Current Members
Alexander ArroyoThe eldest of four, Alexander was born and raised in the LA South Bay area. At Loyola Marymount University, he is majoring in Biochemistry, a volunteer EMT, and part of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. The Heller Lab is not Alex’s first rodeo: he studied analytical and atmospheric chemistry in the Doezema Lab while being funded through the 2016 Seaver Summer Research program. Other than studying and being scholarly, he enjoys fitness and is an avid tanner; Alex is always seeking new places to absorb some nice electromagnetic radiation. He has also traveled all over the world, including: Dubai, Bangkok, Kenya, Tanzania, Hong Kong, Bali, England, several areas of the Caribbean, and Mexico.
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Hailee BrownHailee was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska and is the youngest of three. She is a junior biochemistry major at Loyola Marymount University. She is a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority, plays for the LMU club soccer team, and is a General Chemistry TA. Hailee is currently participating in the Care Extenders volunteer program at UCLA Medical Center. After LMU, she hopes to attend graduate school. During her free time, she enjoys hiking and skiing.
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Eduardo EncinaEduardo Encina was born in Mission Hills, California and grew up in the city of Reseda in the San Fernando Valley. He is a Junior Biochemistry major at Loyola Marymount University with plans of attending graduate school following his graduation in 2019. Eduardo is an active member in various campus organizations, including the MAGIS Service Organization, ACCESS Program, ACE Program, and the McNair Scholars Program. Eduardo also serves as a TA in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. Along with his love of learning about all things science-related, his favorite past-times including hiking, road tripping, and filmmaking.
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Sofia EstevesSofia is the oldest of three girls and was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Sofia moved to Scottsdale, Arizona 5 years ago. At LMU, she is a biochemist and part of two research groups: the Heller lab, as well as the Willette Lab in the biology department. Apart from scholarly activities, she enjoys volunteering and spending time with her puppy and friends. One day Sofia hopes to become a surgeon.
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David HollisDavid was born in Long Beach and has enjoyed the sunny coast of Southern California throughout his life. He is a legacy at Loyola Marymount University, following in the footsteps of his father and older brother. David is currently a junior, Biochemistry major with hopes of attending medical school following graduation in 2018. When he isn't practicing the synthetic arts, David volunteers at the Los Angeles County Medical Center and serves as philanthropy chair for his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi. In his free time, David enjoys spending time with friends and days at the beach.
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Christina LightChristina was born in Detroit, MI, went to high school in Jackson, MS and moved to Las Vegas, NV upon entering Loyola Marymount University. She is a biochemistry major, president of the National Society of Black Engineers, serves on Seaver's Student Advisory Board and volunteers at Venice Family Clinic. In her free time, Christina likes to play tennis, create films, and bake. Christina's ultimate goal is to become a maxillofacial surgeon.
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Bryan NguyenThe youngest of three, Bryan was born and raised in the Bay area. He is a Biochemistry major at LMU, and has developed a passion for health and fitness as an unexpected side effect of studying science. Bryan is a busy man: he conducts research in both the Heller and McElwain research groups, at least when he isn’t serving as a TA. When he is not studying… or researching… or teaching… he enjoys learning about nutrition (don't let that greasy meal fool you!) and exercising inside and out of the gym. During the summer times, Bryan likes to go camping and hiking. One day, he hopes to be a doctor.
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Jack PolereckyJack was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska before deciding it was too cold there and came out to LMU. He is a Junior Biochemistry major , a runner on the Track and Cross Country team, a member of the Honors Program, and an Organic Chemistry TA. This past summer, Jack worked at a taco shop called California Tacos (in Omaha) and volunteered at Camp Munroe, a day camp for students with special needs. After graduation, he hopes to enter either medical school or grad school. In his free time, Jack loves music, including both listening to hip-hop and playing the saxophone.
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