Our Mission
Established in the early 1980s, Vertices is Duke University’s premier student-run science magazine and semesterly undergraduate research journal (read our earliest issues here: Fall 1984, Spring 1985). Our organization aims to spotlight innovative scientific research and news at Duke and beyond. With a diverse team of writers, editors, peer reviewers, artists, website designers, social media managers, and more, we are committed to making science engaging and accessible to all. We hope you join our community of over 100 students and hundreds of international subscribers as we share stories in science that inspire and inform.
2026-2027 Team
Executive Board
President & Website Director
Zishen (Trinity ’27) is from Xi’an, Shaanxi, China, planning on majoring in biology and minoring in visual arts on the pre-med track. Zishen is interested in science communication as well as how art and science can be combined. Outside of Vertices, she is a part of the TIRTL Lab studying the immune responses to transplants. She also enjoys volunteering with Help Desk, painting, playing ball sports, and exploring new things!
Vice President & Co-director of Outreach
Will (Trinity ’27) is originally from San Jose, California and plans on majoring in Biology. In his free time, he enjoys collecting keychains, playing basketball, and going on walks.
Editor-in-Chief of Science Magazine
Sophia (Trinity ’27) is from New Jersey, majoring in Biology with a Decision Sciences certificate and a Computational Biology minor. Beyond Vertices, Sophia studies biomaterial platforms in the Collier Lab. Outside of class, she loves watching movies and helps projects them for DUU.
Editor-in-Chief of Research Journal & Community Events Director
Daliya Rizvi (Trinity ’27) is a third-year undergraduate at Duke University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Immuno-Oncology and Ethics (Program II major). This is her third year with Vertices; she has served as a peer reviewer for the research journal since her freshman fall and currently serves as a senior editor and member of the publication’s executive board. Daliya has a passion for educational equity, and spends a lot of time thinking about how Vertices can be used as a platform to disseminate knowledge of and increase access to scientific research for members of the public. Aside from science, Daliya loves music- she plays three instruments and works for Duke’s student-run record label, Small Town Records.
Editor-in-Chief of Research Journal
Vishruth (Trinity ’27) is from Allentown, Pennsylvania and plans to major in neuroscience. He loves doing research in the lab, and he joined Vertices because he can read other people’s work and help them publish the best possible version of their projects. Outside of Vertices, Vishruth also loves to play basketball and try new foods!
Treasurer
Gage (Trinity ‘28) is from Austin, Texas and is majoring in neuroscience with minors in chemistry and art history. Outside of Vertices, he studies neurobiology in the Huang lab and works part time as a medical assistant at a neurology clinic. He also organizes events for PhiDE, Duke’s largest medical fraternity, as the Executive Secretary. In his free time, he enjoys volunteering at the local hospice center, ballroom dance, photography, and writing art descriptions and visual analyses for incarcerated artists’ works through the local Impartial non-profit.
Artistic Director
Monet (Trinity ’27) is from Aldie, Virginia studying Computational Linguistics and Classical Languages. Outside of Vertices, they also work in the Wilson Center MacAtee Lab on criminal justice research, plays violin in the Duke Symphony Orchestra, and plays bridge.
Undergraduate Research Journal
Senior Editor
Max (Trinity ’28) is from Marlboro, New Jersey is double majoring in computer science and marine science. Outside of Vertices, he explores the vast applications of technology in marine science in the Marine Robotic and Remote Sensing Lab. In his free time, he enjoys playing spikeball and pickleball, hiking, running, and hanging with friends.
Senior Editor
Ben Mei-Dan is a senior editor at Vertices and a junior at Duke studying Biology with a minor in Chemistry and Mathematics. A pre-med student with wilderness EMT certification, he is researching exercise physiology and is currently studying abroad at University of Sydney. He loves anything medicine related!
Senior Editor
My Name is Ruixuan Alyssa Li, and I am a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Sociology. I absolutely enjoy being part of the Vertices community, first as a Peer Reviewer and now as a Senior Editor for the Undergraduate Research Journal. At the same time, I am working on a Research Independent Study project in the Department of Neurology at Duke University Medical Center, where I have had the chance to explore science beyond the classroom. Outside of academics, I love dancing with the Duke Ballroom Dance Team and studying flute in the Duke Music Department. I am excited for another year with Vertices and look forward to continuing to learn, contribute, and share passions for science!
Science Magazine
Senior Editor
Michelle (Trinity ’27) is from Rockville, MD and majoring in Biology on the pre-med track. Outside of Vertices, Michelle researches the implications of IL-33 in HER2+ breast cancer metastasis in the Cancer Initiation and Cancer Cell Behavior Lab. In her free time, she enjoys running, biking, and hiking, as well as trying out new restaurants in the Triangle!
Senior Editor
Renee (Trinity '27) is from Tucson, Arizona and is majoring in Biology with a Concentration in Marine Biology and minoring in Neuroscience. Outside of Vertices, she conducts research on whales and birds, and enjoys drawing, writing, and playing the piano in her free time.
Senior Editor
Ashmi Trivedi (Trinity ’28) is from Charlotte, North Carolina and is majoring in neuroscience and global health with a minor in chemistry. She is passionate about exploring how science, storytelling, and policy intersect to shape how people understand health, illness, and well-being. Through Vertices, Ashmi hopes to make scientific research more accessible by pairing evidence-based research with narrative. Outside of Vertices, Ashmi is a DuWell Intern at the Duke Student Wellness Center and volunteers at Root Causes. She enjoys reading, hiking, creating art, and writing poetry.
Staff Writer
Carlota (Trinity ’27) is from Barcelona, Spain and majoring in physics and mathematics with a minor in political science. Outside of class, she is interested in a variety of sports, watching good documentaries, and going to the beach.
Staff Writer
Arjun Saha Choudhury (Pratt '28) is from New Jersey and is majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science. Outside of Vertices, he likes to play piano, listen to music, and play table tennis with friends.
Staff Writer
Harry (Trinity ’27) is from New York City and is pursuing the field of medicine while majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry. He enjoys engaging with science through Vertices and through research at the Sanders Lab in the Department of Neurology. He also enjoys practicing and performing music and playing sports with friends.
Staff Writer
Ruth (Trinity ’28) is from Mooresville, North Carolina and plans on majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and Music on the pre-med track. Outside of class, Ruth enjoys playing piano, scrapbooking, listening to music, and hanging out with friends.
Staff Writer
Julia (Trinity ’28) is from Ashburn, Virginia, and is majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Global Health on the pre-med track with aspirations to work in pediatric cardiology. At Duke, she is active in volunteer and health-based organizations, including NeuroCare, Camp Kesem, Hearts for Hope, GANO, MedLife, and the Duke Children’s Ambassador Program. In her free time, Julia enjoys exercising, spending time with friends, and exploring new restaurants.
Staff Writer
Alessandra Dodson (Trinity '28) is from the Bay Area, California and is majoring in neuroscience and minoring in chemistry. Alessandra is interested in neuromodulation and how it can impact neurological diseases like epilepsy and mental illness. Outside of Vertices, she is part of the Harward Lab studying sonogentics and targeting neurons with focused ultrasounds to treat various diseases. She enjoys swimming, traveling, going to Duke basketball games, and scuba diving!
Past Presidents
Eric Lee, '25 - '26
Reed Lessing, '24 - '25
Julia Davis & Reed Lessing, '23 - '24
Julia Davis, '22 - '23
Cydney Livingston, '21 - '22