Each year graduate students and postdocs are elected by their peers to representative positions. Students and postdocs will be selected both from the Molecular and Medical Pharmacology graduate program and the Interdepartmental Program in Biomedical Physics. These representatives play a critical role in enriching graduate student life through recruitment and orientation of new students, participation in Graduate Training Committee meetings, organization of the Pharmacology retreats, coordinating special events and communicating the needs of the graduate students to the Graduate Training Committee and the department chair. They also participate in faculty meetings. Through these activities, the student representatives gain valuable leadership experience, the ability to positively influence the department’s graduate program, and serve as an information conduit between the graduate students and the faculty.
Meet our current representatives:
Moe Ishihara
Moe is a 3rd year graduate student in Dr. Lily Wu’s lab. Originally from Japan, she received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA where she majored in MCDB and minored in Bioinformatics. Her research focuses on the metastatic mechanisms driven by VHL heterogeneity in kidney cancer. Outside of lab, she enjoy playing ultimate frisbee and board games, cooking, and watching dramas!
Allyson Terry
Allyson is a third year graduate student in Dr. Elaine Reed’s lab. She received her bachelors degree from UCSD in Molecular Biology and a minor in Urban Studies and Planning. Between UCSD and UCLA, she worked in the biotech industry developing therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Her current research focuses on the interactions between the innate and adaptive immune systems during ischemia-reperfusion injury in human liver transplant patients. Outside of the lab, she enjoys drinking lattes with fun flavors, taste-testing restaurants for the best ramen in town, and, as an LA native, wearing too many jackets when the temperature is below 70 degrees.
Ashley Kim
Ashley is a third-year MD/PhD student in the lab of Dr. Antoni Ribas, investigating the epigenetic mechanism of interferon-gamma-induced melanoma dedifferentiation. During undergrad, she studied the embryonic development of hematopoietic stem cells under the guidance of Dr. Hanna Mikkola. Ashley’s interests outside of lab include medical technology, Impressionist art, and rockets. During her free time, she enjoys rollerblading.
Alex Lam
Alex is a 3rd year student in Dr. Ting-Ting Wu’s lab. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from UCLA in 2017. After spending no time in industry and without a master’s degree, Alex decided to enter a PhD program with blind enthusiasm. In his attempt to become a double academic Bruin, he joined the Molecular & Medical Pharmacology department, where his research focuses on the development of a vaccine platform for Kaposi Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV). When not in the lab, Alex enjoys cooking, watching movies, and spending time with friends.