My research interests lie at the intersection of biology and economics, and I am particularly focused on using economics to solve healthcare issues. I am conducting research in health economics under Dr. Jalpa Doshi at the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE), where I evaluate access barriers to oral anti-cancer medication for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. In the past, I have conducted independent Drosophila research with the TRIP lab, where I investigated the effects of alumni compounds on fruit fly fertility. The following year, I served as a teaching assistant in the TRIP program, helping other students with their fruit fly research. Alongside my research, I’m a part of Penn Masti, a South Asian fusion dance team, the Daily Pennsylvanian’s Strategy & Promotions team, the Wharton Women MBA Mentorship Committee, and Wharton’s Agriculture Business Club.

• UScholars Summer Research Training Grant

My research interests have revolved around women’s health, particularly menstrual disorders and period poverty. During high school I was mentored by Dr. Kristen Matteson at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. Together, we wrote a literature review exploring the menstrual experiences of adolescents in the U.S. Additionally, I worked with the Massachusetts Menstrual Equity Coalition to study the effects of period poverty in different underserved areas of Massachusetts. 

Because of these experiences, I am interested in studying the effect that menstrual disorders have on women’s lives across all age groups and understanding why these issues are underreported from both a clinical and social perspective. While at Penn, I would like to build on my prior projects and explore the relationship between hormonal shifts at the time of menopause and risk for dementia in post-menopausal women.

• Reproductive Health Research Intern at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School 
• Plante ER, Ekwunwa CC, Illanes, D. Serum Sickness-Like Reaction D-mannose. Abstract presentation at the International Conference on Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, New York, NY, October 2023. 
• Plante ER, Ekwunwa C, Maciag MC, Illanes D. Serum sickness-like reaction to D-Mannose Supplement: A Case Report. BMC Pediatr. 2024 Jul 26;24(1):475

My research interests focus on degenerative disc disease and its pathophysiology, as well as how new alternative treatments (tissue engineered therapeutics, spinal loading via physical activity) may be able to reverse the course of disease. 

Currently, I am an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Gullbrand Laboratory, part of the Perelman McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory and Translational Musculoskeletal Research Center at the CMCVAMC. The Gullbrand Lab studies the structure and function of the spine, and how that contributes to degenerative disc disease. 

Extracurricularly, I am involved in the Penn Beekeeping Club, Penn Women's Club Rugby, Medical Volunteers for Prevention (MVP), and Kidney Screening Disease and Awareness Program (KDSAP).

• University Scholars (UScholars) program
• UScholars Summer Research Training Funding, 2025

I am interested in linguistics and language—particularly the relationship between language, thought, cognition, behavior, and decision-making. I am also interested in the historical role of literature in shaping language and languages in shaping literary traditions, as well as the impact of linguistic interaction across national and sociological barriers.

I am interested in research at the intersection of computer science and pediatric disease and have spent my first year at Penn exploring both fields. This summer, I have been primarily working as a wet lab research assistant in the Wolpaw Lab at CHOP, in which I help create and assess 3D models for neuroblastoma. I am also part of the Shen Lab, where I have been exploring the use of AI for computational drug discovery. I am excited to merge the skills I gain from both experiences in my own independent project.

Outside of research, I am part of a variety of student organizations, including the Asian Pacific American Pre-Medical Student Association, Service Link, the Brain Exercise Initiative, and Penn Chamber. I am also a College Peer Advisor and love meeting new people and talking to them about research!

My research interests are primarily related to health equity, and the ways in which people from different demographics have differing access to healthcare. I have previously conducted research establishing a youth-centered decision-making framework for opioid settlement funds in North Carolina. I have also conducted independent research on the effectiveness of healthcare interventions in Ghana.

My research interest lies at the intersection of commercial real estate and the construction industry, specifically in the labor relations process that governs how construction workers engage with contractors, developers, and unions. With the support of the University Scholars program and Dr. Peter Cappelli of the Wharton Management Department, I am currently pursuing independent research on the division of labor and employee relations within Philadelphia's construction industry and their effects on real estate projects. Beyond my research, I am actively involved with the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO and the Wharton Management Club.

My research interests include the fields of anthropology, sociology, neuroscience, psychology, and legal studies. Generally, I am interested in exploring why humans act the way that we do, on both the macro and micro levels. Anthropology and sociology allow me to look at the big picture, at cultural and societal forces that shape our thinking and behavior, while neuroscience and psychology allow me to do the same at an individual, biological basis. I am interested in conducting research that blends all of these areas, in addition to separately exploring the rule of law. In the past, I have worked on research papers centered on the neuroscience of addiction, developmental psychology, cross-cultural emotion expression, and literary theory. Outside of UScholars, I am a part of the Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn Moot Court, the Penn Review, and the Penn Undergraduate Law Journal.

I am currently interested in researching the political history of East and Southeast Asia, especially after the 1911 revolution that led to the establishment of the Republic of China. In particular, I am intrigued by the historical development of language policy in the Greater China region and its effects on governments’ political power and ethnic minority regions. To support my research goals, I studied Mandarin Chinese through the U.S. Department of State’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth and through the Intensive Chinese course sequence at Penn. 

With the support of the University Scholars Program and the mentorship of Dr. Chih-Jen Lee, I will be undertaking further Chinese language study during the summer of 2025 through the Princeton in Beijing program. During my summer in China, I aim to develop more advanced language fluency in preparation for historical research. In addition to my research interests and language studies, I help foster alumni engagement as a Penn Traditions Philanthropy Committee member and advocate for the work of the United Nations as a Freshman Representative for Penn’s United Nations Association of the U.S.A. (UNA-USA) chapter.