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Victor Polanco Vargas

MPH - General Track
Born in the Dominican Republic, I am a medical doctor with a strong focus on cancer epidemiology. My interests encompass molecular epidemiology, cancer prevention, population sciences, cancer registries, and global oncology. I am also dedicated to clinical epidemiology and addressing health disparities, particularly the underrepresentation of Latinx populations in clinical trials. I have a special...

Ling Guan

PhD
Ling Guan is a PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology at UW, where she also earned her MS in Epidemiology in 2023. She obtained her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Peking University in China in 2015. Ling is a first-generation college student and is of Chinese Manchu minority descent. She was born...

Kendall Lawley

PhD
Kendall Lawley is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology. She received an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Washington in 2023 and an MS in Experimental Psychology from Western Washington University in 2019. Her research focuses on sexual and reproductive health for LGBTQ+ communities with a …

Rebecca Sweem

MS - General Epidemiology
I am pursuing an M.S. in Epidemiology, where I aim to combine my military background and passion about the intersection of science, research, and healthcare to help support Veterans affected by toxic chemical exposures. My journey began with eight rewarding years in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer and then with the Seattle...

Austin Hammermeister Suger

PhD
Austin is a PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology. He holds an M.S. in Genetic Epidemiology from the University of Washington Institute for Public Health Genetics. His research is focused on examining the relationships between rare genetic variation and multiple cancer types. Austin is also passionate about teaching and has worked to facilitate student...

Yilda Macias

PhD
Yilda Macias is an aspiring cancer epidemiologist, PhD student in Epidemiology, NCI predoctoral fellow in the Developing Data-Driven Cancer Researchers (3DCR) training program, and Professional Support Specialist with the Greenlee Studies Group at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. She holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Behavior and Health Promotion from New Mexico...

Shengruo Zhang

Shengruo Zhang is a Ph.D. candidate, particularly interested in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as HPV/HIV and bacterial STIs, both in the US and globally. She supports underserved communities in accessing trusted and culturally competent care. Shengruo is an ethnic Mongolian originally from China and a first-generation college student.