Career Development Symposium Speakers

Merle Ward is a professional Talent Curator with experience working both sides of the equation. She currently works with UL Research Institutes and helps source, design, and define scientific research teams;  melding talent, technique, and mission into exciting scientific research teams ready to tackle some of our world’s biggest safety, sustainability, and climate challenges. Merle has always worked on the business end of science, and past lives have seen her as the owner of Scientific Connections, an endeavor that helped scientists optimize their career searches, and over 15 years in scientific sales and leadership with Thermo Fisher Scientific. Her chemistry and MBA degrees and tenured experience working with scientists and research organizations has helped position her at the ever-captivating vertices of talent and opportunity.  Merle leads with passion, empowerment, and kind candor. She excels in helping STEM professionals articulate their value and contribution in relevant and meaningful ways and her never ending mantra is Know Your Worth, Own Your Value. She is here today to help us all do just that!

Sandra is a career coach, fractional consultant, and product leader. With over +13yrs of experience, she has worked at the intersection of technology, science, and healthcare. She empowers graduate students, postdocs, and professors to seamlessly transition their careers outside of academia, while honoring their values and creating their own sense of belonging. Drawing from her own successful transition over a decade ago, Sandra offers unique insights into the challenges faced by academics. Sandra is committed to guiding academic professionals towards fulfilling, value-driven careers and pushing for more agile and inclusive practices in R&D.

Dimitra joined Qral Ventures as a General Partner in 2020, and serves as Chief Business Officer (CBO) in select portfolio companies. She is an experienced biotech professional with deep knowledge of personalized medicine projects, therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, and Health IT. She is currently also a member of the Innovation Faculty team for MIT’s LinQ Catalyst program, mentoring and guiding innovators solving health and medical challenges. Dimitra serves on the investment committee of the Aim-Hi Accelerator Fund, and acts as a technical due diligence lead for the Keiretsu Forum Midwest Investments. Dimitra has deep expertise in Tech Transfer with deep connections with the US innovation ecosystem, as she continues to be a mentor for mHUB’s MedTech Accelerator program, a venture mentor for the Polsky COMPASS program and a venture advisor for Northwestern’s N.Xt Fund and FoundHer program. Dimitra is a Director at Large for Women in Bio (WIB), an organization dedicated to promoting careers, leadership, and entrepreneurship of women in the life sciences.

Amanda Christine Maldonado, PhD, is the Innovation Portfolio Manager in the Innovation Program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The Innovation Program at Lurie Children’s serves as a scientific hub and seeks to advance pediatric medicine. Amanda uses her scientific expertise and entrepreneurial skills to stimulate commercialization of therapeutic and diagnostic innovations which stem out of the hospital.

Amanda earned her doctorate in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Illinois, Chicago and holds a BSc and AA in Chemistry [Florida International University and Miami Dade College, respectively]. Prior to Lurie Children’s, Amanda was an Entrepreneurial Fellow with the Chicago Biomedical Consortium, where she has played a pivotal role in the growth of start-up life science companies in Chicagoland. Through comprehensive assessments and diligence, Amanda uses her expertise to understand the value of novel technologies and products with a focus on innovative solutions in their development towards commercialization. Outside of work, her interests include running with her dog Ceviche, rock-climbing and exploring different cultures through travel and food.

Bio coming soon!

Kyle Dolan is Head of Science and Innovation at the British Consulate-General Chicago. He is a senior officer in the UK Science & Innovation Network (SIN), a global cadre of science attachés jointly managed by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). In his role, Kyle facilitates engagements between UK and Midwest US researchers to catalyse collaboration across multiple science and technology areas of strategic importance to the UK. He leads SIN USA’s strategic programmes on batteries and critical minerals, and on agricultural technology and food security. Kyle joined the Consulate in 2016, following graduate and postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago, from which he holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Timothy Duncan received his undergraduate degree in chemistry in 2000 from Haverford College, located just outside of Philadelphia. He attained his Ph.D. in physical/inorganic chemistry in 2006 from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied the photophysical properties of conjugated porphyrin arrays designed for medical diagnostic and optoelectronic applications under Professor Michael J. Therien. He then did a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in the lab of Professor So-Jung Park, during which he built a single-molecule fluorescence imaging system to study the light emission properties of novel quantum-dot based bio-imaging agents and devised a new method to synthesize color-tunable conducting polymers. Since 2009 he has been a research scientist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Division of Food Processing Science and Technology, where he studies the potential exposure to nanomaterials from food packaging and the development of nanotechnology-enabled sensors for food safety. He is also a designated subject matter expert in nanotechnology.

2007-2011  Bachelor’s degree, Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Tel-Aviv University

2011-2014  Master’s degree, Materials Engineering and Nanotechnologies, Tel-Aviv University/Hebrew University

2014-2017  Doctor of Philosophy – PhD, Materials Science and Engineering, Tel-Aviv University/Hebrew University

Interdisciplinary project, both basic science and applied research. Development of novel electrochemical coatings applied under physiological conditions on titanium and other substrates for dental and orthopedic implants. Involves electrochemistry, self assembled monolayers (SAMs), incorporation of drugs, characterization of microstructure and adhesion, bone-forming cell attachment tests, etc.

2017-2020  Postdoctoral fellow, Material Science and Engineering, Northwestern University

Study of nucleation and growth of calcium carbonate in microfluidic systems mimicking in-vivo picoliter environment. Examining polymorph selectivity in the presence of proteins extracted from sea urchins. Added proficiencies include light microscopy techniques, clean-room training and CAD models. A secondary project in cell isolation from embryos (Sea urchin) and RNA/DNA microinjection. Research includes animal care, cell isolation techniques, microinjection of RNA/DNA.

2020 Invention Associate, Innovation and New Ventures (INVO), Temporary

• Managed over 150 inventions
• Evaluated multiple life sciences inventions for patentability, market and commercial readiness (small molecules, devices, cell assays, therapeutics, methods of use, etc.)
• Managed inventor relationships, and learned financial strategy. Formed relationships with inventors and law partners to communicate patent status and limiting conditions
• Drafted strategy response to USPTO communication over pending patents

2020-2021 Senior Project Manager

• Managed over 30 projects with a variety of collaborators in the industry, both US based and international. Created Gantts, reports and held meetings with all stockholders for program updates
• Worked with contracts (NDA and license agreements), as well as IRBs, ITAs, etc.
• Created and kept deliverables for all projects. Managed a multilevel process involving 10 and more individuals
• Managed the company’s IP
• Wrote and manage grant submission
• Managed and tracked inventory, as well as device lifecycle
• Created and implemented work SOPs
• Directly managed 3 individuals for deliverables, and mentored younger individuals

2021-Today Technical Project Manager, Center for Translational Data Science

Technical Project Manager, Center for Translational Data Science, University of Chicago

• Manage the planning and execution of cloud-based open source software that delivers storage, search and analytical tools for a multitude of purposes including creating policy and research
• Responsible for project plans, roadmaps, software requirements, scheduling, and risk management plans
• Collaborate with technical leads to develop and deploy new software features leveraging Agile processes, Jira and SCRUM
• Manage communication with users, clients, sponsors and partnering organizations
• Identify, manage and deploy user based and sponsor based needs that drive Gen3 software development to optimize search, usability and access of data in search engines and cloud workspaces (AWS)

**Jonathan Bisson** is a hacker, musician, and former academic in Pharmacognosy.  Currently, he works as a Software Engineer at [Collaborative Drug Discovery Inc.] (https://collaborativedrug.com/), a company specializing in scientific data management with a focus on drug discovery applications. He co-created [Lotus](https://lotus.nprod.net), one of the largest open Natural Products Database projects, which he continues to develop alongside international collaborations in Natural Products and Ethnobotany. He is also involved in a Natural Language Processing in Ethnomedicine project with the [Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions](https://medicaltraditions.org). Active at [Pumping Station One] (https://pumpingstationone.org/), a Chicago hackerspace, he organizes electronic music meetings, workshops and builds and breaks things. Connect with him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanbisson/) or visit his personal site at [bjonnh.net](https://www.bjonnh.net).

Schnaude joins MATTER as the Venture Acceleration Manager, working closely with startups to support their overall experience. She is responsible for connecting startups to the appropriate resources necessary to gain traction in the market and helps drive startups to success by facilitating connections with MATTER’s network of mentors, investors and corporate partners. Schnaude earned her PhD in neuroscience from Northwestern University in 2022. She began her career outside of academia as a life sciences entrepreneur who leveraged her scientific expertise and strong analytical skills to identify, evaluate and prioritize translational biomedical technologies based on their scientific merit and commercial potential. Prior to MATTER, Schnaude was an Entrepreneurial Fellow with the Chicago Biomedical Consortium where she evaluated 20+ candidate technologies across biomedical platforms from Chicagoland universities for potential commercialization opportunities and worked closely with university faculty to develop, refine and implement non-dilutive awards focused on accelerating the translation of these transformative biomedical technologies. When Schnaude is not advocating for health equity initiatives, she loves to dance, do martial arts and watch anime.

Svetlana Kurilova, PhD is a technology manager at the Office of Technology Management, UIC where she manages diverse portfolio of life science technologies focusing on licensing the university IP and targeted marketing outreach at the major conferences.

Outside of her role at OTM, Svetlana is a member of Women in Bio, the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), and postdoctoral communities (NPA, UIC-PDA and CSA). Becoming a certified life coach during the pandemic, she has been serving and supporting young graduates in their career transitions and professional growth through training, mentorship and coaching.

Kate Golembiewski is a science writer from Chicago. Her work has been published in the New York Times, The Atlantic,  Scientific American, CNN, Discover Magazine, National Geographic Voices, and Atlas Obscura; by day, she works as a science writer at the Field Museum. Kate has her Master’s degree in science writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she studied chemistry,  French, and English as an undergrad at Kalamazoo College in Michigan. Her favorite things to write about are fossils, sea creatures, bugs, and death.

Rob Mitchum joined UIC in April 2023 as director of research and science communications in a joint role with UIC Strategic Marketing and Communications (Storytelling and Content Strategy team) and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. Previously, Rob was associate director of communications for data science and computing at the University of Chicago, where he led communications for the computer science department and Data Science Institute. He also held communications roles at the University of Chicago with the Center for Data and Computing, the Computation Institute and UChicago Medicine. He received his PhD in neurobiology from the University of Chicago in 2007. Rob spent two years as a journalist with the Chicago Tribune, covering science and general assignment topics. He also has written about music for publications including Pitchfork, Uncut, Paste, Esquire, Deadspin and Relix.

Alexandra “Sasha” Prokuda, Ph.D., is the Executive Director at the Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST), a 16-year-old nonprofit that strives to inspire and engage all segments of society about science and technology and their contributions to society. Sasha was born in Siberia and grew up in Kazakhstan before moving to the United States. Prior to studying the evolution of mating systems in graduate school, she did fieldwork and interpreted science for the public all over the US while working with birds, weasels, deer, bears, and Giant Redwoods. Sasha holds a Ph.D. in Evolutionary and Behavioral Biology from the University of California, Riverside and a B.S. in Biology from Pennsylvania State University.

Mohana brings more than a decade of experience across basic, translational and clinical research in the life sciences to her role as Associate Director, Scientific Communications at HDMZ. During her academic research career, Mohana developed novel assays, pipelines, bioinformatic approaches, and authored peer-reviewed publications and grants in genomics, oncology and systems biology. She now draws on her diverse experiences to develop accurate and compelling scientific and medical communications strategies for clients.

Mohana did her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, followed by a postdoc at the University of Chicago. She is board certified in medical affairs by the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs.

Mohana lives in Chicago with her husband and geriatric cat, Putty Tat. Trading pipettes for power tools, she fulfills her love of working with her hands by tackling various DIY interior design projects.

Mitchell Connolly, Ph.D.

Data Bioinformatician, Molecular Genetics

ACL Laboratories

Mitchell Connolly, PhD has worked as a Data Bioinformatician at ACL Laboratories, a central clinical lab supporting Advocate Health hospital system, since January 2023. Prior to ACL, he was a Bioinformatics Scientist with Exicure, Inc. from October 2020-October 2022. While at Exicure, he led the development of sequence-based models to predict potency of oligonucleotide-based drugs and initiated a company program for data governance. He earned his PhD from University of Illinois at Chicago in 2021. For his PhD, he investigated the role DNA bendability played in target-site recognition by DNA-binding proteins. His PhD Advisor was Dr. Anjum Ansari (Dept. of Physics).

Carrie A. Franzen

Principal Scientist

Tempus Labs

I receive my PhD here at UIC, in the Department of Molecular Genetics in Dr. Lester Lau’s laboratory. My thesis project was focused on investigating the ability of the ECM protein, CCN1, to enhance the tumor-killing properties of TRAIL through the engagement of integrin receptors on prostate cancer cells. I did several post-docs, where I was able to gain experience in grant writing, laboratory management, and mentoring experience, in addition to expanding my technical and scientific knowledge of tumor biology. I joined Tempus Labs almost 2 years ago, where I serve as the head of the Biorepository for the Modeling Lab at Tempus Labs. The Modeling Lab is a small group at Tempus that grows tumor organoid models to be used for cancer drug testing. We work with other pharmaceutical companies to test out their drugs in our tumor organoid models. In my current role, I oversee the entire process of the biorepository, from receipt of tumor tissue to biobanking of tumor organoid lines. We have CAP (College of American Pathologists) accreditation, so I am also in charge of ensuring that we follow all of the CAP regulations. I also serve as a manager to the biorepository team.

Dr. Glover completed her BS in zoology at Arizona State University in 2001 and subsequently worked as a research assistant studying nonhuman primate behavior at the Southwest National Primate Research Center in San Antonio, TX. She earned her PhD in Neuroscience in 2012 from Wake Forest University School of Medicine where she investigated the effects of chronic alcohol self-administration on the serotonin system in nonhuman primates under the mentorship of Dr. David Friedman. Following her graduate training, Dr. Glover completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Judson Chandler where she developed interests in alcohol-induced cortical plasticity and the role that aversion plays in the path to dependence. Dr. Glover joined UIC’s Department of Psychiatry and the Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics as an Assistant Professor in 2018. Her research focuses on understanding the neurocircuitry underlying reward and aversion and how it is altered in neuropsychiatric illnesses.

Dr. Shrikant Pandya is a Biomedical Engineer with a special focus on healthcare AI. 
 
While earning his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Shrikant created a tissue identification and image analysis model for microsurgery. With nearly a decade in healthcare data science, Shrikant has bridged the gap between complex AI models and real-world applications. He began working at Ascension Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading hospital systems, where he led landmark projects including AI-assisted medical billing software and a prototype for patient-physician matching. 
 
Currently, he serves as the Head of Product at a rapidly growing, Y Combinator-backed construction industry startup. 
 
Shrikant has collaborated with teams at the UIC Innovation Center, NASA Ames Research Center, and Google Cloud AI. He has contributed to publications in the Journal of Molecular Genetics and IEEE. 
 
Shrikant is currently developing resources aimed at aiding Ph.D. graduates during their career transitions. Whether discussing the nuances of AI for niche industries or inspiring others about the endless possibilities for personal growth, Shrikant aims to instill a boundless optimism in the transformative power of AI and human potential.

Brian Bunker is a Staff Data Scientist at Intelligent Medical Objects (IMO), where he harnesses the techniques of machine learning and large language models to solve problems and create exciting new products using medical language. With a PhD in experimental particle physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana and a master’s in Biomedical Informatics from the University of Chicago, Brian has rooted his expertise in machine learning, natural language processing, and biomedical informatics. Outside of work, he is the proud father to his 16-year-old daughter, practices yoga, and pursues his life-long interest in painting and the visual arts.

Michael Fitzsimons, Ph.D. is a research professional working to support data sharing in advance of science.  He is currently the Director of Research Programs and Business Development at the Center for Translational Data Science at the University of Chicago, which is a research center focused on creating software to enable data sharing of biomedical data.  His responsibilities include managing collaborations, contributing to papers and grant proposals, and generally supporting the Center’s research efforts. 
 
Michael has a history of roles in university research administration (including UIC), academic research, and the biotech industry. He earned his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago and B.S. in Genetics at University of Wisconsin-Madison. His postdoc was in Genome Science at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Elizabeth (Liz) McMath Ph.D. is Senior Director, New Program Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the Chicago Biomedical Consortium where she advises academic researchers on drug discovery and leads the Entrepreneurial Fellows training program.  Prior to joining the CBC, Liz worked at Novartis as Director, Global Search & Evaluation building the deal pipeline for clinical stage gene therapies (formerly at AveXis/Novartis Gene Therapy unit) and most recently in the modality agnostic severe genetic disease space.  She also has deep experience in life science strategy consulting where she developed actionable investment, development, and commercial recommendations for pharma, biotech, med device, and investor clients.  Liz holds a PhD in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin and a BA in biological sciences from Northwestern University.

From the bench to the boardroom and back again – I have built my career interrogating hypotheses and developing objective analyses.  In my early academic career/training I applied this approach to investigating the cellular and molecular underpinnings of mammalian development and disease (primarily focused on lung).  I then moved to professional services and therapeutics industry where I applied the cognitive tools honed in academia to my work: first at a life science focused strategy consulting firm (bioStrategies Group), then to external innovation/search and evaluation at a gene therapy biotech (AveXis) and global pharmaceutical company (Novartis).  Throughout my time in consulting and industry, I spent a significant proportion of time evaluating the scientific, clinical, and commercial merits of assets/programs at varies developmental stages.  I conducted in-depth market research with physicians, payers, patients, and other relevant stakeholders as well as detailed data analyses using numerous industry databases to inform product development and investment prioritization, supporting financial firms (e.g. private equity) and biotech/pharmaceutical companies to make informed decisions.  In my work at the CBC, I leverage my experience and perspective of what financial firms and strategic players (e.g. pharmaceutical companies) are looking for in academic turned start-up assets to guide Academic Innovators to put their best business forward with good science, strong market potential, and actionable, investable development milestones.

Dr. Schalk is cofounder and Chief Operations Officer at Enzyme by Design and Research Assistant Professor at University of Illinois at Chicago. She completed her BS in Biochemistry at Eastern Michigan University and her Master’s and PhD at the International Max Planck Research School for Molecular Biology in Goettingen, Germany. Her postdoc at Dr. Lavie’s lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago focused on developing protein anti-cancer therapeutics using structural biology. She worked 2 years off the bench as a virtual lab manager at Happilabs supporting small biotechs across the country. In 2017, her team from UIC spun out their safer cancer therapeutics technology into the startup Enzyme by Design where is PI on multiple NIH SBIR grants and is enjoying the constant rollercoaster adventure of entrepreneurship.

Afrida Rahman-Enyart is a Scientific Liaison and Product Manager for Proteintech. She is a neurodevelopmental biologist by training and completed dual PhDs in Neuroscience and Psychology from Indiana University-Bloomington in 2019. Afterwards, she did a postdoc at Northwestern University studying the neuromechanisms of pelvic pain. In 2022, Afrida decided that she wanted to switch from academia to industry and enjoys sharing her experiences and tips with others looking to do the same.

Dr. Melanie R. McReynolds is an Assistant Professor and HHMI Hanna H. Gray Faculty Fellow at the Pennsylvania State University, where her research focuses on the intersection of metabolic decline and aging. Melanie holds a B.S. degree in Chemistry and Physics from Alcorn State University. She participated in the NIH funded Alcorn State to Penn State Bridges to the Doctorate Program where she obtained her M.S. degree in Biological Sciences. Dr. McReynolds completed her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Biology at the Pennsylvania State University. Melanie was recognized as a Rising Star on the CellPress list of Top 100 Inspiring Black Scientists in America during her postdoctoral tenure at Princeton University and aims to inspire the next generation of scientists to trust that all things will work together. Melanie is currently establishing her independent research group, where her lab will shed light on metabolic aging and disease. She returned to Penn State as the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Bio coming soon!

Dr. Kotamarthi has nearly 30 years of experience in climate research. He is Principal Investigator for projects ranging from climate modeling to wind energy for the Department of Energy. He has led a team of scientists in developing climate projections suitable for addressing climate impacts, resilience and adaptation challenges at local and regional scales and its application to utilities serving power and telecommunications industries among others. He authored a book published recently titled “Downscaling Techniques for High-Resolution Climate Projections – From Global Change to Local Impacts”, published by Cambridge University Press, UK.

Dr. Lara Leoni received her PhD in BioEngineering from UIC, after which she worked as a postdoc first at UIC and then at the University of Chicago. Both as graduate student and postdoc she became familiar with many of the Core Facilities at both institutions and used many of the services.  At UChicago, her research focused mostly on imaging of isolated and transplanted pancreatic islets as well as on biomarkers of pancreatic beta cell function in health and disease. These studies required use of multiple imaging modalities including MRI and  Optical Imaging.

Dr. Leoni joined the Integrated Small Animal Imaging Research Resource at the University of Chicago first as Biomedical Director of the Optical Imaging facility, and later as the overall Technical Director of the Core. iSAIRR currently serves about 45 PIs and offers in-vitro and in-vivo imaging services using multiple imaging modalities including MRI, microPET, microSPECT, microCT, ultrasound, optical imaging, and autoradiography. As Technical Director, Dr. Leoni oversees all operations and is also actively involved in many research projects.

Dr. Sarah O’Brien is Director of Research Development. Prior to joining UIC in 2017, Sarah was Associate Director of Research Program Development in the Office of the Vice President for Research at University of Chicago and Assistant Environmental Microbiologist at Argonne National Laboratory. She has presented original research at national and international conferences, published findings in peer-reviewed journals, and received major research grants from the Department of Energy. Sarah has served on peer review panels for the Department of Energy, US Department of Agriculture, NASA, and the National Science Foundation.

Sarah facilitates research and scholarship across campus by developing teams and projects that align with federal and foundation funding priorities. She also manages campus seed funding competitions, limited submission opportunities, and serves on the Chancellor’s Committee on Sustainability and Energy.

Sarah earned her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a minor in Professional Writing from Bradley University and her PhD. in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Ecosystem Ecology from UIC.

Dr. Ming Wu obtained his PhD from the Tsinghua University, Beijing, in 2003 and completed his Post-Doc training at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Northwestern University, from 2003-2006.  Since then, he is a Research Scientist at the SRAlab, and a research faculty member of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Northwestern University.  In 2018, he joined the University of Illinois at Chicago as a faculty member of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and he still holds his position as a Research Scientist at the SRAlab and is conducting his research at the SRAlab.  He is the Director of the Laboratory of Engineering for Gait Science (LEGS) at the SRAlab.  His research interests focus on the development of new robotic technologies for improving walking function and balance of patients post stroke, spinal cord injury, and children with cerebral palsy.

Ana Moraes was born and raised in Brazil, where she earned her BS, MS and PhD degrees in Chemistry from the University of Campinas. During her PhD, she conducted studies on the chemical synthesis of graphene derivatives and functional composites for biomedical applications. Her passion for science and intercultural learning brought her to the US, and she completed a Postdoc in the Materials Science and Engineering department at Northwestern University. Her research at NU was focused on the development of 2D nanomaterial inks and composites for energy storage devices and printable electronics. Ana transitioned into industry in the beginning of 2022, and she now works as a Principal Chemistry in the Pulp & Paper RDE at Nalco Water/Ecolab, developing innovative, sustainable solutions for packaging boxboard technologies.

I am a Fermilab Associate Scientist working on experimental Dark Matter searches and neutrino detection. During the last four years, I’ve dedicated most of my efforts to the SENSEI experiment, a direct Dark Matter search using the novel Skipper-CCD sensors that I helped to develop. I was the principal investigator in the project that produced the first working instrument using this technology in 2016. This prototype system was able, for the first time, to unambiguously and reliably detect single electrons over millions of pixels reaching the theoretical limit of silicon sensors. This technological breakthrough had immediate applications for a wide range of scientific disciplines, from biological imaging to fundamental physics.

I’m originally from Argentina and studied at the University of Buenos Aires where I got my Ph.D. degree in physics working on the Pierre Auger Collaboration, the world’s largest cosmic-ray observatory. In 2012 I left the cosmic-ray community and moved to the US as a Fermilab postdoc looking for a new project. At Fermilab, I learned how CCD sensors (typically used in digital cameras) could be used as particle detectors. I got immediately hooked with the idea and I haven’t stopped working on them since.

Ivelisse Cajigas is a Research and Development Scientist at Abbott Laboratories. In her current role, she utilizes her molecular biology expertise to develop and optimize new products. Dr Cajigas obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, before continuing postgraduate studies at Northwestern University. After obtaining a PhD degree in the Biological Sciences, she completed postdoctoral training at the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, where she  published various scientific manuscripts on the epigenetic regulation of developmental gene expression by a non-coding RNA. In 2017, Dr Cajigas was promoted to Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern University. After three years in the role, she decided to make the transition from academic research to research in the pharmaceutical industry.

Adam earned his PhD in Animal Sciences from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, studying reproductive physiology and toxicology. His dissertation work involves investigating the dynamic role of gene CD147 in implantation using a transgenic mouse model and studying the effects of long-term exposure to environmental toxicant phthalate, an endocrine disrupting chemical, on female reproduction.  
 
After graduating, Adam joined Dr. Joanna Burdette’s lab in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UIC for a postdoc. During his two-year postdoc, he studied high-grade serous ovarian cancer, specifically the role of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles in cellular communication, immune response and cancer pathogenesis using a novel microfluidic device. He also investigated several progesterone-like compounds derived from plants and their roles in female health using in vitro and in vivo models.  
 
In his leisure time, Adam enjoys photography, hiking with his dog and all types of board/card games.

Dr. Jackee Sanchez is a first-generation college graduate and terminal degree holder – she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Mount Saint Mary’s University (MSMU, Los Angeles) and Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan (U-M, Ann Arbor). 
 
While at MSMU, Jackee was selected to participate in a National Science Foundation (NSF) summer research program at Northeastern University in Boston. Following graduation from MSMU, Jackee started graduate studies at U-M in Ann Arbor, MI. She was a two-time National Institutes of Health (NIH) training grant award recipient which funded her dissertation work studying in vitro and in vivo approaches to overcome drug resistance in BRAF-mutant melanoma utilizing novel small-molecule inhibitors of the molecular chaperone complex HSP90. Later in her graduate studies, Jackee worked with a non-profit consulting firm, miLEAD Consulting, where she held positions as a consultant, project manager and board member. Here, she gained invaluable soft and transferable skills that provided her with ample professional and personal development. After defending her thesis, Jackee started her professional career as Medical Science Liaison (MSL) at AstraZeneca where she currently provides scientific support for the thoracic oncology portfolio in the IL/WI territory. 
 
Although currently Chicago-based, Jackee is a Southern California native. She has a dog named Luna and enjoys finding new restaurants in the Chicagoland area to try out. If she’s not out trying new bites and beverages around town, she is likely spending time with her dog Luna or planning her next travel destination.

Pam Schilling’s quilt of experience includes: Female start-up founder, EdTech CEO, multi-time career changer, educator, mentor, and mom to 8-year-old twins. These roles and perspectives shape how she leads her team and culture, serve customers and clients, and manage the fulfilling and challenges aspects of family.

Pam is a globally recognized tech-leader and career thought leader. She is the CEO and Co-Founder of Archer Career, an EdTech start-up. The Archer Career’s software platform is the all-in-one toolkit for career advancement. It delivers organized, small steps, engaging content, and the best and most current job search and career insights. All at your fingertips, through the Archer mobile app. The company’s mission is to power careers and give individuals everywhere access to the best career guidance and bring confidence to achieve career goals.

Pam’s career includes technology, strategy consulting, and education. She hired and coached students and professionals for 20+ years. Archer Career’s work over the past decade includes: 12,000 workshop attendees, 1,000 individual clients, and 25 academic and corporate organizations, across the globe. Pam worked for Chicago Booth, Strategy&, Here Technologies, and T-Mobile (when it was Sprint). Her doctoral dissertation focused on tailoring resumes to align to organizational lifestage. Archer Career was selected to Amazon’s AWS EdTech Accelerator.

Pam is a Human Capitalist – she and her team believe that people are a critical priority to making things happen, in organizations and in the world around us, to advance economic prosperity and humanity. She is based in Chicago with her family. Travel, reading, photography, and cooking are among her favorite things. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Pam built a Zen garden in her backyard and is currently working on her first book (title still in the works…but will focus on resumes)!

A chemist by training, Jim remains active in the pharmaceutical industry with a variety of professional roles. He is currently founder and president of Audia Consulting, LLC, through which he supports Karuna Therapeutics as a senior advisor, Third Rock Ventures as an entrepreneur-in-residence, Faze Medicines as a scientific advisor and the Tau Consortium of the Rainwater Charitable Foundation as a scientific advisor. Additionally, Jim has recently joined Flare Therapeutics, a company which he helped to found, as a distinguished scientist. Jim serves on the board of directors for Ribon Therapeutics, where he also chairs their SAB, and for Enzyme by Design. Until recently, he had served as an independent board director and R&D committee chair for Constellation Pharmaceuticals, recently acquired by Morphosys Therapeutics. Jim began his career in industry at Eli Lilly & Company where he spent 23 years, retiring in 2010 as a distinguished Lilly scholar. During his Lilly career Jim’s lab produced 14 small molecule development candidates, many advancing to late-stage clinical development and leading to lasmitidan, a serotonin 1F receptor agonist approved in 2019 for migraine. In 2011 he joined Constellation as chief scientific officer, helping to translate their foundational science into 4 additional small molecule development candidates, including palabrosib, a BET bromodomain inhibitor currently in Phase 3 for myelofibrosis. These clinical assets, as well as a robust discovery pipeline, were key drivers in the recent $1.7 billion acquisition. In 2017 Jim moved to Chicago to serve as the executive director of the Chicago Biomedical Consortium, stepping down in October 2019. He remains a visiting scholar at Northwestern University and holds an adjunct appointment in medicinal chemistry at UIC. Jim is married to Laura Bloem and together they have 2 adult children, Cydny and Bryan.

Dr. Antentor Hinton, Jr. is a tenure track Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics in Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences at Vanderbilt University and member of the Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center. Dr. Hinton’s United Negro College Fund/Bristol Myers Squibs Funded Project, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF)’s Career Awards at the Scientific Interface (CASI), and NIH funded SRP Project aim to elucidate insulin-mediated molecular mechanisms that regulate cristae dynamics and elucidate molecular mechanisms that regulate molecule transfer and morphology changes between the mitochondria, and the endoplasmic reticulum can alter during a pathophysiological state, such as Diabetes or Cardiovascular Disease.

Dr. Hinton is a former Burroughs Wellcome Fund Postdoctoral Enrichment Scholar, EE Just Postgraduate Fellow in Life Sciences, and Ford Foundation Fellow at the University of Iowa in the Department of Internal Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology. During his time as a postdoctoral fellow, Hinton began to collaborate with UI Health Care’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on medical campus outreach initiatives. He and the team, led by Associate Dean Dr. Denise Martinez, discussed the need to further emphasize career development for students. They also recognized the need to increase the diversity of their college’s student population. Hinton sought to help address that deficit by becoming a recruiter for the academic medical center, graduate college, and the NIH funded post- baccalaureate program, PREP. Martinez and Abel also worked together to name him an Academic and Career Development Instructor on the diversity team. During this time, Dr. Hinton, with encouragement of the diversity office, created the 100 inspiring Black Scientists List, 100 more inspiring Black Scientists List, and in collaboration with the Community of Scholars, they curated the 1000 Black Scientists List. Dr. Hinton also did a follow up post discussing the purpose of the 1000 Black Scientists through an addendum list. From all these efforts around diversity, Hinton was recognized by Forbes Magazines as one of the 100 Black Culture Makers and Thought- Leaders. This honor was also featured in the 2020 Inaugural Year of the Digital Book Celebrating 100 Black Culture Makers and Thought-Leaders.

Dr. Hinton graduated from the Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. Program (IMBS) at Baylor College of Medicine in 2016, the NIH SMART Post Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at Baylor College of Medicine in 2010, and Winston-Salem State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Minor in Chemistry.

Dr Chen received his BSc and MSc degrees in China, in 2002 he was awarded a PhD degree in Oklahoma State University. Dr Chen started his research in Department of Medicine at UIC since 2010. Dr Chen was promoted to Director of Cardiovascular Research Core in Research Resources Center at UIC in 2016 and Research Associate Professor in Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep & Allergy in the department of Medicine, UIC in 2017. Dr Chen has published around 70 peer-reviewed publications, and trained around 40 students, research staff, and postdoctoral fellows.

As Director of the RRC Cardiovascular Research Core at UIC, his team provides expert assistance in the development of protocols, training stuff, and performing studies using established rodent models of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal vascular disease using state-of-the-art equipment and advanced methodologies. They also provide phenotyping services for rodent lung function examination, pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, myocardial infarction and other vascular disease-related studies and now conducting plethysmography analysis of mouse lung function.

Jesse Cushman received his undergraduate degree in Neurobiology from the University of Florida and PhD from the University of California Los Angeles. He conducted his graduate work in the lab of Dr. Michael Fanselow where he studied hippocampus-dependentlearning memory using behavioral assays in transgenic mice. He did a post-doc in the lab of Dr. Mayank Mehta, where he focused on in vivo electrophysiological recordings of hippocampal neurons in rats as they navigated virtual reality. From there he became the Director of the Behavioral Testing Core at UCLA for three years before making the move to his current position as Director of the Neurobehavioral Core at the National Institute of Environmental Health Science in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr Hernandez received a DVM degree from the University of Uruguay, a MSc from the University of Santa Maria, Brazil, and a Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2001. Dr Hernandez started working in the Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center as a postdoctoral student in 2001, was promoted to Assistant Director of the DNA Services Laboratory in 2005 and to Director in 2008. The DNA Services laboratory offers state-of-the-art equipment and know-how to our faculty and external private and academic collaborators.

Dr. Sandi has nearly two decades of experience in the national laboratory complex. Her research interests include nuclear forensics, nanoscale engineering and materials for energy storage. Sandi came to Argonne in 2020 from Rush University Medical College where she was the Director of the Office of Rush Mentoring Programs from 2013 to 2020, supporting the successful transition of junior faculty to independent investigators. She also was associate professor in the Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity at Rush University Medical College. Prior to her time at Rush, Sandi served as Argonne’s Women in Science and Engineering Program Initiator in 2012. In that capacity, she provided support for the success of women in science and pushed for gender equity. From 2007 to 2011, Sandi served as the Argonne Postdoctoral Programs Coordinator in the Division of Educational Affairs and received the UChicago Argonne, LLC, Board of Governors Pinnacle of Education Award for contributions and leadership in establishing and managing Argonne’s postdoctoral program. Sandi first joined Argonne as a postdoctoral fellow in 1994 where she conducted fundamental research in the areas of energy storage, materials for hydrogen storage, electrocatalytic membranes, nuclear forensics, sensor development and nanoscale engineering. She was also an adjunct professor in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Dr. Sandi is the recipient of the 2004 Luminary Award for Excellence in Science, Engineering, and Leadership (granted by the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference) and the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award in Education, Great Minds in STEM. She is also the recipient of the 2019 organizational leadership award granted by the Group of Women in Medicine in Science of the American Association of Medical Colleges. Dr. Sandi holds a PhD in chemistry from Northern Illinois University and has 89 scientific publications, seven book chapters and three U.S. patents.

Dr. Brian Haldeman works as a Field Application Scientist at Cytiva providing support for Imagers and Electrophoresis equipment. Dr. Haldeman provides demos, technical seminars, and post-sales support to customers. Prior to joining Cytiva, Dr. Haldeman worked as a Field Application Scientist at GE Healthcare. He earned his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Nevada-Reno.

Shyama Majumdar, PhD, MBA, is part of the Science Ventures group within Polsky Science and Technology where she serves as a science ventures lead. Shyama works with faculty, staff and students to facilitate the creation of science and technology-based ventures developed by innovators at the University. While she has a focus on life sciences due to her scientific background, she is passionate about technology startups in general.

Prior to joining the Polsky Center, Shyama was a research assistant professor at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) where she conducted Prostate cancer research. While at UIC she also worked as program coordinator at IllinoisVENTURES where she oversaw the running of the proof-of-concept fund that funds early stage technologies developed at the university. Prior to this Shyama worked as a consulting program manager at EnterpriseWorks where she helped develop and manage their accelerator program.

Shyama earned a PhD and an MBA from the University of Delaware and conducted her postdoctoral research cancer biology at Harvard Medical School and University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr. Ryba works a Scientist at Myokardia focused on dicovering new drugs to treat heart disease. Prior to joining Myokardia Dr. Ryba worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania styding transcriptional control of cardiac metabolism. Dr Ryba earned his Ph.D. in Physiology and Biophysics with a concentration in cardiovascular research from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Eric partners with Northwestern faculty to transform innovative ideas for new therapeutics into drugs through Lakeside Discovery, a collaboration between Northwestern University and Deerfield Management. He is passionate about connecting faculty with resources and expertise required to move projects from the lab toward a new drug application to the FDA. Eric previously served as the inaugural Entrepreneurial Fellow at the Chicago Biomedical Consortium progressing drug discovery projects within Lakeside Discovery and the broader Chicago research community at stages from target identification to lead optimization. Prior, he served as a Technical Associate for a family office making investments in the life sciences, and co-founded a startup in the cell therapy space. Eric is a lead author or inventor on publications and patent applications for small-molecule approaches to novel targets in cystic fibrosis and pancreatic cancer. He has a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology and a B.S. in Biology from George Mason University.

Minsu received his bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his Ph. D. in Anatomy and Cell Biology from University of Illinois at Chicago. After receiving his Ph. D., Minsu started his career in the pharmaceutical industry as a Clinical Scientist supporting clinical trials and external engagement. Minsu currently works as a Senior Medical Science Liaison providing medical education to healthcare providers and gathering expert insights in neurology.

After performing interdisciplinary, preclinical research in the neurosciences at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctorate level, Kris transitioned to the field of medical communications 1.5 years ago. He has had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects in that time, ranging from publication planning to competitive intelligence, and is happy to speak to his experiences at all stages of his career.

Ana Vicente-Sanchez, Ph.D. is a medical writer at PrecisionValue, where she helps pharmaceutical and medical device companies across the country to improve patient’s care by preparing FDA-compliant promotional materials for a range of audiences, including health care providers and payers. Her areas of medical writing expertise include oncology, neurosciences, cardiology, nephrology, endocrinology, and inflammation.

Ana received her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid, and worked as a postdoctoral scientist in Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Chicago leading projects focused on the therapeutic management of pain in urinary tract infections and the molecular pharmacology of opioid drugs. During her time in academia, she developed her scientific writing and project management skills, and authored 13 scientific publications, and 10 poster and oral communications for specialized and general audiences.

Ana is a member of the Orange County Regulatory Affairs Discussion Group (OCRA), and has played an active role in the boards of the Northwestern Postdoctoral Association and CHIentist, a non-profit organization aimed at providing networking opportunities for life sciences professionals.

Natasha has a biological sciences background with a BS in general biology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a PhD in neurobiology from University of Chicago. She is passionate about science communication and outreach. Organizations she has worked or volunteered for include: The Museum of Science and Industry, Medscape, Illinois Science Council, and Wonder & Skepticism. Currently, she works at SB Pharma Solutions as a medical writer assisting clients. She is part of a team that produces deliverables such as standard response letters for healthcare professionals and AMCP dossiers. In Natasha’s spare time, she loves listening to music, playing video games, and watching anime. I don’t “dumb down” science. I distill it!

Jim Sullivan, Ph.D., is a Venture Partner with Orbimed and the CEO of two start-up companies focused on the development of novel therapeutic agents for neurological conditions including Parkinson’s disease.  Previously, he was the Vice President of Research at Abbvie  where he was responsible for AbbVie’s research efforts in a variety of therapeutic/disease areas including oncology, immunology, neurology, hepatitis C and cystic fibrosis. Jim has advanced more than 100 compounds into clinical development across a number of disease states and technology platforms. These include products on the market for HCV (Mavyret and Viekira), the-first-in- class Bcl2 selective inhibitor, Venclexta for hematological cancers, a new oral agent for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, RINVOQ, and multiple compounds currently in Phase II or III clinical trials.  He has authored/co-authored more than 130 scientific publications and is an inventor on 11 patents. Jim is an adjunct faculty member at Northwestern University and serves on the board of a number of companies and foundations including Regis Technologies, Genomics Medicine Ireland, Genuity Science, MATTER Healthcare Incubator, Chicago Biotechnology Accelerator and the Pistoia Alliance.  He earned his bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in biochemistry from Trinity College Dublin and conducted post-doctoral research in neurobiology at Northwestern University.