immunology & Molecular Biology
Dr. Madhulika Jupelli received her PhD in cellular immunology from the University of Texas, San Antonio, and did her post-doctoral training at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and at the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital in infectious diseases. Following this, Dr. Jupelli’s industry career led her to several medium- and large- biopharmaceutical companies, including her work at Bristol Myers Squibb, and more recently at Pfizer. Dr. Jupelli has to her name three FDA clinical trials, including a Phase III clinical trial for GBT021601 (Osivelotor) for the treatment of Sickle cell disease.
Joseph Laurienzo
Applied Mathematics
Joseph holds an M.S. in applied physics from Case Western University, and is an ambitious scientist interested in using mathematical models to understand physical and biological phenomena.
Viktoriia Liu, PhD
Chemistry
Experienced computational chemist with knowledge in ML/computer vision, bioinformatics, robotics, and structural biology. She received her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from UC Riverside.
Phil Mui, PhD
Computer Science
Phil Mui, Ph.D., is Senior Vice President of Technology in Salesforce, and of the Office of the CTO. He received his S.B., M.Eng., and Ph.D. from MIT, and an M.Phil as a Marshall Scholar at Oxford.
Joey Pazzi, PhD
Chemistry
Dr. Pazzi's current research interests include economical point of care diagnostics, the development of synthetic cells, and facilitating membrane fusion reactions with cells
Huifang Qin, PhD
Data Science & Finance
Dr. Huifang Qin received her PhD in EECS from UC Berkeley. Huifang brings over 20 years of experience solving technology and business problems with data science. She led Data Science teams in autonomous driving, social media, digital advertising and finance technology companies to conduct research and build impactful products. Her group at ASDRP conducts finance research through practicing data science skills including data mining, statistical analysis, predictive modeling and optimizations.
Vasudha Salgotra
Biology & Chemistry
Vasudha Salgotra is a research professional with a background in analytical chemistry and pharmacy. She has years of experience in supporting preclinical activities in drug development and delivery for small and large biologics. Her professional journey includes designing and validating plate-based immunoassays (ELISAs) and other bioanalytical techniques.
Suresh Subramaniam
Data Science
Seasoned executive and data scientist with experience in managing large operations and applying data science to solve business problems.
Akira Yamamoto
Biomaterials Engineering
Akira received his M.Sc. from Shinsyu University in Materials Engineering and has served as the Director of Materials Science & Engineering at BioPharmX prior to coming to ASDRP. The Yamamoto group at ASDRP performs research in biomaterials engineering.
John Wang, PhD
Principal Scientist; Molecular & Cell Biology
Dr. John Wang received his PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from Indiana University, and following that was a postdoctoral reserach fellow at Stanford Medical School in Oncology. Following this, Dr. Wang has been a leader in modern cancer immunotherapy, and has served as the chief scientific officer of a leading biotech company. Dr. Wang and his colleagues have previously placed multiple candidates, including most recently an interleukin-15 construct, into human clinical trials with the FDA.
Harman Brah, MD
Computational & Structural Biophysics
Experienced biochemist at UCSD Medicine; former scientist at UCSF who specializes in computational biochemistry & drug discovery. Oversees admissions process.
Clinton Cunha
Bioinformatics
Clinton has a Masters in Bioinformatics (University of Guelph) and a Masters of Science in Cellular and Molecular Medicine (University of Ottawa). He also has an Honors Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences (Carnegie Mellon University). His main areas of focus include Bioinformatics, Data Analysis, Python programming, Biology, Science, Cancer Research and ESL. Professionally, Clinton is a qualified Bioinformatician/Biologist/Instructor.
Robert Downing
Emeritus Chair, Department of Computer Science & Engineering
Data Science, Machine Learning, Applied Engineering, & Astrophysics
Four decades of experience in the high-tech and data systems industry (3COM, IBM, etc.) and as a professor and instructor at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Shubhi Jain, MD/MPH
Public Health, Epidemiology
Dr. Shubhi Jain received her MD from the University of Baroda in India, and studied Applied Epidemiology in the MPH program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and combines a unique blend of clinical expertise & public health analytics. 5+ years of clinical experience in diverse healthcare settings (USA & India). Dr. Jain will be leading a group in public health research, infectious disease, health communication, or program implementation to leverage a deep understanding of research protocols, clinical data integrity, and evidence-based decision-making in the biotech/pharma industry.
Pragati Dharmale
Electrical Engineering
Pragati Dharmale has 14 years of academia / industry research experience and received her M. Eng in Digital electronics and M.S. in computer science from Southern New Hampshire University, NH. Her research interest includes application of EEG analysis with machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as STEM based applications designed for Raspberry PI with Python programming.
Dennis Liu
Director of IT; Mathematics & Computer Science
Mr. Dennis Liu is a product of Georgia Tech (MS Computer Science / Human Computer Interaction) and UC San Diego (BS Mathematics - Computer Science; BS Cognitive Science / Human Computer Interaction). Prior to joining us this spring in his new role, Dennis has previously served on ASDRP's admissions team, and will be assuming the role of Director of IT in addition to leading research groups at ASDRP in the fields of computer and cognitive science. Dennis comes to ASDRP with 8 years of IT experience - from UC San Diego Information & Technology Services as a Service Desk Technician, IBM Quantum as both a client facing technical support developer and software engineer, and more recently at VIZIO as a software engineer - prior to rejoining ASDRP.
Larry McMahan, PhD
Chair, Computer Science and Engineering, Quantum Physics, Quantum Computing, Machine Learning & Autonomous Vehicle Research
Dr. McMahan holds an M.S. and Ph.D. from Rice, and has four decades of experience in industry (Hewlett-Packard) and in academia as a professor.
Edward Njoo, PhD
Organic & Medicinal Chemistry
Dr. Njoo received his PhD in organic chemistry from Stanford University, MA from Biola University, and BSc from Loyola Marymount. Edward has published mulitple peer-reviewed papers in natural product synthesis, fluorine NMR, and chemical biology.
Bharat Poudyal, PhD
Biotechnology & Agronomy
Dr. Poudyal, a native of Nepal, received his PhD in Agronomy from the University of Hebei and MS degree from the University of Edinburgh. He is interested in the convergence of plant cell culture, community-based agriculture, and science-informed plant biology that enables new developments in human health.
Harrison Rahn, PhD
Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Biology
The Rahn group at ASDRP will dive into developing new synthetic tools for small molecule Drug Discovery through high-throughput screening and late stage functionalization. Collaboratively, the Rahn group will assist efforts in mRNA delivery and drug discovery across ASDRP with a complementary expertise in creating compounds for selective drug delivery.
Chandan Shee, PhD
Molecular Biology, Genetics
Dr. Chandan Shee is an accomplished biologist and leader with a solid history of achievement in the areas of molecular biology, NGS technology, and IVD product development. Dr. Shee received his PhD in Molecular & Cellular Biology from the Indian Institute of of Technology, Roorkee, and received his postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine, where he went on to be an assistant professor. Following his academic career, Dr. Shee held senior positions at Theranos, Ultima Genomics, and Guardant Health, and has published over two dozen papers in diagnostics and microbiology.
Nataliya Starostina, PhD
Physical Science, Material Science and Engineering
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Dr. Nataliya Starostina is a passionate and dedicated educator committed to the quality of research. She was born, raised, and educated in Soviet Union. Nataliya’s teaching experience at Santa Clara University (SCU) started in 2018 and spans both graduate and undergraduate materials science-related courses. Before joining SCU, her professional journey in advanced technologies commenced at UCLA, focusing on the coarsening kinetics of age-hardening alloys. Subsequently, she navigated the landscape of atomic force microscopy at an AFM manufacturing startup, contributed to process management measurement solutions at Emerson, and participated in wireless industrial automation at another high-tech startup. In her industry career, she held various roles from research associate to application scientist, product manager, and director of marketing. During this time, Nataliya had the honor of mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students, serving as an industry advisor and scholar. The students’ accomplishments include winning Best Senior Design Project awards, contributing to teaching labs, presenting at scientific conferences, and publishing in peer-reviewed papers. She authored a book chapter sharing her pedagogy in teaching laboratory courses. This chapter is accessible online as an open-access article (2023).
Inbay Xie, PhD
Applied Physics, Mechanical and Thermal Engineering
Dr. Xie received his PhD, MEng, and BSc from Tianjin University, and has previously served as a co-Dean of Power Engineering at Tianjin University and has mentored over 90 postgraduate students in thermal physics, applied engineering, and materials science with over 80 publications in applied physics. Following his academic career, Dr. Xie worked as a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and subsequently as a principal test engineer at Sanhua Automotive developing new materials for vehicle parts in Tesla. Dr. Xie will be deploying this expertise in training students in materials physics and thermal physics.
Tracy Zhang, PhD
Cancer Biology & Oncology
Dr. Zhang holds a PhD in biomedical sciences and has coauthored over twenty publications in precision oncology and molecular cancer biology.
Former Faculty Advisors
Michael Amadi
Biotechnology & Synthetic Biology
Prabhjeet Kaur
Microbiology & Genetics
Calvin Leung
Quantum Mech & Physics
Carly Truong
Molecular Neuroscience
Avery Kruger
Ecology and Evolution
Neelima Sangeneni
Physical & Electrochemistry
Kavya Tallapaka
Cancer Biology
Asmita Dani
Electrical Engi, RF Physics
Nardeen Mikhail
Microbiology
Sam Fendell
Machine Learn, Software
Ankur Gupta
Molecular / Cell Biology
Tuyen Tran
Lab Staff
Raymond Chen
Analytical Chemistry
Scott Clark
Organic Chemistry
Nicholas Papano
CS & Engineering
Martin Kushnerov
Computational & Structural Biophysics
Valens Nteziyaremye
Engineering
Connor Adams
Ocean Science
Prabin Laminchane, PhD
Mathematics, Statistics and Data Science
Omar Amer
Civil Engineering
Karishma Johnson
Data Science and Ecology
Gayathri Renganathan
Medicinal Biochemistry