When Sofiya Ismagilova was applying for the highly competitive Summer Internship Program (BSI-SIP) at Johns Hopkins University during her sophomore year, she noticed a gap in peer support for students looking to pursue PhDs or MD/PhDs.
"I wanted to get more advising, more mentorship from older students," she said. "I wanted a kind of community to interact with each other and support each other."
So she took matters into her own hands. She gathered eight other students to form the board for her new student group, Catalyst. Catalyst's mission is "to support and empower students pursuing research-focused careers by providing mentorship, professional development, and collaborative academic community." They aim to "demystify the graduate school process, foster resilience, and equip members with the skills and connections needed to succeed in STEM."
Ismagilova was ultimately accepted into BSI-SIP at Johns Hopkins and spent the summer conducting advanced biomedical research in Gould Lab. She studied Exosomal Tetraspanin (EXT)-Based Exosome Engineering and won the 2025 C.A.R.E.S. Scholarship award for her work, which she then presented at a symposium.
In the breaks between research sessions, Ismagilova was working on Catalyst along with her board of directors. They created the mission, planned their information sessions, and created their social media accounts. They officially launched at the Student Activities Fair on and had their first meeting on September 19.
Catalyst will meet every Monday and Friday when school is in session. The first sessions will be lead by Ismagilova who will share her experience applying to and participating in BSI-SIP.
"I'm going to talk about the program, how I applied, how those programs help with graduate school, and also talk about my project specifically," she said. Catalyst's Vice President Bokhei Woo will also present during the initial meetings. Woo has spent two semesters working in a lab on campus and will share insights from her experience.
Topics for the remaining meetings will depend on what students are interested in learning. Ismagilova is excited to grow the organization and support the next generation of researchers and doctors who will contribute to advancing science and medicine.
Catalyst Meeting Led by Sofiya Ismagilova
Topic: Johns Hopkins; What is REU?
Monday, September 29
6:00pm-7:30pm
Additional Catalyst meetings will be held Mondays and Fridays from 6:00pm-7:30pm. For more information, see the Catalyst website and follow them on Instagram @cat.alystplus.