OFALD Spotlight Archives

MD Candidate, Brody School of Medicine, Class of 2026
M.S. Physiology, NC State University, 2021
B.A. Music | Exercise and Sport Science, UNC, 2019

Arvind Subramaniam (Mallikarjunan) is a third-year medical student and Brody Scholar at the Brody School of Medicine from Durham, NC. He is an aspiring research-physician with a focus in healthcare technology. His current research includes using machine learning and AI models to predict patient complications; developing digital health software and chat-bots to enhance patient outcomes; 3D printing in healthcare; and healthcare technology adoption.

As an SSRP and Brody Scholar, Arvind joined the Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics at Johns Hopkins University, where he contributed to the development of cranial implants, AI-guided surgical robots, and augmented reality tools for minimally invasive surgery. He is also the co-founder of Nanbar Health, a software suite that assists healthcare providers in identifying root causes of patient issues through predictive algorithms and patient-led information.

Prior to starting medical school, Arvind’s research at Duke helped create over 15 digital health platforms. These tools are used to improve care for children and adults living with cancer, sickle cell disease, and chronic pain. He also founded The Knowledge Block, a non-profit organization that has donated over $7,000 worth of school supplies to teachers across North Carolina, including more than 40 computers for classrooms in need.

Arvind, a jazz saxophonist and composer, co-directs the jazz ensemble SMYA. When he’s not playing music, he enjoys working on his fixer-upper, gardening, and spending time with his partner, family, two dogs (Milo and Theo), and his tortoises.

Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine
BS, Georgia College and State University
MS, Florida State University

McLane Montgomery is a third-year graduate student in the biomedical sciences doctoral program. He is a member of the Fisher-Wellman lab in the East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute. The Fisher-Wellman lab focuses on the bioenergetic function of mitochondria in the context of different cancers including colorectal cancer, acute myeloid leukemia and melanoma. McLane’s research focuses on how respiratory complex I function is altered in colorectal cancer tumors and how this alteration my help cancer cells grow. Originally from Georgia, McLane obtained his undergraduate degree from Georgia College and State University. He then went on to complete his master’s degree at Florida State University, both degrees in exercise physiology. In his free time, McLane enjoys traveling, cooking, reading, listening to music, and spending time with his cat Rudy.

Associate Professor
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology

Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Ph.D., The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
B.S., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Dr. Chris Geyer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology at the Brody School of Medicine. Dr. Geyer has studied various aspects of mammalian spermatogenesis for the past 21 years, and his laboratory is currently focused on exploring how germ cells uniquely transition from mitosis to meiosis and how mitochondrial metabolism regulates both germ cell fate decisions and sperm motility. In terms of service, he is actively involved in leadership of the Triangle Consortium for Reproductive Biology and service as Membership Chair of the Society for the Study of Reproduction. At the Brody School of Medicine, he has served in a variety of capacities including on the research, promotion and tenure, and medical admissions committees. With Dr. John Cavanagh, he is working with colleagues in the ECU Business School to implement an MBA/PhD joint degree in 2025. He is also passionate about graduate education – with faculty colleagues, he developed and currently co-directs two graduate student courses – Molecular Cell Biology with Dr. Shaw Akula and Research Proposal Strategies with Dr. Brett Keiper. He also teaches M1 students in the Medical Histology and Cell Biology course.

He grew up in central Virginia and joined the faculty at ECU in 2010. He and his wife Catherine have two children, Nathan (19) and Sarah (16), and in his spare time enjoys kayak fishing, running, and spending time outdoors.

 

MD Candidate, Class of 2025
B.S Public Health, UNC, 2018
M.S.  Physiology, NC State University, 2020

Uma Gaddamanugu is a third-year medical student at the Brody School of Medicine. Uma is an aspiring OB/GYN who is passionate about advancing maternal health equity through community engagement and policy reform. As a Brody Scholar and North Carolina Albert Schweitzer Fellow, Uma co-founded ECU Birth Companions, a free volunteer birth doula program at ECU Health Medical Center. Uma was recently awarded the NC Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service for the program’s contributions, which trained over 60 volunteers who supported 262 birthing patients in one year. She is also a LINC Scholar and is currently working on a Quality Improvement project to help address food insecurity at ECU’s High-Risk Outpatient OB clinic.

Prior to starting medical school, Uma spent three summers volunteering with a women’s empowerment nonprofit in rural India, where she partnered with local women to create menstrual hygiene workshops, a community health worker program, and helped establish the village’s first women’s health clinic.

Uma is a Winston-Salem native, trained Indian Classical dancer, and speaks four languages. Outside of school, Uma loves to spend time with family and friends, dancing, tackling puzzles, traveling, and listening to Beyoncé.

 

Ph.D. Graduate, Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine 

BS in Biology, Indiana University Southeast 

BS in Chemistry – Biochemistry, Indiana University Southeast 

Zoë is a recent Ph.D. graduate from the Physiology Department at Brody School of Medicine. She is hoping to use her experience in research to pursue a career in science communication in the pharmaceutical industry. Zoë completed her Ph.D. in the lab of Dr. Joseph McClung where her project focused on investigating genetic contributors of disease severity and disparities of limb amputation in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). During her time as a Ph.D. candidate, she co-founded the Grad PIRATE Talks, a series aimed at Promoting Inclusion through Research, Action, Teaching, and Education. She is also an outspoken advocate for graduate students and served as both the Chair of Equity and Diversity and the President of the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) for a combined three years. In these leadership roles, she coordinated Pass/Fail opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic and developed individual travel funding opportunities for graduate students.

Zoë is an avid traveler and never misses an opportunity for a new adventure. She also enjoys hiking, yoga, running, reading, being in nature, and organizing anything and everything