STARS II Program

The STARS II program is designed for Yale College juniors and seniors that require financial support in order to conduct research during the academic year and are interested in pursuing careers in STEM research after graduation. The goal of the program is to provide an intensive research experience and prioritizes students that demonstrate a need for additional financial and advising support to successfully conduct research at Yale and prepare for application to graduate research programs. STARS II scholars receive a stipend to support up to ten hours per week of laboratory research under the supervision of a faculty mentor and graduate student(s). *If you are doing research for credit, you cannot receive a stipend and credit simultaneously for the same hours of work. However, you may receive the STARS stipend for up to ten additional hours, beyond those received for credit.

During the summer after junior year, the program provides stipend support for students to continue their research full-time at Yale for ten weeks. In the spring semesters of their junior and senior years, STARS II scholars conduct a formal presentation of their research, in the form of a poster or a talk, at the STARS II Research Symposium. STARS II students participate in mandatory  workshops designed to develop their scientific skills. They are encouraged to present their research at regional and national scientific conferences/meetings and submit their research for publication.

If you are accepted into the STARS II Program, you must participate in 75% of the workshops and activities offered each semester. Failure to do so will result in your dismissal from the program.

The STARS II program accepts applications from juniors two times during the year. To be eligible to apply, it is required that you have worked in your lab for at least one semester or one summer prior to the application date. The fall term deadline is Thursday August 7, 2025, and the spring term deadline is Monday January 5, 2026. Applications will be reviewed by a faculty committee and selected students will be invited for short interviews. Accepted students will join the program immediately after acceptance.

STARS II Highlights

  • Welcome Reception for the STARS II juniors and their mentors

  • Academic Year Stipend Support for up to 10 hours per week (up to 13 weeks per semester) of laboratory research during the junior and senior years 

  • Summer Stipend Support (if required) for full-time laboratory research for up to ten weeks during the summer between the junior and senior years

  • STARS II Research Symposium for STARS II junior and senior scholars to present their final research projects to their colleagues and mentors. Date TBA

  • Mandatory workshops designed to prepare scholars for the STARS II Research Symposium and other scientific conferences/meetings

  • Group Activities designed to increase the feeling of community and support among the STARS II junior and senior scholars
  • Funding support to present at conferences. Funding is available to STARS II students to present research data (from research conducted at Yale with a Yale PI/lab) at one national or international science conference.  *Requests for funding must be made 3 months prior to the actual conference date(s) by submitting a CONFERENCE - TRAVEL REQUEST FORM to donalee.slater@yale.edu. Please read the Conference Travel Policy before submitting your request.  **Note: if you are a senior, the conference must occur prior to your graduation to be eligible for funding.
Application Information
stars ii graduate coordinators 2025-2026  

Hamid Abuwarda is a 5th year MD-PhD student originally from California. He obtained his B.S in Biology from the University of California, Irvine, where he also researched the role of mechanical forces in mouse neural development. He is in the midst of his PhD, studying how neuroimaging can be used as a biomarker in Alzheimer’s disease under the supervision of Carolyn Fredericks and Todd Constable. Hamid hopes to pursue a career in neurology studying the intersection of neurological and psychiatric conditions. You can reach him at hamid.abuwarda@yale.edu.

Claire Butler Growing up surrounded by the Rocky Mountains in Boulder, CO sparked Claire’s passion for the outdoors and inspired her to pursue a degree in environmental engineering at the Univ. of Colorado Boulder. Upon graduating, Claire interned in the drinking water industry before pursuing a PhD at Yale in chemical and environmental engineering. Her work in the Winter Lab focuses on developing earth-abundant catalysts and employing electrochemical techniques, such as non-thermal plasma, to address contaminants of emerging concern in water systems. After graduating, Claire hopes to combine her passion for environmental engineering, mentorship, and teaching to connect theory and industry for a more sustainable future.  You can reach me at claire.butler@yale.edu.

Allison Cairns  (she/her) is a PhD student in Applied Physics and Physical Engineering Biology from Santa Ana, California. Allison majored in Physics at Portland State University, where she worked at the Center for Electron Microscopy and Nanofabrication. Her current research focus in The Kuan Lab and The Bewersdorf Lab is utilizing pan-ExM to reveal how cortical scaffolding proteins relate to ultrastructural abnormalities associated with autism spectrum disorder. After Yale, she plans to do research either in industry/ a national lab or work in a microscopy core. She hopes to inspire others to join STEM fields and consider interdisciplinary research.  She has a passion for mentoring and research.  Feel free to reach out to her at allison.cairns@yale.edu. 

Yixuan Chen is a 2nd year PhD student originally from Beijing, China. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2023 with a B.A. in Chemistry (Biochemistry concentration), where she performed research in cancer biology and computational structural biology. At Yale, Yixuan is investigating the role of RNA modification enzyme DUS2 in lung cancer in the lab of Dr. Wendy Gilbert. She is interested in pursuing a career in research and/or science communication. Feel free to reach out to her at yixuan.chen.yc972@yale.edu.                                                                                                                                                      

Lauren Mazurowski is a fourth-year PhD student and NSF Graduate Research Fellow in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering department, conducting research in the Elimelech group. Lauren’s research focuses on developing metal recovery technologies for applications in wastewater and elucidating ion-selective membrane processes. A native Nevadan, Lauren’s passion for water treatment was inspired by her time recreating near the Lake Tahoe basin, and she pursued a B.S. in Environmental Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), then continued on to an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNR under the guidance of Dr. Krishna Pagilla, where she conducted a large-scale wastewater-based epidemiology study during the COVID-19 pandemic. This impactful work aided in monitoring local SARS-CoV-2 viral concentrations and understanding disease prevalence in Washoe County. Lauren hopes to continue her commitment to connecting innovative research with real-world applications. Email Lauren anytime at lauren.mazurowski@yale.edu.

Daniel McQuaid is a 5th year MD/PhD student originally from Ossining, NY. He graduated from Yale University in 2018 with a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. He completed his senior thesis in the lab of Dr. Craig Crews and stayed in the Crews lab for two gap years before medical school. Dan matriculated to the Yale MD/PhD Program in 2020 and is currently conducting his PhD in Genetics in the lab of Dr. Mandar Muzumdar studying the link between obesity and pancreatic cancer. After Yale, he plans to pursue a career as an oncology-focused physician-scientist. Dan is incredibly excited to be a part of STARS II and is happy to talk anytime – reach him at daniel.mcquaid@yale.edu.