Career Symposium Planning Committee
Fellows' Career Development
Career Symposium Planning
Fellows' Career Development
Each year, researchers from NIEHS and the Environmental Protection Agency form a committee to organize the annual NIEHS Biomedical Career Symposium. This highly successful and well-attended symposium brings fellows, graduate and undergraduate students, scientists, and professional career advisors together under one roof. Sessions and invited speakers focus on various topics, such as interviewing & negotiating skills, networking, and learning about a broad range of career paths. Organizing the symposium helps fellows to meet the four core competencies they should develop during their time at NIEHS:
- Leadership and Management — Fellows who volunteer to co-chair a committee are responsible for creating and organizing symposium content, forming a cohesive working group, motivating a team of volunteers, negotiating with service providers, etc. This invaluable experience will help boost fellows’ confidence and give them an advantage when seeking employment.
- Communication — Fellows gain real-world experience by facilitating communication amongst committee members and leaders both outside and inside of the institute, including those in website development, arts and photography, etc. Being a good communicator is helpful in all aspects of life.
- Teaching and Mentoring — Past committee members share information with incoming team members about how to run the symposium smoothly. This sharing of knowledge ensures continuity of the symposium from year to year, but also allows fellows to learn how to guide colleagues in a professional setting.
- Career Readiness — The goal of the symposium is to highlight potential career options available to Ph.D.s, so fellows who attend the event will benefit.
Committee Members
2024 Career Symposium Planning Committee
Co-chairs:
Victoria Ledbetter, Student Contractor of ORAU at the US EPA
Sohal Puja, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Cell Biology Group
Steering Committee Members:
Meklit Daniel, M.Phil., Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Environment & Cancer Epidemiology Group
Michelle Fiamingo, Graduate Research Assistant at the US EPA
Matias Grodzielski, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Molecular Endocrinology Group
Kathryn Headley, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation Group
Garyn Jung, Research Biologist at the US EPA
Haesoo Kim, M.P.H., ORISE Research Fellow at the US EPA
Dongwon Lee, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Male Reproduction & RNA Biology Group
Sofia Malave-Ortiz, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Pediatric Neuroendocrinology Group
Tanushree Mukherjee, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Cell Biology Group
Kemi Ogunsina, M.D., Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Chronic Disease Epidemiology Group
Emily Pitzer, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow at the US EPA
Katherine Rentschler, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow at the US EPA
Molly Rogers, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch
Alanna Stewart, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation Group
2022 Career Symposium Planning Committee
Co-chairs:
Rachel Dee, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Systems Toxicology Branch
Kathryn Headley, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation Group
Steering Committee Members:
Adriana Alexander, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Reproductive Developmental Biology Group
Nishanth Anandanadarajah, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch
Shannon Banner, Ph.D., Research Biologist at the US EPA
Diana Carreon, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Reproductive Medicine Group
Che-Jung Chang, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Environment & Cancer Epidemiology Group
Ian Chen, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Mechanistic Toxicology Branch
Kathryn Dalton, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Integrative Genomic Epidemiology Group
Martin Estermann, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Reproductive Developmental Biology Group
Erin Harris, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Synaptic & Developmental Plasticity Group
Anna Kreutz, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Toxicology Resource Management Workgroup
Christine R. Langton, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Fertility & Reproductive Health Group
Victoria Ledbetter, Student Contractor of ORAU at the US EPA
Eunice Lee, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch
Jasmine Mack, M.P.H., Predoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch
Sarah Marks, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS DNA Replication Fidelity Group
Mahina Monsur, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS DNA Replication Fidelity Group
Daniel Nguyen, M.P.H., Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Mutagenesis & DNA Repair Regulation Group
Jadesola Oladosu, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Environmental Cardiopulmonary Disease Group
Madeline Orsini, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Developmental Neurobiology Group
Shirley Pu, M.S., ORISE Fellow at the US EPA
Brian Silver, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Mechanistic Toxicology Branch
Anita Subramanian, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Fertility & Reproductive Health Group
Sandeep Upadhyay, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Immunogenetics Group
Jennifer Woo, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Chronic Disease Epidemiology Group
2021 Career Symposium Planning Committee
Co-chairs:
Kathryn Headley, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation Group
Meghan Warden, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Macromolecular Structure Group
Steering Committee Members:
Temitope Adedeji, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation Group
Laura S. Bisogno, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Chromatin & Gene Expression Group
Kamiya Bridges, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Reproductive Developmental Biology Group
Makenna Browne, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Pediatric Neuroendocrinology Group
Rachel Dee, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Systems Toxicology Branch
Kiana Gunn, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Chromatin & Gene Expression Group
Katie Hudson, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Mechanisms of Genome Dynamics Group
Seda Kocaman, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Nucleolar Integrity Group
Virginie Papadopoulou, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor at Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, UNC Chapel Hill & North Carolina State University
Saniya Rattan, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Reproductive Developmental Biology Group
Brian Silver, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Stem Cell Toxicology Group
Brittany Snyder, Pre-doctoral fellow in the NIEHS Post-Transcriptional Gene Expression Group
Jemma Strauss, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Calcium Signaling in Health & Disease Group
Julie White, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Genomics and the Environment in Respiratory and Allergic Health Group
Jennifer Woo, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Chronic Disease Epidemiology Group
2020 Career Symposium Planning Committee
Co-chairs:
Mimi Huang, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Systems Toxicology Group
Dahea You, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Molecular Toxicology & Genomics Group
Steering Committee Members:
Ciro M. Amato III, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Reproductive Developmental Biology Group
Laura S. Bisogno, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Chromatin & Gene Expression Group
Peter Byrley, Ph.D., Fellow at Environmental Protection Agency
Nicholas Clausen, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Molecular Genomics Core Laboratory
Joseph Dahl, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS DNA Replication Fidelity Group
Kiana Gunn, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Chromatin & Gene Expression Group
Kathryn Headley, Ph.D. Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation Group
Thanh Hoang, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Genetics, Environment & Respiratory Disease Group
Musa A. Kana, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Genetic Epidemiology Group
Katelyn S. Lavrich, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Molecular Toxicology & Genomics Group
Emily Li, Fellow at Environmental Protection Agency
Namya Mellouk, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Reproductive Developmental Biology Group
Sanya Mehta, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Matrix Biology Group
Arif Rahman, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Toxicoinformatics Group
Saniya Rattan, Ph.D., Postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Reproductive Developmental Biology Group
Brayndon Stafford, Fellow at Environmental Protection Agency
Nyssa Tucker, Fellow at Environmental Protection Agency
Madeleine I. Weick, Postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Molecular Genomics Core Laboratory
Lindsay Wickersham, Fellow at Environmental Protection Agency
2019 Career Symposium Planning Committee
(Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)
Co-chairs:
David Crizer, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Predictive Toxicology and Screening Group
Stephani Kim, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Perinatal & Early Life Epidemiology Group
Committee:
Whitney Bell, fellow in the NIEHS Chromosome Stability Group
Christine Bowen, fellow in the NIEHS Neurotoxicology Group
Peter Byrley, Ph.D., Fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency
Ferdouz Cochran, Ph.D., Fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency
Joseph Dahl, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS DNA Replication Fidelity Group
Anika Dzierlenga, Ph.D., IRTA Fellow in the NIEHS Division of Translational Toxicology
Brian Elgart, fellow in the NIEHS Molecular Genomics Core Laboratory
Jessica Frank, fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency
Symielle Gaston, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Social & Environmental Determinants of Health Equity Group
Camille Giacobone, fellow in the NIEHS Mechanisms of Genome Dynamics Group
Thanh Hoang, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Genetics, Environment & Respiratory Disease Group
Mimi Huang, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Systems Toxicology Group
Emily Li, fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency
Elizabeth Martin, Ph.D., fellow in the NIEHS Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation Group
Suzanne Martos, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Environmental Epigenomics and Disease Group
Victoria Placentra, fellow in the NIEHS Mutagenesis & DNA Repair Regulation Group
Samantha Snow, Ph.D., fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency
Salahuddin Syed, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS DNA Replication Fidelity Group
Chelsea Weitekamp, Ph.D., fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency
Dahea You, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Molecular Toxicology & Genomics Group
2018 Career Symposium Planning Committee
(Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)
Co-chairs:
Salahuddin Syed, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the DNA Replication Fidelity Group
Heather Vellers, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the Environmental Genetics Group
Committee:
Whitney Bell, fellow in the Chromosome Stability Group
Manushree Bharadwaj, Ph.D., visiting fellow in the Reproductive Endocrinology Group
Rachel Carroll, Ph.D., Research Fellow in Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch
Yu-Wei Chen, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the Developmental Neurobiology Group
Joseph Dahl, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the DNA Replication Fidelity Group
Yi Fang, Ph.D., Research Fellow in the Metabolism, Genes, and Environment Group
Jessica Frank, fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency
Katie Glenn, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the Mechanisms of Mutation Group
Margaret Gustafson, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the Mitochondrial DNA Replication Group
Kristen Hoff, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Mitochondrial DNA Replication Group
Troy Hubbard, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the General Toxicology and Cancer Group
Joseph Kolb, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Inflammation and Autoimmunity Group
Kristen Naney, Ph.D., fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency
Cody Nichols, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the Genetic Epidemiology Group
Samantha Snow, Ph.D., fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency
Caleb Sutherland, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the Cell Biology Group
2017 Career Symposium Planning Committee
(Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)
Co-chairs:
Helen Chin, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the Women's Health Group
Katie Glenn, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the Mechanisms of Mutation Group
Committee:
David Belair, Ph.D., fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency
Manushree Bharadwaj, Ph.D., visiting fellow in the Reproductive Endocrinology Group
Laura Carlson, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Pediatric Neuroendocrinology Group
Joanne Damborsky, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Ion Channel Physiology Group
Anika Dzierlenga, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS General Toxicology and Cancer Group
Kaitlyn Gam, IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Chronic Disease Epidemiology Group
Kiri Hoff, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Mitochondrial DNA Replication Group
Brandall Ingle, Ph.D., fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency
Joseph Kolb, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Inflammation and Autoimmunity Group
Gregory Krane, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NTP Pathology Group
Kathleen McCann, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Synaptic and Developmental Plasticity Group.
Cody Nichols, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Genetic Epidemiology Group
Simone Otto, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Ion Channel Physiology Group
Erin Romes, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Nucleolar Integrity Group
Kelly Shipkowski, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Systems Toxicology Group
Samantha Snow, Ph.D., fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency
Peter Thompson, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Group
2016 Career Symposium Planning Committee
(Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)
Co-chairs:
Rachel Krasich, Ph.D., IRTA Fellow in the Mitochondrial DNA Replication Group
Peter Thompson, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Group
Committee:
Miranda Bernhardt, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Reproductive Medicine Group.
Helen Chin, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Women’s Health Group.
Karen DeBalsi, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Mitochondrial DNA Replication Group.
Pooja Desai, Ph.D., visiting fellow in the NIEHS Calcium Regulation Group.
Eugene Gibbs-Flournoy, Ph.D., Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education fellow in the EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL).
Richard Gilliam, postbaccalaureate fellow in the NTP Neurotoxicology Group.
Katie Glenn, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Mechanisms of Mutation Group.
Kirsten Hoff, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Mitochondrial DNA Replication Group.
Laura Macaulay, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the EPA National Center for Environmental Assessment
Kathleen McCann, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Macromolecular Structure Group.
Chad Osterlund, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the NIEHS Synaptic and Developmental Plasticity Group.
Simone Otto, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the Ion Channel Physiology Group.
Rajneesh Pathania, Ph.D., research fellow in the NIEHS Systems Biology Group.
Katherine Phillips, Ph.D., physical scientist in the EPA National Exposure Research Laboratory
Karim Shalaby, Ph.D., fellow in the Immunogenetics Group
Kelly Shipkowski, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NTP Systems Toxicology Group
Samantha Snow, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the EPA NHEERL
Alexandra White, Ph.D., IRTA fellow in the NIEHS Chronic Disease Epidemiology Group
2015 Career Symposium Planning Committee
(Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)
Samantha Hoopes, Ph.D. — Co-chair
Kirsten Verhein, Ph.D. — Co-chair
Suchandra Bhattacharjee, Ph.D.
Joanne Damborsky, Ph.D.
Kelly Daughtry, Ph.D.
Kristin Gabor, Ph.D.
Ju Hee Haam, Ph.D.
Jackson Hoffman, Ph.D.
John House, Ph.D.
Julie Lowe, Ph.D.
Simone Otto, Ph.D.
Deirdre Robinson, Ph.D.
Erin Romes, Ph.D.
Jordan St Charles, Ph.D.
Natacha Steinckwich-Besancon, Ph.D.
Eugene Gibbs-Flournoy, Ph.D.
Marie McGee, Ph.D.
Jennifer Nichols, Ph.D.
Samantha Snow, Ph.D
2014 Career Symposium Planning Committee
2013 Career Symposium Planning Committee
Kymberly Gowdy, Ph.D. — Co-Chair
Staton Wade, Ph.D. — Co-Chair
NIEHS:
Margaret Adgent, Ph.D.
Georgette Charles, Ph.D.
Jacqueline de Marchena Powell, Ph.D.
Queying (Charlene) Ding, Ph.D.
Christine Ekenga, Ph.D.
Neal Englert, Ph.D.
Bret Freudenthal, Ph.D.
Rachel Goldsmith, Ph.D.
Julie Hall, Ph.D.
Bethany Hsia, Ph.D.
Wei Qu, Ph.D.
Maria Shatz, Ph.D.
Kimberly Wiggins, Ph.D.
EPA:
Dayne Filer
Jennifer Nichols, Ph.D.
Michelle Oakes, Ph.D.
2012 Career Symposium Planning Committee
(Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)
2011 Career Symposium Planning Committee
(Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)
