OFALD Notable Alumni Archives

M3 and Brody Scholar (“26)
BS Biochemistry and Chemistry.

Valentine is a third-year medical student at the Brody School of Medicine. He graduated from East Carolina University with degrees in Biochemistry and Chemistry, earning the Outstanding Senior Award from the Department of Biology before pursuing his medical education.

Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Valentine completed high school before moving to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue his college education at ECU. Growing up in Nigeria, he witnessed firsthand the challenges of a strained healthcare system when a delayed and incorrect treatment plan nearly cost him his leg. This traumatic experience became a turning point in his life, fueling his passion for medicine and a commitment to improving health systems.

Valentine is deeply motivated to serve underserved communities. He aspires to pioneer innovative strategies that enhance health outcomes and improve the quality of life for those in need. His medical interests include promoting effective healthcare systems to advance health equity and address health disparities.

Before medical school, Valentine demonstrated his dedication to patient care as a patient transport volunteer at Vidant Health, where he provided comfort to patients during hospital admissions and discharges. He also gained valuable experience as a scientist at ThermoFisher Scientific, collaborating on teams to develop life-saving medications, including the COVID-19 vaccine.

As a medical student, Valentine combines his love for soccer with community engagement by coaching youth soccer through the Brody Coaches Association. In his free time, he enjoys exploring Greenville’s scenic trails. He is proud to be a Pirate!

Ph.D. Student-IDPBBC Biomedicine
M.S. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, ECU ‘24

Bishwa completed his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Zoology in Nepal . He later pursued his passion for molecular biology by earning his M.S. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from ECU in 2024. While in Nepal, Bishwa gained valuable teaching experience at the undergraduate level, which he continued at ECU as a Teaching Assistant for the Department of Biology, where he taught Human Physiology and Anatomy labs for two years. His dedication to teaching and the positive impact he had on students’ lives led to his selection as an honorary coach for the 2022-23 season of ECU Women’s Basketball.

Bishwa chose the Brody School of Medicine because of its renowned faculty and cutting-edge research facilities. He was particularly drawn to Brody’s strong focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative research in biomedical sciences. Since joining the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Bishwa has been conducting research focused on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on neurodegeneration, exploring how viral infections may contribute to diseases like Alzheimer’s. He is also working on developing innovative therapeutic approaches to target neurodegenerative processes.

Outside of his academic and research work, Bishwa enjoys playing soccer, cricket, reading, and spending quality time with his loved ones.

Director of Alumni Affairs

MS, Counseling & Education, East Carolina University, ‘09
BS, Fine Arts, East Carolina University, ‘02

Krista Wilhelm is a proud two-time ECU graduate holding a master’s degree in Counseling Education and bachelor’s degrees in Fine Arts with a focus on Dance and Theatre, and Elementary Education.

As Director of Alumni Affairs at the ECU Brody School of Medicine, Krista is dedicated to strengthening alumni relations and supporting philanthropic initiatives. She leads the annual Alumni Reunion Weekend, manages the Alumni Council Board meetings, and facilitates the Alumni Awards voting process. In her nearly two years in this role, she has launched an alumni re-engagement campaign, hosted gatherings across North Carolina, and initiated an annual check-up to keep alumni connected. She is also working to develop alumni networks to provide career guidance and mentorship for current medical and biomedical students.

As the President for the North Carolina College Personnel Association, a subsidiary of ACPA – College Student Educators International, a three-year term, Krista was able to give back to her profession me and mentor others. Krista is a certified Gallup Strengths coach, certified in Kouzes & Posner Leadership Challenge and trained on True Colors. She has facilitated numerous professional development workshops, taught leadership seminars, and led the highly award-wining, G.O.L.D. Leaders program, which graduated nearly 200 college students in one year. She has presented nationally, regionally, and been a guest speaker on several occasions: most recently for the Junior League.

In her free time, Krista enjoys spending time with her adventurous nephew, Noah, along with family and friends.

Professor, Department of Pediatrics
BS, NC State University
PhD, University of NC Chapel Hill
MD, Brody School of Medicine

David N. Collier is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Brody School of Medicine. Dr. Collier earned a BS in Animal Science from NC State University, a PhD in Microbiology/Immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his MD degree from the Brody School of Medicine (2001) and completed a Pediatrics Residency at University Health Systems (now ECU Health) in Greenville, NC (2004). He is the Director of ECU’s Pediatric Healthy Weight Research and Treatment Center and serves as a Co-Director of the Translational Research Support Core for NC State University’s Center for Human Health and the Environment. His clinical focus is the treatment of children and adolescents with obesity and his research efforts center on the role of environmental exposures in human health and disease.

His wife is an academic pediatrician, he has two grown children, and he enjoys boating, camping and other outdoor activities with family and friends.

M.D. Candidate
M.S. Environmental and Organismic Biology, (’18)
B.S. Biology, (’15)

Emily completed her B.S. in Biology from ECU in 2015 and her M.S. in Environmental and Organismic Biology in 2018. During Emily’s M.S. degree, she found a passion for education while teaching Anatomy and Physiology lab courses to undergraduate students as a teaching assistant. After graduating Emily continued working in education and was responsible for teaching and curriculum development in general biology, anatomy and physiology, and microbiology lab courses at ECU.

One of the reasons she chose Brody for medical school was because of the Medical Education and Teaching distinction track. Since joining the MET track, Emily has focused on developing innovative educational modules for pre-clinical learners, including using VR simulation to teach Point-of-Care ultrasound techniques and “gamifying” longitudinal review of microbiology concepts that are high-yield on Step 1. Emily serves as her class curriculum representative through MSC, and she is an active participant on several curriculum committees at Brody.

In Emily’s free time, she likes to spend time with her dog, read, and care for her many houseplants.

PhD Student in Anatomy & Cell Biology
B.S. Biochemistry, ECU ‘22

Hannah Croy is a PhD student entering her 3rd year under Dr. Jeff Eells researching the linkage between Long COVID19 and Parkinson’s Disease at the Brody School of Medicine. She graduated from East Carolina University in 2022 magna cum laude with a bachelors in Biochemistry. While at ECU, Hannah was a Residential Scholar and resided in the Jarvis Leadership LLC for two years where she held various mentor positions and volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House. While receiving her education, she worked part-time at the Writing Center located in Joyner Library where she assisted ECU students and staff in brainstorming or editing a wide variety of writing assignments. Additionally, she worked for Advanced Clinical, a service provider for clinical trials, where she helped compile documentation on drug trials to send off for FDA approval. While working at Advanced Clinical, Hannah realized she wanted to explore the hands-on side of scientific research and took an undergraduate research position with her biochemistry professor, Dr. Horn. There, she learned the basics of laboratory science and fell in love with conducting research and investigating the gaps in knowledge. She has a passion for neuroscience which has led to her proposed candidacy research on the Long COVID19 effects on dopamine neurons and its implications for progressive Parkinson’s Disease.

In her free time, Hannah enjoys training her dog, walking on the greenway and watching sports.

Master of Social Work, East Carolina University 2012
Bachelor of Social Work with a Minor in Substance Abuse, East Carolina University 2007

Kendrick Burden serves as the Wellness Counselor in the Office of Student Success and Wellness at the Brody School of Medicine (BSOM). He holds several professional credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist (LCAS), and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP). Kendrick graduated in 2007 with a B.S. in Social Work and a minor in Substance Abuse. He is proficient in various evidence-based psychotherapy treatment models, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS), and multiple levels of Triple P Positive Parenting. Additionally, he is certified in the Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training.

At BSOM, Kendrick offers confidential personal counseling and wellness support to preclinical and clinical undergraduate medical students and master’s and PhD graduate students. Since joining BSOM in 2023, he has initiated several programs and accommodations: the Grab & Go Snack Cart/Table for students, a Student Referral Program with Dr. Sandy Dixon to facilitate reporting students in distress and embedding himself in ECU Health’s Department of Surgery to enhance care for clinical medical students (M3 & M4). Kendrick also served as an application screener for the Brody Admissions Committee and has extended student appointment hours on Thursday afternoons. He also provides consultation to Brody faculty and staff on various student mental health and wellness issues.

Kendrick is a North Carolina native. He and his wife, Sheena, have two children: Christian (20) from his previous relationship with Celisha and Kennedi (11). In his free time, Kendrick enjoys exercising, traveling, spending time with family, and participating in competitive activities.