Posts classified under: Alumni

“(she/her) I grew up in Long Beach, then went to San Diego State for my undergrad in biology and neuroscience.  After I graduated, I moved to Albuquerque New Mexico to pursue my PhD in biomedical sciences at the University of New Mexico.

I earned my PhD in Dr. Russell Morton’s lab at UNM studying mild traumatic brain injuries and spreading depolarizations. My dissertation work focused on the acute behavioral deficits observed after mild traumatic brain injuries and the role that spreading depolarizations play in these signs of injury. During my graduate studies, I found passion for academic leadership, service, student advocacy, mentoring, and teaching.

I am now a postdoc in Dr. Tiffany Greco’s lab in the Neurosurgery Department at UCLA. Here, I will be researching the mechanisms at play in female specific traumatic brain injuries. I am excited to be joining the IRACDA group to better prepare myself for a future career in university teaching.”

As a child, I moved frequently and attended five high schools throughout Arizona and Illinois. After high school, I obtained a cosmetology license and worked as a hair stylist in Arizona and California. I began attending Los Angeles City College while working full time and completed the necessary courses to transfer to UCLA. At UCLA, I received my Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Master of Science in Geochemistry, and Ph.D. in Geochemistry. While at UCLA, I have received awards for research and teaching including the Cota-Robles Fellowship, Office of the President’s Dissertation Year Fellowship, and an Excellence in Teaching Award. My doctoral thesis focused on the ultra-low abundance molecules of carbonate (CO₃) that contain at least two heavy isotopes. I used the abundance of these ultra-rare molecules for paleoclimate reconstructions, to understand how carbonate minerals transform from amorphous phases into crystals, and to examine kinetic isotope effects caused by CO₂ hydration and hydroxylation. As an IRACDA Fellow, I will continue to use cutting-edge applications of this method by examining the effects of increasing CO₂ concentrations on coral skeletons, geologic sites of interest for permanent storage of CO₂, and the potential to use speleothems for temperature reconstructions.

My long-term career goals include continuing to push the limits of mass spectrometry in multi-isotope systems. I hope to obtain a faculty position that allows me to provide research mentorship to budding scientists from diverse backgrounds.

I was born in Japan but I grew up in Singapore and India, finishing high school in New Delhi before coming to the US for my bachelor’s degree. I completed my Sc.B in Neuroscience at Brown University, and received my PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. My doctoral research was conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Ehud Isacoff, and focused on uncovering the mechanisms that govern synaptic release and homeostatic plasticity using the glutamatergic Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction. At UCLA I will conduct research in the laboratory of Dr. Stephanie Correa, and my main questions will center on the interplay between corticosteroids and gonadal hormones (estrogen, progesterone) in regulating neural function in the hypothalamus and associated areas. I will examine how large-scale changes in metabolism are affected by manipulations of these hormones and delineate the hormone-sensitive circuits responsible.
I am a South Asian, disabled, trans woman of color and my overarching academic goals are aligned firmly with my marginalized identities. As a trans woman of color I am concerned with the ongoing increase of anti-trans sentiment and legislation that weaponizes incorrect principles and interpretations of biology. I want to work within my academic capacity to bring new perspectives to the field of neuroendocrinology that are not just trans-inclusive but rigorize the field by incorporating a trans perspective. My goals to achieve this are two-fold: First, to conduct research on gonadal steroids and corticosteroids and examine how neural function is precisely modulated by said hormones in a sex-category independent manner, and second, to rigorize how neuroendocrinology is taught by incorporating a sex variable based framework.  I am particularly focused on improving the quality of life of trans people of color, and center my work within academia for them. I am excited to be a part of the IRACDA program and am looking forward to honing both my pedagogical and research skills with a community of incredible scholars.

I was born and raised in the housing projects of East LA. I attended public schools in Downtown LA and Sunland-Tujunga and was accepted into UC Davis with the hopes of becoming a veterinarian as an Animal Science major. That was until my 2^nd year, in which I was encouraged to join Dr. Michael R. Miller’s lab and learned to use bioinformatics to build a genetic map for rainbow trout. I then went on to pursue a Ph.D. in Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Harvard University and was trained in Dr. Alex Soukas’ lab where we used genetic approaches in C. elegans to study the mechanistic underpinnings of aging and aging-related diseases. My Ph.D. project focused generally on understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-aging effects of metformin (a highly prescribed anti-diabetic medication for T2D patients). My thesis project focused on the discovery and characterization of a novel set of molecular effectors involved in metformin’s prolongevity effects. Following genetic screening in C. elegans, I discovered that genes involved in ether lipid biosynthesis operate downstream of metformin to extend lifespan in C. elegans. Through subsequent genetic, imaging, biochemical, and lipidomic analyses, I have demonstrated that ether lipids serve as a lynchpin not only for metformin lifespan extension, but also multiple prolongevity paradigms related to dietary restriction, TOR inhibition, and reduction of mitochondrial function. At UCLA, I am now working in Dr. Claudio Villanueva’s lab to broaden my genetics skillset using tissue culture and mice to 1) understand the mechanistic link between translation and adipocyte tissue metabolism and 2) investigate the genetic mechanism underlying the hepatic molecular response to adipose tissue lipolysis. The advice and support I received from my past mentors were pivotal in my journey to understanding scientific research and using genetics as a tool to understand biological processes. Thus, I have a firsthand understanding of how extremely critical college-level mentors can be in advising future scientists, especially for first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students, like myself, and hope to be an inspiring mentor for diverse, future generations of STEM professionals.