Our Vision

The Columbia Undergraduate Medical Review is a student publication dedicated to improving the accessibility of medical knowledge to the general public. We seek to educate the public about real world applications for medical findings that are highly impactful. We serve to bring awareness to leading medical research through an unbiased lens with a foundation in peer-reviewed scientific sources.

Meet the Team

Co-Editor-in-Chief - Publication

Ray Zhang

Ray Zhang is a junior at CC, majoring in Biology on the pre-med track. He works in the Chaflie lab, researching C. elegans rapid habituation and touch receptor neurons. When he’s home, Ray enjoys hiking through the Michigan wilderness and fishing on the lake shores.

Co-Editor-in-Chief - Organization

Gitika Gorthi

Gitika Gorthi is a senior at Columbia Engineering majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Economics on the pre-med track. She is a student researcher performing supervised independent research in the Timothy Wang Laboratory at CUIMC. In her free time, Gitika enjoys visiting natural sites, playing basketball, and trying new cuisines around the city.

Head of Writing

Maryam Isayeva

Maryam is a junior at CC, majoring in Biology on the pre-med track and working as an EMT. She works in Dr. Jianlong Wang’s lab at CUIMC, focusing on the regulation of transcription factor ZFP281, as well as its role in cancer stemness and tumor resistance. She spent her summer doing research in her lab and exploring NYC. In her free time, she loves playing soccer and tennis, working out, reading dystopian books, and enjoying good food with friends.

Head of Scientific Editing

Hilal Tokat

Hilal is a sophomore in Columbia College majoring in History and minoring in Chemistry on the pre-med track. She works in the Klebanoff Lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she contributes to research on CAAR-T cell therapies for hematologic cancers. In her free time, she enjoys exploring bookstores, going to the movies with friends, and spending time with family.

Head of Lay Editing

Amanda Zhang

Amanda Zhang is a junior in Columbia College majoring in Medical Humanities with a minor in Biology on the pre-medical track. She is a research assistant in the Reya Lab at Columbia’s Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she investigates immune regulation in Myc-driven pancreatic tumors using the Msi2-Myc mouse model. Outside of the lab, she trades pipettes for sirens as an EMT, answering 911 calls and learning the art of staying calm while saving lives. In her downtime, Amanda enjoys reading fantasy novels, uncovering hidden corners of New York City, and hanging out with her dog.

Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Kirie Frederick

Kirie is a sophomore in Columbia College studying Neuroscience and Behavior with a minor in Education on the pre-medical track. She will be working in Dr. Smeeton’s lab at CUIMC, which utilizes genetic, cellular, and molecular tools in zebrafish injury models to investigate how stem cells regulate the regeneration of joint cartilage and ligaments. In her free time, she enjoys watching various sports (especially volleyball!), volunteering in Harlem and Washington D.C., and binge-watching drama series.

Treasurer

Isaac Gleiser Jamri

Isaac is a sophomore in SEAS originally from Bogotá, Colombia, majoring in Biomedical Engineering. He works in a neuroscience lab studying dendrites and their role in brain function. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis and spending time with his family.

Director of Social Media

Hiuyi Cheng

Hiuyi is a sophomore in Barnard College double majoring in Biochemistry and Economics on the pre-med track. She is working in the Landau Lab at NYU Langone developing cancer vaccines for solid tumors and analyzing HIV therapeutics for pyroptosis. In her free time, she enjoys trying new restaurants (and updating her Beli), binging shows/movies, and spending time with family and friends.

Director of Web Design and Layout

Yasmine Bonilla

Yasmine is a third-year undergraduate student at Columbia College, majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior on the pre-med track. She works at NYU Langone’s Pre-Clinical Imaging Lab where she’s studying cerebral amyloid angiopathy in MRI imaging of squirrel monkey brains. In her free time, you can find her listening to unnecessarily loud music, learning Spanish and Arabic, or spending time with her grandma.

Director of Events

Rebecca Kim

Rebecca is a junior in Columbia College, majoring in Human Rights and minoring in Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology. She is interested in pursuing a career in medical law, which is why she decided to join the Columbia Medical Review. After taking comparative animal biology classes and working in a salamander lab, where she studied body condition at different altitudes in the Blue Ridge Mountains, she developed a passion for environmental and eccological biology, which is why she decided to join the Columbia Medical Review- to explore the intersections between the fields of science, medicine and the humanities. In her free time, she loves reading books, trying new places to eat, and crafting different iced coffee recipes!

Director of Outreach

Alejandra Lopez

Alejandra is a senior at Barnard College, majoring in Psychology on the pre-med track. She works in the ERICA Lab studying emotional regulation in children diagnosed with ADHD and autism and is working on an independent research project looking at the effectiveness between stimulant medication and inhibitory control with emotional regulation. In her free time, Alejandra enjoys walking in the city, trying new foods, and traveling.

Head of Illustration

Kate Jang

Kate (CC ‘27) is a pre-medical student majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior. She is the Head of Illustration for the Columbia Medical Review. Kate also conducts clinical research at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center and interned under the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation as a Laidlaw Fellow this past summer. In her free time, she loves exploring the city and finding the best matcha spots.

Fall 2025 Masthead

Writers

Scientific Editors

Lay Editors

Nick Calvey

Omar ElDimassi

Aleeza Riaz

Phoebe Matthew

Janine Rho

Akash Gupta

Eleanor McKown

Brandon Sagram

Jennifer Shon

Teniola Obayomi

Sherry Guo

Bailey Van

Yasuko Yoshida

Ariel Yu

Celine Cotran

Ava Hargrave

Enoc Padilla

Mitchell Dees

Nour Abou-Izzeddine

Gerard Murillo

Amanda Benneh

Wajiha Moin

Jeffrey Lin

Aaron Springer

Spencer Diep

Serena Chen

Farzana Zane

Riya Raina

Jennifer Shon

Emily Choi

Jesslyn Chen

Kristine Chung

Emily Wang

Jeffrey Lin

Mali Gilbert

Ellie Sung

Shivani Verma

Azeemah Odusanya

Shivani Patel

Anusha Raghunathan

Illustrators

Gefen Mor

Gabe de la Cruz

Ariel Brown-Ogha

Jegg Yoon

Teniola Obayomi

Toni Chavez

Emily Baek

Kayla Kupietzky

Elvan Eren

Ruiqi Wang

Meher Lakdawala

Julia Wang

Events

Sophie Kim

Ria Vakharia

Azeemah Odusanya

Reese Heidenreich

Outreach

Arla Graham

David Gima

DEI

Kayla Joseph

Jade Kim

Alanna Xue

Amanda Benneh

Jenelle Smith

Web Design & Layout

Ruqi Zhang

Nabiha Metla