I am Rinky Abraham a graduate at NC State in Computer Science with a passion to understand why we think the way we do. As a working professional trained in providing software solutions to clients in the Biopharma industry, I find providing impactful solutions to problems that I am exposed to at work and my academic curriculum incredibly rewarding.

My interest in neuroscience started when I first heard about brain plasticity which led me into reading about lots of science heavy topics. My interests gradually narrowed down to understanding certain negative states of mind like anxiety, depression and now more in the lines of how to measure positive reward systems in the brain and map them to sustainable behaviour patterns in people. 

Outside work, I like to review movies that talk about social constructs, spend quality time with friends and family and explore new restaurants. Excited to be part of the 2025 cohort to learn about management and evaluation of neurological data.

I am a 3rd-year PhD student in Wake Forest University’s Neuroscience Graduate Program. Prior to graduate school, I worked in the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and studied risk factors for cognitive decline. Currently, I work with Dr. Paul Laurienti in Wake Forest’s Laboratory for Complex Brain Networks. I’m most interested in how functional brain networks vary from moment to moment, especially in young people and in contexts relevant to substance use.

Kaiyi Liu is a rising senior at Boston University pursuing a dual degree in Mathematics and Data Science. His current research focuses on applying generative deep learning methods to study brain connectivity and cortical surface patterns, with the goal of advancing computational tools for neuroscience and mental health research. Outside of academics, Kaiyi enjoys jogging, hiking, and exploring nature.

Deepak Sai Pendyala is a Master’s student in Computer Science at North Carolina State University. He holds a B.Tech in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Amrita School of Engineering, India. Deepak currently collaborates as a Graduate Research Assistant under Professor Yaroslava Yingling, contributing to the STEPS Center through research in multi-agent systems, explainable AI, and feedback-driven pipelines. His work focuses on developing trustworthy and scalable AI architectures, particularly Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems for scientific applications.

Previously, Deepak interned at Amazon as an Applied Scientist, where he developed GenAI-based solutions within Amazon’s FinTech division. He led the creation of specialized tools using AWS SageMaker and implemented a complete MLOps pipeline that supported end-to-end model lifecycle management, including feedback-driven retraining and deployment mechanisms. He is also an Intel IoT Student Ambassador, DeepLearning.AI Event Ambassador, Intel Edge AI Certified Developer, AWS Machine Learning Scholar, and was recognized as one of DeepLearning.AI’s Top 10 global Pie & AI Ambassadors in 2022.

Haoze Du is a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science at North Carolina State University, advised by Dr. Edward F. Gehringer. His research explores the intersection of large language models (LLMs), human-in-the-loop learning, and educational AI. Recently, Haoze has become deeply engaged in bridging LLMs with neuroscience and brain research, focusing on how generative models can help decode, simulate, and explain neural behavior.

Hi! I’m Lakshmi, a graduate student in Computer Science at NC State University. I’m fascinated by how we can use data to better understand the brain, and I’m excited to be part of UNC EPIC to explore the intersection of neuroscience and machine learning. Before grad school, I worked with data in the fintech world, but now I’m eager to apply those skills to something more human-centered, like brain development and behavior. Outside of academics, I love cooking, drawing mandalas, and trying out new boba places. Looking forward to learning a lot and meeting everyone!

Hi! This is Tongyu (she/her), an upcoming senior undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill, double majoring in Statistics and Economics. I’m broadly interested in data-driven decision learning and the use of machine learning techniques to solve real-world problems. Recently, I’ve become increasingly curious about how these tools can be applied to neuroscience. I’ve built a strong foundation in statistical modeling and optimization through both coursework and independent projects, and I’m excited to explore how these skills can contribute to brain network analysis. I look forward to learning from this summer camp and connecting with peers and mentors across disciplines. It’s a pleasure to meet you all!

My name is Melika Ahmadi Ranjbar, and I am a third-year (done with my third year) PhD student in Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering at North Carolina State University. I have been working on Deep Learning and Machine Learning applications for synthesizing realistic MRI images, considering the scarcity of available data for training various models in this field. As my area of expertise and prior experiences indicate, I have always been interested in data science and its applications in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and healthcare. I have always enjoyed teamwork as it helps bring out the best in everyone by putting together different perspectives, whether in research and professional environments or personal life and fun activities. Other than research, I have an active lifestyle, and I enjoy outdoor activities, especially hiking and playing sports such as swimming, volleyball, basketball, and squash.
Looking forward to meeting everyone and making new connections!

Hi there! I’m Hector. I’m a computer science student, a national guard soldier, and full time overthinker. I split my time between watching movies, and reading short stories because I’m too impatient for world building. I’m passionate about tech, space, science in general, fitness, and understanding what makes people tick (probably why I read more psychology articles than I care to admit).

I’m joining UNC EPIC to explore intersections between healthcare and technology, and to connect with fellow curious minds. If you catch me not studying, I’m likely at the gym, experimenting with a side project, or pretending I’m not addicted to my phone.

Hey! I'm Lawrence Stephenson, a graduate student at NC State pursuing a master's degree in Computer Science on the Data Science track. I recently received my B.S. in Computer Science from NC State with a minor in Business Entrepreneurship. My passions lie in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Web Development. Some recent projects I have worked on include a cloud-based web honeypot for luring and detecting malicious actors, and exploring music genre classification with kNN models. My motivations for applying to this program stemmed from having family with neurodegenerative disorders and wondering how data science could be applied to healthcare and neurological research. In my freetime, I enjoy learning new things, anime, weightlifting, and competitive fighting/reflex-based games.

Hi, my name is Yutong, but I also go by Benny. I’m a rising senior majoring in Statistics at Virginia Tech. My academic interests center around applied statistics, data science, and their integration with biological research. Over the past few years, I’ve been involved in research projects related to biomedical engineering, which sparked my passion for applying statistical modeling to real-world biomedical challenges.

Although I’m relatively new to neuroscience data analysis, I’m excited to explore this field further through programming and data analysis. I look forward to learning more about brain imaging data and connectome science during the UNC EPIC Summer Camp. Outside of academics, I also enjoy playing sports, traveling, and watching TV shows.

I am an incoming Clinical Psychology PhD student at UNC Chapel Hill working under the mentorship of Drs. Crystal Schiller and Gabriel Dichter. My research interests are rooted in affective disorders surrounding reproductive transitions across the female lifespan. Specifically, I am interested in identifying predictors of estradiol administration response for mood disturbances during the menopause transition as well as examining how estradiol impacts brain function. In the future, I hope to incorporate computational neuroscience methods to further explore these data.

Hi, I’m Bharadwaj Katna, a Master’s student in Computer Science at NC State University, with a strong interest in data science, machine learning, and applied AI. I’ve worked on projects involving natural language processing, time-series forecasting, and neural network models but I’ve always been intrigued by how these techniques could be applied beyond traditional tech domains. That curiosity is what brought me to the UNC EPIC Summer Camp to explore neuroscience data analysis, understand how brain signals can be interpreted through computational models, and meet others who share this interdisciplinary interest. When I’m not coding or working on projects, you’ll usually find me at the gym, watching a good movie, playing cricket/badminton.

I did my undergrad in India, where I studied Information and Communication Technology—and spent a lot of time knee-deep in signal processing, systems design, and figuring out how things tick (and occasionally, how they break).

Curiosity led me to NC State University for my Master’s in Computer Science, with a concentration in Data Science. Along the way, I dabbled in Graph Neural Networks through projects aimed at making digital spaces safer—something that got me thinking more broadly about how tech can shape the way we interact. I'm endlessly curious about how complex systems—whether neural or societal—process information and make decisions.

Lately, I’ve been fascinated by Computational Social Choice, a field that brings together computer science, mathematics, economics, and political science into one big, interdisciplinary think-fest. This interest naturally connects with my growing curiosity about Network Science and Optimization, especially in the context of decision-making systems and societal impact. I’m excited to explore these topics further through a doctoral program in Systems Analytics and Optimization, and to see how they can help us better understand and improve the complex systems that shape our world.

Hi, I’m Yu. I’m currently a first-year master’s student in Statistics at UNC, where I also completed my bachelor’s degree in Statistics. I’ve previously had some experience with brain connectome modeling. My motivation is to understand the relationship between the connectome and ADHD, as well as other disorders, to help improve diagnosis and treatment. Outside of academics, art and bouldering are big parts of my life

Anjali recently graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience, with a second major in English and Comparative Literature. She currently works in a neuroscience step-down unit at Duke University Hospital, as well as at Dr. Aysenil Belger’s Neurocognition and Imaging Research Lab (NIRL) at the UNC School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry. Having completed an undergraduate thesis using adolescent functional imaging data, she is excited to learn more about analytical techniques for neuroimaging data. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, attending spin classes, singing Carnatic music, and sipping chai with friends.

Hi all! I’m Ziyi Zhang, a first-year graduate student in Public Health Data Science at UNC Gillings. With a background in medicine and epidemiology, I’m particularly interested in applying advanced analytical methods to the fields of cancer therapy, neurodegenerative diseases, and psychiatry to improve health outcomes and quality of life for affected populations. Outside of academics, I enjoy hiking, running, and any outdoor activity that brings me closer to nature.

I recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a double major in Economics and Information Science, and a minor in Data Science. My academic interests lie at the intersection of data analysis, technology, and behavioral science. I’m passionate about applying data-driven approaches to understand human behavior and complex systems, especially in healthcare and neuroscience. I look forward to deepening my skills in brain data analysis and collaborating with peers from diverse academic backgrounds during the EPIC Summer Camp. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, photography, and outdoor activities.