YURA BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Rishit Shaquib, Chairman
Rishit is a junior majoring in Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology from Ocala, Florida. As Chair of YURA he hopes to cultivate a wide-reaching community of researchers across disciplines and institutions. In his free time Rishit loves to play tennis and jazz piano, and works at the Yale Undergraduate Admissions Office and the Yale Cancer Center.
Dr. James E. Rothman is the Sterling Professor of Cell Biology at Yale School of Medicine and a Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine for his groundbreaking work on vesicle transport key for neurotransmission. In addition to his scientific contributions, he has held leadership roles at Columbia, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and Yale, shaping the future of biomedical research across institutions.
Karen Mei, COO
Sophie Nguyen, CAO
Sophie Nguyen is a junior majoring in MCDB from Westminster, California. As Chief Academic Officer of YURA , she hopes to foster strong partnerships to support undergraduate opportunity at Yale and beyond Outside of YUMI, she enjoys doing cancer research and works in the AACC as a part of the Wellness and Mental Health team!
Anya Gurudatt, CFO
FACULTY TRUSTEES
Karen Mei is a junior majoring in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Macomb, MI. As Chief Operations Officer of YURA she hopes to build longevity in research opportunities at Yale and beyond. In her free time Karen leads the Bulldog’s Racing Team, conducts research at Yale Medical School and enjoys rating Elena’s Ice Cream flavors with her friends.
Dr. James Rothman,
Emeritus Research Patron
Dr. Joy Hirsch,
Emeritus Research Patron
Dr. Joy Hirsch is a Professor Psychiatry, Comparative Medicine, and Neuroscience at the Yale School of Medicine and the Director of Yale’s Brain Function Laboratory and faculty of the Wu Tsai Institute. Hirsch’s work bridges neuroscience, psychology, and clinical research, and her lab has been at the forefront of developing new technologies to study the social brain in real-world contexts.
Anya Gurudatt is a junior majoring in MCDB from the Bay Area, CA. As the Chief Financial Officer of YURA she hopes to build systems that equitably support undergraduate scholarship for undergraduates at Yale. In her free time, she loves to eat spicy food, play piano with the undergraduate piano collective, and practice calligraphy.