Meet the Team
Zaid Vellani
Nishanth Upadhyayula
Nishanth Upadhyayula
DIRECTOR OF CONTENT
Crohn's Column Author
Zaid Vellani is a Freshman at UCLA. He has a keen interest in Neurobiology. Zaid has had the opportunity to engage in research utilizing metal-chelating agents to treat Alzheimer’s Disease and to be exposed to high level courses such as Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Biomedical Sciences. His hobbies include debating, watching movies, and playing with his dog! In the future, Zaid hopes to pursue a career in Pediatric Gastroenterology.
Nishanth Upadhyayula
Nishanth Upadhyayula
Nishanth Upadhyayula
Creative Team Coordinator
Hi, my name’s Nishanth Upadhyayula, I’m a senior at Mission San Jose High School. I’m passionate about medicine, especially in regards to cancer, and I’m also interested in computational biology (bioinformatics, biostatistics, etc.). I’m aiming to become a physician-researcher with a focus in cancer biology/oncology. Through MediMinds, I hope to write about diseases, advances in the biomedical sciences, and other medicine-related topics in an informative and engaging manner, and I’d also like to relate my personal experiences with research and hospital volunteer work. My hobbies include playing and following sports (especially basketball, football, soccer, and cricket), swimming, hanging out with friends, listening to music, and reading books.
Ryan Ma
Nishanth Upadhyayula
Darren Watt
Creative Team Coordinator
Hi I'm Ryan! Along with a deep interest in the medical field, I spend a great deal of time playing badminton, traveling, and just exercising in general. I also love talking with my friends and ranting about our daily lives. On the flip side, you can definitely find me cooped up in my room, reading manga or watching anime for hours on end. But whether it’s laughing at my friends jokes or listening to music and scrolling through the newest chapter of One Piece, I’m always looking to have a good time!
Darren Watt
Minh Kim Bui
Darren Watt
Creative Team
Hi, my name is Darren Watt and I am a junior at Mission San Jose High School. Joining MediMinds, I hope to both educate others and myself about the various topics in neuroscience and psychology. I’m very excited to become more knowledgeable on the topics of neuroscience and I hope to share this with readers of the blog! Some of my passions include fencing at a competitive level, serving my community through tutoring and volunteer work, and learning about biology and business. Outside of those, I’ll play video games with my friends or listen to Joji.
Minh Kim Bui
Minh Kim Bui
Minh Kim Bui
Creative Team Member
Hi! My name is Minh-Kim and I am a junior in high school. I am very passionate about almost every area of science, especially chemistry and biology. I enjoy learning new things in my community college classes and dedicating my hours to work as a hospital volunteer. Outside of studying, you’ll find me entertaining my 11-year-old malti-poo, training for my next degree black belt in tae-kwon-doe, or chatting with my sisters. I hope that MediMinds can help reach and inform audiences interested in neuroscience and medicine and help me explore new topics in the world of science.
Jainam Shah
Minh Kim Bui
Minh Kim Bui
CO-FOUNDER
Jainam is a freshman at Case Western Reserve University studying neuroscience. He's very passionate about mental health and hopes to work in psychiatry in the future. He's a proud musician that spends a lot of time playing the trumpet. He hopes to educate the community on the topic of mental health through MediMinds, and to eventually contribute to the research and medication of mental illnesses.
Varun Sridhar
Varun Sridhar
Varun Sridhar
CO-FOUNDER
Varun is a freshman at Hofstra University as part of their 4+4 BS-BA/MD program with the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He is very passionate about neuroscience, and hopes to pursue a medical career in which he can help patients who suffer from brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. Varun is heavily involved in neuroscience research, and has completed internships at UMass Amherst and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. He hopes to use MediMinds to share his fascination about the brain with others!
PAST Team members
Rishi Jain
Tejas Miryala
Rishi Jain
CREATIVE & NETWORKING
Rishi is a current sophomore at Northwestern University, where he plans to major in Neuroscience and Systems/Computational Biology. He hopes to pursue a career in neurosurgery, helping individuals who suffer from brain and spinal cord injuries. In high school, Rishi interned at the Stanford School of Medicine and engaged in neurodegenerative disease research. Outside of the classroom, he enjoys running, reading, and participating in Model UN. Rishi hopes to use MediMinds as an outlet to inform people about developments in and intersections between Neuroscience and other academic fields.
Jack Burd
Tejas Miryala
Rishi Jain
CREATIVE & MEDIA OUTREACH
Jack is a freshman at University of California, Los Angeles. He is fascinated by cognitive science and social psychology, and hopes to pursue a career in biotechnology and neural devices. He has also participated in Science Olympiad the last seven years and is involved in many other clubs and activities, including the Scouts of America, where he earned the Eagle Scout Award.
Tejas Miryala
Tejas Miryala
Tejas Miryala
MEDIA OUTREACH
Tejas is a freshman at the University of California, Riverside. He is very interested in neuroscience and psychology and aspires to become a physician in the future. In the past few years, Tejas has shadowed medical professionals, volunteered at health fairs, and participated in research involving glioblastomas to deepen his knowledge about the medical field. He likes to play tennis in his free time and works as an assistant coach on the weekends. Through MediMinds, Tejas hopes to raise awareness about mental health as well as educate the public about topics in neuroscience and psychology.
Nabiya Haider
Prathusha Jayaprakash
Prathusha Jayaprakash
CREATIVE & MEDIA OUTREACH
Nabiya Haider is a freshman at University of California, Davis. She is very interested in psychology and biology and hopes to pursue a career in dentistry. She also loves writing, and was the copy editor for her high school's Costanoan Yearbook team. As part of MediMinds, Nabiya hopes to help spread her interest in topics regarding psychology as well as further her understanding. She is also dedicated to spreading awareness of issues surrounding the discussion of mental health. In her free time, Nabiya enjoys horseback riding, baking, and spending time with cats.
Prathusha Jayaprakash
Prathusha Jayaprakash
Prathusha Jayaprakash
MEDIA OUTREACH (CO-FOUNDER)
Prathusha Jayaprakash is a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she plans to major in Business Management at the Isenberg School of Management. Prathusha has volunteered at Sutter Health Medical Hospital in San Francisco working alongside nurses. She has played trumpet throughout high school and has volunteered with many performing arts groups. She was also the Chief Financial Officer in Tri-City Band Corps for several years. Prathusha hopes to work in hospital management and consulting in the future.
Shreya Nandyala
Shreya Nandyala
Shreya Nandyala
CREATIVE
Shreya is a senior at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, California. She participated in the Neuroscience and Unquiet Minds programs conducted by John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. Shreya aspires to play an active role serving people in the field of medicine by pursuing her passion in neurology and bioengineering. She enjoys playing the piano and singing Indian classical music. She also serves as a youth intern in Fremont Cultural Art Council, where she helps in community art outreach, while working with community leaders. She hopes to bring attention to many of the underlying themes of neuroscience that though seem passive prevail in society.
Rohan Bhagat
Shreya Nandyala
Shreya Nandyala
NETWORKING
Rohan is a junior at Mission San Jose High School. He's very passionate about mental health and giving back to the community and serves as a tutor for Young Mentor and is a Peer Resource member. He hopes to use technology in order to help the mental health crisis. He's heavily involved with mental health support as a part of Peer Resource and Link Crew at Mission. He hopes to reduce the stigma around mental health and help improve mental health in general.
Neil Bedagkar
Shreya Nandyala
Neil Bedagkar
CREATIVE & MEDIA OUTREACH
Neil is a freshman at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He's really passionate about music, and when he has free time, he likes to sit on his bed and analyze albums for hours on end. He's fascinated with the concept of musical storytelling, and how emotions can be conveyed by artists. He enjoys playing the trumpet in his school's ensembles. He is also passionate about mental health, and is interested in learning more about psychology and neuroscience.