Lab Personnel

Lab Directors

Graduate Students

Current Graduate Students

  • Francisco Aguilar
  • Austin Burmeier

Graduate Student Alumni

  • Jenna Goulart, MS
  • Nicos Georgiades, MS
  • Aaron Riviere, MS
  • Logan Aitkin, MS
  • Joel Correa, MS

Undergraduate Students

Current Undergraduate Students

  • Devika Karayil

    Devika Karayil

    My name is Devika Karayil, and I am from Sugar Land, Texas. I am a junior at Texas A&M University, majoring in Nutrition with a focus on Human Health, and I hope to become a surgical Physician Assistant. As a student researcher at ION Health Lab, I value the opportunity to engage with our study participants, an experience that parallels patient interactions I will experience in my future clinical career. In addition to gaining these essential interpersonal communication skills, I am also able to develop and enhance my research skills in analyzing and presenting scientific data.

  • Gabby Gemino

    Gabby Gemino

    Howdy! My name is Gabby Gemino, and I am one of the administrators for the ION Health Lab. I am a junior Biology major with minors in Women’s and Gender Studies and Horticulture, and I’m from Sugar Land, Texas. After graduation, I plan on attending optometry school to become an optometrist and pursue further research in vision science. I really enjoy being able to connect my passion for eye care to nutrition through our study on Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

  • Elise Henderson

    Elise Henderson

    Hi! My name is Elise Henderson, and I am a Senior Nutrition Honors student from Austin, Texas. My career goal is to become a general dentist. This is my second year working in the lab, and one of my favorite parts of the experience has been working and interacting with each of the participants. I really enjoy building connections with participants while also contributing to research and helping discover new findings that can further our understanding of health and nutrition.

  • Mariana Flores

    Mariana Flores

    My name is Mariana Flores, and I am from Houston, TX. I am currently a senior in Texas A&M and I am a nutrition major. My career goal as of this moment is to become a registered dietitian nutritionist. I am in the DPD track here at Texas A&M that will help me reach that goal. What I enjoy about being a student researcher is that I get the opportunity to not only learn new things, but to expand my connections with fellow peers and professors at this university. I also gain experience on how to work in a lab and it also gives me a chance to work on my skills as a future registered dietitian.

  • Ariana Ferrier

    Ariana Ferrier

    Howdy! My name is Ariana, and I am from Houston, Texas. I am a senior Nutrition major at Texas A&M University, and I plan to attend optometry school after graduation to become an optometrist. Being a student researcher in the ION Health Lab has given me valuable experience working with participants and learning more about clinical research. I really enjoy being able to develop my research skills while gaining experience that will help me in my future career.

  • Alana Hagan

    Alana Hagan

    Howdy! My name is Alana Hagan, and I am from Prosper, TX. I am a junior Biomedical Sciences major and I am pursuing a career in dentistry! Being a researcher in the ION Health Lab has contributed to my development of interpersonal communication skills, taught me how to process human samples, and provided me with valuable experience conducting clinical research. I really enjoy learning about nutrition while also getting the opportunity to interact with participants.

  • Rey Damian Sanchez

    Rey Damian Sanchez

    My name is Rey Damian Sanchez, I am a senior Chemistry major with a minor in Philosophy. I’m from Baytown Texas, and hope to go to medical school after graduating. Being in the ION Health Lab has meant a lot to me, but it's taught me even more. Helping participants, processing blood, and presenting at student research week have all been wonderful learning experiences that I couldn’t imagine college life without.

  • Cooper Mynhier

    Cooper Mynhier

    My name is Cooper Mynhier, and I am a senior Health major with a minor in Biology at Texas A&M University, graduating with the Class of 2026. I am originally from Conroe, Texas, and after graduation, I plan to pursue either nursing or PA school with the goal of eventually working in emergency medicine. Being part of the ION Health Research Lab has given me the opportunity to gain valuable research experience while learning more about healthcare and working directly with participants. My favorite part of being in the lab is getting to interact with our participants and fellow lab members and being part of such a welcoming and collaborative team.

Undergraduate Student Alumni

  • Nataly Cardoza

    Nataly Cardoza

    My name is Nataly Cardoza, and I am from Spring, Texas. I am a senior biomedical science major with a nutrition minor, pursing a career in dentistry. One of the things I enjoy most about being a student researcher is informing participants about macular degeneration prevention while also contributing to the lab analysis. Experiencing this work firsthand continues to develop my skills to better prepare me academically and professionally.

  • Ila Caron

    Ila Caron

    My name is Ila Caron, and I am from Plano, Texas. I am currently a senior majoring in nutrition with a minor in biology. My career goal is to work in the healthcare field where I can directly interact with and support patients. I have been a member of the ION Health Research Lab for 2.5 years, and what I like most about being a student researcher is gaining hands-on experience, learning new skills, and contributing to meaningful projects.

  • Maddie Davis

    Maddie Davis

    Howdy! My name is Maddie Davis and I am one of the two Administrators at the ION Health Lab. I am a senior nutrition major from Friendswood, Texas and am following the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) route. I am working towards becoming a Clinical Dietitian specializing in pediatrics. As a third-year researcher at ION Health, I have developed a new appreciation for research and its impact on disease prevention. I enjoy contributing important data to the future RDA of Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

  • Avery Dean

    Avery Dean

    Howdy! My name is Avery Dean and I am one of the Admins for the ION Health lab. I am a senior Nutrition major double minoring in Spanish and Biology. I am from Denver, Colorado and hoping to pursue a career in Dentistry. This is my third year working in the lab and I most enjoy the friendships and solving real-world problems through science.

  • Advika Jagtap

    Advika Jagtap

    Howdy! My name is Advika Jagtap, and I am from Irving, Texas. I am a senior in the Class of 2026, majoring in Nutrition with minors in Public Health and Allied Health. My career goal is to become a family medicine physician. What I enjoy most about being a student researcher is contributing to the long-term goal of developing preventative measures for macular degeneration, which motivates me to stay curious and engaged in my work.

  • Natalee Katave

    Natalee Katave

    Howdy! My name is Natalee Katave. I am a Junior from Dallas, Texas majoring in Nutrition, and my goal is to become a dentist. What I like most about being a student researcher is the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, explore new ideas, and contribute to meaningful projects that expand my knowledge beyond the classroom.

  • Austin Mynhier

    Austin Mynhier

    Howdy! My name is Austin Mynhier, and I am a senior majoring in Nutrition from Conroe, Texas. I’m pursuing a career in the field of electrophysiology, where I hope to combine my background of health and science with my passion for building relationships and helping others. What I enjoy most about being a student researcher is interacting with the different participants who come into our lab, it's always fun to see how the participants are going to react to what their initial qualifications results are because they become so interested in the study. I believe that being involved as a student researcher provides me with a unique opportunity to connect with people while gaining valuable hands-on experience that will prepare me for my future career.

  • Gabriel Shu

    Gabriel Shu

    Howdy! My name is Gabriel Shu, and I am a senior Kinesiology major from Houston, Texas. I hope to one day become an orthopedic surgeon. My favorite thing about being a student researcher is the fact that I get to work with wonderful people while also gaining experience on how to process human samples.

  • Lena Sugg

    Lena Sugg

    My name is Lena Sugg and I am senior nutrition major from Houston, Texas. My career goal is to become a physician. What I enjoy most about being a student researcher is the handson nature of the work. I value the opportunity to directly interact with participants, overseeing testing procedures and taking on the responsibility of running these sessions with a meaningful degree of autonomy.

  • Emily Villalobos

    Emily Villalobos

    My name is Emily Villalobos; I am a senior Psychology Major from Sugarland Texas. I am currently working toward becoming a Physician Assistant. What I like the most about being a student researcher in a nutrition lab is observing how the data we collect through can help improve their overall well-being. I have always found nutrition very interesting and an important part of healthcare; I hope to carry the knowledge I have learned into my future patients and career field.