#  2026 VRIP Concludes 

 





August 04, 2026

 

 

   ![The 2026 VRIP cohort stands in front of a surgical painting and display on the 5th floor of the Countway Library.](/sites/g/files/omnuum11411/files/styles/hwp_1_1__960x960_scale/public/2026-09/Screenshot%202026-09-10%20at%209.43.46%E2%80%AFAM.png?itok=uUOogY7N) 

 

On Thursday, July 23, 11 medical students presented their summer research projects during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Visiting Research Internship Program (VRIP). VRIP was established in 2009 as an eight-week mentored summer research program for first- and second-year medical and dental school students. Students are able to research a topic related to their interest in research and health-related careers, particularly on the clinical and translational research side. In addition to spending the summer in Boston and in the labs, students also attend networking events, seminars, and other offerings from Harvard Medical School.

Many lab members and PIs of the VRIP students were in attendance, virtually and in-person.

**2026 VRIP Cohort:**

**Areeb Ahmad**

University of Central Florida

Mentor/PI: Ben Freedman, PhD Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

**Fatima Al-Shimari**

University of Washington

Mentor/PI: Sonia Cohen, MD, PhD and Hensin Tsao, MD Massachusetts General Hospital

 **Ariana Ameglio**

University of Florida

Mentor/PI: Lydia Maurer, MD, MPH Massachusetts General Hospital

**Coralys Cuevas**

Universidad Central del Caribe

Mentor/PI: Sara Neill, MD, MPH Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

**Maria Daniels**

Sidney Kimmel Medical College

Mentor: Yi Wang, PhD

Mentor: William Pu, MD

Boston Children’s Hospital

 **Norman Liu**

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Mentor: Rose Glass, PhD

PI: Mustafa Sahin, MD/PhD

Boston Children’s Hospital

 **Sarah Martin**

University of California – San Francisco

Mentor/PI: Jim Naples, MD Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

 **Alysia Martinez**

University of Chicago

Mentor/PI: Timothy Yu, MD, PhD, Boston Children’s Hospital

 **Crystal Sanchez**

Texas Tech – Paul Foster

Mentor/PI: Megan Insco, MD, PhD Dana Farber Cancer Institute

 **Jeanpierre Tenesaca**

State University of New York Upstate

Mentor/PI: Alan Penzias, MD Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

 **Matusala Youhannes**

University of Mississippi

Mentor/PI: Jennifer Huang, MD, Boston Children’s Hospital



 

 

 



 

 

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