Daniel J. Yakubov
Founder & DirectorDaniel Yakubov is our Founder and Director. A recipient of both the Paul Mahler Memorial Award in Biological Anthropology (2021) and the Peter Chabora Biology Scholarship in Biology (2020), he has graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Anthropology (Biological) from CUNY Queens College.
He was an undergraduate research assistant in the Weinstein Lab (Developmental Biology), focusing on signaling mechanisms underlying germ layer formation and germ layer patterning in the vertebrate (Xenopus laevis) embryo. A strong advocate for increased access of STEM education among underrepresented youth, Daniel serves as a peer mentor for General Biology I (Cell Biology and Human Physiology), for the HSI–STEM grant aimed at graduating more Hispanic and low-income students at CUNY Queens College (2018-2021). Currently, Daniel teaching microbiology laboratory courses at CUNY Queens College. His professional interests include education in medicine, advancement in STEM education, and surgery. He started the Cardiology Club in his high school and S.T.E.M Scholars (2019, originally Junior Docs, 2016) that offers activities to spark interest in students such as suturing, scrub etiquette, and assessing patients. He has written the latest Fetal Pig Dissection Manual (2018) which includes some original artwork, and was a major contributor for the latest Histology Manual (2019), both manuals which are currently in use in the General Biology I curriculum at CUNY Queens College. He has served as a student senator in both the academic (2017-2018, 2019-2020) and student (2017-2018, 2019-2020) senates, and started and was the first Student Association Chair of Philanthropy during the academic year of 2017-2018. Currently, he also serves on three committees as a community board member (Education/Library/Youth, Environmental Protection, Public Relations/Social Media). Daniel is an avid fan of Star Wars. In his spare time, he loves to further this organization as well as spend time with his family and dog, Lola. Daniel is pursuing a Master's in Public Health (MPH) in community health at the SUNY Downstate School of Public Health. He will pursue an MD degree in the future. |