Pritha Mukherjee, Phd

Co-Chair & Mentorship and Outreach Committee

I am a biomedical researcher focusing on Glycoscience in the context of Oncology. Currently, I am a Post-Doctoral Researcher in Dr. Radoslav Goldman's lab at Georgetown University's Department of Biochemistry, where my work involves investigating cancer-related biochemical pathways in proteoglycan editing enzymes. My research journey began during my PhD in India, where I focused on chemoresistance in cancer—a growing concern in oncology. This experience reinforced my belief that academic research must translate into tangible benefits for patients. After my PhD, I worked at UQTR, Canada, where I explored mitochondrial roles in cancer cells, a fascinating area that expanded my understanding of cancer biology. Upon returning to India, I embraced a teaching position, where I trained students in Medical Laboratory Technology. This role allowed me to mentor and inspire future medical professionals, helping them understand the clinical implications of their work and fostering a strong connection between education and societal welfare. Beyond the lab and classroom, I have a passion for communication and networking. I have participated in and hosted talk shows, extempore events, and workshops, all of which have helped me develop strong interpersonal skills. I am also an advocate for equity and inclusion, and I value diverse perspectives in collaborative environments. In my free time, I enjoy yoga, dancing, and exploring new experiences, which bring balance to my professional life. As a member of the GUPDA board, I am eager to bring my enthusiasm for research, education, and community-building to foster collaboration and support among my peers. 

Michael Slipenkyj, PhD

Advocacy Committee Chair

Mike completed his PhD in Psychology at Georgetown University in 2024. Mike is now a postdoctoral researcher in the Math Brain Lab and he is focused primarily on investigating the representation of numbers and mathematics in the brain. He is also interested in understanding how factors such as the learning environment, computational context, and individual differences influence cognition. Mike is currently working on projects involving behavioral, eye-tracking, and fMRI data. Outside of research, Mike enjoys hiking with his dog, playing board games, and eating delicious food. Interested in connecting with Mike? Feel free to send him an email at mss335@georgetown.edu.

Geraldine Vitry, PhD, MSS

Communications & Social Media Committee Co-Chair

Geraldine Vitry is a molecular and cellular biologist driven by her passion for space exploration. She obtained her PhD at Laval university in Quebec (Canada), and a master of Space Studies at the International Space University in Strasbourg (France). She is currently studying radiobiology at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) in Dr Laiakis's lab,  with the aim to develop enabling solutions for space exploration. There, she is developing a non-invasive method for rapid diagnostic and triage of patients exposed to radiation. She likes to say that space is for everyone and promotes open science. With GUPDA, she hopes to create a sustainable and accessible community for both professional and recreational time. Check out her career path

Trevor Day, PhD

Professional Development Committee Co-Chair

Trevor Day is a developmental psychologist and linguist who studies hemispheric specialization (i.e. laterality) and its development. He completed his PhD from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota in 2024 with Drs. Jed Elison and Damien Fair. At Minnesota, he studied infant brain development using resting-state functional neuroimaging. He is currently a T32 Postdoctoral Fellow with Drs. Elissa Newport and Peter Turkeltaub in the Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery (CBPR) in the Department of Neurology. At CBPR, he studies the development of hemispheric specialization for language and vision in 5 - 12 year olds using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Outside of research, his main hobby is club ultimate frisbee.

Caleb C. McKinney, PhD, MPS

Dr. Caleb McKinney is an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, and associate dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Training & Development for Biomedical Graduate Education (BGE) at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC).  He is committed to advocacy and career development for graduate students and postdoctoral trainees. Dr. McKinney studies factors that govern career transitions, with a particular focus on designing and evaluating interventions that facilitate these transitions. Dr. McKinney leads the graduate and postdoctoral training and development portfolio for Biomedical Graduate Education, which includes Career Strategy and Professional Development, a biomedical graduate career center that provides career advising and professional development programming for masters students, PhD students, and postdoctoral scholars. Furthermore, his administrative portfolio includes postdoctoral development, training grant support for institutional external funding mechanisms, and biomedical graduate trainee recruitment and external partnerships. He is also Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA), and has previously served as Finance Chair, Treasurer, and Board Liaison for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Dr. McKinney graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Applied Economics and Management. He then completed his PhD in microbiology from New York University, a Master’s in Professional Studies in Design Management and Communications from Georgetown University, and the Harvard Macy Program for Educators in the Health Professions. 

Elizabeth Salm, PhD

Elizabeth Salm, Ph.D. is the Associate Director for Postdoctoral Development & Training Grant Support . directs programming around career and personal development for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. She also maintains the Training Grant Support portfolio for the current and future federal training grants at BGE. Her interest in the support of research trainees began during her PhD training in the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program (INP) at Yale University. Dr. Salm decided to address these interests in INP by developing a mentoring program to ease the transition of incoming students to graduate school and to support them in their exploration of future careers. Dr. Salm looks forward to helping PhD students and postdoctoral fellows at Georgetown determine and achieve their personal and professional goals.

Sambhu M. Pillai, PhD

Dr. Sambhu Pillai is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Joseph Verbalis lab at the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism. His research focuses on understanding the impacts of low sodium in bone loss and osteoporosis. He completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Kerala Agricultural University and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. He held the responsibility of GUPDA co-chair from August 2020-September 2021. During his role as the co-chair of GUPDA he organized seminars and career guidance events, managed communications, and handled social media platforms. He loves publishing literary pieces in periodicals, and is a prolific hiker and non-fiction book reader. 

Sean Quinlan, PhD

Sean graduated from University College Dublin (UCD) with a BSc in Pharmacology and from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) with a PhD in Physiology and Medical Physics. Sean use's a combination of in vivo, behavioral and molecular biology techniques to analyze the changes in the neonatal brain following hypoxic seizures. He is continuing in a similar line of research as a postdoc, focusing on interactions between drugs and seizures in producing long-term outcomes after early life exposure. When he’s not in the lab you will probably either find him wandering around the Lego store, watching cartoons with an Old Fashioned in hand. 

Emily Andre, PhD

Emily is a postdoctoral fellow in the Pharmacology and Physiology department studying synaptic plasticity in Alzheimer's disease under Dr. Daniel Pak. Emily started her postdoc in September 2017 after graduating from the University of Virginia with a PhD in Neuroscience.

Hillary Stires, PhD

Hillary was co-chair of the GUPDA from Spring 2017-Summer2018. She is a T32 postdoctoral fellow in Tumor Biology studying steroid hormone signaling in breast cancer under Dr. Rebecca Riggins.  She started her postdoc in May 2016 after completed her PhD in Endocrinology and Animal Biosciences at Rutgers University. For more information, check out her website!