Alex is an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University from the Bay Area, California. She is majoring in biomedical engineering and conducting research under the mentorship of Dr. Sun Peck. Alex’s research focuses on understanding the role of the extracellular matrix in musculoskeletal biology. Outside of the lab, Alex enjoys playing soccer, sand volleyball, and hiking.

Jailyn is a Vanderbilt Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) student, currently completing her PhD in Cancer Biology in the Johnson Lab. Jailyn completed her B.S. in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Chemistry at NC Central University. Jailyn’s current research focuses on the effects of denosumab and its withdrawal on breast cancer bone metastasis. Through this projection, she also studies the bone tumor microenvironment. Outside of the lab, Jailyn enjoys cooking/baking/eating, reading, and spending time with family/friends and her Bernedoodle. 

I graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences. I am currently the Research Assistant in the Peck lab with an intent to pursue medical school. In my free time, I like to shop and try new boba places with my sister, spend time with friends and my dog Jack, and crochet on occasion! 

University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada BSc 05/1995 - Biology, Psychology

McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada M.Sc. 09/1996 - Neurosciences

Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Ph.D. 09/1999 - Anatomy & Neurobiology

Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Post-doc 10/2003 - Angiogenesis and Molecular genetics

Emily (She/Her/Hers) is a biomedical engineering graduate student in the Jeffry Nyman laboratory. She completed her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2022. Emily is interested in elucidating the effects of collagen glycation on bone quality and fracture resistance.  

Taein is an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University from San Antonio, Texas, and is conducting research under the mentorship of Dr. Sun Peck. He is seeking a major in Neuroscience with plans on pursuing a career within the medical field. Taein's research focuses on understanding the role of the extracellular matrix in musculoskeletal degeneration. Outside of the lab Taein enjoys working out, listening to music, and cooking.

David is a research assistant in the Peck Lab. He graduated from Austin Peay State University with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Health. His long-term plans are to attend medical laboratory science school and become an MLS. David spends his time outside of the lab with his golden retriever Luka, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family.

Jake is a Research Assistant II, Clinical Pharmacology in the Rendina-Ruedy lab. He earned a master’s degree in Biotechnology from Brown University (Providence, RI) and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Wheaton College (Norton, MA). His background is in regenerative medicine utilizing chondrogenic precursor cells and mesenchymal stem cells for disease therapy. His graduate work focused on repairing meniscus tears and defects in the knee while also studying the progression of osteoarthritis. In his free time, he enjoys paddleboarding, baseball, playing guitar and 3D printing.

Mario is a PhD student in the department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Cell Biology/Physiology from California State University Long Beach. In 2022, he started at Vanderbilt and in 2023 he joined the Rendina-Ruedy lab. His research focuses on osteoblast bioenergetics and bone fracture healing in Type 2 diabetes. In his free time, he enjoys eating, exercising and investing. 

Erykah is a Cancer Biology graduate student in the Rhoades lab. She came to Vanderbilt in 2022 after completing a Bachelor's in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Hampton University (2020) and IRTA Fellowship in Vaccine Immunology Program (2022). During her time at the NIH, she focused on the development of naïve B cells to make antibodies that can fight HIV mutation in anticipation for boosting and maturation using HIV trimers, leading to the development of potential vaccines.