Health Over Time Team

Dr. Katherine Van Schaik earned her PhD in Ancient History from Harvard University’s Department of the Classics and her MD with Honors from Harvard Medical School. Her scholarship bridges the ancient and modern worlds, focusing on disease, healing practices, and medical decision-making across Greek, Roman, and Islamic traditions. She employs interdisciplinary methodologies that integrate historical and textual analysis with scientific investigation, including bioarchaeology, paleoradiology, and emerging techniques for studying ancient human remains. Her work also engages broadly with medical humanities and anthropology, exploring how historical perspectives inform contemporary understandings of health, illness, and care. In addition, Dr. Van Schaik brings an ethical lens to her research, addressing questions of medical decision making and medical ethics and responsibility in both historical contexts and modern clinical practice.

Dr. Shunxing Bao is a Research Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Vanderbilt University, where he completed both his master's and Ph.D. in Computer Science. He received his bachelor's degree in Software Engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China. Dr. Bao's research deftly bridges big data informatics with medical image analysis, employing distributed computing to enhance the handling and processing of medical imagery. At the helm of developing an integrative cross-disciplinary platform, he is merging diverse medical data, from clinical imaging to genomic analytics. His work is instrumental in driving forward diagnostic methods and improving consistency in clinical data management. His use of machine learning is reshaping computational approaches within digital pathology, focusing on image synthesis, segmentation, extraction of features, classification, and pattern recognition. His efforts are not only technically innovative but also target practical applications, significantly impacting the evolution of medical informatics. https://www.vanderbilt.edu/valiant/person/shunxing-bao/

Dr. Landman leads the Medical‐image Analysis and Statistical Interpretation (MASI) lab at Vanderbilt University. His scientific focus is medical image processing with robust and scalable methods for large-scale data analysis. With primary training is in neuroimaging with a focus on diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and he has worked on Alzheimer’s disease and aging research since 2008. While his academic home is in electrical and computer engineering, Dr. Landman’s training is in biomedical engineering and 3-D radiological image analysis. He seeks to connect the image processing methods with both the medical physics underpinning of the data and their clinical applications. Dissemination and support of image processing tools is a core component of his lab’s interests, and his team constructed a university wide medical image processing system that handles data for 400+ IRB approved projects with more than 100,000 imaging sessions (December 2020). Their system links closely with the university’s high-performance computing center for automated processing of structural, functional, and diffusion MRI data. Dr. Landman’s overarching goal is to combine image-processing technologies and electronic health data to improve understanding of individual anatomy and personalized medicine.
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vise/visepeople/bennett-landman/

Dr. Huang is currently a Research Assistant Professor of Biostatistics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Biostatistics. Since 2022, he has been conducting statistical collaborations with the Department of Radiology at VUMC, working alongside multiple physician researchers with diverse backgrounds and interests. He is well-versed in advanced methodological techniques, including mixed-effects modeling (i.e., multilevel modeling), Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), causal inference, and mediation analysis. He has served as the lead biostatistician and methodologist in multiple NIH-funded clinical trials.

Trey McGonigle earned his M.S. in Statistics from the University of California, Riverside in 2022 and soon joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center as a biostatistician. He collaborates on research projects in psychiatry, radiology, and public health, focusing on the development and application of advanced statistical methods. Trey’s expertise includes mixed-effects modeling, survival analysis, and longitudinal data analysis, helping translate data into insights that drive impactful research. Outside of work, Trey is an avid rock climber and spends time with his two cats, Peaches and Wes.

Originally from Hudson Valley, NY, Bridget's early passion for science and archaeology led her to volunteer at a mastodon dig at age 10 and participate in an industrial archaeology dig at the West Point Foundry.

She earned a Molecular Biology degree from Syracuse University in 2014, researching embryonic heart development in the Amack Lab and interning at Kentucky Equine Research. In 2015, she joined the Davies Lab at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, focusing on biobanking for pediatric bone marrow transplant patients.

In 2020, Bridget became Lab Manager for the Stafford Lab at Vanderbilt, studying lipid metabolism and heart disease. Now, she manages the Health Over Time program, analyzing ancient biological samples to uncover historical health insights for future medical advancements.

Outside the lab, she enjoys landscape painting, foraging, and caring for her farm animals.

Kathryn "Kate" Jordan, originally from Ripley, Tennessee, is a second-year radiology resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She graduated from Tulane University in 2018 with majors in Neuroscience and Linguistics and a minor in German studies, before working for a year as a research technician at Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine with a focus on opportunistic pathogens in the water supply of school buildings using recycled rainwater. She completed medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2023, followed by a Transitional Year at HCA TriStar Centennial in 2024. Her academic interests include women's health, metabolic bone disease, and health equity. In her free time, Kate enjoys baking, reading, knitting, and spending time with family and friends.

Ambika is a radiology resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She attended The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for undergrad and earned both her master’s degree in Physiology & Biophysics and medical degree from Georgetown University. She has contributed to research projects focusing on understanding musculoskeletal disease through correlating imaging findings with neurological, functional, and treatment outcomes in patients. Additionally, she is interested in understanding musculoskeletal disorders from an epidemiological and environmental perspective. In her free time, Ambika enjoys hiking, college basketball, and reality TV.

Lily Gao is a fourth-year medical student at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, she majored in Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and plans to apply into Diagnostic Radiology this fall.

At Harvard, Lily conducted research on the impact of human bipedalism on rib mobility and ventilation and also completed a project on comparative anatomy and developmental origins of the knee joint. In medical school, she has become interested in learning about how AI can be integrated into clinical workflows and radiology research to improve efficiency, discovery, and patient care.

Outside of research, Lily volunteers at Shade Tree Clinic, knits with Vanderbilt Medical School Knits for Nashville, and enjoys swimming.

Anish Kammila is a 2nd year MD student at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2024 with degrees in Neuroscience and Healthcare Management. At Penn, Anish was involved in research investigating the relationship between the Epstein-Barr Virus and Multiple Sclerosis. Now, Anish hopes to pursue a Radiology residency and is particularly interested in research in the fields of MSK and neuroradiology.

Outside of research, Anish is part of Wilderness Medical Society and spends time volunteering at the Shade Tree Clinic. Having grown up in New Hampshire, Anish enjoys running, hiking, skiing, and spending time with friends during his spare time!

I am a PhD student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Vanderbilt University, affiliated with the Medical-image Analysis and Statistical Interpretation (MASI) Lab and the Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering (VISE).

I earned my BA in Computer Science and Art History with Honors and a minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies from Washington and Lee University in 2022. My senior thesis, titled Florence + The Machine: A Computational Approach to Florentine Liturgical Manuscript Illuminations from the Late Trecento, applied deep learning to analyze a dataset of religious images produced in the same area and period. This research evaluated the neural network's performance on a small dataset and explored methodological and ethical considerations at a pivotal moment in the convergence of technology and the humanities. I continued my work on this project in Florence through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program from 2022 to 2023.

At Vanderbilt, I engage in research on brain connectivity while also contributing to the analysis of images of mummified remains.

Denise Shkurovich is a third-year medical student at Vanderbilt University originally from Los Angeles, California. She completed her undergraduate studies at Duke University where she majored in Evolutionary Anthropology with minors in Art History and Chemistry. She is interested in studying medicine through an evolutionary framework, examining how lifestyle factors interact with our physiology. She hopes to apply into Med-Peds for residency. Before medical school, she lived in Venice, Italy where she worked at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. In her free time, you can find her running, playing pick up soccer, or checking out the newest restaurant in Nashville with her friends.

Atlee Witt is a 4th year MD-PhD candidate at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine originally from Denver, Colorado. Atlee graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2020 with majors in Neuroscience and Medicine, Health, and Society. She is currently a member of the Chemical and Physical Biology Department in Dr. Seth Smith’s lab at the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science using novel imaging techniques to investigate neurodegenerative conditions like multiple sclerosis in the human spinal cord. In the future, she hopes to pursue a radiology residency and looks forward to learning more about the application of imaging techniques in mummified populations. In her free time, Atlee enjoys hiking, yoga, and playing with her tuxedo cat, Fig!

Enobong Anako is a sophomore Health Science major at Spelman College from Taunton, Massachusetts. She is currently conducting research under the mentorship of Dr. Katherine Van Schaik, analyzing CT scans to investigate the relationship between Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH) and untreated metabolic syndrome. Passionate about health equity and translational research, Eno is especially interested in how structural and systemic factors shape chronic disease outcomes across diverse populations.

Her previous research at Morehouse School of Medicine focused on the impact of nutrition security and lifestyle factors on hormone-driven cancers in postmenopausal African American women. Outside of the lab, Eno serves as a Peer Educator, supports young girls in STEM as a mentor through Girls Who Code and Science Club for Girls, and is an active member of the Health Careers Club at Spelman.

In her free time, she enjoys going on walks, boxing, reading, watching movies, and spending time with friends.

Mackenzie Dagrosa, a sophomore from San Antonio, Texas, is a student at Vanderbilt University, pursuing a degree in Medicine, Health, and Society. She is currently working on a project involving historic Paget Disease and its origins. Outside of Health Over Time, Mackenzie is an active member in Hearts for the Homeless, Vandy for Health, and American Red Cross at Vanderbilt, where she volunteers her time to the Nashville community. Furthermore, she is a high jumper for the Vanderbilt Track and Field team. After graduation, Mackenzie plans on attending medical school to further her education. In her free time, Mackenzie enjoys crocheting, baking, and spending time with her family pets!

Owen Dong is a third-year undergraduate student attending Vanderbilt University. He grew up in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and is pursuing a BA in Medicine, Health, & Society and a BS in Computer Science on a pre-medical track with plans to attend medical school.

At Vanderbilt, Owen is an undergraduate Research Assistant in the Medical-image Analysis and Statistical Interpretation (MASI) Lab, where he is currently exploring the pathology of paleo-radiology images under the guidance of Dr. Bennett Landman and Dr. Katherine Van Schaik. Outside of research, you can find Owen volunteering for the Alzheimer's Association, playing a wide variety of sports with his friends, or working out.

Manish Kota is a 2nd year undergraduate at Vanderbilt University. He is double majoring in Neuroscience and Computer Science, and hails from Jacksonville, Florida.

In the Health Over Time lab, Manish conducts comparative medical imaging research and studies bone health across different time periods, civilizations, and populations. Specifically, he develops generalizable algorithms to compute different bone metrics and observe the evolution of bone morphology over time. Previous research experiences include the Mayo Clinic, Emory Winship Cancer Institute, and a machine learning focused REU at UNCC. Outside the lab, Manish is involved in several organizations on campus, including Vanderbilt Neurotech, VandyHacks, and the Data Science Institute. Manish is interested in building intelligent systems to make healthcare more predictive, precise, and human-centered.

Evan Farach, originally from Conroe, Texas, is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Baylor University. He is pursuing a major in Neuroscience with a pre-medical focus, complemented by a minor in Business Administration. 

At Baylor, Evan is affiliated with the Neuroscience of Addiction Lab, a new research lab led by Dr. Jacques Nguyen. In this lab, Evan investigates the effects of commonly abused opioids, such as oxycodone and fentanyl, on the expression of perineuronal nets in key brain structures of rodent models. Recently, he has collaborated with graduate students to develop the lab’s intravenous drug self-administration protocol. Outside of the lab, Evan works for Baylor’s Department of Psychology and Neuroscience as one of six chosen student ambassadors. Additionally, he holds a position as a nocturnal medical transcriptionist in the emergency department at Baylor Scott & White – Hillcrest. On campus, Evan dedicates his time to mentoring fellow students as a Prehealth Mentor and serves as the President of Alpha Epsilon Delta, Baylor’s only nationally recognized prehealth honor society. In his free time, Evan enjoys photography, working out, and working on his car.

Andrew Hoyek is a rising senior at North Carolina State University originally from Cary, North Carolina. He is majoring in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Human Biology and a minor in Political Science. With a strong interest in medicine, Andrew aspires to apply for medical school in the upcoming cycle and is committed to continuous learning, growth, and service within the medical field.

As a participant of the Undergraduate Clinical Research Internship Program (UCRIP) at Vanderbilt University’s Medical Center, Andew is conducting radiology research under the mentorship of Dr. Katherine Van Schaik. He is investigating the presence of Diffuse idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH) among a pool of patients, with a focus on refining a disease scoring model to support future studies, ultimately deepening the understanding of its link to metabolic syndromes, and enhancing patient outcomes. As part of UCRIP, Andrew also shadows rounds of internal medicine weekly, where he gains meaningful insight into how interdisciplinary teams collaborate to care for complex patients.

In his spare time, Andrew enjoys cooking, playing soccer, working out, and hanging out with friends and family.

Savannah (she/her/hers) graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2023 with majors in Biological Sciences and Anthropology. She earned her Master's degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology in 2024.

Seungweon Park is a 4th year medical student at Vanderbilt University. She grew up in Honolulu, and has lived in Northern Virginia, Boston, and most recently Nashville. Seungweon majored in both Biology and Brain/Cognitive Sciences at MIT and is now hopefully on the way to Diagnostic Radiology residency in the near future!

At MIT, she was involved in research investigating novel treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease and a project on the neural networks of feeding mechanisms in C. elegans. Seungweon is interested in learning about and participating in research for novel technologies that aim to integrate AI in streamlining processes for radiologists. Outside of research, you can find Seungweon on the undergraduate campus mentoring premedical students, volunteering on Shade Tree Free Clinic’s executive board, or lifting weights at the Vanderbilt gym!  

Eddie Shangguan 25' is a Computer Science and Mathematics double major from Beijing, China & Vancouver, Canada. He is interested in how archaeology, radiology, and computational science intersect by studying ancient populations. He aims to use image processing and AI techniques to assess diseases in mummies, thereby enhancing the understanding of the disease's progression over time and identifying patterns and trends that provide context for today's health issues. Eddie is concurrently involved in projects that deal with brain MRI images and tissue segmentation, leveraging deep learning algorithms to train models to recognize and classify tissue types with high accuracy, which could ultimately lead to improved diagnostic and treatment planning for patients with AGS and other neurological conditions. In his spare time, Eddie enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, and hanging out with friends. He is an active member of Vanderbilt Alternative Spring Break (ASB), VandyHacks, and Vanderbilt Data Science Club on campus.

I'm a rising junior majoring in computer science and applied mathematics. I’m deeply interested in computer science-related interdisciplinary projects. Working with another student researcher under the guidance of Dr. Katherine Van Schaik this summer, I’m analyzing the mummies data to examine the physical states and illness among mummies using image processing and programming techniques. During my spare time, I enjoyed playing basketball and billiard ball with my friends; furthermore, I also enjoyed the time I usually spent in the Centennial Park each Sunday afternoon.

I’m Hanliang Xu, a sophomore majoring in Computer Science and Math. A fun fact about me is that since I came to the US two years ago, I’ve traveled to 12 states!

I became interested in applying my quantitative skills for medical imaging since my summer research project with Dr. Bennett Landman. Last summer, I attempted to harmonize connectivity matrices of diffusion MRI, removing site differences among datasets caused by variations in scanning protocol or scanner build. I lost track of time running experiments to explore whether and why our current statistical or deep learning methods are applicable to the harmonization task I tried to address.

Currently examining mummy data under the guidance of Dr. Katherine Van Schaik, I’m intrigued by the health and anthropology insights sealed in the mummy dataset which hasn’t been studied systematically since 2013. Together with other two undergraduate research assistants, I have written code to convert the DICOM series to NIFTI formats and extract header information on a large scale. I’m working on segmentation of the regions of interest for subsequent analysis.

In my spare time, you can find me fencing with friends in the Vanderbilt Fencing Club, watching classic movies at the Belcourt Theatre, and catching up with new deep learning papers on arXiv at the Stevenson Library.