Riya T
- Research Program Mentor

MD candidate at Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Expertise

Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Genetics, Psychology, Sociology, English, Religious Studies, Theology, Philosophy, Indian Classical Dance (Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi), Cultural Studies

Bio

My name is Riya Thomas and I am from Boston, MA. I graduated from Boston College in 2020 with degrees in Biology and Theology. I am currently a fourth-year medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NY. During my high school and college years, I expanded upon my interest in science and through it, discovered my passion for finding tangible solutions to complex problems. This passion, along with my interest in bioethics and advocacy, solidified my interest in medicine. My interests paved a unique academic path for me and allowed me to find ways to combine my passions for the biological sciences and social justice.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Scientific Literature Review

The project focuses on writing a literature review paper that focuses on the role of centronuclear myopathy-linked genes in regulating nuclear movement and positioning using Drosophila melanogaster as the model organism. Writing a concise review includes choosing specific subtopics of interest within the larger subject and consolidating data from several papers to propose an idea. The subtopics for this review will include studies that look at the effects of disrupting proteins that regulate T-tubule structures in the skeletal muscle, how CNM-linked genes interact with other regulators of nuclear movement, such as microtubule- and actin-associated proteins, and understanding how the entire process is coordinated specifically during embryonic development.

Languages I know

Malayalam - fluent in speaking

Teaching experience

I volunteered at the English as a Second Language (ESL) program at Charlesview Inc. in Boston. My responsibilities included administering weekly beginner English lessons for students in collaboration with other teachers, organizing extracurricular language oriented activities, and working with advanced level students to improve communication skills. Additionally I led in-person tutoring sessions for 4-6 hours per week for two students from underrepresented backgrounds in Molecules and Cells (BIOL2000), a primary biology course at Boston College. I created supplementary curriculum and tailored study guides for each student to organize course material. I also helped the students develop critical study skills that would help them succeed in all college courses, such as learning how to take notes in class and access online resources for additional practice. Since the students wished to further pursue science in college, I provided advice for future classes and career development as well.

Credentials

Work experience

Brigham and Women's Hospital - Trauma Immunology Lab (2017 - 2018)

Research Assistant

Brigham and Women's Hospital - Department of Allergy and Immunology (2020 - 2021)

Medical Assistant

Boston College - Department of Cell and Developmental Biology (2017 - 2020)

Research Student

Education

Boston College

BS Bachelor of Science (2020)

Biology, Theology

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

MD Doctor of Medicine candidate

Medicine

Completed Projects

How does genetic hybridization (via mating/mixing of species) affect the vocalization genes in birds? How can that provide new approaches for human speech therapy?