Past Members

Guiseppe Di Palma, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of Exposure to Industry Program (2023-2024)

gdipalma@ucsd.edu

Nicholas Downes, Ph.D. Co-Vice Chair of Exposure to Industry Program (2023-2024)

Priyanga Ganesan, Ph.D. Co-Vice Chair of Wellness and Sustainability (2023-2024)

pganesan@gmail.com
Department: Mathematics
My research in 12 words or less: I explore mathematical ideas in operator algebras for applications in quantum information.
Favorite thing about the PDA: Organizing fun and beneficial events that contribute to our overall growth, while promoting a sense of community.
Favorite quote: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving" - Albert Einstein.

Julia Gauberg, Ph.D. Co-Vice Chair of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion(2023-2024)

jgauberg@ucsd.edu
Department: Neurobiology
My research in 12 words or less: I study how spinal cord motor neurons reach their muscle targets
Favorite thing about the PDA: Connecting with and supporting other postdocs!
Favorite quote: “Time means nothing. Jeremy Bearimy, baby" - The Good Place

Taynara Formagini, Ph.D. Co-Vice Chair of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion(2023-2024)

tformagini@health.ucsd.edu

Neha Varshney, Ph.D. - Deputy Chair (2023-2024)

nevarshney@ucsd.edu

Department: Department of Cell & Developmental Biology

My research in 12 words or less: Understanding the function and regulation of Protein Phosphatase 1 in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Favorite thing about the PDA: An opportunity to work with like-minded postdocs and make an impact on the postdoc community.

Favorite quote: “Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans' - John Lennon

Stephanie Agtarap, Ph.D.

sagtarap@gmail.com
Department: Psychiatry
My research in 12 words or less: Assessing posttraumatic stress and post-concussive symptoms following traumatic brain injury
Favorite thing about the PDA: I love connecting with other people outside of my department, and exercising creative skills I don't often get to do!
Favorite quote: “If you only do what you know you can do, you never do very much.” - Tom Krause

Laura Cimoli, Ph.D. - Vice-Chair of Community Engagement

l cimoli@ucsd.edu

Department: Scripps Institution of Oceanography

My research in 12 words or less: How is the deep ocean circulation changing in a warming climate?

Favorite things about the PDA: Meeting new people and contributing to creating a sense of community, which can be difficult to achieve during the challenges of postdoc life.

Favorite quote: "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." Dr Seuss - The Lorax.

Tommaso Menara, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of Exposure to Industry Program (EIP)

tmenara@ucsd.edu
Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
My research in 12 words or less: Reverse engineering the brain to inform novel therapies or machine learning algorithms
Favorite thing about the PDA: Incredible support and networking opportunities!
Favorite quote: “All models are wrong, but some are useful” – George Box

Jianhua Gong Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of Wellness & Sustainability

j4gong@ucsd.edu

Department: Scripps Institution of Oceanography

My research in 12 words or less: Using seismology methods to study the structure and earthquake hazard of tectonic plate boundaries.

Favorite thing about the PDA: Meeting new people, organizing interesting events, and learning more about wellness and sustainability.

Favorite quote: As you begin this new stage of your lives, follow your passion. If you don't have a passion, don't be satisfied until you find one. Life is too short to go through it without caring deeply about something. By Steven Chu.

Juliana Maria Navia Pelaez, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of Wellness & Sustainability

jnaviapelaez@health.ucsd.edu

Department: Medicine

My research in 12 words or less: I am trying to understand how lipid metabolism in microglia, immune cells of the nervous system, affects pain.

Favorite thing about the PDA: it gives some sense of belonging

Favorite quote: “ just keep swimming “ Dory from Finding Nemo

Guomin Zhu, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of External Relations and Finance

g9zhu@eng.ucsd.edu

Department: Nanoengineering department, Material science, and Engineering program

My research in 12 words or less: I study and engineer lithium metal batteries for the next-generation energy storage

Favorite thing about the PDA: Meeting new people, working with people from different backgrounds

Favorite quote: Could I have been anyone other than me? by Dave Matthews

Federica Klaus, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of Exposure to Industry Program (EIP)

fklaus@ucsd.edu
Department: Psychiatry
My research in 12 words or less: I investigate biological mechanisms underlying serious mental illness.
Favorite thing about the PDA: The opportunity to contribute to the postdoc community and learning new perspectives through working together.
Favorite quote: "Life must not be a novel that is given to us, but one that is made by us." ― Novalis

Jorge A. Masso-Silva, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of External Relations and Finance

jmassosilva@ucsd.edu

Department: Medicine

My research in 12 words or less: I study inflammation in the lungs and airways in different settings such as infection, asthma and vaping.

Favorite thing about the PDA: Networking, share of ideas and contribution to the postdoctoral community

Favorite quote: "Last but not least, I wanna thank me, I wanna thank me for believing in me, I wanna thank me for doing all this hard work, I wanna thank me for having no days off, I wanna thank me for never quitting, I wanna thank me for always being a giver and trying to give more than I receive, I wanna thank me for trying to do more right than wrong, I wanna thank me for just being me at all times" - Snoop Dogg

Bastian Ramms, Ph.D.

Department: Pediatrics
My research in 12 words or less: Curing diabetes – so we can eat more chocolate.
Favorite thing about the PDA: The PDA is a great opportunity for postdocs enhancing communication, socialization, and career development between students and beyond.
Favorite quote: "The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding." - Leonardo da Vinci

Mauricio Caraballo, Ph.D.

amcaraballor@ucsd.edu
Department: Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
My research in 12 words or less: I love finding molecules and revealing what they actually do in nature.
Favorite thing about the PDA: It is a fenomenal environment for networking, establishing research collaborations, acquiring management skills and making friends.
Favorite quote: “Never pass up new experiences, (...). They enrich the mind.” - Rhett Butler. [Mitchell, M. Gone with the wind]

Divya Sahu, Ph.D.

disahu@ucsd.edu
Department: Pathology

Ellen Lee, M.D.

eel013@ucsd.edu
Department: Psychiatry
My research in 12 words or less: Inflammaging and health in persons with serious mental illnesses; successful biological, psychological, and psychosocial aging.
Favorite thing about the PDA: The opportunity to work with and learn from postdocs across campus!
Favorite quote: “We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.” – Sheryl Sandberg

Karen Tonsfeldt, Ph.D.

ktonsfeldt@ucsd.edu
Department: Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences
My research in 12 words or less: I study how our brains control reproduction.
Favorite thing about the PDA: Meeting new people from around UC San Diego and working to improve the postdoc experience here.
Favorite quote: "What are dreams for anyway without the guts to live your life that way?" - The Bouncing Souls

Ariane Pessentheiner, Ph.D.

apessentheiner@ucsd.edu
Department: Medicine
My research in 12 words or less: The role of glycans in metabolic diseases including obesity, diabetes and atherosclerosis.
Favorite thing about the PDA: The possibility to connect with postdocs on a campus wide basis and to form an interdisciplinary network. Especially, because it is done in such a friendly environment without any pressure.
Favorite quote: "Even if there are stones placed in your way, you can build something beautiful" - Erich Kaestner (German author).

Jacek Cyranka, Ph.D.

jcyranka@ucsd.edu
Department: Computer Science and Engineering
My research in 12 words or less: To understand the principles beyond Artificial Intelligence, for example to make neural networks more robust.
Favorite thing about the PDA: Meeting great people in multi-cultural and and interdisciplinary environment, providing UCSD postdoc society with various social and professional activities.
Favorite quote: “Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.” ― Richard Feynman

Sunayan S Ray, Ph.D.

sray@g.clemson.edu
Department: Opthalmology
My research in 12 words or less: Growing eyes on a dish using stem cells .
Favorite thing about the PDA: I love meeting new postdocs. Taking initiatives, mostly helping new postdocs transition and learning new things from new people is my fav thing to do.
Favorite quote: "I was drawn to science out of curiosity. Any questions I had, the answers were already there, but even science is never certain, even the soundest of theories is subject to new data. And there are some things even science can’t explain. And while I don’t believe in an unseen hand creating his own tableau, I do believe I don’t have all the answers.”

Marieke Toffolo, Ph.D.

mtoffolo@ucsd.edu
Department: Psychiatry
My research in 12 words or less: Testing the efficacy of Habit Reversal Training for treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Favorite thing about the PDA: It is a great way to connect and collaborate with postdocs from different disciplines and to develop other academic skills such as leadership and teamwork.
Favorite quote: "Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”

Virginia (Ginger) Hazen , Ph.D.

vhazen@ucsd.edu
Department: Office of Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Affairs
My research in 12 words or less: Plan, develop, and occasionally present postdoc professional development programs, workshops and seminars.
Favorite thing about the PDA: Working with a phenomenal group of postdocs who are dedicated to creating a vibrant and successful postdoc community at UC San Diego.
Favorite quote: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” (Oscar Wilde)

Lauren Nadler, Ph.D.

lnadler@ucsd.edu
Department: Scripps Institution of Oceanography
My research: I study how parasites influence behavior and physiology of hosts in estuaries.
Favorite thing about the PDA: The PDA provides great opportunities to meet postdocs from outside of my department.
Favorite quote: “The best scientists and explorers have the attributes of kids! They ask questions and have a sense of wonder. They have curiosity. 'Who, what, where, why, when, and how!' They never stop asking questions, and I never stop asking questions, just like a five year old.” (Sylvia Earle)

Sudipta Das, Ph.D.

sudas@ucsd.edu
Department: Medicine
My Research: Understanding the biology of genomics driving asthma and lung fibrosis.
Favorite thing about PDA: Opportunity to connect and work with an amazing group of postdocs, network with industry leaders and explore new career possibilities. A great way to develop leadership, teamwork and organization skills!
Favorite quote: "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." (Albert Einstein)

Peter Ramirez, Ph.D.

pwramirez@ucsd.edu
Department: Medicine
My research in 12 words or less: Immune evasion strategies mediated by RNA viruses.
Favorite thing about the PDA: Opportunity to bring your unique character and spirit to a group of individuals who are committed to fostering community and creating opportunities towards enhancing the postdoc experience.
Favorite quote: "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” (Gandhi)

Jessica Sowa, Ph.D.

jsowa@ucsd.edu
Department: Biological Sciences
My research in 12 words or less: Communication between the nervous and immune systems during infection.
Favorite thing about the PDA: Being able to work together with postdocs from all different disciplines.
Favorite quote: "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.” (Marie Curie)

Inge R. Holtman, Ph.D.

iholtman@ucsd.edu
Department: Cellular and molecular medicine (CMM)
My research in 12 words or less: I study the effects of natural genetic variation on microglia expression and enhancer landscapes.
Favorite thing about the PDA: My favorite thing about the PDA is that it doesn't only offer an environment in which we can explore different career paths and expand our skillsets, but also offers a community where we can meet new people, make new friends and enjoy San Diego.
Favorite quote: "A rising tide lifts all boats." (Kim Katrin Milan)

Henrike Niederholtmeyer, Ph.D.

hniederholtmeyer@ucsd.edu
Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
My research in 12 words or less: Making artificial cells
Favorite thing about the PDA: Opportunity to meet and have fun with other postdocs

Pam Bhattacharya, Ph.D.

nbhattac@eng.ucsd.edu

Department: Bioengineering
My Research: Developing mathematical and computational models of next generation genomic sequencing data.
Favorite thing about PDA: The opportunity to meet, collaborate, and share ideas with fellow postdocs from a variety of fields, and through PDA events explore career development opportunities and alternative career paths.
Favorite quote: "I have become my own version of an optimist. If I can't make it through one door, I'll go through another door - or I'll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present." (Rabindranath Tagore)

Elisa Lazzari, Ph.D.

Transitioned to Postdoctoral Researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York (2017).

Patrick Desmond

pdesmond@ucsd.edu
Department: School of Medicine (Cardiology)
My research in 12 words or less: Studying transcriptional changes involved in heart failure progression using mouse models.
Favorite thing about the PDA: Exposure to industry program and other networking opportunities.
Favorite quote: “Don't talk about it, be about it.”

Simone Tosi, Ph.D.

Transitioned to Faculty at University of Turin, Italy (2021).

Josh Wollam, Ph.D.

Transitioned to Study Director at Crown Bioscience Inc., San Diego (2018).

Eileen Collyer, Ph.D.

Transitioned to Postdoctoral Fellow at Drexel University, Philadelphia (2017).

Dalila El Ouarrat, Ph.D.

Transitioned to Consultant at Catalyze, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2017).

Alessandra Castaldi, Ph.D - Co-Vice Chair of Communications (2015-2016)

Transitioned to Postdoctoral Fellow, Los Angeles (2017).

Amanda Moore, PhD - Chair of the Postdoctoral Association (2016)

Transitioned to Sr Scientist at Genia Technologies, Santa Clara (2017).

Yaping Zhang, PhD - Vice Chair of Exposure to Industry Program (2016)

Gizelle Anzures, PhD - Campus-wide Committee Representative for Child Care Oversight Committee (2014-2015)

Transitioned to Faculty at Florida Atlantic University (2017).

Peter Tufar, Ph.D. - Science Sustainability Postdoc Representative (2014-2016)

Transitioned to Process Specialist at GSK Vaccines, Marburg, Germany (2016).

Evelyn Walenta, PhD - Vice Chair of Career Development Programs (2015-2016)

Transitioned to Clinical Research Associate at QuintilesIMS, San Diego (2016).

Lucile Ryckebusch, PhD - Vice Chair of Exposure to Industry Program (2015)

Transitioned to Scientist, Translational Genetics at Millennium Health, San Diego (2016).

Matthew Riopel, PhD - Co-Vice Chair of Community Engagement (2015)

Nimish Khanna, PhD - Co-Vice Chair of Community Engagement (2015)

Transitioned to Synthetic Biologist at Asimov Inc., Boston (2018).

Marianna Zipeto, Ph.D - Vice Chair of External Relations and Finance (2014-2015)

Transitioned to Study Director at Crown Bioscience, Inc., San Diego (2016).

Berenice Aguilar, Ph.D

Transitioned to Postdoctoral Scholar at Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles (2016).

Swati Naphade, Ph.D

Transitioned to Postdoctoral Scholar at The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato (2016).

Xiong (Sean) Zhang, Ph.D. - Vice Chair of EIP Program (2014-2015)

Transitioned to Allele Biosciences, San Diego (2016) and McKinsey & Associates, San Francisco (2017).

Renee Killins, Ph.D. - Departmental Rep, Biological Sciences (2015)

Transitioned to Scientist at Epic Sciences, San Diego (2015).

Fred Beasley, Ph.D. - Event Coordinator (2014)

Transitioned to Postdoctoral Scholar at California Institute for Biomedical Research (Calibr), San Diego (2014).

Anjana Chandrasekhar, Ph.D. - Website Content Contributor (2014)

Transitioned to Scientist at Millennium Health, San Diego (2014).

Ginny (Xindao) Hu, Ph.D. - Chair (2014)

Transitioned to Regulatory Affairs Coordinator at Volcano Corporation, San Diego (2014).

Danielle John, Ph.D. (2014)

Transitioned to Postdoctoral Scholar at University of California, Davis (2016).

Milos Lazic, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of Social Programs & Co-Founder of UCSD Exposure to Industry Program

Transitioned to Scientist at Jecure Therapeutics (2016)

Devendra Mistry, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of Communications (2013)

Transitioned to Postdoctoral Scholar at Celgene, San Diego (2014).

Alejandra Nieto, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of Career Development Programs & Corporate Relations Officer of EIP Program (2013-2014)

Transitioned to Scientist at F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Switzerland (2014).

Maria Noutsou, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of External Relations & Finance (2014)

Transitioned to Product Development/Technical Support Specialist at GenWay Biotech, San Diego (2015).

Aarti Ruparelia, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of Finance (2013-2014)

Transitioned to Associate Consultant at Deallus Consulting, London, England (2014).

Sheila Semaan, Ph.D. - Chair of Communication & Co-Founder of EIP Program (2012-2013)

Transitioned to Associate Product Manager at Biosearch Technologies, San Francisco (2013).

Astrid Karen Stoker, Ph.D. - Chair (2013-2014)

Transitioned to Postdoctoral Scholar at Mount Sinai, New York City (2014).

Kristen P. Tolson, Ph.D. - Chair of Networking and Outreach (2011-2013) & Vice-Chair of External Relations and Finance (2013-2014)

Transitioned to Regulatory Writer at Synchrogenix, a Certara company (2016)

Payam Aghsaee, Ph.D. - Departmental Rep, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (2014 – 2015)

Transitioned to Postdoctoral Fellow at IIHR, University of Iowa, Iowa City (2015).

Alexandra Bortnick, Ph.D. - Alumni Relations (2015-2018), Chair (2014-2015), Co-Chair of Communication (2013-2014)

Transitioned to Program Manager and Data Analyst, Office of Faculty Affairs, UC San Diego (2018)

Davide Povero, Ph.D., Co-Vice Chair of Social Programs (2014)

Transitioned to Scientist II at Jecure Therapeutics (2016)

Ann E. Lin, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of External Relations & Finance (2014)

Transitioned to Senior Scientist, Immunology, at BPS Bioscience Inc., San Diego (2015)

Joana Galvao, Ph.D. - Vice Chair of Career Development Programs (2015)

Transitioned to Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University, Palo Alto (2016)

Kristen Dorsey, Ph.D. - Departmental Rep, Electrical and Computer Engineering (2014-2015)

Transitioned to Assistant Professor of Engineering at Smith College, Boston (2015)

Conrad Rizal, Ph.D. - Departmental Rep, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (2014-2015)

Transitioned to Research Scientist, Department of Physics at Baylor University, Texas (2016)

Jamie Joseph, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of Communication (2014-2015)

Sean Zeng, Ph.D. - Marketing Director (2014-2015)

Transitioned to Consultant at WuXi AppTec, San Diego (2016).

Asma Khan, Ph.D. - Co-Vice Chair of Communication (2014-2015)

Transitioned to Scientist at Neuropore Therapies Inc., San Diego (2015).

Yvonne Hoang, Ph.D. - Co-Chair

Transitioned to Science Writer at Natera, San Francisco (2008).

Kirsten (McTavish) Curnow, Ph.D. - Co-Chair

Transitioned to Toxocologist, Givaudan, Cincinnati (2008).