Afrida Rahman-Enyart

Scientific Liaison and Product Manager | Proteintech

Afrida Rahman-Enyart is a Scientific Liaison and Product Manager for Proteintech and joined the team in March 2022. She is a neurodevelopmental biologist by training and completed dual PhDs in Neuroscience and Psychology from Indiana University-Bloomington. Afrida then did a postdoc at Northwestern University studying how the gut microbiome and microglial activation modulate pelvic pain. As a part of her role at Proteintech, Afrida manages several product portfolios including reagents for western blot, neuroscience, and epigenetics. She also travels to institutions across North America providing technical and careers workshops for scientists. She enjoys being a resource for graduate students and postdocs interested in transitioning from academia to industry, having gone through the process herself! 

Byeongjae (Ben) Chun

Technical Ops Lead | Catalent Pharmaceutical Solutions

Byeongjae (Ben) Chun is a Computational Biologist and Chemical Engineer with a strong foundation in process development, research, and technical leadership. Ben is currently employed as a Technical Lead at Catalent Pharma Solutions, where he is accountable for the formulation and scaling up of pharmaceutical processes, regulatory compliance, and the management of cross-functional teams to ensure the delivery of high-quality products. Ben has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and has a wealth of experience in the development and improvement of pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, microglia research, and molecular dynamics simulations. He is adept at optimizing manufacturing processes, liaising with clients, and managing technical teams. Ben is enthusiastic about the integration of his computational expertise with real-world applications to stimulate innovation in the pharmaceutical industry.

Dipannita Kalyani

Principal Scientist | Merck 

Dipannita Kalyani graduated from Bryn Mawr College, PA in 2003 with a B.A. in chemistry and mathematics and M.A. in computational chemistry. She received her Ph.D. in 2008 in organometallic catalysis under the supervision of Prof. Melanie Sanford at The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.  Following her Ph.D., she pursued her postdoctoral work under the guidance of Prof. Scott Denmark at University of Illinois at Urbana champaign in the field of asymmetric catalysis. In 2011, Dr. Kalyani started her independent career as an assistant professor in the chemistry department at St. Olaf College, MN and was granted tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in 2017. At St. Olaf College, Dr. Kalyani established an externally funded research program on organometallic catalysis and mentored ~60 undergraduate researchers. Her research was recognized by several awards including NSF CAREER grant, Cottrell Scholar award, ACS Young Investigator Award and Henry Dreyfus Teacher Scholar award. In 2018, Dr. Kalyani transitioned from academia to Merck & Co., Inc as an Associate Principal Scientist in the High-Throughput Experimentation group in the Discovery Chemistry organization. In her current role, as a Principal Scientist Dr. Kalyani brings her passion for science and data rich experimentation to accelerate the drug discovery process.

Emily Hankosky

Senior Advisor in Health Economics and Outcomes Research | Eli Lilly

Emily Hankosky is a Senior Advisor in Health Economics and Outcomes Research at Eli Lilly and Company since 2019. Working in Cardiometabolic Health, her research focuses on the unmet needs, economics, and patient experience of medications to treat obesity. Her work primarily focuses on the United States healthcare environment. After receiving her PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Emily completed her postdoctoral training and received a Master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Kentucky. Outside of work, Emily enjoys exploring the world through the eyes of her two small boys alongside her husband in and around their home in Carmel, IN.

Sophia Kaska

Manager of Science Policy and Research Affairs | Endocrine Society 

Sophia Kaska is the Manager of Science Policy and Research Affairs at Endocrine Society where she works to advance the Endocrine Society’s policy priorities and advocates for increased funding for hormone research and biomedical research more broadly. Prior to joining the Endocrine Society, she worked at Research!America, a nonprofit medical and health advocacy alliance where she coordinated efforts for scientific society CEOs to gather and exchange timely policy news and information and oversaw a program where she supported science policy and communication initiatives by early career scientists. Currently, she serves on the Science Policy Committee for the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and the Advocacy Committee for the National Postdoctoral Association. She earned a dual major PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology and Environmental Toxicology at Michigan State University and completed postdoctoral research in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Kentucky. Her research background encompasses opioid pharmacology, opioid addiction, and depression.

Aarajana  Shrestha | Pharmacy | Pharmaceutical Sciences

Discovery of Mithramycin-Oxime (AK-B46): A New Hope for Treating Childhood and Adolescent Cancer

Aarajana Shrestha is a Postdoctoral Scholar (Drug Discovery Chemist) working with Dr. Jon Thorson at the UK College of Pharmacy. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Drug Discovery Chemistry from Yeungnam University (South Korea) and her B.S. degree in Pharmacy from Pokhara University (Nepal). Aarajana is enthusiastic about contributing her expertise and passion for drug discovery to initiatives that value excellence in research and strive to make a significant impact on patient care and well-being. Aarajana’s current research focuses on chemical probes/small molecules, natural product drug discovery, and the optimization of novel drugs for cancer and rare diseases. One of her significant achievements includes the development of a mithramycin-based lead molecule for preclinical drug discovery. She is a recipient of the Korea Research Fellowship and the author/co-author of over 30 scientific papers and patents. Aarajana has also presented her research at several prominent meetings, including the ACS Meeting, Asian Medi Chem Symposium, IUPAC Chemistry Congress, and Gordon Research Conference.

Saber Feizy | Medicine | Behavioral Science

The New Buzz: Prevalence and Correlates of Nicotine Pouch Use Among US Youth, 2022

Saber Feizy received his M.S. in Economics and Ph.D. in Ag. Economics, with expertise in health economics, marketing, and policy analysis, from the University of Kentucky. He is currently a Postdoctoral Scholar with the College of Medicine Department of Behavioral Science and the Center for Health, Engagement, and Transformation. His research focuses on health economics, marketing, and regulatory science, where he investigates the links between policy initiatives, marketing strategies, and consumption patterns of tobacco-related products. Saber's research uncovers the underlying mechanisms through which regulatory policies shape public health outcomes, with a particular impact on health disparities, especially in rural areas. His work underscores the pivotal role of policy and marketing in advancing a healthier and more equitable society.

Wenwu Lin | Agriculture, Food and Environment | Plant Pathology

Another importance of studying plant viruses:  An inspiration for cancer therapy 

Wenwu Lin received his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in Molecular Plant Virology from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU), China. His Ph.D. supervisor, Prof. Lianhui Xie, is one of the most well-known plant virologists and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. During Dr. Lin's 10 years at FAFU, from 2009 to 2019, he received numerous scholarships and awards from both the government and the university in recognition of his outstanding academic performance. FAFU funded his visits to Prof. Yau-Heiu Hsu’s lab at National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan for a semester and to Prof. Peter D. Nagy’s lab at the University of Kentucky for two years through the China Scholarship Council. After earning his doctorate, Dr. Lin worked as an assistant professor in the Institute of Plant Virology at FAFU for two years. Currently, Dr. Lin is completing a postdoctoral appointment with Prof. Peter D. Nagy at the University of Kentucky, where he has been working for three years. With over ten years of experience in studying plant viruses, Dr. Lin has developed extensive expertise in conducting functional studies on both plants and viruses. His research incorporates innovative approaches that bridge various disciplines, including plant biology, cell biology, molecular virology, molecular biology, biophysics, biochemistry, and bioinformatics. His work on plant viruses has resulted in approximately 30 publications in prestigious journals such as New Phytologist, PLOS Pathogens, and Journal of Virology.

Cassandra Wolsh | Medicine | Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center

Functional and Biological Predictors of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM) Spinal Cord Injury

Cassandra earned her PhD in Integrated Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Neuroscience from UT Health San Antonio in December of 2023. During her 4.5 years there she earned a spot on a T32 fellowship, published one first author paper and also volunteered with a student run organization to help plan events that allowed STEM graduate students to learn about non-academic careers. She began her Post-Doc in the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center with Dr. John Gensel in February. Since then, she has assisted in writing 3 grants, one of which has received funding, and presented research at multiple local and national venues. She is passionate about translational science and being in a position to address the gap between bench research reaching bed-side patient needs. Today she will talk about how biomarkers may be utilized and studied to better identify patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy as good candidates for surgery, as well as how these biomarkers may help translate to research with the goal of developing alternative or supplemental treatments.

Neng Huang | Engineering | Institute for Decarbonization and Energy Advancement

Advancements in Iron-Based Oxygen Carriers for Chemical Looping Combustion: From Industrial Waste to Valuable Resources

Neng Huang is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Kentucky's Institute for Decarbonization and Energy Advancement (UK IDEA). He completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Kentucky in 2023, following an M.Sc.Eng. in Fluid Mechanics and a B.E. in Energy and Power Engineering from the China University of Mining and Technology. Dr. Huang's research focuses on developing technologies in carbon capture and waste management. He works on Chemical Looping Combustion and Direct Air Carbon Capture, with the goal of creating systems that capture carbon dioxide from fossil fuel emissions and remove it from the atmosphere. His work aims to improve the efficiency and practical application of these technologies. In addition to his work in carbon capture, Dr. Huang is involved in projects related to waste-to-energy conversion and resource recovery. He explores methods to convert waste materials, such as industrial bauxite waste, plastics, and spent lithium-ion batteries, into energy and valuable resources. His research involves using technologies like hydrothermal carbonization, fluidization, carbothermic reduction to enhance material recovery. Dr. Huang has published multiple peer-reviewed papers and holds several patents. He has shared his research at international conferences and serves as a reviewer for well-known journals. Outside of his professional work, Dr. Huang enjoys hiking, cooking, road trips, badminton, table tennis, and watching tennis & football games.

Jenna McCullough | Arts and Sciences | Biology

Genomes, wings, and feathers: what long-dead bird specimens can reveal about evolution on islands

Jenna McCullough is a postdoctoral research scholar in the Biology Department at the University of Kentucky. She earned her Ph.D (2024) and MSc (2018) in Biology at the University of New Mexico. Her research focuses on the tempo and mode of rapid species diversification in nature, particularly emphasizing island endemic birds. Since joining Dr. Rosana Zenil-Ferguson’s lab as a postdoc, Dr. McCullough is developing new statistical models to better study the process of speciation and extinction in nature.

Daniëlle Coenen | Medicine | Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Small cells go big: from a simple cut to a complicated skin wound

Daniëlle Coenen is a postdoctoral research scholar at the University of Kentucky at the department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry (Lexington, KY, USA). She studied a bachelor and master Biomedical Sciences at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. She received an ERASMUS scholarship to perform her final master's internship abroad in Badalona, Spain. In September 2016, she started as a PhD student at the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM) at the department of Biochemistry (Maastricht, the Netherlands) under supervision of Dr. Judith M.E.M. Cosemans and Dr. Rory R. Koenen. In June 2021, she defended her thesis titled 'Unravelling platelet function in inflammation and thrombosis - secretory pathways and vascular interactions'. In April 2021, she started in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. Sidney W. Whiteheart where her main research projects, which are funded by an AHA postdoctoral fellowship, aim to characterize platelet endocytosis and exocytosis in wound healing and aortic aneurysm. 

Vivek Pandey | Medicine | Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

SGLT1 O-GlcNAcylation enhances the risk of heart failure during diabetes

Vivek received his Ph.D. in 2019 for his work on ER-associated degradation of glucose transporter proteins during hyperglycemic hepatotoxicity from the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), India. He started his career as a Research Scientist (Lead Analyst) in an OECD-GLP-certified Cell Biology Lab by developing cell-based bioassays and ELISA to measure the anti-hyperglycemic activities of biosimilars. The increasing risk of heart failure in diabetic patients motivated him to join Prof. Sanda Despa’s Lab where he is involved in exploring the molecular mechanisms associated with diabetic cardiomyopathies using humanized rat/mouse models and cell lines.  Vivek is passionate about Cardiac Remodeling, Molecular Signaling, and Cell Biology. Outside of work, he enjoys writing poetry, traveling, and playing cricket & badminton.

GYeon Oh | Public Health | Epidemiology and Environmental Health

Is gabapentin used as an alternative for opioids? Characterizing gabapentin initiation in Medicare beneficiaries

Dr. GYeon Oh is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the University of Kentucky. She earned her Bachelor of Pharmacy from Ewha Womans University in South Korea and completed her Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, specializing in Pharmacoepidemiology, at the University of Kentucky in 2020. Dr. Oh’s research focuses on utilizing real-world data to investigate the outcomes associated with substance use, particularly opioids and gabapentin, among older adults. Her work is currently supported by K99 award from the National Institute on Aging.

Harshit Arora | Medicine | Neurosurgery

Cervical Spine: Clinical Assessments, Advanced Improvements and the Role of Artificial Intelligence

Harshit is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Neurosurgery. He completed his medical education at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, India, and subsequently gained clinical experience as a junior doctor in General Surgery and Neurosurgery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he played a critical role in managing patients across various departments. He further honed his research skills as a trainee at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, where he developed expertise in statistical methodologies applied to neuro-oncological and spinal pathologies. Currently, his research focuses on advancing healthcare solutions for cervical myelopathy and spinal cord injury, aiming to improve outcomes for patients with these challenging conditions. He is deeply passionate about global health and is committed to developing solutions that enhance and standardize healthcare worldwide. Outside of his professional pursuits, he is an avid reader who enjoys cooking, baking, and occasionally dancing to unwind.

Abhilash Prabhat | Medicine | Physiology

Light at night disrupted day-night rhythms in the heart rate and core body temperature in female diabetic mice

Abhilash Prabhat is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky. Abhilash was born in a small town in Jharkhand, India. He did his undergraduate, master's, and doctorate degrees in Zoology at the University of Delhi, Delhi. He completed his Ph.D. in 2021 under Prof. Vinod Kumar, on zebra finch behavior and reproduction. Abhilash joined Prof. Brian Delisle’s lab as a postdoc at the Department of Physiology in August 2022. Since then, he has worked on understanding the role of environmental factors such as food and light timings in regulating the daily rhythm of cardiac electrophysiology, body temperature, and activity. 

Meenakshi Vengarai | Agriculture, Food and Environment | Entomology

Why So Angry Bees?

Meenakshi is a postdoctoral scholar working with Dr. Clare Rittschof in the Department of Entomology, at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. She obtained her PhD from the University of Hyderabad where she worked on decoding the neurophysiology, behavior and neurocircuitry of learning and memory in honey bees. She is presently looking at how the changing ecosystem impacts the survival and behavior in the Western honey bee. She is an avid lover of dance and theatre with hopes of writing a script for a scientific fiction movie someday. 

Abdullah Masud | Medicine | Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences

Nano-Targeted drug delivery: A New Frontier in Post-Heart Attack Treatment

Abdullah Al Masud, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Kentucky (UK). Dr. Masud completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the same institution. Prior to moving to the USA in 2015, he earned his B.Pharm and M.Pharm degrees from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He has several years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D. Currently, his research focuses on developing platelet-targeting nano-drug delivery systems.

Laura Brown | Medicine | Physiology

Soluble IL2R: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Post-COVID Fatigue

Laura Brown is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Kentucky Department of Physiology. She completed her Ph.D in Physiology in 2020. Dr. Brown was a Scientific Project Manager at Vanderbilt University Medical Center before returning to the University of Kentucky for Postdoctoral training. Her research focuses on uncovering the molecular mechanisms behind post-COVID fatigue and investigating alterations in protein translation in muscular dystrophy. Dr. Brown is also engaged in clinical work that leverages exhaled breath data to train a machine learning model aimed at developing a non-invasive method for blood glucose detection. Outside of her professional career, Dr. Brown enjoys traveling with her husband and children. 

Hassan Darabi | Medicine | Neurosurgery

Surgical Outcomes on Postural Sway in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy

Hassan Darabi is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Kentucky. He earned his MD from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2020. His research focuses on clinical and translational studies in spinal cord diseases, including degenerative cervical myelopathy and spinal cord injury. Hassan’s work includes positions as a Short-term Postdoctoral Researcher at the Harvard-affiliated Mass General Hospital in 2023, where he contributed to cutting-edge research in stem cell origins of chronic bowel conditions. Prior to his postdoctoral training, he gained practical experience as a General Practitioner, working in both public and private healthcare sectors. Outside of his professional career, Hassan is an avid gamer and a big-time Halo fan.