SACNAS Alumni
SACNAS Alumni
Growing up, children incessantly ask, “why?”. Instead of growing up, Deirdre decided to pursue a career where no one ever gets tired of that question. Her science journey began at Idaho State University, where she earned her B.S. in Biochemistry, and continues here at the University of Utah where she pursues her Ph.D. in Biochemistry with the Shen lab. In the Shen lab she uses cryo-EM to understand how Cdc48, a critical component of protein homeostasis, is regulated by its binding partner Otu1. When she hangs up the lab coat for the day she can also be found drawing, cooking, reading, or craving her grandma’s Navajo tacos.
I was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa and moved to the United States, 2017 to pursue higher education at William Paterson University, New Jersey, following my graduation from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. In 2020, I joined the Bioscience Ph.D. program and recently transitioned into the Oncological Science department - specifically Snyder's Lab. Outside of the lab, I like to crack dry jokes, talk with friends, bake, watch movies, listen to music, and occasionally hike (a new hobby). SACNAS is a great community and I look forward to serving the community in whatever way possible.
Jesse is originally from Mexico, he earned his B.S. degree in biology at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 2018. He jointed Ducker Lab and currently studies amino acid metabolism by performing mass spectrometry and CRISPR/Cas9 genetic engineering to understand the fundamental metabolic processes underlying the cellular disease physiology that lead to cancer and diabetes. Outside lab, Jesse loves to travel around the world and get out of his comfort zone. In Utah, he enjoys the outdoors: going hiking, biking, running, and chasing those amazing sunsets to photograph.
Paola received her B.S. in Microbiology from Universidad Ana G. Mendéz (UAGM), Carolina Campus where she was a Pfizer honor scholar in 2021. In 2019, she took part in a research fellowship with the University of Utah Department of Infectious Disease in Dr. Anne Blaschke’s lab studying complicated pneumonia in children. In 2020, she received a fellowship to work with Dr. Juan Gonzalez at UAGM studying nanoparticle properties to develop more efficient peacemakers. Now in Dr. Leung’s lab she will work in global health directed cholera prediction modeling, as well as potentially in aspects of gut immunology. In her spare time, she enjoys being in the outdoors, open water diving, cooking and spending time with her mother.
Taylor was born and raised in Southern Virginia and grew up playing basketball year-round ever since she was 8 years old. After getting a full ride to Queens University of Charlotte to play basketball at the division II level, she received her bachelors of science in chemistry. Although Taylor is a native east coaster, it was never her vibe. Her mother was born and raised in the PNW as a Nez Perce/ Oglala Lakota Sioux woman and has influenced Taylor to experience and appreciate the western side of the US. Taylor loves to visit her family in the PNW and laugh, tell stories, go boating, and spend quality time with her extended family. She moved to Salt Lake City in June of 2022, after being a part of the NARI program in the summer of 2021 that made her realize how much she enjoys research and Utah (very surprising to her family and friends). Taylor is the black sheep of both sides of her family being vegetarian, a scientist, and recently getting into mountain biking / rock climbing (always getting injured but enthusiastic for the next time). She is currently applying to PhD programs interested in ethnobotany, TEK, and Indigenous Knowledge.
SACNAS President
Cindy Barba is from Murrieta, California and she moved to Utah to pursue her Ph.D in Cancer immunology. Her favorite things about Utah are the work/life balance and the expectation that students have hobbies outside of the lab. Cindy hopes to become a professor and focus on teaching after she completes her degree. After work, Cindy enjoys hand lettering and painting.
I received my BS in biology from Grambling State University in Louisiana and moved to Utah in 2015 to pursue my PhD at the University of Utah. Currently, I am a postdoctoral research fellow in the Welm lab, working on understanding how patient tumors evolve in response to therapy in patient-derived models of breast cancer. Outside of the lab I enjoy traveling, all things science-fiction, and spectacular sunsets.
SACNAS Outreach
While I am originally from San Diego, California, I attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale where I obtained a B.S. in Microbiology. In my undergraduate I discovered my passion for research and when it came time to apply for graduate school, the University of Utah was an easy decision. I joined the Molecular Biology Ph.D. program here at the U due to the focus placed on collaboration and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, which allows me to explore the beautiful mountains we live next door to.
Beyond exploring the great outdoors, I am also discovering the fascinating microbial world around us in Jessica Brown’s lab where we studyCryptococcus neoformans. C. neoformans is a fungal pathogen found ubiquitously throughout nature that primarily causes diseases in immunocompromised individuals. Within the lab my focus is on exopolysaccharide regulation and how C. neoformansis able to disseminate to multiple organs throughout the body.
Former SACNAS Position(s): President
Current Position: Graduate Student, University of Utah
Kali is a master in transcriptional regulation of the MAPK pathway with a focus on delayed-early response genes. Kali is an avid puzzler and reader. Outside of the lab, you will find her enjoying the mountains, canyons, or deserts lands of the Paiute, Ute, Shoshone, and Dine peoples.
Former Position(s): Secretary
Current Position: Research Scientist at Huntsman Cancer Institute
Born and raised in Armenia, I came to Utah in 2012 to pursue my bachelor’s degree in biology. Shortly after completing my degree, I started my PhD program studying cancer immunology in Ryan O’Connell’s lab at the University of Utah. In 2023, I joined Alana Welm’s lab to study the role of Natural Killer immune cells in regulating metastatic breast cancer growth using patient derived xenograft models. My research is part of a clinical trial that focuses on advancing the field of immunotherapies and personalized precision medicine for patients with breast cancer. Outside the lab, I love spending time with my family and friends, and enjoy cooking, traveling, and going for long walks.
Emily Innis, PhD, is the BREO Program Manager in the training grants team of the SVPHS Research Unit, where she oversees the Intermountain Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (IM-PREP), a training program to prepare trainees from underrepresented groups in STEM for doctoral research programs. She also provides post-award management of institutional training programs. Emily received her MS in Clinical Investigation and PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Utah and joined the SVPHS Research Unit, after a short postdoctoral fellowship, to pursue her passion to increase the accessibility of higher education.
SACNAS Communications; Historian
Shubham is originally from India where he completed his undergrad in Genetic Engineering. He moved to Boston in 2017 where he was a Research Intern at Harvard Medical School and then came to Utah to get his Ph.D. in 2018. He joined the Deans Lab where he studies the innervation of Type II spiral ganglion neurons in the mice cochlea. When not in the lab, he enjoys both outdoor and indoor activities such as basketball, hiking, camping, chess, and he is a huge movie buff. Being gregarious in nature, he enjoys talking to people and sharing experiences and being involved in SACNAS provides him with the same.
SACNAS Secretary
Ariadne ("Ari") Penalva is originally from Mexico, and moved to the US to pursue a high school degree in Phillips Exeter Academy in Boston and later an undergraduate degree in both Biochemistry and Psychology at Cornell College, Iowa. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D in Neuroscience in Adam Douglass's lab, where she is exploring the relationship between neural circuits and behavior using a novel fish species. Outside the lab she enjoys hiking, musicals, terrible movies, D&D, and making new podcasts.
Former SACNAS Position(s): Treasurer
Current Position: Graduate Student, University of Utah
Former SACNAS Position(s): Treasurer
SACNAS National Liaison
Originally from Argentina, Natalia is currently a University of Utah postdoc working in understanding the bases for the development of cardiac arrhythmias that present a familiar component. Since her undergrad years, she has been always invested in activities that promote recruitment and improve the retention of underrepresented students in the STEM field. This makes her association with SACNAS a great fit.
Tristani-Firouzi Lab, Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training…
Jesus Arellano
Current Position: Junior Specialist at University of California Irvine - Electrical & Biomedical Engineering
Reuben Ryan Cano
Current Position: Research Associate, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Research Associate, Xavier Lab
Daniela Chavez
Former Position(s): President
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow at Smithsonian National Zoological Park
Jennifer Cheng
Former Position(s): Community Service; Outreach
Current Position: Senior Laboratory Specialist, University of Utah
Troy "TK" Coody
Hughes Lab, Department of Biochemistry
Email: troy.coody@utah.edu
I grew up in Colorado and then decided I loved the mountain west too much to leave so I decided to come to Utah. I have a passion for studying mitochondrial biology and metabolism. In my spare time I love hiking and going to the gym. SACNAS has become a second family and great way to help support and foster an inclusive community within the graduate community where everyone can thrive.
Maria Disotaur
Former Position(s): Vice President
Current Position: NIAID Post-doctoral Fellow, NIH
Laura Jimenez
Former Position(s): Vice-President
Current Position: AMGEN, Global Medical Communications, Immuno-Oncology
Koun (Kasha) Lim
Former Position(s): Outreach Coordinator; Secretary
Current Position: Post-doc, UNC Chapel Hill
Raymond Malfavon-Borja
Former Position(s): National Liaison
Current Position: McNair Assistant Director, California State University San Marcos
Lace K. Padilla
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Cognitive and Information Sciences at the University of California, Merced
Vanja Panic
Former Position(s): Recruitment
Current Position: Research Scientist at ELECTRONIC BIOSCIENCES, INC
Peter Ramirez
Former Position(s): President
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Long Beach
Judith Simcox
Former Position(s): Social Media Coordinator, Vice-President, and National Liaison
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin Madison
Christopher Stringham
Current Position: Postbac at National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Karina Vázquez-Arreguín
Current Position: Post-doctoral Fellow at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Kalluri Laboratory
Claudio Villanueva
Former Position(s): Faculty Advisor
Current Position: Associate Professor, Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California Los Angeles