Jacqueline Miller | Immunology and Virology | Best Researcher Award

Posted on by The Scientist

Ms. Jacqueline Miller | Immunology and Virology | Best Researcher Award

Research Intern | University of Wisconsin-Madison | United States 

Ms. Jacqueline Rose Miller is an emerging biomedical researcher specializing in infectious diseases, bioethics, and molecular biology, with an interdisciplinary focus that bridges biochemistry, virology, and clinical research ethics. Her scholarly trajectory reflects a strong commitment to advancing understanding of viral pathogenesis, metabolic regulation, and the ethical implications of biomedical innovation. She has contributed to research in the Department of Medicine (Infectious Disease) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where her work in the Striker Laboratory explored the molecular mechanisms of viral oncogenesis, focusing on HIV and HPV and their associations with cancer development. Her research experience also includes lipid metabolism and genetic regulation studies within the Ntambi Laboratory (Department of Biochemistry), where she examined the physiological impacts of stearoyl-CoA desaturase gene modulation on diet-induced metabolic changes. These projects culminated in presentations at major scientific conferences, including the DiscoverBMB Conference organized by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, where she received a Student Chapters Travel Award. Currently, as a Clinical Research Coordinator in Infectious Disease and a Research Intern under Dr. Karola Kreitmair in the Department of Medical History & Bioethics, Miller is investigating the ethical dimensions of human brain surrogates addressing the use of organoids, chimeras, and ex-vivo tissues in research. Her first-author manuscript on this topic is being prepared for submission to Neuroethics (Springer). With 2 peer-reviewed publications, 4 total citations, and collaborations spanning 19 co-authors, Miller demonstrates growing scientific impact and collaborative breadth. Her research integrates empirical science with ethical reflection, aiming to inform responsible innovation in biomedical research. Through her multidisciplinary work, she contributes to bridging laboratory discoveries with clinical practice and ethical governance, reinforcing the essential connection between science, humanity, and healthcare progress.

Profiles:  Scopus | ResearchGate

Featured Publications

Miller, J. R., Striker, R. N., & Striker, R. (2024). Viruses tipping the scales: The role of the CD4/CD8 ratio in determining viral outcome. Viruses. Citations: 1

Negin Maroufi | Public Health | Best Researcher Award

Posted on by The Scientist

Ms. Negin Maroufi | Public Health | Best Researcher Award

University of Otago | New Zealand

Ms. Negin Maroufi is a highly motivated Ph.D. candidate in Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington (2023–present), specializing in the application of machine learning and multi-source surveillance data to predict seasonal influenza patterns in New Zealand to support improved prevention and health service management. She holds an M.Sc. in Computer Engineering (Software) from Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran (2018), where her thesis focused on designing approximate compressor circuits using Quantum-dot Cellular Automata, and a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering (Hardware) from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran (2013), where she developed character recognition systems via tablet digitizers. Her professional experience includes serving as Deputy of Research and Technology at Neyshabour University of Medical Sciences (2021–2023), coordinating IT infrastructure, database management, and epidemiological data analysis, and contributing to the Neyshabur Longitudinal Study on Ageing (NeLSA) from 2017–2021, where she designed databases, developed web interfaces, performed statistical analyses, and assisted in COVID-19 surveillance reporting. She has also taught English, programming, and IT courses in various institutions, demonstrating strong mentorship and teaching capabilities. Her research interests lie at the intersection of digital epidemiology, public health informatics, machine learning, and predictive modeling for infectious disease surveillance. She possesses advanced research skills in C/C#/ASP.NET programming, Python, R, STATA, SQL database design, data cleaning, machine learning, and biomedical data analysis, and holds certifications in Good Clinical Practice, biomedical research ethics, and data science. Her work has been published in reputable journals such as the Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases and the International Journal of Epidemiology, and she has contributed to national COVID-19 epidemiology reports. Negin has received the University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship, maintained top grades throughout her academic career, and earned awards in mathematics and programming competitions. Her combined expertise, research experience, and leadership abilities position her as a promising emerging scholar in public health and digital epidemiology. 27 Citations by 27 documents, 3 Documents, h-index 1.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Scopus | ORCID

Featured Publications

  1. Aminisani, N., Azimi-Nezhad, M., Shamshirgaran, S. M., Mirhafez, S. R., Borji, A., Poustchi, H., Sezavar, S. H., Ansarin, K., Kolahi, S., Javadpor, A., Rezaei, A., Hooshmand, E., Maroufi, N., Tabaei, S., Eghtesad, S., Hyde, M., Kenny, R. A., Raina, P., Stephens, C., Malekzadeh, R. (2022). Cohort profile: The IRanian Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IRLSA): The first comprehensive study on ageing in Iran. International Journal of Epidemiology, 51(4), e177–e188. Citations: 37

  2. Maroufi, N., & Bahrepour, D. (2018). A novel three-input approximate XOR gate design based on quantum-dot cellular automata. Journal of Computational Electronics, 17(2), 866–879. Citations: 7

  3. Bahrepour, D., & Maroufi, N. (2018). A 2-bit full comparator design with a minimum quantum cost function in quantum-dot cellular automata. Information Systems & Telecommunication, 6, 197–203. Citations: 5

  4. Bahrepour, D., & Maroufi, N. (2019). A 2-bit full comparator design with minimum quantum cost function in quantum-dot cellular automata. Journal of Information Systems and Telecommunication (JIST), 4(24), 197. Citations: 3

  5. Maroufi, N., Sohrabi, M., Mehrabadi, S., Zamani, F., Ajdarkosh, H., Hatamian, S., Bahavar, A., Tameshkel, F. S., Gholami, A. (2024). Poor sleep quality and its influencing factors among Iranian patients with esophageal and gastric cancer. Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases, 16(1), 39–46. Citations: 2