Biography:

Ariana obtained her bachelor’s degree in cell biology/biochemistry at Bucknell University. At Bucknell, she trained under the mentorship of Dr. Mark Haussmann, studying the effects of prenatal and acute stress on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function, cellular aging, and organismal fitness. Through her undergraduate research, Ariana discovered her passion for biomedical research and decided to pursue a PhD in cancer biology, hoping to apply her passion for scientific research to make discoveries that can potentially save lives.

Following her graduation from Bucknell in 2020, Ariana started her PhD in the Cell and Molecular Biology: Cancer Biology program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. From 2021 to 2023, Ariana studied the role of the Y chromosome in melanoma pathobiology under the mentorship of Dr. Todd Ridky. In May 2023, Ariana joined the lab of Dr. Bryson Katona. Her thesis project seeks to elucidate the role of menin in colorectal adenoma formation and progression and to determine whether menin inhibition can serve as a novel mechanism for colorectal cancer chemoprevention in FAP. After obtaining her PhD, Ariana plans to remain in academia with the ultimate goal of becoming a principal investigator at an academic institution.