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.

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 July 30, 2026, and the spring term deadline is Monday January 4, 2027. 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 student, Sean Lewis, presenting his research on AGGeN Diffusion Modeling of Astronomical Data for Improving Image Search Algorithms at the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Anchorage, AK, June 2025.

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 

              STARS II Symposium Abstracts 2025 (PDF)  STARS II Symposium Abstracts 2024 (PDF)

  • 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 per academic year.  *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 Mentors 2026-2027  

Patty Benitez-Lomi  is a PhD student in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Originally from New Jersey, Patty graduated from Wellesley College in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences and Art History. There, they investigated marine microbial extracellular vesicles as potential vehicles for horizontal gene transfer and carbon cycling. At Wellesley, Patty was also a proud member of the McNair Scholars Program, which enabled them to foster a deep sense of community with peers from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM. Having been inspired by the transformative mentorship they received throughout their undergraduate career, they are excited to continue supporting other students along their academic journeys. Now at Yale, Patty’s work explores the diverse mechanisms by which gut microbes can regulate the behavior of their animal hosts. In their free time, Patty loves to illustrate, play video games, and try new dessert recipes. Feel free to reach out to them at patty.benitez-lomi@yale.edu.

Lucien Dieter is a PhD candidate in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Yale University. Lucien’s research applies molecular biotechnology to assess and improve risks to human health in the built environment, with particular focus in healthcare settings where pathogens are exposed to patients. He earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in Environmental Resource Management Engineering from Arizona State University, where he investigated biofilm monitoring in a redox reactor. As a student researcher with The Biodesign Institute’s Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Lucien also explored the biological impacts of pharmaceutical compounds and the emergence of antibiotic resistance in the built environment. Before his PhD, he served as a physical scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He is excited to connect research with collaborative mentorship. Contact him at lucien.dieter@yale.edu.         

Abigail Ama Koomson is a fourth-year PhD student in Cellular and Molecular Physiology at  Yale, originally from Ghana, West Africa. She grew up in Ghana before moving to the United Arab Emirates to attend New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), where she earned a degree in Biology with minors in Psychology and Creative Writing.

It was at NYUAD that Abigail was first introduced to wet-lab scientific research under the mentorship of her principal investigator, Dr. Kirsten Edepli, and mentor, Dr. Patrice Delaney. Through these experiences, she developed a passion for asking fundamental questions about living systems and designing experiments to uncover the answers. This excitement for discovery motivated her to pursue graduate training at Yale.

In Dr. Rachel Perry’s lab at Yale, Abigail’s research focuses on understanding the metabolic drivers of breast cancer-induced physical fatigue using a mouse model. Her work aims to uncover mechanisms underlying cancer-related fatigue and identify potential therapeutic targets to improve quality of life for patients with breast cancer.

Recognizing the profound impact that mentorship has had on her own scientific journey, Abigail is passionate about mentoring students and serving as a resource for others as they navigate their own paths in science.

Feel free to contact her at abigail.koomson@yale.edu.

Nghia Le (he/him) is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering, and the  Physics Engineering Biology (PEB) certificate. He is from Hanoi, Vietnam. He graduated in 2024 with a bachelor of science in Biophysics from Bucknell University, where he studied the biophysics and dynamics of microbes moving in fluid flows. At Yale, Nghia’s  work in the Kuan Lab is in mapping the connections between neurons using electron microscopy, to understand how they form neural circuits, compute, and support functions. After Yale, he plans to stay in academia or find a job as a medical physicist. He loves mentoring and helping others. Feel free to reach out to him at nghia.le@yale.edu.

Mariana Do Carmo is a 7th year MD-PhD student. She was born in Sesimbra, Portugal and grew up in Newark, New Jersey. She went to Yale University for undergrad, where she was a proud member of the STARS community, having participated in the STARS summer program in Dr. Megan King’s lab and worked as a peer mentor for the STARS I program her junior and senior year. She majored in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and did her senior thesis research on epigenetics and breast cancer in Dr. Qin Yan’s lab. She then did a two-year post-bac program as part of the Broad Insitute’s Cancer Biology Scholars program, where she studied resistance to targeted therapies in melanoma and other cancers as a member of Dr. Cory Johannessen’s lab. She is now in Dr. Katerina Politi’s lab, where she continues to understand drug resistance in lung cancer, and she hopes to pursue a residency in oncology as well as to continue her research in this field. Outside of lab, Mariana loves baking and watching movies. She is very excited to return to the STARS program and is always happy to speak with anyone - you can contact her at mariana.docarmo@yale.edu. 

Kenny Yip (he/him) is a PhD candidate in Chemical and Environmental Engineering. His research explores the removal of organic pollutants to produce ultrapure water, a grade of water with purity far exceeding that of drinking water. Originally from Hong Kong, he got his bachelor’s degree from UCLA in another temperate climate. Since undergrad, Kenny’s research has focused on water purification from more sustainable but more challenging sources to address water scarcity. He is also interested in using languages and visual to understand and communicate science, and he enjoys connecting with others and learning from different perspectives. Outside of the lab, Kenny enjoys cooking and watching soccer. You are welcome to reach him at kenny.yip@yale.edu!

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