Aspiring physician-scientist

Shanna Melamed

A high-school junior with a 4.0 GPA and a growing record in clinical research, medicine, and disability advocacy — combining scientific curiosity with empathy, communication, and service.

Get in touchView workBrooklyn, NY
Shanna Melamed
4.0
GPA
2027
Expected graduation
8+
Research & clinical roles
2
Languages
About

Hello, I'm Shanna

I'm a junior at Staten Island Technical High School pursuing a path in medicine, biology, and clinical research. Over the past few years I've been fortunate to work alongside researchers, clinicians, and community leaders — from developmental psychology labs to hospital floors to the halls of the United Nations.

I co-founded a youth-led nonprofit for individuals with autism, contributed to computational-biology and public-health research, and served patients as a bilingual health scholar. What ties it all together is a belief that good medicine is equal parts science and service — that scientific knowledge matters most when paired with empathy, communication, and a commitment to making care more inclusive.

Staten Island Technical High School· 4.0 GPA · Class of 2027

Highlights

Selected achievements

Paid Radiology Research Intern

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Selected for a paid summer research internship in the Department of Radiology after earning an Honorable Mention and honorarium through the “Radiology: Giving Back to NYC” program.

Accepted Poster Presenter — as a high schooler

2026 National Premier Undergraduate Research Conference · Columbia University

Co-authored a research abstract accepted for poster presentation at a national undergraduate research conference at Columbia University.

Co-Founder & Associate Executive Director

Autism Without a Voice

Co-founded and helps lead a youth-run nonprofit delivering free educational, recreational, and community programs for individuals with autism and other disabilities.

Youth Speaker & Delegate

United Nations & International Youth Advocacy

Delivered remarks at UN conferences and side events on disability rights, healthcare, education, and social inclusion, engaging directly with diplomats and nonprofit leaders.

Autism Without a Voice logo

Full-time · Hybrid

Oct 2025 – Present

Brooklyn, New York

Founder spotlight

Autism Without a Voice

Co-Founder & Associate Executive Director

A youth-led nonprofit dedicated to amplifying inclusion and support for individuals with autism and other disabilities.

As Co-Founder and Associate Executive Director, Shanna helps lead a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying inclusion and support for individuals with autism. What began as a vision to create meaningful opportunities for underserved communities has grown into a structured organization focused on programming, partnerships, and youth leadership.

She oversees operations, volunteer management, event planning, and strategic growth — ensuring programs run smoothly while staying true to a mission of empowerment, dignity, and inclusion. She's passionate about building systems that turn ideas into action and create real, measurable impact in the communities they serve.

Programming
Free educational, recreational, social, science & fitness programs
Partnerships
Schools, community centers, nonprofits & local businesses
Youth leadership
Staff coordination across outreach, media & volunteer teams
Inclusion
Reaching communities with limited disability services
Research

Scientific research

Research Assistant — Sarah Berger Child Development Lab

College of Staten Island

Current
  • Conducting developmental-psychology research on infant motor development, sleep, and the link between emerging movement skills and cognition.
  • Contributing to a study of self-directed touch in infants, using longitudinal Nanit baby-monitor recordings to observe movement in the home.
  • Reviews video recordings, extracts wake episodes, documents self-directed touch behaviors, and uploads segments to TinyTouch for coding and analysis.

Computational Biology Research Assistant

Swarthmore College

Jun–Oct 2025
  • Identified and annotated Ciona robusta orthologs of immune-related genes and transcription factors across a multi-phase project.
  • Used UniProt, GhostDB, TBLASTN, and single-cell RNA-sequencing data to analyze gene sequences, expression patterns, and evolutionary conservation.
  • Contributed to research on how conserved immune mechanisms may inform precision immunology and human health.

Research Student — Science & Engineering Research Program

Staten Island Technical High School

Multi-year
  • Researched the relationship between long-term air-pollution exposure and COVID-19 mortality.
  • Collaborated with Swarthmore College researchers on immune-gene conservation between vertebrates and Ciona robusta.
  • Developed research questions, analyzed public-health data, and prepared findings for scientific competitions.

Research Participant

Terra NYC STEM Fair

  • Prepared computational-biology and immune-gene-conservation research for presentation, including data analysis and poster preparation.
Clinical

Healthcare & clinical experience

Health Scholar → Lead Health Scholar

Maimonides Medical Center

  • Assisted with ambulance triage — taking vital signs and supporting patient intake — and transported lab samples and blood between departments.
  • Supported CT-scan procedures and prepared patient rooms, including rooms for COVID-positive patients.
  • Served as a Russian–English translator between patients and staff; promoted to Lead Health Scholar with added responsibility for coordinating other scholars.

Research Intern — Department of Radiology

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

  • Gained exposure to radiology, medical research, and the role of imaging in diagnosis and patient care.
  • Strengthened an interest in clinical research and the use of scientific innovation to improve patient outcomes.

Intern

Levit Dermatology

2025
  • Researched clinical conditions and wrote case reports on Lipodermatosclerosis, Mucous Membrane Lichen Planus, and Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus.
  • Observed surgical procedures including Mohs surgery, lower-eyelid blepharoplasty, and mass removals, plus diagnoses and consultations.

Intern

City Kids Dentistry

2025
  • Observed cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canals, x-rays, and oral exams; assisted with intake and instrument sterilization.
  • Gained insight into pediatric dental care for patients with disabilities and severe periodontal issues.
Leadership

Leadership & advocacy

Co-Founder & Associate Executive Director

Autism Without a Voice

  • Co-founded a youth-led nonprofit offering free educational, recreational, social, science, and fitness programs for individuals with autism and other disabilities.
  • Oversees operations, staff coordination, outreach, partnerships, volunteer recruitment, and program logistics across multiple departments.
  • Builds inclusive programming in communities with limited disability services, partnering with schools, community centers, and local businesses.

Youth Speaker & Delegate

United Nations & International Youth Advocacy

  • Participated in UN conferences and side events on disability rights, youth participation, sustainable development, and social inclusion.
  • Represented Autism Without a Voice and advocated through the Youth Publications Socioeconomic Forum and the DMUN Foundation.

Borough Leadership Award & Semi-Finalist

Quality of Life Innovations Competition · 2025–2026

  • Worked with a team to investigate a community issue and develop an evidence-based response for improving quality of life in NYC.
  • Received the Borough Leadership Award; team selected as a competition semi-finalist.

Lead Counselor

JCH Summer Camp · 2023–2025

  • Supervised groups of children ages 5–12 across sports, arts, and team-building; led creative workshops and field trips.
  • Promoted to lead counselor, strengthening leadership, communication, and conflict-resolution skills.

Youth Envoy & Volunteer

Club Z, Chabad CTeen & NCSY-JSU

  • Represented youth organizations at community events and helped organize educational and cultural programs for students from diverse backgrounds.
Recognition

Awards & honors

Honorable Mention & Paid Internship

“Radiology: Giving Back to NYC” — Memorial Sloan Kettering

2024–2025

Russian Olympiad — Gold Medal

Advanced proficiency in Russian language, reading, and speaking

2023–2025

Russian Essay Contest — Silver Award

Analytical writing and cultural interpretation in Russian

2025–2026

Borough Leadership Award

Quality of Life Innovations Competition semi-finalist

2025

Congress of Future Medical Leaders

Nominated delegate for academic achievement in medicine & science

2026

Columbia University — Accepted Poster Presenter

2026 National Premier Undergraduate Research Conference

Skills
  • Leadership
  • Public speaking & debate
  • Research writing
  • Time management
  • Teamwork & collaboration
  • Presentations
  • Organization
Certifications
  • Basic Life Support (CPR & AED)
  • OSHA 10 Safety Certified
  • Autodesk Certified User — AutoCAD
  • Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
  • Adobe Premiere Pro
Languages

  • English

    Fluent

  • Russian

    Fluent · Olympiad Gold Medalist

Combining science with empathy and service.

Interested in pursuing medicine with a focus on biology, clinical research, immunology, radiology, and neonatal or pediatric care — combining scientific knowledge with empathy, communication, and service to make healthcare more inclusive.

shannamelamed@gmail.comBrooklyn, NY