Dr. Ismael Fofana is currently an Assistant Professor of the Practice at Boston College. He joined Boston College in 2012 as a Research Assistant Professor and became a Visiting Assistant Professor from 2017 to 2019. He has a Doctorate degree in Genetics – Molecular Virology (2006) from the University of Cocody (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire). From 2001 to 2004, he worked on his PhD Research Dissertation when he was a research scholar at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St.Louis Missouri. Prior to joining Boston College, he worked as a Research Scientist at the Institute for Genetic Medicine in Sapporo (Hokkaido, Japan) from 2005 to 2007. Thereafter, he worked as a Research Fellow/Research Associate at the New England Primate Research (Harvard Medical School) from 2007 to 2012. Other than Science, he is passionate about sports especially soccer. He is a die-hard Chelsea FC fan.

Hannah is a junior studying Biology on the pre-med track. During lab, Hannah can be seen performing PCRs and creating a naive phage display library for cloning antibodies for Sars-Cov2 and HIV. When not in lab, Hannah typically is found at the gym or inside the library doing some work. After college, Hannah plans on attending Medical School and pursing a career as a Pediatrician.

David is a Junior studying chemistry in the class of 2023. He is a general editor of the medical humanities journal. His scientific interests are in human immune response to pathogenic responses, specifically for HBV. In the lab, you can find him performing steps like maxi prep and DNA digests. Outside of lab, you can find him in the library. David plans on attending medical school and pursuing a career in family medicine.

Yuting is a junior majoring in Biology with a minor in Medical Humanities. She plays sousaphone in the Boston College Marching Band and is on council for the PULSE Program at BC. Her role in the lab includes cell culture and ELISA. Outside the lab, Yuting enjoys watching TV shows, snowboarding, and exploring new restaurants with friends. She plans to pursue medical school after graduation.

Thomas is a senior studying Biology from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is a manager for the Boston College women’s basketball team and a student leader for the 4Boston service group. Following graduation this spring, Thomas will be focusing his efforts on applying to medical school. In his free time, he plays golf and listens to country music.

Caleb is a sophomore studying Biology. He is involved with the Ethiopian Eritrean Student Association and is their secretary. His scientific interests focus on immune system and diseases such as HIV/AIDS. In the lab, you can see him working with HBV. Outside the lab, he is working on DJ mixes, taking pictures on film and listening to music. He plans to attend medical school and pursue a career in medicine and become an immunologist.

Fizah is a junior studying Biology and Philosophy. She is on the executive board of Partners in Health Engage, a public health group on campus, and is a member of the Muslim Students Association. In the lab, you can find Fizah performing ELISAs, DNA digests, generating phage antibody libraries, and much more. Outside the lab, she likes to do anything active in nature, volunteer at local hospitals and animal shelters, explore Boston with her friends, read, travel to new places, and spend lots of time with her cats! She plans on performing HIV/AIDS research after college before attending medical school.

Gabriella is a sophomore majoring in Biology and minoring in Finance. She is an active volunteer mentor for BC BIGS and is involved in the Boston College EagleShadow and Pre-Dental Society programs. Her scientific interests focus on how glutathione peroxidase (GPX) contributes to the pertinent investigation of transgenic plants and the correlation between its overexpression and genetic engineering of drought tolerant crops. In the lab, you can find her performing cell cultures and collaborating with her peers to engineer spike immunogens for the COVID-19 mucosal vaccination. Beyond the lab, Gabriella enjoys working out, exploring new cuisines, and traveling abroad with family and friends. She plans to attend dental school and pursue orthodontics as a career.

Elisa is a junior studying biology and theatre. Out of the lab, she loves to perform and is treasurer for two performing arts groups on campus: The Sharps A Capella, and Contemporary Theatre. She has also been a part of many Boston College theatre department productions. Her scientific interests include immunology and infectious disease research, and after college she hopes to pursue research professionally. She has just joined Professor Fofana's lab this semester and is excited to work with this great group of people!