Carmen De Miguel, PhD, MS
Dr. Carmen De Miguel received her B.S in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), her Ph.D. in Renal Physiology from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and her M.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology from St. Cloud State University.
Dr. De Miguel is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Research in her laboratory is focused on understanding how immune cells and immune mediators impact renal function and end-organ damage during hypertension and diabetes. Dr. De Miguel is very active in the American Heart Association and American Physiological Society and has served in several society committees in these two societies. She is also passionate about science outreach and the value of social media to make science more accessible.
Current Members
Sara Biswal
Major? Biology Major at Birmingham Southern College (Class of 2019) Currently working towards my Masters of Multidisciplinary Science at UAB
Position in the lab? Research Assistant
Birthday? March 19
Hometown? Hoover, AL
Future career plans? Medical Doctor
Hobbies? Reading, concerts, and trying new restaurants in Birmingham
Favorite snack? Anything with peanut butter
Fun fact about yourself? I have a 3 year old dog named ThunderBolt
Sharrell Greene
Major? Biology Major
Position in the lab? Undergraduate researcher
Birthday? October 10
Hometown? Birmingham, AL
Future career plans? Veterinarian
Hobbies? Yoga, hiking, traveling, ziplining, listening to music and trying new foods
Favorite snack? Cucumbers
Fun fact about yourself? I enjoy working with therapeutic horses to help kids with physical, mental, development and behavioral disabilities. The horse allows them to gain confidence, enhance their communication both verbally and non verbally and decision making skills.
Hannah Northcutt
Major? Biology Major with a double minor in chemistry and psychology
Position in the lab? Undergraduate researcher
Birthday? December 22
Hometown? Jemison, AL
Future career plans? Pursue my dream to become a small and large animal veterinarian.
Hobbies? I love to paint and bake.
Favorite snack? Goldfish and a blue Powerade
Fun fact about yourself? If you know me, you know that my most favorite thing in the world is my dog, Moose. I adopted him from the Greatest Birmingham Humane Society, but I don’t believe I rescued him – he rescued me!
Quincy Lacy Jr.
Major? Public Health and Spanish
Position in the lab? Undergraduate researcher
Birthday? December 3
Hometown? Mobile, AL
Future career plans? Medical school
Hobbies? Sewing; I am really into fashion design!
Favorite snack? Oreo cookies and milk
Fun fact about yourself? I was that kid that wore a doctor’s lab coat & tried to diagnose family members!
Heather Thorn
Major? Biomedical Engineering
Position in the lab? Undergraduate researcher
Birthday? January 10
Hometown? Fairfax, VA/Hoover, AL
Future career plans? I plan to work as an engineer and earn my Professional Engineer (PE) credentials, I hope to design and patent a device. I’d like to earn an MD/PhD to run clinical trials and work in policy.
Hobbies? Power lifting, spending time with my family, and reading.
Favorite snack? Tru Fru dark chocolate covered frozen raspberries and popcorn.
Fun fact about yourself? I play three instruments: the clarinet, the tenor saxophone, and the oboe.
Lilla Stjernstrom
Major? Genetics and Genomic Sciences
Position in the lab? Undergraduate researcher
Birthday? December 8
Hometown? Dothan, AL
Future career plans? Medical school in 2 years to become a physician
Hobbies? Listening to and discovering new music along with traveling whenever there isn’t a pandemic!
Favorite snack? Popcorn
Fun fact about yourself? I have citizenship from 2 countries: USA and Sweden!
Will Johnston
Major? Genetics and Genomic Sciences
Position in the lab? Undergraduate researcher
Birthday? May 30
Hometown? Huntsville, AL
Future career plans? Radiologist/physician
Hobbies? Fishing
Favorite snack? Cookie dough!
Fun fact about yourself? I own a small business that makes fishing lures and I sell them across the country!
Mingmar Sherpa
Major? Biomedical Sciences (Pre – Medicine)
Position in the lab? Undergraduate researcher
Birthday? April 14
Hometown? Solukhumbu, Nepal
Future career plans? Neurosurgeon
Hobbies? Listening to music
Favorite snack? MoMo, a typical Nepalese specialty!
Fun fact about yourself? I am very curious about different facts of Medicine!
Abigayle Kraus
Major? I completed my undergraduate degree in journalism and economics at Northwestern University.
Position in the lab? I worked with Carmen during my gap year between college and medical school. I enjoyed working with and learning form her so much I decided to come back as a medical student researcher.
Birthday? May 15
Hometown? Birmingham, AL
Future career plans? I am unsure what exact speciality I want to pursue, but I am currently thinking surgery or obstetrics.
Hobbies? I love anything active, especially hiking, yoga and beach volleyball.
Favorite snack? I’m not much of a snack person, but I love sushi!
Fun fact about yourself? I played volleyball in college
Alumni
Aleena George
Major? Medical Sociology
Position in the lab? Undergraduate researcher (Fall 2019-Spring 2020)
Birthday? January 4
Hometown? Memphis, TN
Future career plans? Medical school
Hobbies? Dancing
Favorite snack? Oreos
Fun fact about yourself? I love traveling and learning about different cultures
Maryam Khawar
Major? MSc. Biomedical Science (concentration: Pharmacology and Toxicology)
Position in the lab? Volunteer Researcher (2019)
Birthday? July 27
Hometown? Dubai, UAE
Future career plans? For the near future goals, I want to work and gain as much experience in Research, that can buckle me up for my long term goals, that are:
1) Work as a Biomedical/Clinical engineer in a well reputed company/industry especially merging my Pharmacology knowledge with Rehabilitation engineering.
2) Pursue my PhD in Biomedical Engineering. This way I will be able to incorporate my undergraduate and graduate knowledge into practice and good use
Hobbies? Binge-watch shows/movies on Netflix (life during the pandemic 2020). Enjoying and experiencing the outdoors – all things adventure!
Favorite snack? Anything chocolate (but please, I don’t like fruit flavors in my chocolates, hehe!)
Fun fact about yourself? Even though I was born and raised in Dubai (UAE), my home city (as of now) is also Lahore (Pakistan), and across the globe, I am a resident of the USA. Sounds confusing, but I don’t mind calling several places – my home.
Rawan Almutlaq
Major? Biochemistry major in undergrad and master’s in biotechnology
Position in the lab? Research Assistant (2019)
Birthday? November 11
Hometown? Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Future career plans? Pursuing a PhD and having my own lab
Hobbies? Cooking and baking
Favorite snack? Ferrero Rocher
Fun fact about yourself? One of my favorite things to do in my free time is to clean and organize
Vianna Martinez
Major? Biological Sciences
Position in the lab? 2019 KURE Summer undergraduate researcher
Birthday? May 9
Hometown? Turlock, CA
Future career plans? At the moment I am interested in pursuing biomedical research in graduate school and am keeping my career options open!
Hobbies? Listening to Podcasts
Favorite snack? Lays with Tapatio and Lime or Chocolate
Fun fact about yourself? When I was 15 I did a karate move and needed knee surgery because I landed wrong!
Hayden Stephens
Major? Psychology/Pre-Law
Position in the lab? Web coordinator
Birthday? January 12
Hometown? Troy, AL
Future career plans? I hope to graduate with a degree in Psychology, go on to law school and eventually become a criminal defense attorney.
Hobbies? I love amateur graphic design, calligraphy, and traveling!
Favorite snack? Does iced coffee count?
Fun fact about yourself? My dog is named after both Chewbacca and Tom Petty…
