Oh, and her parents have no background in tech whatsoever.

This is the story of episode five of season three of Across STEM with YSI, featuring Carla Monte, a student from Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain whose story is one of the most layered and surprising ones we’ve had on this show. Surprising not because of the accolades, though there are many, but because of the clarity of intention behind every single one of them.

Carla did not stumble into any of this. A question from her mom at age six sent her to a robotics club where, out of eight kids, only two were girls. She noticed. She grew up. She kept noticing. And at some point, noticing became something she decided to act on.

In this episode, Carla talks to Amirali about the app she co-built with her twin sister for Technovation Girls, a platform designed to make smaller cities more visible to the world, giving places like Terrassa a channel to share their culture, heritage, and traditions beyond Barcelona’s shadow. She talks about Sea Bubble, the marine biology innovation project born from a direct conversation with a Spanish marine biologist who said, simply, that tracking devices kept getting lost at sea and nobody had a solution. Carla’s team heard “problem.” They built an answer. They flew to South Africa, danced La Macarena and Waka Waka all week with teams from 60 countries, and won first place.

But the part of this conversation that will stay with you most is the Parkinson’s research.

Working alongside a UC Berkeley neuroscience student, Carla used bibliometric analysis to map machine learning applications in EEG sleep pattern research for Parkinson’s patients. That’s already remarkable for a high schooler. What makes it something else entirely is why she chose it. Her grandfather has Parkinson’s.

“When you love someone and you see that disease taking a part of him,” she says, “you cannot stop and not do anything.”

She didn’t.

Carla also reflects on what a profile can never show you. The personality behind the achievements, the resilience it took to cold-email CEOs at fourteen with no LinkedIn experience to fund a trip to South Africa, the way curiosity stops feeling like discipline when it’s real. School runs nine to five. The learning she cares about most happens after.

Her dream is to combine AI and neuroscience to tackle neurodegenerative disease. In the shorter term, she wants to keep building, keep inspiring more girls to go into STEM, and never forget the people who believed in her before she had anything to show them.

Talent is everywhere. Opportunity isn’t. Carla knows this better than most, and she’s spending her life doing something about it.

Watch episode five of Across STEM with YSI‘s Spring 2026 season to learn more about Carla’s story! Also on Spotify 🎙️

As always, make sure to follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more inspiring episodes coming your way 🙌🏼

The reality is, most people spend years figuring out what they want to pursue. And that is completely natural.

But Silvia, at just fifteen, already knows.

Talking to her for just a few minutes, you believe it completely.

Growing up in Valencia, the City of Arts and Sciences, Silvia was never far from curiosity. The spark came through a laboratory class that quickly became her favorite subject and the videos of Álex Pascual, an Oxford biotechnologist who inspired her so deeply that she wrote to him—to which he responded by awarding her a scholarship to his Oxbridge course. That single connection, between a teenager in Spain and a scientist at one of the world’s greatest universities, changed the direction of her path entirely.

Share Science for Humanity | Amirali Banani

In this episode, Silvia and Amirali explore what it means to approach science as a polymath in training. Silvia sees biology, chemistry, and neuroscience not as separate fields but, in her own words, as “different layers of the same map,” united by biotechnology and an interdisciplinary instinct that she believes leads to the most creative, effective solutions. She talks about what draws her to neuroscience specifically: the mysteries of how we think, dream, and store memories. The fact that the brain remains one of the last great frontiers of human knowledge. “There is so much room for a generation to discover,” she says, and she means it.

Beyond the science, Silvia opens up about starting her blog Science in Miniature, born from the belief that “science loses its value if the knowledge stays locked inside a lab.” She talks about finding community in online spaces when few classmates share her interests, the teacher who first lit her love for laboratory work, and what collaboration truly means in a field where the greatest breakthroughs have always been a team effort.

She also shares where she sees herself headed: undergraduate studies in Valencia, and perhaps Oxford or Cambridge for a masters or PhD. Or, anywhere else in the world her long road ahead may lead her to.

Silvia concludes by telling us which scientist she would shadow for a week if she could pick anyone. The answer is not Newton or Curie.

That says everything about who she is.

Listen to episode four of Across STEM with YSI‘s Spring 2026 season to learn more about Silvia, also on Spotify🎙️

As always, make sure to follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more inspiring episodes coming your way 🙌🏼

A 12th-grade student, researcher, YSI Chapter Leader for Germany, German Aerospace Center intern, national AI competition finalist, judo gold medalist, and many many more things.

Driven by an unshakeable instinct to build things that are both useful and genuinely cool, Mark’s story is one of extraordinary depth and curiosity—a young person who doesn’t just learn about technology, but relentlessly creates with it, all from a small city in northern Germany far from the traditional centers of tech and innovation.

Growing up fascinated by cars in a city synonymous with automotive engineering as the headquarters for German automobile giant Volkswagen, Mark’s curiosity naturally evolved…from tinkering with Arduinos and Raspberry Pis to training neural networks, interning at one of Germany’s most prestigious scientific institutions, and reaching the finals of the national federal AI competition with his project EvidenzLLM. He started with a laptop, a GitHub, and a telescope. The telescope, wonderfully, is what inspired his current project: a probabilistic super-resolution GAN for satellite imagery. All of this running on the basis of his tremendous coding skills, which he uses to innovate without bounds.

That’s just who Mark is.

In this ASWYSI episode, Mark and Amirali explore how that childhood love of cars became a deep passion for AI and computer vision. Mark walks through his most significant projects—including his Bayesian super-resolution GAN and his RAG-based LLM system for tackling AI hallucinations—while describing his internship at the German Aerospace Center’s Institute of Transportation Systems, collaborating with peers now at Cambridge and Cornell on a nanogel-based brain cancer drug delivery research project called Sanavo, and what it means to lead the YSI Germany chapter and grow a community of young scientists.

Mark also pulls back the curtain on what people don’t see behind his polished GitHub repositories: the wrong matrix dimensions, the failed training runs, the hours of silent unglamorous work before anything ships. From all of this, he ultimately leaves younger students with simple but powerful advice: explore widely, go deep, and pick the thing that genuinely excites you, because you’ll be spending a lot of your life doing that thing.

Inspiring barely scratches the surface. From a small city in northern Germany to the German Aerospace Center, a San Francisco fintech startup, a national AI competition stage, and a judo competition in Brazil, Mark represents a generation of young builders who understand that the tools, the courses, and the communities are already out there. The only question is whether you’ll start.

Mark already has.

Watch episode three of Across STEM with YSI‘s Spring 2026 season to learn more about Mark’s remarkable journey (so far)

Also on Spotify 🎙️

As always, make sure to follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more inspiring episodes coming your way 🙌🏼

And she’s only getting started.

What makes Katherine’s story so compelling isn’t just her credentials. It’s what she chose to do with them. In a field most people can’t even pronounce, let alone explain, Katherine didn’t just master neurodiagnostics; she turned around and started teaching it. She went back to her alma mater to run nerve conduction studies and carpal tunnel assessments for students. She was featured in Influential Women for her impact on medicine. And she’s doing all of this while actively interviewing for medical school, carrying forward a vision of what it means to serve patients that she’s been building since she was thirteen years old, sitting in on appointments with her grandfather after his dementia diagnosis and quietly deciding she wanted to be on the other side of that equation.

Share Science for Humanity | Amirali Banani

In this episode, Katherine and Amirali go deep into what neurodiagnostic technology actually is, and what it feels like to be the person in the room reading a patient’s brainwaves in real time, watching the nervous system speak. Katherine breaks down the difference between EEGs, EMGs, and nerve conduction studies with a clarity that makes one of medicine’s most technical fields feel suddenly, genuinely fascinating. She shares the moment during her clinical rotations in fall 2023 that reaffirmed everything, when being part of a patient’s care, diagnosis, and treatment stopped feeling like training and started feeling instead like purpose.

Beyond the science, Katherine opens up about the unlikely throughline in her journey: sixteen years of ballet (starting at just eighteen months old!) and how the discipline and precision of that world quietly shaped the clinician she’s becoming. She talks about growing from a deeply introverted student (one of the only B’s on her transcript was public speaking) to a clinical instructor mentoring the next generation of neurodiagnostic technologists, including international students, at one of only two universities in the entire country offering this degree. She reflects on what drew her to teaching: not wanting her students to have the experience she sometimes did, and wanting to protect the love for medicine before it gets worn down.

Her closing message is simple and direct: keep going, never stop, and believe in yourself. What gives those words weight is everything she’s already done to earn them, from the bayou marshlands of South Louisiana (with alligators casually roaming the streets) to the conference stage in San Francisco to the hospital floors of Ochsner, going deeper into the science, the service, and the humanity of it all, one patient, one student, one honest conversation at a time.

Watch the second episode of Across STEM with YSI’s Spring 2026 season to learn more about Katherine’s extraordinary journey into one of medicine’s most overlooked and vital fields. Also on Spotify!

Welcome back to Across STEM with YSI with the first episode of the spring featuring Rhea Wanchoo, a UC Berkeley senior double majoring in neuroscience and psychology, aspiring physician, MSP Ambassador at Kaiser Permanente, and a dedicated mentor to pre-med community college students. Passionate about translational neuroscience and culturally competent care, Rhea’s story is one of curiosity and intentional growth while staying grounded in identity as she navigates one of the most intellectually competitive universities in the world in one of the world’s most innovative environments: the Bay Area.

Having made the leap from Virginia’s East Coast roots to the heart of Berkeley’s high-pressure academic environment on the West Coast, Rhea reflects on overcoming imposter syndrome and discovering how to build community all over again in an unfamiliar city. These experiences have shaped her philosophy of learning and medicine alike—one that’s anchored not only in scientific rigor, but in continuous real-world engagement and the relationship between the how and the why.

Share Science for Humanity | Amirali Banani

In this episode, Rhea and Amirali explore her captivating journey into neuroscience and psychology, including what drew her to study both disciplines and how they feed into each other in uniquely powerful ways. Rhea breaks down concepts like hippocampal neurogenesis and brain plasticity, while sharing how witnessing a hemispherectomy patient retain function and personality after losing half their brain fundamentally changed her understanding of what the brain is capable of. She also dives into her research interests at the intersection of bench science and clinical care, and how she plans to carry translational neuroscience forward into her next chapter as a postgraduate clinical research associate at the Yale School of Medicine back on the East Coast in New England.

Beyond research, Rhea discusses her work at Kaiser Permanente designing community health interventions for underserved populations in California, emphasizing the power of preventative care and culturally competent outreach. From mentoring community college transfer students to working alongside church and community leaders to reach the Hispanic community in Vallejo, she brings to life why meeting people where they are—and giving communities a stake in their own healthcare—is one of the most transformative lessons her undergraduate journey has offered.

Rhea also offers heartfelt advice to students: to high schoolers, a reminder that you’ll end up exactly where you belong, and to college students, an encouragement to keep persevering and to reach out (feel free to reach out to her on LinkedIn for questions/advice!) because she herself is always open to mentorship. Looking ahead, Rhea shares her excitement and nerves about starting fresh at Yale, while remaining deeply committed to research, advocacy, and the kind of personalized, meaningful patient care she’s spent four years in California working toward.

Inspiring barely captures Rhea’s journey so far. From neuroscience and community health work at Berkeley to the halls of Yale School of Medicine, she represents a new generation of students and future physicians who believe that excellence in STEM must go hand in hand with curiosity, humility, community, and a deep commitment to benefitting society and helping the people around you for a better world.

Watch the first episode of Across STEM with YSI’s Spring 2026 season to learn more about Rhea’s powerful journey! Also on Spotify

As always, make sure to follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more inspiring episodes coming your way 🙌🏼

Cosimo Guerra joins Amirali from Italy to unpack what he calls the phenotypic continuum of dementia: the idea that cognitive decline does not begin with a diagnosis, but unfolds gradually, often years before clinical thresholds are crossed. Drawing from his recent talk at STEM Quest 3.0, Cosimo walks us through the early stages of Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) before carefully defining what dementia actually means in medical practice.

One of the central questions that Cosimo highlights is deceptively simple: Where does normal aging end, and disease begin? That boundary is never truly clear. Memory lapses can be incredibly subtle. Cognitive changes can be subjective.

The continuum forces clinicians and researchers alike to rethink dementia not as a sudden event, but as a process that evolves slowly over time and typically takes a long time to surface and become noticeable. The conversation then shifts toward Alzheimer’s disease—the pinnacle of neurological diseases—and the treatments that are being explored. Cosimo explains its epidemiology, including its widespread impact on families worldwide and an aging global population making it more commonplace, before diving into what is happening inside the brain mechanistically…amyloid-beta accumulation and plaque formation, tau pathology, neuronal dysfunction. These are not abstract mechanisms; they represent serious, progressive biological changes that can alter memory, daily life, and even identity.

There’s also a candid discussion about diagnostics. From more advanced neuroimaging technologies to emerging biomarkers, neurology is moving toward earlier and more precise detection. Treatment, however, remains complicated. It is neurology after all. Cosimo speaks about the limits of current therapies while acknowledging the cautious optimism surrounding newer disease-modifying approaches—some not in the market yet—with a particular focus on monoclonal antibody treatments with antibodies like lecanemab and their accessibility.

Share

This episode, while scientific, is impactful ultimately because of the human weight behind all of this. Dementia does not simply affect neurons; it affects families, regular life routines, even the sense of self. As a neurology resident involved in intense research in this area, Cosimo reflects on what it means to train in a field where biology and identity intersect so intimately.

Watch the full episode with Cosimo here, also on Spotify 🎙️

Follow and rate Across STEM with YSI for more conversations with STEM Quest speakers and youth changemakers throughout 2026.

In Episode 7 of Across STEM with YSI Season 2, the conversation opens with a quiet but powerful idea: your body is keeping time, even when you aren’t paying attention.

Kerem Yaman joins Amirali to explore the hidden but fascinating, incredibly complex biological rhythms that shape how we sleep, grow, and function every day. Drawing from his recent STEM Quest 3.0 talk, Cryptochromes and the Circadian Rhythm in Mammals and Plants, Kerem introduces listeners to these cool things called cryptochromes: light-sensitive proteins that act as internal detectors, translating light from the environment into biochemical signals that guide circadian rhythms across living systems.

The conversation swiftly moves from molecules to everyday life, as Kerem explains how the same systems that regulate flowering time in plants also influence human sleep cycles, hormone release, our metabolism, and even our mood, playing roles in disorders like schizophrenia. He connects circadian disruption to modern habits many of us recognize: late nights under blue light, irregular sleep schedules, and the strain placed on night-shift workers whose bodies are forced to run against their natural clocks they’ve evolved to become used to.

At one point, the episode circles back beautifully to Kerem’s childhood—growing up surrounded by nature at his family village in Bulgaria and noticing that animals and insects followed their own rhythms long before he had the vocabulary to describe circadian biology. That early curiosity matured into research, writing, a love for biology, and eventually his decision to open STEM Quest 3.0 in December 2025 with a topic rarely explored at the high school level.

Share

Kerem also reflects on the difficulties of balancing intense academic pressures in Istanbul with independent research, writing about biology on Substack, and imagining a future in molecular biology…all while commuting over two hours a day between school and home in Istanbul’s headache-inducing traffic.

A central thread running through the whole episode is scale. Tiny photoreceptors detecting light can ripple outward into immune function, mental health, and long-term disease risk. Circadian biology, Kerem suggests, is a butterfly effect inside the body that should be treated seriously as it dictates too much of our health and mood to be neglected.

To wrap up the episode, Kerem leaves listeners with a message about science as a unifying force: a shared language that connects people across borders and backgrounds without limits.

His perspective is grounded in youth but is surprisingly expansive: curiosity isn’t limited by age, and meaningful engagement with science can start long before university.

Watch the full episode with Kerem above, also on Spotify 🎙️

Follow and rate Across STEM with YSI for more conversations with STEM Quest speakers and youth changemakers throughout 2026.

Uzra Abid Ali joins Amirali to talk about dreams, illusions, and the moments when perception quietly slips without us noticing. Drawing from her recent talk at STEM Quest 3.0, Inside Your Limit: The Neuroscience of Dreams & Illusions, Uzra explains how the brain isn’t a camera capturing reality as it is. It is a fierce prediction machine, constantly filling in gaps based on experiences and expectations.

Watch Uzra’s STEM Quest 3.0 talk

She talks about dreams as one of the clearest examples of this. When external sensory input shuts off, the brain does not go quiet.

It becomes more creative.

Entire scenes, emotions, and narratives emerge out of nothing, without any real-world data feeding them. For Uzra, this isn’t just fascinating, it’s revealing. Dreams show what happens when perception is driven almost entirely from the inside out, which can unravel essential cues about consciousness.

She then discussed illusions, and not as tricks or party curiosities. Uzra describes illusions as moments where the brain’s shortcuts become visible. When an illusion fools us, which happens very often, it isn’t because our brain is broken—it’s because it’s trying to work efficiently, prioritizing speed and coherence over perfection or accuracy. This idea reshapes how we think about error and distortion in neuroscience.

Share

Following this, Uzra reflects on how learning about the neuroscience of dreams and illusions has affected her personally. She admits that once you understand predictive processing, it becomes harder to take your own perceptions at face value. You begin to notice how easily the mind fills in details and how confidently it tells stories that feel real in the moment. It is a testament to how easily our brain at times can be tricked by the laws of physics, and thus how easily we can get tricked by our own brain into thinking that something it has made up is actually real.

A key takeaway from Uzra’s episode worth noting down: the focus is not to be placed on finding firm answers. It is on learning to pay attention to the moments when reality feels slightly unstable.

These are the moments that often reveal the most about how the mind actually works.

Watch the full episode with Uzra above, also on Spotify 🎙️

Follow and rate Across STEM with YSI for more conversations with STEM Quest speakers and youth changemakers throughout 2026.

Breaking into a field like neurotechnology can feel intimidating. It’s complex, technical, and often framed as something you’re only allowed to touch once you’ve reached a certain level.

In this episode of our new season of Across STEM with YSI, Amirali sits down with Joshua Thomas Carter, a psychology undergraduate student (graduating later this year!) at the University of Surrey in Guildford, England and the Founder and President of the Surrey Neurotech Society, to talk about what it means to step into an incredibly exciting, emerging field when you don’t yet have all the answers.

Much of this episode stems from Joshua's recent talk at STEM Quest 3.0, Journey into Neurotechnology: Lessons and Advice, where he shared how he went from being deeply curious about the brain to working hands-on with neurostimulation for cognitive enhancement and building his university’s first-ever neurotech society. In this conversation, he expands on that incredible journey so far—one that is shaped far more by curiosity, persistence, and initiative than by certainty or a perfectly mapped-out plan.

Watch Joshua’s full STEM Quest talk here

Rather than treating neurotechnology as something distant or reserved for experts with years of experience, Joshua breaks it down as a field that’s still unraveling and evolving and is very much open to students willing to learn. He reflects on his first year in neurotech, from navigating unfamiliar research papers and technical language that needed Googling every few words to discovering opportunities that were closer than he ever expected. Along the way, he speaks candidly about the moments of doubt, the learning curves, and the realization that waiting to feel “ready” often means never starting at all.

Share

A big part of Joshua’s story is about access. He challenges the idea that neurotech belongs only to engineers or long-established researchers, and talks about why students from a wide range of backgrounds have a tremendously important role to play. That belief is what pushed him to build a student neurotech community from scratch at his university, creating a space where interest could turn into collaboration, and where learning did not require permission. Along with this, we also explore the responsibility that comes with working on the brain itself (neuroethics!). Joshua speaks thoughtfully about ethics in neurotechnology, why moving fast isn’t always the right approach, and how conversations around philosophy and human impact are just as important as technical innovation.

Watch the full episode, also on Spotify

Follow and rate Across STEM with YSI for more conversations with STEM Quest speakers and youth changemakers throughout 2026.

But what if it’s actually chemistry, microbiology, and equity all in action?

In this episode of season 2 of Across STEM with YSI, Amirali speaks with Reindy Faith Sanon, a high school senior from New Jersey who is an aspiring dermatologist with huge dreams, and a 2025 Junior Fellow with the Harvard Undergraduate Microbiology Society. Following her STEM Quest 3.0 talk, From Molecules to Moisturizers: The Chemistry of Skincare and Inclusive Dermatology, Reindy unpacks why skin health is a rigorous scientific field and why inclusivity should be so foundational to modern dermatology.

Share

Reindy reflects on how her early curiosity and a lot of hands-on experimentation shaped her interest in skincare science from a young age. She shares how navigating self-care and health during the COVID era deepened her commitment to medicine, and how misinformation on social media can deeply distort public understanding of science and healthcare—including the myth that skincare is just cosmetic.

Watch Reindy’s STEM Quest 3.0 session

The conversation also explores youth leadership in STEM and the incredibly important role of interdisciplinary learning, diving deep into how young scientists can challenge outdated assumptions in medicine. From busting the myth that skincare “isn’t real science” to advocating for equitable dermatological education and patient care, Reindy offers a powerful reminder that innovation in healthcare starts with curiosity, and a serious willingness to learn.

The episode also zooms out to examine how curiosity itself becomes a powerful tool for scientific growth. Reindy speaks about learning through trial, through reflection, and even through uncertainty, describing how asking “why” at an early stage can be just as valuable as having formal credentials. She reflects on how moments of confusion, of experimentation, and of self-directed learning shaped her confidence as a young scientist and why embracing uncertainty is essential in fields where knowledge is in a constant state of evolution.

This powerful perspective from Reindy reframes science not as a linear path, but as an iterative process that consistently changes.

Also available now on Spotify🎙️

Follow and rate Across STEM with YSI for more conversations with STEM Quest speakers and youth changemakers throughout 2026.

In this episode, Amirali speaks with Sena Mekonnen, an honors environmental public health pre-med student and Morrill Scholar at The Ohio State University, as well as the co-founder and COO of FaceFrame, a health-tech startup developing AI-powered eyewear try-on solutions. Having recently spoken at STEM Quest 3.0, Sena brings a thoughtful perspective on what it truly means to reimagine healthcare through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Watch Sena’s STEM Quest 3.0 presentation

Throughout the episode, Sena reflects on her multifaceted journey into medicine and public health—from early exposure to healthcare and personal experiences with environmental illness, to discovering how engineering, data science, policy, and design all shape health outcomes. She shares how exploring interests beyond a traditional pre-med path led her to environmental public health and entrepreneurship, and why systems-level thinking has fundamentally changed how she views patient care in America and globally.

Share

Building on this, Sena discusses her work in nutrition research and health technology, highlighting how collaboration across disciplines leads to more meaningful, clinically relevant solutions. Drawing from her experiences in research labs and startup leadership, she speaks candidly about communication across diverse teams while navigating knowledge gaps and learning to lead without needing to know everything. While reflecting on her role as a Founder at FaceFrame, Sena offers insight into how entrepreneurship has shaped her understanding of healthcare innovation beyond what academia alone ever would.

Sena’s journey reminds us that the future of healthcare is not built in isolation. It is collaborative, it is interdisciplinary, it is deeply human.

Driven by intense curiosity and a willingness to look beyond traditional boundaries to solve the problems that matter most.

Also on Spotify

Follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more conversations with STEM Quest speakers and changemakers throughout 2026.

In this episode, Amirali sits down with Yasmin Tarfi, a biotechnology and data science student pursuing her master’s degree in Strasbourg, France, and a former technology intern at Roche in Switzerland. Fresh off her impactful talk at STEM Quest 3.0, Yasmin brings a powerful and deeply thoughtful perspective on what happens when data-driven research and global health equity intersect.

Watch Yasmin’s STEM Quest 3.0 presentation

Throughout the episode, Yasmin reflects on her unconventional yet inspiring academic journey—from a double bachelor’s degree in economics and languages to finding her place at the intersection of genomics, data science, and healthcare with an unrelenting drive to learn. She shares how curiosity and purpose guided her transition into STEM, and how her passion for cancer research and public health led her to focus on one of the most pressing challenges of our time: the underrepresentation of genomic data from underserved populations in cancer research—also the bulk of her STEM Quest presentation.

Share

Building onto this, Yasmin discusses her research on genomic diversity and oncology, highlighting how gaps in data directly impact diagnosis accuracy, treatment efficacy, and health outcomes—particularly in regions like North and Sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing from her personal background and academic work, she speaks candidly about why inclusion in health research is not optional, but essential, and how profit-driven systems often leave entire populations behind.

While talking about her experience working at Roche, Yasmin provides a deeper look at the contrast between academia and industry. She reflects on what it means to work at a company that actually places patients at the center of innovation (unlike most companies in the industry) and how seeing her work translate into real-world impact shaped her vision for the future of science and healthcare.

Yasmin’s journey underscores a central message of this season: that the future of STEM lies not only in data and discovery, but in equity, representation, and the courage to ask hard questions.

Also on Spotify

Follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more conversations with STEM Quest speakers and changemakers throughout 2026.

In this second season of ASWYSI we’ll be interviewing the speakers of STEM Quest 3.0, the biggest program we’ve ever hosted along with MedXplorer and STEM Up which as of today—January 11, 2026—is still ongoing until next week!

Amirali opens up the conversation of a brand-new season of Across STEM with YSI with the brilliant Carol Warren Ornelas, a data science and industrial engineering student, neuroscience education leader, and creative entrepreneur from Mexico City. Fresh off her talk at STEM Quest 3.0, Carol brings a powerful perspective on what happens when data, neuroscience, creativity, and youth leadership intersect.

Watch Carol’s STEM Quest 3.0 presentation

Throughout the episode, Carol reflects on her multifaceted journey so far through STEM, from rediscovering neuroscience through education initiatives like Brain Bee México where she now serves as National Director (the youngest ever!) to founding WarrenNexus Group, a digital marketing agency dedicated to helping ideas grow. She shares how curiosity, rather than credentials, has shaped her path, and why young people don’t just learn science—they question it, connect it, and transform it in deeply creative ways driven by their unrivalled energy and curiosity.

Share

The conversation deepens, exploring Carol’s growing interest in the intersection of computation and biology, particularly in biostatistics, genomic data, and predictive medicine, and how tremendous these fields could be for healthcare accessibility throughout Mexico and the broader Latin America region in places like Colombia and Venezuela. Along the way, she speaks candidly about the incredible leadership and responsibility that comes with building spaces for youth in STEM–especially in regions where opportunities are limited or unevenly distributed based on factors like gender or economic inequality.

In one segment, Carol challenges the idea that creativity and marketing/communication through social media are distractions from “serious” STEM work. Instead, she reframes them as essential tools for accessibility and impact…bridges that allow scientific ideas to travel beyond labs and into communities, some of which may not have been exposed much to science before.

Carol’s story is one of initiative, of resilience, of intention, and being a role model for youth in her country and beyond, reminding us that the future of STEM depends not just on discovery, but on how we invite curiosity and empower young voices early on.

Watch the first episode of our new season of ASWYSI and of 2026 to learn more about Carol and all the incredible things she’s doing for STEM in Mexico!

Also on Spotify

Follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more conversations with STEM Quest speakers and changemakers throughout 2026.

In this sixteenth episode of Across STEM with YSI, Abeer speaks with Aanyaa Garatikar, a young changemaker, science communicator, and the Founder of The Ballerina Project India. At just 13 years old, Aanyaa is already reshaping how we think about science education…blending creativity and compassion to explore how the human body, health, and society are deeply interconnected.

Throughout the conversation, Aanyaa shares how her journey into STEM began through something that might not come to mind at first when you think of STEM: ballet.

What started as a passion for movement gradually evolved into a fascination with the science behind how the body functions. As Aanyaa learned more about the physical demands placed on dancers, she became increasingly interested in topics such as injury prevention, mental health, and body image, especially among young people. These experiences ultimately inspired her to launch The Ballerina Project India, a platform that uses science and storytelling to challenge harmful norms in dance culture while promoting wellness and informed dialogue.

The 35-minute conversation also explores Aanyaa’s growing interest in biology beyond human health, including sustainability and bio-inspired innovation that can shape the future of planet Earth. She speaks about her curiosity surrounding mycelium, algae, and biodegradable materials, and how learning about these systems reshaped her understanding of environmental responsibility. Through projects like The Petri Dish, Aanyaa aims to make complex scientific ideas accessible and engaging, helping others see science not as something distant or intimidating, but as something deeply connected to everyday life.

Leave a comment

Throughout the episode, Aanyaa also reflects on the importance of youth voices in science and the need to approach STEM with empathy and creativity with an emphasis on the value of interdisciplinary thinking. Her story is one of curiosity, of purpose, and how interdisciplinary thinking and community can drive meaningful change, reminding listeners that science is a lot more than just discovery.

Listen to episode 16 of Across STEM with YSI to learn more about Aanyaa’s incredible journey so far and all that she’s at such a young age, also on Spotify

Follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more inspiring episodes coming your way in 2026!

Share

In this fifteenth episode of Across STEM with YSI, Amirali sits down with Arian Ariaye, a University of Washington biology graduate, aspiring physician, neonatal neuroscience research assistant at UW Medicine, and a passionate advocate for equity, mentorship, and representation in medicine. Fluent in four languages and deeply involved in research and community service, Arian’s story is one of resilience, purpose, and staying grounded in humanity within highly competitive STEM spaces.

Having navigated the American education system as a first-generation student from underserved and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, Arian reflects on the challenges of transitioning from community college to a large urban research university, overcoming language barriers, imposter syndrome, and isolation within a massive pool of students, learning how to build community in unfamiliar academic environments in the process. These experiences have ultimately shaped his philosophy of medicine—one rooted not only in scientific rigor, but in authentic human-human connection, dignity, and trust.

Share Science for Humanity | Amirali Banani

In this episode, Arian and Amirali explore his captivating journey into neonatal neuroscience, including two years of research focused on preterm birth along with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain development. Arian breaks down complex concepts like gyrification and early-life neural development, while emphasizing why neonatal brain health is critical for long-term cognitive-psychological and life outcomes. He also shares how hands-on experiences in the NICU and exposure to translational research reshaped his understanding of medicine as a deeply holistic field that bridges bench science, clinical care, authentic human connection and lived experience.

Beyond research, Arian discusses the power of multilingualism in healthcare—which, by speaking 4 languages, he’s no stranger to—explaining how language acts as a bridge for trust, empathy, and patient comfort that often opens doors to stories and vulnerabilities that would otherwise remain unheard. He also reflects on the importance of practical clinical skills, highlighting how true growth in medicine comes not just from textbooks, but from humility and applying what you learn in a clinical context to make a tangible difference.

Arian also offers thoughtful advice to younger students feeling pressure to “do it all,” encouraging them to remember their why, stay rooted in their values, and honor the people who help shape their journey. Looking ahead, he shares his aspirations to pursue medicine while remaining deeply engaged in research and advocacy, using his voice to uplift others and help build more compassionate, inclusive healthcare systems globally.

Inspiring barely captures Arian’s journey so far. From neonatal neuroscience research to community advocacy and mentorship, he represents a new generation of scientists and future physicians who believe that excellence in STEM must go hand in hand with empathy, collaboration, applying what you learn, and humanity.

Watch episode 15 of Across STEM with YSI to learn more about Arian’s powerful journey! Also on Spotify

As always, make sure to follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more inspiring episodes coming your way 🙌🏼

Share

While she had subtly expressed the idea a couple of months before this, this time it was serious and thought-out, even with a beautiful name in mind.

From this, YSI’s podcast was born. The rest is history.

14 episodes published since, representing students from across 9 countries on topics ranging from interdisciplinary communication and cancer research to neurodiversity and transforming lives and careers through scientific initiatives.

And now, in this special episode of Across STEM with YSI, we have a special guest (not really a guest tho, she is the architect and a co-host of the podcast after all, but we’ll roll with it): you guessed it…none other than the amazing Abeer Iftikhar.

The titles tell you she’s a student at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, originally from Pakistan, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in the incredibly exciting field of biotech. That she’s been involved in or currently is the…Head of Media for AURAKMUN Club, a Student Ambassador, Secretary of AURAK Biotechnology Club, a Student Assistant, Student Programming Board member, Co-Chair of the Student Programming Board…the list goes on. But behind all of this is an incredible person and leader who truly believes in what she does and doesn’t just do it for the “title” or resume.

Abeer is a true role model for students globally. Her love for humanity, devotion to science, passion for everything she does, dedication to change and making a difference are beyond inspirational. This is clear, first-hand, from what she’s done so far at Youth STEM Initiative. She’s contributed engaging pieces of research, has led two incredible series of STEM Quest, run our UAE chapter, created ASWYSI, and is consistently one of our most active and creative members. Abeer isn’t even told to do things—she comes up with brilliant ideas herself and shares them without hesitation, oftentimes transforming YSI in incredibly impactful ways that go beyond the organization.

That is what makes her a truly unique leader. Her creativity, warmth, reliability, and charisma are so contagious; someone you can bond with and work together easily, knowing that you’re striving towards something brilliant.

Without Abeer, YSI wouldn’t be what it is today. Her university wouldn’t be what it is today. Neither would the people she’s worked with. Abeer has left an indelible mark on so many individuals, influencing their lives in positive ways and inspiring them to learn and do what they love without anything or anyone stopping them.

Watch and discover more about Abeer in this casual conversation with Amirali—an Across STEM with YSI special ❤️

Also on Spotify!

As always, make sure to follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more inspiring episodes coming your way 🙌🏼

Share

Growing up low-income and as the first in her family to pursue science or medicine, Mia faced significant barriers that shaped her vision for Research Girl—a nonprofit she founded last year to provide mentorship, resources, and research opportunities for underrepresented and first-generation students in STEM. What began as a simple website to share the lessons she learned navigating academia has now blossomed into a large-scale, impactful mentorship and education platform with over 350 mentors worldwide.

In this episode, Mia and Amirali dive deep into her inspiring journey—from discovering her passion for pediatric neurology while coaching neurodivergent athletes to pursuing neuroscience research on migraine, memory, and mental health, to using digital storytelling as a tool for science communication and advocacy. Mia opens up about her personal experiences with mental health disorders, reflecting on how they have shaped her empathy as a researcher and her strong commitment to destigmatizing them—particularly in science.

Together, they discuss the growing role of digital media in shaping the next generation of scientists, the importance of interdisciplinary work blending art and science, and why curiosity and advocacy must go hand in hand in the modern STEM world to make a difference. Mia also shares her future plans 👀preparing for an MD–PhD while continuing to grow Research Girl and build a career at the intersection of medicine, research, storytelling and communication. And, as a neuroscience researcher, she reflects on the power of neuroplasticity and her aspirations to uncover how trauma affects brain development, speaking to her unique vision for the future of neuroscience—one of compassion, innovation, and accessibility.

“Inspiring” isn’t enough to describe Mia’s journey. Having started her advocacy at age 12 and already leading an international nonprofit by her early 20s, she’s a force of change redefining what it means to be a scientist, a storyteller, an advocate (and a lot more) all at once.

Watch episode 13 of Across STEM with YSI to discover more about Mia’s incredible journey, her career in advocacy so far, her insights on the future of neuroscience, and how she’s making STEM more inclusive for all.

Also on Spotify!

As always, make sure to follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more inspiring episodes coming your way 🙌🏼

Share

What began as a dream of becoming a neurosurgeon shifted after a transformative encounter with a professor from the Max Planck Institute in Germany, inspiring her to pursue research into neurological disorders and biological psychiatry. Alongside her academic path, Maria Sole has never set aside her artistic side—teaching violin, writing beautiful poetry (you gotta check it out!), and embracing languages—showing how science and art can work hand in hand to shape our understanding of the human experience.

Together with Amirali, Maria Sole reflects on her cross-cultural academic journey studded with key transformative moments that changed her path, and why embracing both curiosity and creativity is key to navigating life as a young scientist.

Inspiring is not enough to describe Maria Sole’s diverse and multifaceted journey. Having lived across multiple countries in Europe already at just 19, she’s an adventurous girl with a drive to constantly learn and grow across borders.

Watch the longest episode of Across STEM with YSI (so far) to learn more about Maria Sole’s incredible story, her research interests and how she’s uniting science and art in powerful ways to make a difference.

Also on Spotify!

Don’t forget to follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more inspiring episodes coming your way 🙌🏼

Share

What began as a personal experience with floods in Karachi and an externship at the National Geographic Society turned into a funded social innovation project tackling one of Pakistan’s most urgent climate challenges. Saim takes us behind the scenes of Project Agahi—how he secured seed funding under pressure, built a small but driven team, and worked through the toughest technical challenge of finding reliable, localized data for flood predictions.

Together with Abeer, Saim reflects on the role of mentorship in shaping his path, the balance between his internship at Abbott and running a social impact startup, and the importance of making tech solutions accessible in diverse cultural contexts. He also explains how Project Agahi combines machine learning models, decades of flood data, and SMS-based alerts to reach people who don’t have access to smartphones, ensuring no one is left behind.

That’s just a glimpse into Saim’s inspiring story of turning a global problem into a vital local solution through innovation, persistence, grit, and empathy.

Watch the entire episode of Across STEM with YSI to learn more about Saim’s journey, Project Agahi, and how he’s harnessing technology to build resilience in vulnerable communities.

Also on Spotify!

Don’t forget to follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more inspiring episodes coming your way 🙌🏼

Share

Through her story, Shikha opens up about navigating struggles with overthinking, low self-esteem, and body image—challenges she later realized were not just personal but also the product of cultural and societal pressures. From those experiences, she built Mind Meets You, a platform dedicated to connecting with others facing similar challenges and showing that mental health is about everyday resilience, not weakness.

Together with Abeer, Shikha explores how growing up in a collectivistic culture shaped her worldview, how it contrasts with individualistic cultures, and how family and society influence the way young people make decisions. Shikha also explains why awareness is the crucial first step in healing, and how learning to “sit with discomfort” rather than avoid it can change the way we approach anxiety, growth, and personal independence.

That’s just a surface-level glimpse into Shikha’s inspiring journey and the impact she’s making as a young mental health advocate.

Watch the entire tenth episode of Across STEM with YSI to learn more about Shikha’s story, her platform, and how psychology can transform the way we see ourselves and the world around us!

Also on Spotify!

Don’t forget to follow and rate Across STEM with YSI on Spotify for more inspiring episodes coming your way 🙌🏼

Share