About the team
Meet the Executive Board of the National Student Bioethics Association
Ariadne Nichol
Founder and Executive Board
Ariadne Nichol is a researcher at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics and a fourth year medical student at UCSD School of Medicine. She earned her bachelors degree in Human Biology from Stanford University, where she graduated with Honors in Ethics in Society and was a Public Service Scholar. She has previously worked on global public health research ethics topics at Doctors Without Borders and at the World Health Organization (WHO). Her work has been published in the American Journal of Bioethics, the Journal of Medical Internet Research, PLOS One, and the JAMA Network Open. Her areas of interest include global health research ethics; ethical challenges associated with emerging infectious diseases; as well as ethical and social issues raised by application of big data and machine learning in health care and for precision medicine.
Shivam Bhargava
Executive Board and Conference Chair
Shivam Bhargava is a first year medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine. Previously as an undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill, he served as the Founder and President of the Bioethics Society of UNC, which is the first ever bioethics organization at the school with a general membership of 200+ students. Through this organization, he led bioethics research initiatives, medical case writing, and guest speaker events. In addition, Shivam conducted his own bioethics research surrounding narrative medicine and anti-racism in clinical skills medical education. He is very passionate about the intersection between bioethics and education and is an aspiring bioethicist.
Michele Anzabi
Executive Board
Michele Anzabi is a Master of Science in Bioethics candidate at Harvard Medical School, where she received the Dean's scholarship for her work in advancing the position of the underserved and underrepresented in her field. She is currently researching fetal therapy ethics at Boston Children's Hospital. Along with minors in Chemistry and Hispanic Studies, Michele earned her Bachelors of Arts degree in Health & Societies with a concentration in Bioethics through the History & Sociology of Science department at the University of Pennsylvania. As an undergraduate, she worked in reproductive justice with PERIOD and the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, global public health at the Shifo Foundation, medical humanities at the Collegium Institute, and clinical ethics at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Michele hopes to have a career that integrates her interests in bioethics and medicine.
Nell Mermin-Bunnell
Executive Board
Nell Mermin-Bunnell is an MD candidate at Emory University School of Medicine and an MPP candidate at Harvard Kennedy School. She completed her BS in Psychology at Yale University in May 2021. At Yale, she conducted research in moral psychology with Dr. Paul Bloom and in applications of behavioral economics in public health with Dr. Woo-Kyoung Ahn. She also spent a year studying the ethics of digital mental health care with Dr. Nicole Martinez at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. She hopes to eventually pursue research at the intersection of behavioral ethics and bioethics. For fun, Nell enjoys singing and playing the guitar, running, reading, and pondering puzzling philosophical quandaries.
Meet the Commitee Chairs of the National Student Bioethics Association
Riya Bajpai
Outreach Chair
I am a high school student in Virginia who gained in interest in bioethics through the co-curricular HOSA, when I competed in the Biomedical Debate event. Currently, I am in my school's biotechnology class, where I enjoy partaking in our ethical debates. I have a particular interest in clinical ethics and health policy and hope to pursue further education in public health and psychology!
Marina Rego
Outreach Chair
As a student at UC Berkeley (Class of 2027) double majoring in Integrative Human Biology and Philosophy, Marina Rego is driven by a deep-seated interest in bioethics and a desire to make a positive impact on the world. Inspired by her experiences in patient advocacy, global bioethics, and youth education, Marina seeks to contribute her unique perspective and skills to create a more ethical and equitable healthcare system.
Hayley Foo
Outreach Chair
I am a high school junior passionate about the intersection of science, creativity, and healthcare. My bioethics interests focus on equitable access to treatment, particularly in kidney health and organ transplantation, inspired by my grandmother’s experience with kidney failure. I have conducted independent research in molecular biology and cancer biology, while also leading health literacy and creative projects that bring comfort to patients and families. Through these experiences, I hope to explore how ethics, compassion, and science can work together to shape more just and human-centered healthcare.
Nate Mamo
Bioethics Education Chair
MA student at NYU Bioethics. Former Research Fellow at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute. Interested in the intersection of international development and health policy. Looking to learn more about collective-decision making in healthcare and priority setting.
Ambria Williams
Bioethics Education Chair
Ambria Williams's work focuses on the ethical and legal implementation of biotechnology. She has conducted legal and policy research on gene therapy, genetic testing, medical AI, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines. Her research interests include using science fiction as an educational tool to engage general audiences in science and health policy.
Anushka Purkayastha
Research Chair
Hi I'm Anushka! I recently graduated from Rutgers University with a bachelors in public health and two minors in health administration and medical ethics/health policy. I have experience working in healthcare corporate companies and have done research in epidemiology and implementation science. I enjoyed my health ethics classes in college and wanted to continue surrounding myself with those who have the same interests as me!
Vivian Mok
Research Chair
I am a philosophy graduate student at UVA. My research areas are bioethics and philosophy of medicine. In bioethics, I am particularly interested in decision-making, euthanasia, end-of-life, and clinical ethics/moral distress consultation.
Adonis Richardson
Social Media Chair
I am a rising freshman at Howard University, double majoring in Political Science and Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Bioethics. My interest in bioethics was sparked through my role as a medical examiner in Mock Trial, where I found myself drawn to the complexities of science, law, and ethical decision-making. That experience helped me realize how deeply I care about the moral questions that shape healthcare and policy. I hope to explore those questions further through research and community-focused work at Howard, and through the National Student Bioethics Association.
Muna Jack
Social Media Chair
Hello! I am a current sophomore high school student in New York, and I’m interested in public health, ethics, radiology, and other fields of medicine.Throughout this year, I’ve been involved in a couple of small biomedical engineering activities as well as internships related to other scientific fields. As a high school student who is hoping to become a radiologist in the future, I aspire to make healthcare more accessible and safer for patients of all backgrounds.
Tulsi Patel
Conference Chair
Tulsi is an undergraduate pre-medical student at Clemson University focusing on a Philosophy degree in the Medicine, Health, and Human Values track. She is highly passionate about applying bioethics to preventative health and health policy for minoritized communities through patient-physician relationships, food ethics, and personalized medicine. Throughout her academic journey, she hopes to explore clinical ethics at the confluence of community engagement, research, and advocacy.
Arya Shah
Conference Chair
I am a current undergraduate sophomore studying Systems Biology, Bioethics, and Chemistry. I am interested in bioethics especially as it relates to technology and the impact of AI on medical practices and patient outcomes. I am currently doing cancer research, but looking to add some bioethics research as well.
Victoria DeVito
Conference Chair
My name is Victoria DeVito, and I am a student at Choate Rosemary Hall with an interest in the intersection of science and society, particularly how scientific advancements influence daily life, policy, ethics, and communities. I previously conducted research on the societal impacts of testing nuclear weapon technologies, with a focus on their health effects on minority groups and indigenous communities and presented my work at the 2025 Critical Issues Forum, an international conference hosted by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. In addition, I have written several articles for student magazines that cover a variety of topics, such as the ethics of germline gene editing and the environmental and health effects of nuclear waste. I look forward to continuing to explore the ways healthcare and scientific advancements have changed and how emerging scientific advancements and technologies can address global challenges and be implemented ethically and equitably.