About YSM

The Yale Scientific Magazine, established in 1894, is the nation’s oldest college science publication and the premier science publication at Yale.

Our Mission

The Yale Scientific Magazine is a student-run quarterly science publication featuring groundbreaking scientific research at Yale and beyond. Composed of writers, editors, photographers, artists, designers, and businesspeople, our interdisciplinary team is united by the belief that science should be accessible and exciting to everyone—even those without a scientific background. This is exemplified not only in our magazine but in our outreach through Synapse, which hosts STEM outreach programs to empower New Haven youth. We hope you join our team of more than 200 students and over 2,000 worldwide subscribers as we share the stories of science.

2023 YSM Masthead

Managing Team

	Alex Dong Editor-in-Chief Alex Dong (BF ’24) is a junior double-majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Humanities from Calgary, Canada. He has previously served as a features editor, copy editor, senior staff writer, layout designer, photographer, and artist. Outside of YSM, Alex serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Layer, works as a Yale Tour Guide, and plays for Yale’s Club Volleyball team. In his free time, you can find him cruising on his longboard and vibing to Noah Kahan.
	Sophia Li Managing Editor Sophia Li (PM ’24) is double majoring in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and English. She has been involved in the YSM since her first year as a Synapse Co-President, Scope columnist, staff writer and most recently the Special Sections editor. Sophia also conducts immunology research studying NK cell protein interactions at the Yale School of Medicine. Sophia also loves creative writing, and in her free time, you can find her reading, biking, or singing in her a cappella group.
	Madison Houck Managing Editor Madison Houck (GH ’24) is majoring in Chemistry with a certificate in French. She’s been writing for YSM since her very first semester at Yale and has served as the news editor and a Resonance conference teacher. Outside of YSM, she’s the social chair for GREEN and does research in the Mayer lab. You can find her perfecting her most recent Spotify playlist, drinking tea, or organizing her life on Notion.

Editorial Team

	Kayla Yup Articles Editor Kayla Yup (PC ’25) hails from Baltimore, Maryland. She is an MCDB and HSHM double major, Global Health Scholar, and pig lover. She previously served as a copy editor for YSM and has been a senior staff writer since her first year. Outside of YSM, she reports on ‘Science & Social Justice’ and the Yale New Haven Health System for the Yale Daily News, is an undergraduate fellow at the Women’s Health Research at Yale (WHRY) center, and does neuroscience communications work for the Yale School of Medicine. Outside of everything Yale-related, she loves reading/writing poetry and crocheting clothes.
	Anavi Uppal Features Editor Anavi Uppal is a junior in Pierson College from Orlando, Florida. She is majoring in astrophysics and pursuing a certificate in programming. In YSM, she is also a senior staff writer, and previously served as the head of social media and as a Synapse outreach coordinator. Outside of YSM, she does research on recoiling black holes and is the president of Yale Club Archery. Anavi also enjoys reading books, doing photography, eating many grilled cheese sandwiches, and dancing (badly) in her room with her headphones on.
	Hannah Han Special Sections Editor Hannah Han is a sophomore in Grace Hopper College from Los Angeles, prospectively double-majoring in MCDB and HSHM (though she’s considering switching majors…for the fifth time). She has been involved in YSM since her first semester at Yale as a copy editor, senior staff writer, layout designer, photographer, and a Director of Development for Resonance. Outside of YSM, she edits for the YDN Mag and conducts research on cancer epigenetics. She can often be found sketching plants in her notebook, reading short stories, and drinking an excessive amount of tea.
	Sophia Burick News Editor Sophia Burick is a sophomore in Timothy Dwight College from San Clemente, California. She is a Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry major, and she is particularly interested in using advanced imaging and structural biology techniques to interrogate human disease mechanisms. Outside of YSM, Sophia is a member of the New Blue, Yale’s oldest women’s acapella group and women’s organization of any kind, leads the sound engineering department at WYBC Yale Radio, and conducts research in the Schlieker Lab. In her free time, she enjoys taking long walks and making cardamom lattes.
	Krishna Dasari Online Editor Krishna Dasari is a junior in Pierson College from Memphis, TN. He is majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology with a certificate in Data Science. He previously served as a Co-President of Synapse. Outside of YSM, he does cancer genomics research and mentoring/teaching activities. In his free time, he likes playing Smash Bros and taking long walks.
	Mia Gawith Online Editor Mia Gawith (GH ’26) is a prospective Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology major from Boise, Idaho. Outside of YSM, she conducts cancer research at the Yale School of Medicine, volunteers at the Connecticut Hospice, and is involved in the Yale Undergraduate Prison Project. In her free time, she enjoys drinking boba, binge-watching Netflix series, and reading psychological novels.
	Anya Razmi Scope Editor Anya Razmi is a junior in Pierson College majoring in English. She has research experience in entomology, immunology, and psychology. Outside of YSM, she is a Writing Partner, the editor-in-chief of the literary magazine The Foundationalist, and on a startup team developing sustainable menstrual products. In her free time, she enjoys painting, poetry, and writing fiction.
	Samantha Liu Scope Editor Samantha Liu (GH ’26) is a first-year Comparative Literature/English/Humanities major from New Jersey interested in narrative medicine and global health. She writes for SciTech and Mag at Yale Daily News, reads for The Yale Review, volunteers with dementia patients, and occasionally even thinks about choosing a major. You can usually find her listening to The 1975, reading short fiction from The New Yorker, and wasting meal swipes at Steep.
	Jamie Seu Copy Editor Jamie Seu is a first-year in Ezra Stiles College from Honolulu, Hawai‘i. She is a prospective Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology major and has been involved with layout and writing for YSM. Outside of YSM, she enjoys spending time at the Native American Cultural Center and hopes to get more involved with the center in the coming years. In her free time, she loves to bake (especially bread), read, learn languages, swim, play crossword puzzles and geography games, and watch cooking videos.
	William Archacki Copy Editor William Archacki (PC ‘26) is a (secretly Canadian) resident of the Baltimore area. He might major in MCDB, MB&B, Chemistry, or something else. When he’s not wondering what his major will be, he can be found baking, curating dog pictures, and reading Clarice Lispector. Alongside YSM, he writes for the Yale Herald and CORTEX Magazine, and he is a member of Helix and the Yale Birding Society. His favorite spice is nutmeg (but cinnamon also has a special place in his heart).
	Matthew Blair Copy Editor Matthew is a first-year in Benjamin Franklin College from Manchester, New Hampshire.  He is a prospective History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health Major, and is particularly interested in exploring the connection between the humanities and sciences.  Outside of YSM, Matthew is a member of the club ice hockey team.  In his free time, Matthew can be found with friends in the Franklin buttery or trying to get more people to join the ice hockey team.

Production Team

	Malia Kuo Production Manager Malia Kuo is a junior from Arizona majoring in Computing and the Arts. Outside of YSM, she works with Women and Gender Minorities in CS, designs funky little websites, and writes/illustrates pieces for the YDN and the Record. In her free time, you can find her making playlists, creating (+ playing) games, and watching comfort comedy shows like 30Rock.
	Ann-Marie Abunyewa Layout Editor Ann-Marie Abunyewa (BR ‘24) is a Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry and Classical Civilization double major from Marietta, Georgia. Since her first year, she has enjoyed writing, illustrating, and designing layouts for Yale Scientific, and she looks forward to being a part of the production team this year. Outside of YSM, she does research on ancient DNA and cultural heritage in the Miranker lab, works at the Yale University Art Gallery, volunteers at the HAVEN Free Clinic, designs for other Yale publications and clubs, and dances with Yale Danceworks. In her free time, Ann-Marie enjoys visiting art museums, drawing, and spending time with friends and family.
	Sydney Scott Layout Editor Sydney is a junior in Benjamin Franklin College from Long Island, New York. She is studying biomedical engineering on the biomechanics track. On campus, she is involved with Yale Undergraduate Science Olympiad, Yale Biomedical Engineering Society, and the Yale Banner. In her free time, she loves painting, eating ice cream, and watching the sunset.
	Kara Tao Arts Editor Kara Tao (MC ’26) is a prospective Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology major from Chicago, Illinois. Outside of YSM, she is involved in STEM and Health Equity Advocates at Yale, writes for the Yale Journal of Medicine and Law, and teaches for Community Health Educators. Kara loves coffee, Shin ramen, and boba.
	Jenny Wong Photo Editor Jenny Wong is a junior in Saybrook College from Brooklyn, New York. She is a Neuroscience major. Outside of YSM, she is involved with the Yale QuestBridge community, volunteers through the American Red Cross club and the Hypertension Awareness & Prevention Program at Yale, works as a STARS I mentor, and works at the Hammarlund lab and Yogev lab pouring agar plates. In her free time outside of classes, you can find her reading fantasy novels or hanging out with friends.
	Catherine Kwon Cover Artist Cat is a sophomore in Benjamin Franklin College majoring in Statistics & Data Science and Art. She has illustrated and done layout designs for YSM during her first year and is excited to now serve as cover artist. Outside of YSM, she is involved in Yale Taekwondo, Yale Movement, YDN Magazine, and Hanppuri.

Business Team

	Lucas Loman Publisher Lucas Loman is a junior in Morse College from California. He is studying Environmental Engineering with additional interests in sustainable finance and scientific communication. In addition to writing for YSM since his first semester at Yale, he serves on the board of the Yale Policy Institute. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and baking bread.
	Yusuf Rasheed Director of Special Projects Yusuf Rasheed hails from the Bay Area and is a sophomore in Trumbull College majoring in Biomedical Engineering. He has a keen interest in physician-patient relationships and how budding medical professionals can develop their soft skills during and after their education. He hopes to apply his experience in engineering to the clinic in the future by personalizing patient care. Yusuf also believes in the power of writing to effect change at all levels, whether that’s personally through a journal or publicly through the Yale Scientific Magazine. He encourages all interested students to get involved with the magazine and try their hand at writing an article.
	Tori Sodeinde Operations Manager Tori Sodeinde is a sophomore in Ezra Stiles College from State College, Pennsylvania. She is a Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology major and studies telomere biology in Dr. Sandy Chang’s lab. Tori has previously contributed to writing, layout, and publishing as part of YSM. Apart from being a member of YSM, she is involved in Danceworks and the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen. In her free time, you can find her playing classical guitar, working in the Stiles buttery, or taking walks around campus and New Haven.
	Dinara Bolat Operations Manager Dinara Bolat (GH ’25) is a Neuroscience major from Almaty, Kazakhstan. She has been involved with YSM since her first year as a staff writer, and is now also the operations manager. At Yale, Dinara works as a college aide and in the Noonan Lab, as well as being part of Yale Taekwando and Women in Science at Yale. She loves exploring New Haven’s restaurants, hiking and iced matcha.
	Georgio Maroun Subscriptions Manager I am a first-year in in Benjamin Franklin College from Los Angeles, CA. I’m a prospective Chemical Engineering or HSHM major (very confused). Outside of the YSM, I am part of MENA and Demos, a program that does weekly science lessons/experiments with New Haven elementary school students. In my free time I love to play pickup basketball, billiards, and spikeball.

Synapse Team

	Hannah Barsouk Co-President Hannah Barsouk (MC ’25) is a Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry major from Pittsburgh, PA. Having been an Outreach Coordinator for Synapse in 2021-2022, they’re super excited to return to Synapse for another year! Outside of YSM, they are Public School Intern at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School, and conduct non-coding RNA research at the Breaker Lab. In their free time, they enjoy skateboarding around New Haven, endlessly scrolling on biochem TikTok, and forcing their friends to watch scary movies.
	Sofia Jacobson Co-President Sofia Jacobson is a first-year in Pauli Murray college from Westchester, New York. She plans on majoring in the History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health and receiving a certificate in Data Science. She first became involved with the YSM serving as the Director of Programming of the 2022 Resonance Conference through Synapse. Outside of the YSM, she is on the C2 Club soccer team, a member of the Women’s Leadership Initiative, and on the Pauli Murray College Council. During her free time, she enjoys cooking new recipes and playing with her puppy.
	Jessica Le Vice President Jessica Le (BK ’25) is from Marin County, California. She is majoring in Cognitive Science with a focus in AI and CS applications in neurodegenerative disease research. She has contributed to YSM as a Synapse teacher, staff writer, and photographer. Outside of YSM, she is involved in cognitive neuroscience research at the School of Medicine, Yale Entrepreneurial Society, Vietnamese Student Association, and Dance Works. In her free time, she love mountain biking, hiking, dancing, and watching Nature PBS documentaries.
	Anjali Dhanekula Synapse Events Coordinator Anjali Dhanekula (GH ’26) is a prospective History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health major from Cleveland, OH. She has served as a Director of Programming for the 2022 Resonance conference as well as written for YSM. Outside of YSM, she is a member of the New Blue, an a cappella group on campus, and helps out with Kesem at Yale. In her free time you can find her writing songs in her dorm room, eating grilled cheese in Steep, and spending time in the Grace Hopper buttery.
	Kaley Mafong Synapse Outreach Coordinator Kaley Mafong (DC ’26) is a prospective Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology major from sunny San Diego, California. She is excited to help promote science education for local students in the New Haven community through YSM and Synapse. In her free time, Kaley likes to dance, play tennis, and care for the chickens at the Yale Farm.
	Larry Zhao Synapse Outreach Coordinator .

Web Team

	Emily Shang Web Co-Manager Emily Shang (TD ’25) is a Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry major from the suburbs of Philadelphia. She has served as YSM’s website manager and staff writer since her first year. Outside of YSM, she’s interested in chess, the NYT mini, and fencing.
	Abigail Jolteus Web Co-Manager Abigail Jolteus (BK ’25) is an Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major. Outside of YSM, she conducts research in the Konnikova Lab. She also enjoys poetry and reading novels.
	Elizabeth Watson Head of Social Media Team Elizabeth Watson (MY ’25) is an Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major from Waco, TX. She first worked with Yale Synapse as a publicity director for the 2021 Resonance Conference and then as a social media coordinator for the magazine as a whole. Outside of YSM, she’s a Science and Technology editor at the Yale Daily News, a student researcher at Yale Clinical Neuroscience Neuroanalytics, a volunteer with the HAVEN Free Clinic, and a visual arts director for the Hippo Literary Magazine. In her free time, she enjoys writing and birdwatching.
	Eunsoo Hyun Social Media Coordinator Eunsoo Hyun (BK ’24) is a Biomedical Engineering major from Washington. Outside of YSM, you can find her playing violin in the Davenport Pops Orchestra, working in the Berkeley Head of College office, or dancing with the Yale Jashan Bhangra team. She is also involved in research with the Kyriakides lab. In her spare time, Eunsoo enjoys painting, learning new languages, and singing in the shower (slightly off-key—but with great enthusiasm!)
	Keya Bajaj Social Media Coordinator Keya Bajaj (BF ’26) is a prospective Chemistry and English double major from Mumbai, India. Outside of YSM, she is an Opinion Staff Writer at the Yale Daily News, a liaison with the International Students Organization, and a member of Yale’s first AIChE Chem-e-car team. She enjoys all adventure sports and loves to ski and scuba dive.

Senior Staff Writers

Hannah Barsouk, Ryan Bose-Roy, Rayyan Darji, Krishna Dasari, Alex Dong, Hannah Han, Elisa Howard, Cindy Kuang, Sophia Li, Cindy Mei, Dhruv Patel, Raquel Sequeria, Hannah Shi, Anavi Uppal, Kayla Yup

Yale Scientific Magazine Advisory Board

Kurt Zilm, Chair
Chemistry

Priyamvada Natarajan
Astronomy

Scott Strobel
Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics

Robert Bazell
Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology

Fred Volkmar
Child Study Center

Stanley Eisenstat
Computer Science

James Duncan
Biomedical Engineering

Steven Stearns
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Jakub Szefer
Electrical Engineering

Werner Wolf
Emeritus

John Wettlaufer
Geology & Geophysics, Mathematics & Physics

William Summers
History of Science & History of Medicine

Ayaska Fernando
Undergraduate Admissions

Elissa Dunn Levy
Yale Science & Engineering Association