Team Bio

We are the Respiratory and Immunology Project Laboratory Research Team (RIPLRT) within the College of Biomedical Sciences at Larkin University.

In the RIPLRT, in addition to addressing the respiratory health of the population through immunological, exposure science, and computational approaches, we value inclusiveness, diversity, integrity, productivity, innovation, excellence, collaboration, and leadership.

Felix E. Rivera-Mariani

I am a Assistant Professor in the College of Biomedical Sciences at Larkin University, and have extensive research experience as immunologist, microbiologist, aerobiologist, and computational biologist. I am also the principal investigator of the Respiratory and Immunology Project Laboratory Research Team at Larkin University (RIPLRT). At Larkin University, in addition to carrying out scientific research, I teach biochemistry, immunology, and molecular genetics. Among my academic credentials include a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry (Southeastern Louisiana University under an athletic scholarship), Ph.D. in Microbiology and Medical Zoology (School of Medicine of the University of Puerto Rico - Medical Sciences Campus), post-doctoral fellowship in Environmental Health Sciences (the Bloomberg School of Public Health of the Johns Hopkins University), and Science Teaching Fellowship (American Society for Microbiology).

I am strong supporter of reproducible data analysis and thus gained specializations in Data Science, Genomic Data Sciences, Executive Data Science, Software Development (Johns Hopkins University), Systems Biology (Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai), and Bioinformatics (University of California at San Diego). Through these specializations, I developed extensive experience as a programmer in the R, Python, and Matlab computer languages.

Hayat Srour

I am a graduate from the M.S. in Biomedical Sciences program at Larkin University. Before joining Larkin, I earned a B.A. in Anthropology from Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan). My interest in scientific research stems from my passion for medicine and philanthropy. Among my diverse goals, I aspire to become a physician actively working toward global equality.

My participation and leadership in the RIPLRT date back to its beginning (back then the RIPLRG). When the group was created, I was assigned the task of being the spokesperson of the group. Now, I am a Research Assistant and Lab Manager of the RIPLRT.

Ruslan Fomenko

I am a recent graduate of the M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from Larkin University, and grew up in Kazakhstan and moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. I also have a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology, with a Psychology minor, from Christopher Newport University. As an undergraduate, I participated in research focused on the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of drought and salt-stressed Rosmarinus officinalis plants. With the RIPLRT, I am a Research Assistant and one of the certified phlebotomist.

Shandra Bellinger

I am originally from Maryland, where I completed a B.S in Biology from Frostburg State University. I relocated to Miami and graduated from Larkin University with a M.S. in Biomedical Sciences. Being a member of the RIPLRT is allowing me the opportunity to grow as an Research Assistant and expand my knowledge.

Joshua Baguley

I grew up in Indonesia and then moved to Waco, Texas where I attended Baylor University to complete a B.S. in Biochemistry. I spent the majority of my time at Baylor working as an undergraduate researcher, specializing in DNA manipulation and protein purification, and focused on the functions and effects of replication factors MCM8, MCM9, Dpo1, and Dpo4 on the DNA replisome. I am also a recent graduate of the M.S. in Biomedical Sciences program at Larkin University.

Ariel Stateman

I recently graduated from the M.S. in Biomedical Sciences program at Larkin University. Before joining Larkin, l earned a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There, I participated in scientific research studying the sensing in lean and obese individuals through rats. I also have extensive experience in clinical observations from my internships at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, IL. Among my prospective professional plans, I look forward to earning a MD degree.