Third Year Medical Students

Gabriela DeOliveira

Gabriela is from Novi, MI. She completed her undergraduate decreen from Central Michigan University with a major in Biomedical Sciences. Gabriela studied the effect of social instability on hormone secretion in cichlid fish. She has volunteered many ourse with the Isabella County Mobile Food Pantry. In her spare time she enjoys reading, hiking and camping.

Marguerite Esler

Marguerite is from Traverse City, MI. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University (MSU)in Chemistry and Kinesiology. Marguerite worked as an anatomy cadaver lab teaching assistant at MSU. She completed volunteer services at Help a Willing Kid Foundation in Lansing, MI. Marguerite enjoys sports, reading and traveling.

Stephen Holihan

Stephen is from Saginaw, MI. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Saginaw Valley State Unversity (SVSU). Stephen served as a research assistant at SVSU in behavioral neuroendocrinology and a lab service/volunteer at Beacon of Hope Pregnancy Care Center service pregnant women. He is married to his lovely wife Katlyn and dad to his cats Ester and Mordecai. Stephen enjoys serving is local church, working out and breakfast food.

Alexandria (Alex) Marks

Alex is from Jackson, MI. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Michigan Technological University (MTU). During her time at MTU, Alex volunteered with MTU EMS, she also traveled to Alaska to work as a support specialist for Hope Community Resources. In her free time, she enjoys video games, reading and knitting.

Alexandra (Allie) Rachwitz

Allie is from Bay City, MI. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry from Albion College. Some of her recent research involves working in the Adipose Lab at UM Department of Surgery. Allie did volunteer work at the Best Buddies Memtorhsip Program. She is married to her husband, Seth and mom to her cat, Stella. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, voleyball adn SCUBA diving.

Laura Schroeder

Laura is from Sanford, MI. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Science from Saginaw Valley State University and a Masters of Science degree in Physiology from Indiana University. She worked as an anatomy and psychiology associate laboratory instructor at Indiana University and volunteers as a high school track coach. In her free time she loves spending time with her partner Aaron and Hedgehog, Sonic; bike riding, hiking, and track and field activities.

Eric Sheffield

Eric is from Freeland, MI. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in Biomedical Science. Eric was a student summer scholar at GVSU and works as a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters. He enjoys spending time playing basketball, weight lifting and fishing.

Carolyn Strzalka

Carolyn is from Eagle, MI. She recieved her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Michigan State University. Carolyn has serviced with the AmeriCorps and the American Red Cross disaster action team. She enjoys cooking, reading, and playing with her dogs.

Shelby Walker

Shelby is from St. Charles, MI. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Central Michigan Univeristy (CMU) in Biology. Shelby worked as a chemistry tutor at CMU, College of Science and Engineering. She has also been an eleven (11) volunteer in her howntown elementary school. Shelby enjoys anything to do with plants, reading and scrapbooking.

Kristi Wegener

Kristie is from Bay City, MI. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience from the University of Michigan. During her studies, Kristie worked as a PsychSystem behavioral technician and volunteered with Misericordia Home in Chicago. She enjoys reading, hiking and cooking.

David Westphal

David is from Roscommon, MI. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology, Human Biology and a Masters in Public Health from Michigan State University. David worked for Oakland County as a Public Health Sanitarian performing food inspections and volunteered with the Capital Area Humane Society. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his partner Adrienne, as well as hiking the Upper Peninsula, downhill skiing and board games.

Elizabeth (Liz) Williams

Liz is from Saginaw, MI. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan in Biochemistry and completed her PhD in Pharmacology & Toxicology from Michgian State University (MSU). Liz has a wide range of employment history including; Dow Chemical Water Solutions, working at restaurants, preclinical research in cardiovascular and neuroscience research labs. She has a facination with research, it began in middle and high school with science fair projects about the body's natural defenses against HIV. This lead her to work in the pharmacology lab at U of M during her undergrad, where she studied the oxidation and recycling of potassium channels in the myocardium in the context of oxidative stressors. She then joined the MSU MD/PhD program, and completed her PhD in Pharmacology & Toxicology. For her dissertation, she studied sex diffrences in the physicology of neural circuts in mouse models of depression. She discovered a difference between male and female mice in the activity of the neural projection from the hippocampus to the nucleus accumben, a circut that has been linked to addiction and depression. Liz showed the heightened activity of this circuit in female mice, and this activity may be linked to an exaggerated susceptibility to mood disorders such as depression. She is interested in continuing her research throughout her medical career.

Liz is lives at home with her husband, Tom a cat. She loves crafts, especially sewing and workign with different media such as paper, vinyl, and various textiles. Liz also enjoys traveling and trying new foods, and recreating at home recipie she discovers through her travels.