Spring 2026 AJC Merit Research Scholars Begin Their Co-op Journeys
We are happy to welcome our sixth cohort of AJC Merit Research Scholars for the 2026 January-December co-op cycle. The AJC Merit Research Scholarship provides academically excellent Northeastern undergraduates with the opportunity to participate in a full-time, research co-op in the lab of a tenured or tenure-track Northeastern University faculty member in the STEM fields, at a wage comparable to what they might earn in industry.
The AJC Merit Research Scholars are engaging in a wide range of exciting projects while also participating in weekly enrichment opportunities with the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships team and faculty mentors. The program is designed to help Scholars develop as researchers and thinkers, as well as gain insight into what advanced graduate study looks like and how they might best approach those future opportunities.
Read below to learn more about this sixth cohort of AJC Merit Research Scholars and the projects they will be working on over the months ahead.
AJC Merit Research Scholar: Neil Gabrielson, COS’28, Mathematics
Mentor: Calina Copos, COS, Mathematics
AJC Merit Research Scholar: Sara Perkins, COS’27, Ecology + Evolutionary Biology
Mentor: Geoffrey Trussell, COS, Marine + Environmental Sciences
Sara Perkins will be working in the Trussell Lab this spring and summer, researching differences within populations of the predatory snail, Nucella lapillus, along the Gulf of Maine. As an Ecology & Evolutionary Biology major, Sara has always been fascinated with the environment and the way organisms interact with each other. In high school, Sara helped sequence the DNA of juvenile spider extractions in the Garb Lab at UMass Lowell. In her freshman year at Northeastern, Sara researched the population dynamics of sea urchins, green crabs, and algae. Sara wants to learn more about using computational methods to analyze the physical traits of snails (such as shell color, length, and thickness) during her co-op. Sara will go on to pursue her Ph.D. in restoration ecology and hopes to take what she learns in her co-op and apply it to graduate-level study. When she’s not investigating the mysteries of predatory snails, Sara can be found reading high fantasy, completing a jigsaw puzzle, or birdwatching.
AJC Merit Research Scholar: Nakul Rajpal, Khoury’27, Computer Science
Mentor: Saiph Savage, Khoury, Computer Science
Nakul Rajpal is a Computer Science major. During his AJC Merit Research Scholar co-op, Nakul will work in the Civic AI Lab, where his research focuses on designing human-centered AI systems that support learning and work for people without traditional institutional support. His work examines how freelancers and gig workers navigate upskilling in AI-disrupted labor markets, with an emphasis on equity, access, and human–AI interaction.
Nakul’s interest in research developed through multiple research experiences, including an NSF-funded AI SUSTEIN REU at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he worked on federated learning frameworks for power generation. At Northeastern, he has conducted mixed-methods HCI research involving interviews, qualitative data analysis, and theory-driven design, contributing to a CHI submission on freelancer upskilling and AI. He has also worked on AI-supported co-design systems that explore how users can actively participate in the design process.
Outside of research, Nakul enjoys playing and listening to music, reading classic literature, and exploring the intersection of technology, design, and culture. He plans to pursue graduate study in human-centered computing.
AJC Merit Research Scholar: Aditi Swamy, COS’27, Behavioral Neuroscience
Mentor: Mathew Yarossi, Bouvé/COE, Physical Therapy, Movement, + Rehabilitation Science; Electrical + Computer Engineering
Aditi Swamy will be working in the Movement Neuroscience Lab this spring, investigating the brain communicates with muscles to produce precise movement. Using novel technology like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and high-density electromyography (HDsEMG), her work will focus on how cortical activity changes with force output of voluntary contractions in healthy subjects and patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A behavioral neuroscience major, Aditi’s interest in understanding neurodegeneration, especially for patients with motor neurological disorders, led to the work of this co-op. Aditi has been an active member in the Movement Neuroscience Lab since her first year at Northeastern, and after completion of two PEAK award-funded projects, looks forward to expanding her role in the lab as an AJC Merit Research Scholar. Through this co-op, Aditi hopes to bridge fundamental neurophysiology with clinical applications for motor neurological conditions, as she prepares to pursue medical school after graduation. Outside of academics, Aditi is on the executive board of the NU Science Magazine and enjoys running, reading, and crocheting in her free time.
AJC Merit Research Scholar: Ziyu (Judy) Zhang, COS’28, Mathematics
Mentor: Alexander Ivanov, COS, Chemistry + Chemical Biology
Judy Zhang is a Chinese Canadian second-year student from Beijing, studying math and industrial engineering. She will be working at the Ivanov Lab optimizing PLOT and monolithic capillary columns and incorporating through Python computational models like the Van Deemter equation to improve analytical sensitivity in mass spectrometry. Through this co-op, Judy hopes to learn more chemical analysis methods, improve her python/data skills, and visualize more practical applications of math and IE. In addition to lab work in Salmonella viability under stratospheric conditions and school-aged consumer behaviour, she has enjoyed experiences as operations and research analysts, as well as time at a non-profit where she worked with many patients with chronic illness.
In the coming years, she hopes to bridge experimental and computational work in the healthcare space, and more specifically, improve mass spectrometry sensitivity to make the diagnosis process more accurate, accessible, and comfortable for all patients. Aside from work, Judy spends her time with Northeastern Figure Skating and going on adventures with friends. She loves to sing, try out new restaurants, and hopes to knock 100 countries off her to-visit bucket list.
AJC Merit Research Scholar: Becky Zheng, Khoury’28, Computer Science
Mentor: Leanne Chukoskie, Bouvé/CAMD, Physical Therapy, Movement, + Rehabilitation Science
AJC Merit Research Scholar: Aaron Zhou, Khoury’28, Computer Science, Mathematics
Mentor: Yongmin Liu, COE, Electrical + Computer Engineering
Aaron Zhou will be working in the lab of Professor Yongmin Liu this spring, where he will conduct research at the intersection of machine learning and photonics. He is a Computer Science and Mathematics major at Northeastern University, with a minor in Physics, and has a strong interest in scientific machine learning and physics-based modeling. Aaron was drawn to this co-op by the opportunity to work on impactful, technically challenging problems while developing strong skills in data-driven modeling, analytical problem solving, and applied machine learning.
Outside of his research, Aaron is a member of Sandbox at Northeastern, a student-led software consultancy, where he collaborates on real-world engineering projects. He is also an avid runner and enjoys training for the Boston Marathon, which he sees as a way to maintain discipline and balance alongside his technical pursuits.