executive board
2023 Academic Year
Izzy Merem
President
Izzy is a Senior studying Movement Science through the School of Kinesiology. She was born and raised in Troy, Michigan and has been a Wolverine fan since day one. Izzy has been a member of the Rho pledge class since the fall of 2021. She is currently a research assistant within the Haus Laboratory, a kinesiology lab that focuses on the effects of exercise on reducing the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes. She currently is running her own research project on how exercise effects fiber type specific hypertrophy following expression of Type 2 diabetes-related genes. Izzy also served as a medical assistant at the Premier Hematology Oncology Care office at WellPointe Medical Center located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Currently, Izzy works as a psychiatric care worker at the University of Michigan Hospital in the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit. During her free time, you will probably find Izzy at the gym lifting some heavy weights, as this is her favorite hobby to do outside of school. In fact, she is currently on the executive board as the events chair of the Michigan Muscle Club and is a member of the Umich Powerlifting team. She is also sponsored by the Celsius energy drink, so if you happen to snatch some complementary Celsius at PhiDE events, you know why! Other than lifting, she also loves to online shop and play sports with friends, especially soccer and volleyball. Izzy’s favorite PhiDE memory was ice skating her sophomore year, even though she doesn’t know how to skate in the slightest. She also loved playing IM soccer with her fellow PhiDE teammates.
Akash Dantuluri
Vice President of Programming
Akash is a Senior in the College of LSA majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. His hometown is Troy, MI and he is a proud member of the Rho pledge class. Outside of PhiDE Akash is the Finance Director for Heal-Move-Shift, a non-profit student organization that facilitates seminars on nutrition, mental health, and drug safety for elementary and middle school students. Additionally, he works as a Peer Facilitator for the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program and helps transfer students navigate the world of research through the Changing Gears Program. He is a research assistant for the Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Lab where he is currently working to prove that treating insomnia through therapy is a successful way to avoid relapse in individuals diagnosed with Alcohol Abuse Disorder. Furthermore, Akash volunteers at Michigan Medicine through the Hospital Elder Life Program where he spends time with and cares for elderly patients in various ways. Outside of his commitments he loves to stay active by playing volleyball, basketball, and football and he is also a huge Detroit Lions fan.
Michael Weiss
Vice President of Recruitment
Michael is a Senior in the College of LSA majoring in Biology, Health and Society and minoring in Philosophy. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is a proud member of the Sigma pledge class since the Winter of 2022. Outside of PhiDE, Michael is the Vice President of Outreach and Recruitment for the Michigan Emergency Medical Services Club. The EMS club focuses on emergency medicine education as well as public safety initiatives around campus. Michael also serves as a Co-executive director for Michigan Fleece and Thank You, a chapter of the non-profit organization that facilitates events to create and donate fleece blankets for inpatient pediatric patients nationwide. Currently, he works as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for Biology 171. Outside of school and clubs, Michael enjoys cooking, working out, and playing IM volleyball and soccer with his friends!
Mabelle Pasmooij
Vice President of Finance
Mabelle is a Senior majoring in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and minoring in Gender and Health. She is from Los Altos, California, and back home, she has a golden retriever named Skipper who ironically does not retrieve. Mabelle hopes to go to medical school, and is excited about working with people with chronic diseases and disabilities as a physician. On campus, Mabelle works as a peer facilitator for the undergraduate research opportunities program, and is involved in Type One Diabetes research in Dr. Soleimanpour's Lab in the Brehm Center for Diabetes Research. Mabelle is also an undergrad researcher in the Harper lab studying cervical cancer screening methods, and this role has made her excited about the public/global health field. Over the summer, when Mabelle is not on the tennis court, she is volunteering as a counselor at a summer camp for children with Type One Diabetes. Mabelle also loves baking french macrons, so please let her know if you have any new flavors that she should try to make!
Anna Kim
Secretary/Risk Management Officer
Anna is a Senior in the School of Public Health. She is from Rochester, Michigan, and is a part of the amazing Pi class. Outside of PhiDE, she is a senior analyst for Blueprints for Pangaea, a student nonprofit organizations that redistributes medical supplies to areas in need hoping to aid in reducing health inequities and environmental waste. She is also a volunteer at Motts Children’s Hospital in Michigan Medicine and Cap & Conquer, a nonprofit that funds cold cap therapy treatment for cancer patients going through chemotherapy. Anna is also a part of the ZerotoThrive Lab and is currently helping run clinical trials on how maternal stress affects child development at different life stages. Through these experiences she is extremely passionate about maternal, neonatal, and pediatric health. She additionally works closely with patients by being a patient attendant. In the future, she hopes to continue forward to medical school as well as working on public health initiatives that focuses on healthcare access and equity. For a fun side job she likes to work at Darwin’s Cafe in the Natural History Museum.