A first-generation student researcher

Jake Shaheen ’28 likes to joke that he didn’t really know about research before coming to Towson University.

Now, in his sophomore year, he’s getting ready to participate in one of the most prestigious and selective summer research experiences for biomedicine in the country—at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in upstate New York.

A dual major in computer science and mathematics, Shaheen will attend CSHL to study algorithms of the brain as well as computational neuroscience. This research experience program began in 1959, with Shaheen becoming the first TU student to receive the honor, in 2026.

“The research that’s happening in Cold Spring Harbor is what I want to do with my future career,” Shaheen says. “I’m ecstatic for this opportunity, because it makes me feel like I’m where I belong in my college career. This solidified that I’m doing something right while at TU.”

Approximately 20 undergraduate students go to CSHL each summer for the program, studying topics such as neuroscience, biology and genetics. During their time there, students learn the scientific process, technical methods and theoretical principles and communicate their discoveries to other scientists.

In addition to research, students attend specially designed workshops, seminars and events that focus on research topics and skills, responsibly conducted research and career development. At the end of the program, students present their research to the entire CSHL community.

Shaheen says he has received significant support from Towson University’s Office of Competitive Fellowships and Awards and its director, Mary Devadas.

Despite just being a sophomore, Devadas says Shaheen is already demonstrating impressive academic promise.

“His strong foundation, intellectual depth and remarkable insight mark him as one of the most promising mathematicians I’ve encountered,” Devadas says. “Jake’s selection for the CSHL’s Undergraduate Research Program, is a significant milestone, and I’m confident this is just one of the many achievements yet to come.

“Jake’s journey is a powerful example of how interdisciplinary thinking can drive meaningful solutions to complex scientific problems.”

Discovering research

When Shaheen came to TU, research wasn’t his goal. He thought he’d maybe become a professor or a software engineer. But thanks to Towson University professors like Devadas and mathematics professor Alexei Kolesnikov, he now wants to earn a doctorate and become a medical researcher.

“Having professors like Dr. Devadas and Dr. K in my corner helps me know that I can fall back on them and ask them where I can go with my research,” Shaheen says. “I’m only so far into the process of what research entails and where you can go. So having them in my corner, it’s like having a second mom and dad, on campus.”

His trip to CSHL this summer isn’t his first experience with research.

Last summer, Shaheen was selected for the National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates at Iowa State University. There, he worked with faculty to develop a virtual environment for studying and quantifying cybersickness—akin to motion sickness but occurring while using electronic screens—through controlled experiments.

I’m ecstatic for this opportunity, because it makes me feel like I’m where I belong in my college career.

Jake Shaheen

He’s also working with Carmen Faclone, assistant professor in TU’s Department of Biological Sciences, on neuroscience research.

After starting his college career not thinking of research, he has become committed to research. And he likes to joke that it was an office hours meeting with Kolesnikov that led him down this path.

“At the Department of Mathematics, we are incredibly proud of Jake and all he has accomplished,” Kolesnikov says. “He has made the most of his TU experience, and it has been exciting to watch him grow into a young researcher ready for opportunities of this caliber, with support from the Honors College, the Undergraduate Research Club, faculty mentors and many others across the university.”

First-generation researcher

For Shaheen, he credits his parents for his motivation and drive.  His mom, Asta, is originally from Lithuania, and his dad, Mario, came from Lebanon. They immigrated to the United States in the 2000s.

His dad has worked in air conditioning repair most of his life, and Jake has worked with his father since he was 13 years old. He is now the first person in his family to attend college.

Getting these opportunities wasn’t luck, but stemmed from the work ethic he gained from his parents.

“My dad busted his ass every day, and it makes me feel so grateful for him and my mom and knowing the sacrifices they went through to let me be in the position I’m in right now,” Shaheen says. “It feels like I've fulfilled my parents' American dream for their kids.”