Government Reviewers
Denise Saunders, Ph.D.
Career Counselor
Office of Intramural Training and Education
National Institutes of Health
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Denise Saunders is a career counselor for the Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) at the NIH providing career and professional development services to trainees at NIEHS and across NIH Institutes. She enjoys helping postbacs, graduate students, postdocs, and early-career professionals with their career planning and job search strategies. In addition to her work with OITE, she maintains an independent practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., where she offers career development, consultation, and counseling services to her clientele. She is a licensed psychologist and National Certified Counselor who holds an M.S. in counseling and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Florida State University. She has worked in higher education, independent practice, for-profit business, and government.
Jackson Hoffman, Ph.D.
Staff Scientist, Chromatin and Gene Expression & RNA Biology Laboratory
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Hoffman is a staff scientist at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) studying chromatin and transcription regulation. He is also the organizer of the Fragile Nucleosome online community and seminar series. He has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular genetics from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. He has lived and worked in the Triangle area since 2012. He actively mentors postdocs, grad students, and postbacs and enthusiastically works with scientists at all levels to promote and facilitate their research and career development. He is always open to meeting with researchers to provide advice, feedback, or mentorship and can be emailed at any time.
Adriana Alexander, Ph.D.
Regulatory Review Scientist
United States Food and Drug Administration
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Adriana Alexander is a Regulatory Review Scientist in the Division of Food Contact Substances (DFCS) within the Human Foods Program of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). DFCS is responsible for the pre-market safety evaluation and authorization of all food contact substances within food contact materials, including packaging. Adriana’s regulatory focus is both on the pre-market and post-market assessments of food contact substances, with a particular focus on the safety evaluations and toxicological risk assessments of such substances. Adriana received her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from Cornell University and completed her post-doctoral training at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Carmen Williams, M.D., Ph.D.
Senior Investigator and Deputy Chief
Reproductive & Developmental Biology Laboratory
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Williams is the Deputy Chief of the Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory and leads the Reproductive Medicine Group at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). She received her M.D. from Duke University School of Medicine, followed by a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Pennsylvania Hospital and a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Pennsylvania. After completing her clinical training, she earned a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Pennsylvania and subsequently completed postdoctoral training there. She then joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania before being recruited to NIEHS in 2007. Since joining NIEHS, she has served on multiple search committees for staff scientist and tenure-track faculty positions at NIEHS, as well as NIH-wide committees.
Sharon Soucek, Ph.D.
Director
Office of Technology Transfer
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Sharon Soucek serves as Director of the Office of Technology Transfer at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Northeastern University and her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Emory University. Dr. Soucek began her career in technology transfer during graduate school through an internship with Emory University’s Office of Technology Transfer. Following the completion of her doctorate, she worked as a technology transfer specialist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before joining NIEHS. In her current role, Dr. Soucek supports NIEHS investigators in establishing research collaborations and provides guidance on copyrights, patents, and other intellectual property matters.
Crystal Littlefield
Management Analyst
Office of Management's Administrative Services and Analysis Branch
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Email: [email protected]
Littlefield, a management analyst at NIEHS in the Office of Management’s Administrative Services and Analysis Branch, works on the Employee Services team, which provides a variety of programs and services to NIEHS employees including wellness, performance management, work/life matters, awards and recognition, workplace flexibilities, payroll and leave, training, workforce development, policy administration, administrative analysis, and other management services. Littlefield joined the federal workforce in 2018 by way of the Pathways Program while completing a master’s degree and graduate certificate. Before 2018, she worked more than 10 years in local government with the City of Raleigh in both support and leadership roles related to project management, construction administration, facilities and operations, contract and budget administration, strategic planning, and parks and recreation programming. Early on in her career, Littlefield also gained vital experience and skills in the private sector while working in the staffing and recruitment industry. She appreciates the insight gained during that time, as it helped to affirm her passion for public service and drove her to pursue a career in it. She encourages those starting in their careers, no matter the sector/industry they choose, to maintain a growth mindset and challenge themselves personally and professionally to diversify their skills and abilities in areas outside of their realm of expertise.
Brian Chorley, Ph.D.
Research Biologist
Existing Chemicals Risk Assessment Division
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Brian Chorley is a Research Biologist in the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics at the Environmental Protection Agency. Dr. Chorley earned his bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and his Ph.D. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences from North Carolina State University. Dr. Chorley worked as a research assistant at North Carolina State University, a consultant at BioMarck Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., and a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences before transitioning into his current position as a principal investigator.
Kristen Ryan, Ph.D.
Staff Scientist, Toxicologist
System Toxicology
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Email: [email protected]
Kristen Ryan, Ph.D., DABT is a board-certified toxicologist in the Division of Translational Toxicology at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in North Carolina. She serves as a project lead for multiple scientific initiatives focused on hazard identification and characterization in support of diverse stakeholders, including federal partners, the public, and advocacy organizations. Her primary responsibilities include the design and coordination of studies to evaluate the potential toxicity and carcinogenicity of a range of agents, including flame retardants, alkylbenzene compounds, and botanical dietary supplements. In addition, Dr. Ryan plays an active role in advancing approaches for neurotoxicity assessment and the development and implementation of alternative toxicological testing methods. She contributes to local, national, and international efforts to harmonize research methodologies and is an active member of the Society of Toxicology.
Dr. Ryan earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2004 and received her Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of Colorado in 2012. Her doctoral research focused on the role of mitochondrial oxidative stress and dysfunction in progressive neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and temporal lobe epilepsy. Following completion of her graduate training, she was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and subsequently joined the program as a Toxicologist in 2016.
Aditya Sinha, Ph.D.
Senior Applied Research Analyst
RTI International
Email: [email protected]
Aditya Sinha is an energy and environmental systems analyst with expertise in quantitative modeling, data analytics, and policy-relevant research across the electricity, transportation, and materials systems. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from North Carolina State University and a Master's in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. His current work focuses on electricity and energy system modeling, emissions mitigation, demand response and DER analytics, and circular economy issues such as e-waste and battery recovery. Aditya has extensive experience using tools to develop transparent, decision-support models for research, regulatory, and consulting applications, and is particularly interested in applying data-driven methods to support decarbonization, grid planning, and environmental policy.
Bevin Blake, Ph.D.
Toxicologist
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Email: [email protected]
Blake has served as a toxicologist at the U.S. EPA since 2020 across multiple roles within the Office of Research and Development (ORD) and most recently the Office of Water. Blake earned her Ph.D. in toxicology and environmental medicine from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conducting research on the human health effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with a focus on placental toxicology. She went on to receive postdoctoral training at the NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM) before joining the U.S. EPA ORD where she provided toxicology expertise in support of human health risk assessments within the Integrated Risk and Information System (IRIS) program while leading independent research projects. Blake then briefly moved into a Principal Investigator role to establish a placental toxicology research program in the Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology Branch in ORD prior to the latest re-organization of the agency, which led to her current appointment in the Office of Water. As a toxicologist in the Office of Water, Blake supports the development of human health toxicity assessments and other technical documents within the scope of the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act.
Thomas Jackson, Ph.D.
Biologist
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Email: [email protected]
Jackson is a biologist in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention at the Environmental Protection Agency. Jackson earned his bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and his Ph.D. in toxicology from NC State University. Jackson worked as a research assistant at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and NC State University. During his dissertation work, he patented a novel assay to rapidly evaluate protein affinity for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Jackson worked as a postdoctoral fellow and principal investigator in the Office of Research and Development at the Environmental Protection Agency before transitioning into his current position where his research focuses on linking omics technologies with phenotypic outcomes. Jackson has a diverse research background ranging from molecular biology and bioinformatics to ecotoxicology work with fish and alligators.
Robin Evans Stanley, Ph.D.
Senior Investigator
Molecular & Cellular Biology Laboratory
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Email: [email protected]
Stanley leads the Nucleolar Integrity Group and holds a secondary appointment in the NIEHS Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory. The Nucleolar Integrity Group investigates molecular machines involved in critical RNA processing pathways through a multidisciplinary approach combining structural, molecular, and cellular biology. Currently, the lab is focused on three major research areas, including ribosome assembly, tRNA processing, and viral RNA processing.
Humphrey Yao, Ph.D.
Senior Principal Investigator
Reproductive & Developmental Biology Laboratory
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Email: [email protected]
Humphrey Hung-Chang Yao, Ph.D., is the Senior Principal Investigator of Reproductive Developmental Biology Group at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Before he joined NIEHS, he was a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Biosciences at University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign where he was the PI of 2 R01, coPI of a P20, and preceptor of a T32 award. At NIEHS, he was the mentor of 2 K99/R00 awards and PRAT awards, and co-mentor of 4 K99/R00 awards. Dr. Yao’s research focuses on sexual differentiation and reproductive organ formation and the environmental impacts on these processes. Dr. Yao has extensive experiences on career development and funding process in both extramural and intramural arenas: he served on various search committees, tenure and promotion committees, NIH study sections, and career development panels. He was also in leadership positions in various scientific societies.
Colette Miller, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Colette Miller is a Biologist in the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Research Triangle Park, NC. Dr. Miller’s graduate training was in molecular nutrition and holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of Georgia, respectively. She joined the U.S. EPA as a postdoctoral trainee in 2015 to establish a research program investigating the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis. Now, as a Principal Investigator, her lab focuses on how environmental exposures, in particular air pollutants, impact maternal, paternal, and intergenerational health outcomes.
Steven Tuyishime, Ph.D.
Assistant Scientific Director
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Email: [email protected]
Steven Tuyishime, Ph.D. received his B.S. in biology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he was a Meyerhoff scholar. He went on to receive his Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania, conducting research focused on developing a novel adenovirus-based vaccine platform in Dr. Gundi Ertl’s lab. Prior to joining NIEHS, Steven completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in the lab of Dr. Drew Weissman, where his research focused on developing and optimizing delivery of mRNA-based therapeutics. Steven joined the NIEHS Program Analysis Branch as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2016. In 2021, he joined the Division of Intramural Research at NIEHS as Assistant Scientific Director.
Randy Bledsoe, M.S.
Biologist, Protein Expression Facility
Genome Integrity & Structural Biology Laboratory
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Email: [email protected]
Randy K. Bledsoe, M.S. is a biologist within the Protein Expression Facility within the NIEHS Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory. He joined the group in 2023 after having spent over 23 years at GSK in the Gene Expression and Protein Biochemistry department as an investigator where he designed, expressed, and purified bacterial, viral and mammalian protein constructs for screening and structural biology efforts in various drug discovery programs including HIV, Alzheimer’s, and asthma. He also worked briefly for the Duke Human Vaccine Institute where he worked in the Downstream Process Development group for vaccine production.
Oswaldo Lozoya, M.S.M.E., Ph.D.
Principal Scientist for Applied Transdisciplinary Research
RTI International
Email: [email protected]
Oswaldo Lozoya, M.S.M.E., Ph.D. is a Principal Scientist for Applied Transdisciplinary Research at RTI International. Dr. Lozoya is a seasoned biomedical engineer with >20 years of professional experience, and a subject matter expert on integrative multi-omics methods, bioinformatics workflows, single-cell sequencing technologies, biomarker discovery, and high-dimensional multi-modal data mining. His current work in the public health and life sciences domains is focused on advancing novel FAIR platforms that democratize access to scientific data and analytical workspaces. Previously, he was Staff Scientist and Genomics Lead in the Translational Science and Innovation Laboratory at IQVIA Laboratories (formerly Q² Solutions). Before then, Dr. Lozoya held Research Fellow and Special Volunteer appointments at NIEHS, earning the 2021 NIH Director’s Award in the Scientific/Medical Category for his research and leadership in securing funding from the NIH RADx-rad initiative to advance novel COVID-19 diagnostic methods. Through that work, he invented COVID-19 diagnostics and prognostics technologies that were patented by the U.S. Government and licensed to Least Developed Countries in 2021 through a royalty-free model to enhance global pandemic preparedness.
Benedict Anchang, Ph.D.
Stadtman Investigator
Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
National Institutes of Health
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Benedict Anchang is a Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator in the Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch. He also holds a joint appointment at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. Anchang's Computational and Systems Biology Group performs multi-scale modeling, visualization, and integration of dynamic perturbation effects of complex biological processes, such as cancer, drug response and toxicity with personalized and precision health as a desired goal.
Yesenia Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Staff Scientist
Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation Group
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Email: [email protected]
Yesenia Rodriguez, Ph.D. is a staff scientist at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in the Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation Group. Her research integrates structural biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology to explore how chromatin architecture and dynamics regulate DNA repair and transcription, particularly by pioneer transcription factors. Since joining NIEHS in 2015, Rodriguez has held various positions, including Postdoctoral IRTA Fellow and Research Fellow, supported by her NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00), under the mentorship of Samuel Wilson, M.D. In addition to her research, Rodriguez is a strong advocate for mentorship and community outreach. She actively participates in academic and science education initiatives, such as North Carolina DNA Day and the NC Science Festival. This is her third year serving as a CV/resume consultant at the NIEHS Biomedical Career Symposium, where she hopes to make a positive contribution in the career development of the next generation of scientists.
Industry Reviewers
Rajesh Kasiviswanathan, Ph.D.
Director, Downstream Process Development
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies
Email: [email protected]
Rajesh’s group at Fujifilm Biotechnologies is focused on developing, optimizing, and transferring purification processes for a range of biotherapeutics like vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, etc. from process development into cGMP manufacturing for client projects to supply material for their clinical and commercial needs. In his current role, he also supports other functions, like commercial sales, program design, program management, process characterization, manufacturing, and quality. Previously, he managed the technical sales operations team for the Viral Vector Services and Advanced Therapies CDMO services at Thermo Fisher Scientific to generate competitive proposals for clients and win strategic business. Rajesh earned a Ph.D. in Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics from The University of Maryland College park and worked as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Mitochondrial DNA Replication Group at NIEHS from 2007-2013.
Kirsten Hoff, Ph.D.
Associate Principal Scientist Group Leader
Process Characterization
Fujifilm Biosciences at Research Triangle Park, NC
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Hoff received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland: Baltimore County in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Duke University under the mentorship of Drs. Leonard Spicer and Richard Brennan. She was then an IRTA postdoctoral fellow at NIEHS in Dr. William Copeland’s group for six years. While at NIEHS she served on the NTA Steering Committee supporting initiatives for those interested in transitioning to industry. In 2019 she made the move to industry taking the Scientist II role in the Upstream Process Development Group at Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies. Over the last six years she has grown her role and now serves as an Associate Principal Scientist Group leader focused on microbial fermentation in the Process Characterization team. In her role she guides her team in the purpose and design of process characterization studies to support programs transitioning to a commercial state. In her free time, she likes to read, garden, cook and play with her two children.
Joseph Dahl, Ph.D.
Advanced R&D Manager
BioSkryb Genomics
Durham, NC
Email: [email protected]
Joe began his scientific pursuits at Cabrillo Community College, in Aptos California. He completed both his Bachelor’s and Doctoral studies at the University of California Santa Cruz. This provided his foundation in DNA sequence analysis, single molecule biophysics, structural biology, and traditional biochemical analysis. He completed Post-Doctoral training at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, where he combined his molecular biology tool set with yeast genetics to study the interplay between DNA replication and disease. Joe was recruited into the private sector in 2021, and now leads the advanced R&D program at BioSkryb Genomics. His current professional passion is innovating custom tools to enable collaborators and clients to probe tissue heterogeneity at the single-cell level.
Paige Cooper Byas, Ph.D.
Program Officer
Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Email: [email protected]
Paige Cooper Byas, Ph.D. currently works a Program Officer at Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF). Her portfolio is focused on Biomedical & Reproductive Sciences as well as managing the individual career and institutional awards that support Physician Scientist development. She joined BWF following several years of serving as the Director of BioCoRE (Biosciences Collaborative for Research Engagement) Program at Duke University. In this role she was responsible for designing innovative and practical programming for both the academic and professional development needs of her Ph.D. and undergraduate scholars. Dr. Cooper Byas completed her BS in Biochemistry as a MARC scholar at Spelman College. She then went on to complete a Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. Her doctoral research focused on determining molecular mechanisms by which genetic mutations in the ATP sensitive potassium (KATP) channel, identified in patients with Cantu Syndrome, altered channel activity. She did postdoctoral research at the University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus which focused on placental nutrient transport to the fetus. Prior to joining BioCoRE, Dr. Cooper Byas helped lead recruitment and evaluation for the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN), a NIH funded STEM diversity initiative.
Rohan U. Parekh, Ph.D., M.S., BCMAS
Senior Manager, Global Medical Affairs
Merz Aesthetics
Email: [email protected]
Rohan U. Parekh, Ph.D., is an accomplished medical affairs leader with a passion for translating scientific insights into impactful strategies. In his current role, he orchestrates launch excellence initiatives and champions scientific advocacy to support a diverse portfolio of aesthetic innovations. With a deep-rooted expertise in Chemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dr. Parekh combines the analytical rigor cultivated during his doctoral training with a keen understanding of medical strategy to drive evidence-based decision-making. His work is anchored in a commitment to advancing patient outcomes by bridging cutting-edge science and real-world application, fostering collaboration, and engaging stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem.
AtLee Watson, Ph.D.
Director
In Vivo Operations
Inotiv, RTP
Email: [email protected]
AtLee Watson, Ph.D., DABT, is a board-certified toxicologist and Director of In Vivo Operations at Inotiv’s Research Triangle Park site, where he provides scientific and operational oversight for nonclinical GLP toxicology and safety assessment programs. Dr. Watson was a Postdoctoral IRTA Fellow with the NIEHS, Division of Translation Toxicology (2018-2020), where he developed his passion for designing toxicity studies to inform health-based risk evaluations. He earned his Ph.D. in Toxicology from North Carolina State University (2017) and a B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2009). In addition, Dr. Watson is actively engaged in his professional community, serving locally as the President of the North Carolina Society of Toxicology, and nationally on elected or appointed committees within the Society of Toxicology.
Academia Reviewers
Patrick Brandt, Ph.D.
Senior Director of Career Development and Science Outreach
Office of Biomedical Science Training and Research (BioSTAR)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
T: 919.928.4230
Dr. Patrick Brandt is the Senior Director of Career Development and Science Outreach at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He directs career awareness and professional skills development programming that serves 1000+ graduate student and postdoctoral trainees in the life sciences. He also directs the ImPACT internship program which helps UNC Ph.D. candidates gain hands on training that furthers their career paths. Patrick leads the statewide North Carolina DNA Day initiative, which for more than 15 years has sent scientists annually to high schools across North Carolina to get students excited about learning science.
Patrick grew up in Upstate NY and earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Rochester School of Medicine. After postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Patrick joined the Office of Graduate Education in 2008.
Erin Hopper, Ph.D.
Vice President for Grants and Research
NCInnovation, Inc.
4000 Sancar Way, Suite 400
Research Triangle Park, NC 27713
T: 919.604.6775 | Email: [email protected]
Erin Hopper, Ph.D. is the Vice President for Grants and Research at NCInnovation. She leads NCInnovation’s Statewide Innovation Grant program and directs the design and oversight of the organization’s internal and external research efforts. Erin holds a Ph.D. from Duke University in bioanalytical chemistry and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UNC-Chapel Hill. She completed her postdoctoral training at NIEHS. Erin served as Director for Programs and Grants at the Institute for Convergent Science at UNC-Chapel Hill in her immediate past role, where she helped plan and establish the institute, assembled research teams, and developed proposals to secure funding for research, innovation, and other programs. Before that, Erin held a variety of roles in higher education research administration, program development, and graduate education, including serving as Research Director for the UNC System and Associate Chair of Departmental Initiatives in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Shashidhar Ravishankar, Ph.D.
Staff Scientist, Warren Lab
Translational Sciences and Therapeutics Division
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Email: [email protected]
Shashidhar Ravishankar is a Staff Scientist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, where he develops foundation models and generative AI for cancer immunotherapy. His current work focuses on fine-tuning protein language models to predict T-cell receptor antigen recognition. At the Hutch, he has led single-cell mapping of immune cells in Kaposi Sarcoma patients, large-scale analysis of genetic variation in cancer-associated Epstein-Barr virus, and developed widely-used tools for immune repertoire analysis including LymphoSeq2. He holds a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics from Georgia Tech, where his work with the CDC's Malaria Branch produced the NeST toolkit—now a standard protocol for malaria drug resistance surveillance—and the complete genome of the simian malaria parasite P. brasilianum.
John Hickey, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
2o in Cell Biology, Biostatistics & Bioinformatics
Duke University
Email: [email protected]
Dr. John Hickey leads a research program at the intersection of engineering and immunology. His lab develops and uses systems biology tools to investigate tissue structure in situ. His Lab uses multiplexed imaging and computational techniques to characterize spatial cellular responses related to the effectiveness of anti-cancer cell or biomaterial therapies. John has received a number of awards for his work, including the NSF CAREER, HSFP Early Career Award, V Scholar Grant, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, ARCS Scholar, Siebel Scholar, NCI Postdoctoral Fellowship, and American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Michael Rudisill
Assistant Director
Duke University Career Center
Michael Rudisill—known as Rudi, a nickname given to him by his fifth-grade football coach – has been at Duke since the fall of 2021. He has worked with students ranging from first‑years to Ph.D. candidates, specializing in healthcare and biomedical science career pathways. Prior to Duke, Rudi spent 11 years at Campbell University as an athlete, volunteer, student, and employee. A three‑time Campbell graduate, Rudi loves getting lost on hikes in the North Carolina mountains, cheering on the Carolina Panthers, and spending time with his wife, son, and dog.
Melissa Bostrom, Ph.D.
Senior Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Professional Development
Duke University
Email: [email protected]
Melissa Bostrom, Ph.D. provides strategic direction and leadership in graduate student professional development for 3500 Ph.D. and research master’s students in 80+ programs at Duke. She directs the Emerging Leaders Institute and Professional Development Series, manages the Professional Development Grant, founded and serves as managing editor of the Professional Development Blog, and served as co-PI on the team that built Duke OPTIONS, an online professional development planning tool for Ph.D. students. She serves on the Administrative Oversight Team for the University Center for Exemplary Mentoring, a campus initiative funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for Ph.D. students in the physical sciences and engineering.
Daiwei (David) Zhang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Biostatistics and Genetics
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Daiwei (David) Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biostatistics and Genetics at UNC Chapel Hill. His research focuses on the development of novel machine learning models and AI frameworks for analyzing high-dimensional, multi-modal, multi-scale data, especially those originating from spatial omics, computational pathology, and medical imaging. The overarching goal of his research is to harness the power of AI to answer the most pressing scientific, engineering, and clinical needs in biomedicine and healthcare.
Rebekah Layton, Ph.D.
Teaching Assistant Professor
Associate Chair of Education and Training
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Email: [email protected]
Rebekah L. Layton, Ph.D., CMC, PCC leads curriculum modernization, trainee professional development, faculty development, and alumni engagement at the UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine where she is the Associate Chair of Education and Training and a Teaching Assistant Professor in the UNC Microbiology and Immunology Department. Formerly, she spent a decade developing and directing innovative professional development programs for 1000+ biomedical graduate students and postdoctoral trainees in the UNC Biomedical Science Training and Research Office (BioSTAR) Office.
Dr. Layton earned her Ph.D./M.A. at the University at Albany, State University of New York, and completed postdoctoral training at UNC School of Medicine. She is also a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation (ICF), a Certified Mentor Coach (CMC), a CIMER-trained facilitator for mentor training to enhance the experience of trainees and currently serves as the president-elect for the Graduate Career Consortium, the leading voice in graduate-level career and professional development. Dr. Layton is passionate about improving the academic training environment for graduate and postdoctoral scholars using evidence-based research and data-driven solutions.
Allyn Howlett, Ph.D.
Professor
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Email: [email protected]
Dr Howlett is a Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Assistant Dean of WFU Graduate School, and Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Education. She is an expert on CB1 cannabinoid receptor signal transduction, pursuing research on cannabinoid receptor regulators funded by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. She is active in the International Cannabinoid Research Society and American Soc. Pharmacology and Expt. Therapeutics and is currently an Associate Editor of Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
Postbacs Only
Lisa Redding, M.Ed.
Academic Program Manager
Georgia Institute of Technology
Email: [email protected]
Lisa has spent more than 25 years in higher education, working in academic advising, career services, and other academic services. For the last 12 years, Lisa has managed the Bioinformatics (M.S., Ph.D.) and Quantitative Biosciences (Ph.D.) graduate programs at Georgia Tech. In her current role, Lisa works with graduate students from the time they are applicants, throughout their academic programs, and even during their alumni career paths. In graduate admissions, Lisa reviews student CV’s and transcripts to determine eligibility for academic fee waivers. She also works closely with faculty admissions committees and has “behind the scenes” insight on admission decisions at the M.S. and Ph.D. levels.