Dr. Kelly A. Hyndman

Current Members

Huy Nguyen

Graduate Student

Undergraduate institution & Major?

  • BS from Ho Chi Minh University of Education, Organic Chemistry
  • MS from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Biotechnology

Hometown? Saigon, Vietnam

Career apsiration? Get my PhD degree and find a research position in a Pharmaceutical Company. 

Fun Fact? If you don’t want me to touch your food, just put in some slices of cucumber!

Nha Van Huynh (preferred name: Van)

Graduate Student

Previous institutions & majors?

BS: Biology – Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City

MS: Animal Physiology – Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City

Hometown? Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Career aspirations? I aspire to get a researcher position in cellular and molecular biology that involves both dry and wet lab work. I am also teaching myself some data science for a side job. I love to learn.

Fun Fact? I was born in Vietnam, but I am actually Cantonese in origin. While I know some Mandarin and Japanese, I can’t really speak Cantonese. Well, I don’t really have a fun fact so, thanks for reading this far.

Phi Hung Nguyen

Master of Science Student 2022-2024

Undergraduate institution & major? Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy – Major: Doctor of Medicine

Hometown? Hue, Vietnam

Career aspirations? I want to pursue Ph.D degree, and develop skills and knowledge in the renal research field to contribute to clinical applications for patients.

Fun Fact?I like to solve problems and my motto is “Nothing is impossible”. I usually play 8-ball pools in my free time.

Anna Montgomery

Researcher IV

Previous institutions & majors?

Auburn University – B.S. Integrative Biology

Clemson University – M.S. Biology

Hometown? Rome, GA

Career aspirations? I hope to become a lab manager.

Fun Fact? love animals! I have a pet dog, a pet cat, and a pet rabbit.

Nick Harris

Gap year intern 2023-2024

Undergraduate researcher 2021-2023

Undergraduate institution & major? University of Alabama at Birmingham; Molecular Biology

Hometown? Hueytown, AL

Career aspirations? I hope to attend medical school and maybe become a professor as well.

Fun Fact? I’m a twin! I have a twin sister that also attends UAB.

Cassidy Rehage

Researcher II 2023-

Gap Year Intern 2022-2023

Undergraduate institution & major? Auburn University; Neuroscience

Hometown? Madison, AL

Career aspirations? Attend UAB’s medical school and maybe become a surgeon

Fun Fact? I love traveling and have been to four continents so far

Jeremiah Studivant

Gap year intern 2024-

Undergraduate institutions & majors?

Honors in Molecular Biology & Genetics at The University Of The South, Sewanee, Tn.

Hometown? Bessemer, Al 

Career aspirations? I aspire to do research and academia as an Evolutionary Biochemist.

Fun Fact? I’m a musician. I’ve been playing the tuba for approximately 10 years.


Alumni

Margi Patel

Researcher II 2023-2024

Gap Year Intern 2022-2023

Undergraduate institution & major? University of Alabama at Birmingham, Biology and Public Health 

Hometown? York, AL

Career aspirations? I hope to attend medical school, but I am not quite sure which specialty yet. 

Fun Fact? I have visited 11 countries, and would love to travel more!

Anabelle Gales

Science and Technology Honors Student 2019-2023

Undergraduate institution & major? University of Alabama at Birmingham; Genetics

Hometown? Decatur, AL

Career aspirations? I hope to attend the dental school at UAB and become a dentist. However, I am not sure if I want to specialize in a specific field.

Fun Fact? I love to crochet and knit beanies, stuffed plushies, and more in my free time.

Luciano Deven Mendoza

Researcher IV

Undergraduate institution & major? Mississippi State University, B.S. in Biological Sciences

Hometown? Gautier, MS

Career aspirations? Researcher

Fun Fact? I love reading fantasy books and woodworking!

Liz Binning

Gap Year Intern 2020-2021

Reasecher II 2021-2022

Undergraduate institution & major? Birmingham-Southern College; Biology

Hometown? Baton Rouge, LA

Career aspirations? Genetic Counseling

Fun Fact? I volunteered at a wild life center where I fed and handled raptors!

Amber Nobles

Researcher V

Undergraduate institution & major? Univesity of Alabama; Biological Sciences

Hometown? Valley, AL

Career aspirations? Continue research and make discoveries that help people live better and healthier lives. I’ve also considered running for political position one day in hopes to improve public health policies/practices for Americans. I plan to paint and write books and when I retire or in my “spare” time.

Fun Fact? I love to grow vegetables and play guitar and base.

Ariana Ramos

Undergraduate Honors Student

Undergraduate institution & major? University of Alabama at Birmingham; Biomedical Science

Hometown? Enterprise, AL

Career aspirations? I aspire to be a physician. Though I can safely say that every area of medicine interests me, family medicine and general surgery are two specialties that have especially drawn me.

Fun Fact? I once held the record for the 800-meter run at Enterprise High School.

Maddie Hand

Undergraduate Honors Student

Undergraduate institution & Major? University of Alabama Birmingham, Nursing

Hometown? Nashville, TN

Career aspirations? I am hoping to become a CRNA following nursing school.

Fun Fact? I love cooking and rock climbing in my free time!

Kanika Garg

KURE Summer Student 2021

Undergraduate institution & major? Purdue University; Psychological Sciences (major) and Biochemistry (minor)

Hometown? Paramus, New Jersey

Career aspirations? I hope to be a doctor, although I’m not sure of which specialty.

Fun Fact? I love singing and recently started songwriting!

Kaitylyn J. Aldaz

KURE Summer Student 2019

Undergraduate institution & major? University of California, Merced; Psychology with Pre-Medical emphasis

Hometown? Glendale, AZ

Current position? Post-Baccalaureate Student at Washington University in St. Louis and part-time Scribe/ Medical Assistant at Synergi MedSpa

Career aspirations? Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgeon

Fun Fact? I come from a big and loving family of 11!

Parker Davis

Gap Year Intern 2019-2020

Undergraduate institution & major? University of Alabama; Biology (BS) and Political Science (BA). Graduate: Case Western Reserve University; Medical Physiology (MS).

Hometown? Luxembourg

Current position? In Medical School in Ohio

Career aspirations? Physician

Fun Fact? My name is Parker and I own one parka, I live across from a public park on Park Ln, with an apartment view of a parking lot, and I have only parallel parked once in my life.

Courtney Dugas

Lab Manager

Undergraduate institution & major? Millsaps College, biology

Hometown? New Orleans, LA

Current position? Medical Research Specialist

Fun Fact? I love running half marathons through Disney World

Not Pictured:

Sureena Monterio-Pai, 2017-2019 former SciTech Honors student, currently in Residency at the UMMC

Omar Alnajjar, KURE student 2019

Hailey Levi, PROMOTE Student 2020, currently a graduate student at UAB

Ayaka Fujihashi, PROMOTE Student 2020, currently in Residency.

Allie Arguello, summer researcher, 2014, 2015, Orthapeutic Surgery Residency

Fun inside and outside of the lab

Margi’s last day before heading off to medical school! We wore green, her choice, to say we will miss you! We also decided the photo had to be by the microtome where Margi excelled and trained everyone in this picture on how to use it! Go off and do great things Margi!

End of 2023 team fun escaping the Clue Room!


Holiday Fun 2022 just missing Huy and Nick

Huy presenting his poster at the UAB Graduate School Research Symposium 2022
2021 Winter Party: Locked In at The Laboratory! We escaped: Deven, Huy, Anabelle, Maddie, Liz, Kelly
KURE Symposium 2021: Kanika, Kelly, Deven, Anabelle
KURE Symposium 2018: Omar, Katie, Kelly, Deven
SciTech Honors Student Sureena Monterio-Pai presenting her poster at the Experimental Biology Meeting in Orlando. She won both an abstract based award, and an award for her presentation.