About Us

Executive Committee

Yijun Chen, PhD

Co-Chair

Yijun accomplished her Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience at Beijing Normal University in 2022. Her Ph.D. research focused on the plasticity of stroke and pediatric neurosurgery patients, employing multimodal MRI to gain insights into these conditions. Her prior involvement with patients undergoing hemispherotomy sparked an interest in studying atypical brain development. This drive led her to become a postdoc of the Vaidya Lab in the summer of 2023. She is currently dedicated to researching individual differences in transferring acquired knowledge to new contexts within Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) using longitudinal data. Away from serious brain-bending, you'll find Yijun wholeheartedly embracing the art of fencing, enthusiastically exploring others' film analyses, and eagerly plotting her next adventure through American cities.

Sadaf Ghaderzadeh, PhD

Co-Chair

Dr. Sadaf Ghaderzadeh, Ph.D., is an NIH-TL1 post-doctoral fellow with a strong focus on Medical/Human Genetics, epigenetics, regenerative medicine, and translational biomedical science. Her research primarily centers on the epigenetic mechanisms underlying Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD). Dr. Ghaderzadeh explores key areas in medical genetics, including advancements in gene-editing technologies, the roles of non-coding RNAs in gene regulation, precision medicine, and the epigenetics of aging. She also investigates how epigenetic mechanisms influence aging and applies advanced AI models to analyze spatial omics data in Alzheimer’s Disease.

Dr. Ghaderzadeh will serve as the co-chair of the Georgetown University Postdoctoral Association (GUPDA), overseeing its operations, acting as the main point of contact with Georgetown University Administration, assisting with other committee responsibilities, and representing postdocs on the Medical Center Research Committee as the Medical Center Co-Chair.

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.

Manasa Suresh, PhD

Communications & Social Media Committee Co-Chair

Manasa is a postdoctoral fellow at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Dr. Alejandro Villagra's lab. She is also a Georgetown University Alumni, receiving her Masters and Doctoral degrees in Microbiology and Immunology. Her training as a scientist is in the areas of innate immunity, immunotherapy, and inflammation. In her current role, Manasa is exploring the role of macrophages with the lens of aging and is interested in studying the intersection of aging and chronic conditions, including cancer. Manasa is one of the past co-chairs of GUPDA and continues to be an active member. In this committee, she is working towards connecting more postdocs to build a network of support during our training period.

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

hiba douja chehade PhD

community Building Committee Chair

Hiba Douja Chehade was born and raised in Lebanon. She did all of her studies in her home country, then after obtaining her PhD in Neuroscience in 2021, she moved to the USA in 2022 to be a postdoc with the Chu Lab. Her postdoc research focuses on the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, aiming to elucidate the underlying alterations of the neural circuits responsible for motor tasks. Hiba believes in open science, in collaborative work between scientists of all disciplines and more importantly in making scientific knowledge accessible to the public. During her PhD, she participated in several science popularization events and competitions, and one of her goals today is to pursue this approach in her career as a scientist. As a member of the GUPDA board, Hiba hopes to be able to help her postdoc fellow create a fun, convivial and interactive community.

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.

Boram Mok, PhD

Professional Development Committee Co-Chair

Mentors

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.

Past Members of the Executive Committee

Pritha Mukherjee, Phd

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.

Khandaker Jafor Ahmed, PhD

Jafor is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM) within the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He obtained his Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from the Department of Geography, Environment, and Population at the University of Adelaide (UoA), Australia. Jafor's research primarily focuses on comprehending the wide-ranging impacts of disasters or extreme climate events on various aspects of population dynamics, including mortality, migration, and fertility. Alongside his academic pursuits, he finds immense pleasure in connecting with people, forging friendships, and actively engaging in cricket both as a dedicated spectator and a player. During his time as a Ph.D. student at the University of Adelaide, Jafor played a pivotal role as the Postgraduate Representative for his department, contributing significantly to positive transformations within the academic community. Driven by a deep commitment to his position within GUPDA, he strives to foster a supportive and inclusive community, promote professional development, advocate for postdocs' needs, and facilitate collaboration and networking opportunities.

Susree Modepalli, PhD

Susree is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Department of Molecular Oncology, and holds the position of GUPDA co-chair since September 2021. Her research is focused on understanding the underlying mechanisms in bone marrow failure syndromes like congenital dyserythropoietic anemia. She strongly believes that a good combination of resources and opportunities is crucial for success in research and wishes to work towards making these available to the postdocs at Georgetown University through GUPDA. As part of the GUPDA executive committee, she maintains the website and organizes the monthly Happy Hour meetings. Gardening, music and writing are few of her other interests.

Irene Sanchez Brualla, PhD

Irene graduated from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona with a BSc in Biomedical Science. During her PhD, Irene studied the potential of several pharmacological compounds to reduce spasticity and neuropathic pain after a spinal cord injury, by using algesimetry tests, molecular biology and electrophysiological techniques. As a trainee, under the supervision of Dr. Patrick Forcelli and Dr. Stefano Vicini, Irene studies the short- and long-term effect of antiepileptic drugs on hippocampal neurons and circuits, using a combination of electrophysiology, calcium imaging and optogenetics. When she is not in the lab, she is busy exploring DC, writing, doing yoga or drawing.

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.

Deblina Banerjee, PhD

Dr. Deblina Banerjee is a biomedical scientist interested in human genetics and genomics, and passionate about science communication and outreach. As a postdoctoral fellow, her research focuses on pediatric cancer. Currently, as co-chair of GUPDA, she focuses on organizing seminars, workshops and networking events to help postdocs develop skills key to their career transitions. She is also a scientific contributor in Editor's Choice column published by Stempeers, where she talks about the latest discoveries and achievements in diverse scientific areas that include biological sciences as well as AI. In her free time, she nurtures her skills in the culinary world and interior decoration.

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.

Anna Matejko, PhD

Anna is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for the Study of Learning in the Department of Pediatrics. Her research aims to uncover the neural bases of math and reading development in typical and atypical learners. She helped co-found the Georgetown Postdoctoral Association and is passionate about providing career development opportunities to trainees at all levels. She is also a cellist, runner, and a spicy-food enthusiast.

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.

Daphne Guinn, PhD

Daphne was the chair of the Symposium Committee from Summer 2017-Summer 2018. Daphne began her postdoc in Regulatory Science in August 2016 after completing her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at The Ohio State University. She is now a postdoctoral fellow at the FDA.

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!

Alexandra Taraboletti, PhD

Alex is a T32 postdoctoral fellow in Tumor Biology, working under Dr. Albert J. Fornace. She applies collective Omics data to the study of radiation oncology, with a particular interest in the central nervous system. Alex started her postdoc in August 2017 after finishing her PhD in Chemistry. She is an artist and an space nerd. For more information about her science and art check out her website!

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