Trainee Advocacy Alliance
Who is the Trainee Advocacy Alliance (TAA)?
TAA is a collaborative group of Biomedical Graduate Studies (BGS) graduate students, Biomedical Postdoctoral Program (BPP) post-docs, and Penn faculty members from across the University who are committed to creating, nurturing, and maintaining a Penn biomedical research community that embodies inclusivity, diversity, and equity. With the full support and access to resources within IDEAL Research, TAA will provide support for trainees experiencing adversity or distress as members of the Penn Medicine research training community.
All TAA members complete trainings in restorative justice, inclusive mentorship, and mental health intervention to ensure that individuals from all identities are embraced and advocated for within biomedical research.
You can always reach out to TAA@pennmedicine.upenn.edu with any questions.
Who can use TAA as a resource?
TAA is a resource for all trainees facing adversity within the biomedical research community - especially but not limited to those experiencing racial, gender, or other identity-based bias.
Trainees Include
- Graduate Students
- Post-Bacs
- Post-Docs
- Medical Students
- Master's Students
- Research Technicians
- Undergraduate Student Interns
- High School Student Interns
- Any other individuals working under an advisor
TAA Services
- Providing a supportive environment to discuss experiences
- Confidential counseling and guidance
- Role playing conversations
- Email reviews
- Navigation and referral to official Penn resources
- Mediation services
- Direct intervention
- Assistance in filing an official complaint – incident reporting
All conversations and communications with TAA members are confidential. The only exception is for certain faculty members of TAA that are also mandatory reporters (indicated below in bios). By University policy, mandatory reporters are required to report any alleged incident of sexual misconduct (sexual harassment or sexual violence) to the Title IX Officer. Mandatory reporters do not investigate such allegations and do not share information outside of the Title IX Office. Mandatory Reporters can maintain confidentiality for all other matters. Other than these specific circumstances, TAA members will share information with others only if the trainee has given explicit consent for the TAA member to do so.
Want to know more about TAA? |
Follow us on Social MediaTwitter: @PennMedTAA Instagram: @pennmedtaa |
Reach out to usEmail a member from the TAA Leadership Team |
Attend our eventsKeep an eye out for dates announced on TAA social media and BGS bulletins! |
Want to become a TAA member?Email Vanessa Martinez Penn at TAA@pennmedicine.upenn.edu! |
Leadership
Faculty Leader
*Note*: Dr. Kessler is a mandatory reporter.
Affiliated Graduate Groups: Neuroscience, Cell and Molecular Biology -- Developmental, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Biology
Email Address: kesslerd@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
Helping talented young scientists overcome the challenges and difficulties of graduate school to thrive and succeed has been the most satisfying aspect of my professional life. I am committed to the success and wellbeing of every BGS student and joining TAA was a natural continuation of this focus in my role as a teacher, advisor, mentor and graduate group chair.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I have served as CAMB graduate group chair for over 12 years, and as chair for the DSRB program of CAMB for the prior 5 years. I have partnered with and advocated for students facing all manner of challenge and difficulty to define solutions that allowed students to succeed and thrive.
Research Interests & Experience: I am a developmental biologist with an interest in the regulation of cell lineage regulation in the early vertebrate embryo, with a specific focus on transcriptional, signaling, genomic, and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms.
Link to Faculty Bio.: Daniel S. Kessler | Faculty | Perelman School of Medicine
Fun Fact: Yoga is my happy place.
Faculty Leader
Affiliated Graduate Groups: Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Cell and Molecular Biology
Email Address: eheller@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I chose to join the TAA to gain proficiency in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives that enhance my performance as an educator. My goal is to support a diverse body of students to realize their scholarly potential. The TAA will help me to broaden and enhance my mentorship skills to meet the needs of a greater population of students. Work in the TAA meets my desire to contribute meaningfully to promote social justice in my community.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
My main experience relevant to the TAA is in mentorship and scholarship. I have learned how to navigate the academic research profession, and to do so ethically and with social justice as an integral priority.
Research Interests & Experience: The Heller Lab studies the gene regulatory mechanisms in brain. We apply epigenetic editing tools to the rodent brain in vivo to determine the precise causal mechanisms of gene expression and behavior, specifically in the context of chronic neuropsychiatric disease.
Link to Lab website: Heller Lab
Fun Fact: I lived in Budapest as an exchange student in 1996, just 4 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. I was 16 years old!
Graduate Student Leader
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Gene Therapy and Vaccines
Email Address: robin.wilder@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
Throughout my education I have been supported by programs that provided an oasis on campus for underrepresented minorities navigating the field of science. As a TAA member, I would like to foster similar support systems at Penn.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I have mentored fellow students from underrepresented minorities in science and have experience planning community service events that encouraged peers to not only care for but also interact with the members of our community.
Research Interests & Experience: My research focuses on using gene therapy to restore vision in individuals with inherited retinal diseases and blindness. My current focus is validating a treatment for gyrate atrophy and investigating photoreceptor regeneration.
Fun Fact: I am Chamorro (the indigenous people of Guam).
Graduate Student Leader
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Gene Therapy and Vaccines
Email Address: eisej@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
As a Korean-American adoptee, I have never fit into the generalized Asian-American stereotypes placed upon me. Throughout my career, I have been able to share my AAPI narrative and pursue my STEM-related goals with the endless support from my past mentors and professors. I would like to join TAA with the hopes of giving back that same mentorship while creating a safe and inclusive scientific community.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
In undergrad, I was a member of Presidential Envoys, a student ambassador organization, at the University of North Florida and served as Vice President of Marketing where I focused many social media efforts towards informing students about our organization as an opportunity to network and grow professionally within the Jacksonville community. I also worked as a lab assistant where I was able to mentor and train students from a local community college!
Research Interests & Experience: Currently, I am interested in understanding ways to design DNA-encoded monoclonal antibodies as a therapeutic for protection against infectious diseases. I am also interested in DNA vaccine design.
Fun Fact: I own 14 berets and counting! All different colors!
TAA Coordinator 
Email Address: vanessa.martinezpenn@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance? I am passionate about supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives at the higher education level, and having the opportunity to work with our incredible trainees is a huge privilege. I serve as the Administrative Coordinator for the IDEAL Research office, where we run a Summer Undergraduate Internship Program and a Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program, each of which function as pipeline programs for underrepresented minority students who intend to pursue a doctoral degree in the biomedical sciences. I am excited about the opportunity to expand the network of trainees that I work with through TAA.
Fun Fact: I play for three soccer teams and a dodgeball team here in Philly!
TAA Members - Faculty
Affiliated Graduate Groups: Immunology, Pharmacology, Cell and Molecular Biology -- Gene Therapy and Vaccines
Email Address: aposey@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Link to Faculty Bio.: Avery D Posey | Faculty | Perelman School of Medicine
*Note*: Dr. Voight is a mandatory reporter.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Genomics & Computational Biology
Email Address: bvoight@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
To support equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts within the Biological Graduate Studies program.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I have and have healthy knowledge and understanding of several training opportunities in bioinformatics on Penn's Campus. I serve at the chair of the Genomics and Computational Biology Graduate group, and also the Director of the Bioinformatics concentration for the MSTR program. I also co-direct GCB/CIS/MSTR535 (Introduction to Bioinformatics).
Research Interests and Experience: I am a statistical and population geneticist interested in characterizing the relationship between DNA sequence variation and susceptibility to complex traits. Over my career, I have mapped thousands of genetic loci influencing susceptibility to complex traits, particularly type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular, and liver disease. My group also develops methods for population genomics inference problems, focused on characterizing variation in mutation rate and genomic targets of natural selection in human populations.
Link to my website: http://coruscant.itmat.upenn.edu
Fun Fact: My middle name is Franklin.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Genetics and Epigenetics
Email Address: BCapell@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
Having been a trainee for many years spanning undergraduate, med school and grad school, plus a postdoc, I have seen and experienced many of the challenges and stumbling blocks that arise. I would love the opportunity to take those lessons and use them to ease the way and benefit and help others advance their careers.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I think some of the strengths I bring to the TAA stem simply from the fact that the physician scientist track has been long and offered both a range and diversity of experiences and challenges along the way. I've worked in many different environments and with broad array of people and personalities. I hope those years of experience can be of value to others who are now taking similar paths and facing similar challenges.
Research Interests & Experience: The Capell Lab seeks to understand how epigenetic and epitranscriptomic gene regulatory mechanisms contribute to disease, and in particular, cancer. By combining the incredible accessibility of epithelial tissues like human skin, with the most cutting-edge epigenetic and epitranscriptomic techniques, we aim to identify novel targets to treat disease.
Link to Faculty Bio.: Brian C Capell | Faculty | Perelman School of Medicine
Fun Fact: I was an art history minor in college, and visiting museums both at home and when traveling is a favorite escape.
Affiliated Graduate Groups: Pharmacology, Cell and Molecular Biology -- Cancer Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Email Address: Crystal.Conn@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
To be any form of a mentor, one needs to continuously learn and grow in proficiencies as an educator which includes fostering DEI awareness and support. I joined the TAA because I see a need for trainee mentorship that has been lacking in academia for far too long and I wanted to be properly trained to provide an open space for communication while cultivating an inclusive community in our programs.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
As a first-gen, non-binary, mixed individual navigating my training and career I have experienced and witnessed a variety of challenges. My personal goals are focused on maintaining wellness with positive solutions for progress. I hope my experiences aid in mentoring and echoing the voices of the next generation of researchers to create an inclusive and supportive environment.
Research Interests & Experience: The Conn Lab studies post-transcriptional, dynamic responses during disease progression with a focus on mRNA translational regulation for oncogenic survival.
Fun Fact: I've lived across 4 states, in 15+ homes/Apts, & love to explore new locations!
Link to Faculty Bio.: Crystal S. Conn | Faculty | Department of Radiation Oncology | Perelman School of Medicine
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell & Molecular Biology -- Cancer Biology, Immunology
Email Address: dfeldser@upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I wanted to be a better mentor.
Link to lab webpage: https://www.med.upenn.edu/feldserlab/
*Note*: Dr. Brady is a mandatory reporter.
Affiliated Graduate Groups: Pharmacology, Cell and Molecular Biology -- Cancer Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Email Address: bradyd@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Link to Faculty Bio.: Donita C. Brady | Faculty | Perelman School of Medicine
*Note*: Dr. Brodsky is a mandatory reporter.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Immunology, Cell and Molecular Biology -- Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology
Email Address: ibrodsky@vet.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
To support trainees from marginalized groups who might experience bias incidents, and to foster an environment of inclusivity within the Penn research community.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I bring a commitment to the ideals of equity, inclusion, and diversity, and the desire to ensure that no trainee has to go through instances of microaggression or bias feeling alone or unsupported.
Research Interests and Experience: My lab is interested in understanding innate immunity to bacterial pathogens. We study how activation of cell death signaling pathways promote control of bacterial infection using a combination of in vitro and in vivo model systems.
Link to lab: http://brodskylab.squarespace.com/
Fun Fact: I enjoy rock climbing with my family.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell & Molecular Biology -- Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology
Email Address: bark@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I wish to contribute to a supportive educational environment.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
Medical and graduate training experience.
Research Interests and Experience:
I'm an assistant professor of medicine interested in translational HIV research.
Fun Fact: I can whistle very loudly.
Affiliated Graduate Groups: Immunology, Cell and Molecular Biology -- Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology
Email Address: kellie.jurado@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Link to Faculty Bio.: Kellie Ann Jurado | Faculty | Perelman School of Medicine
*Note*: Dr. Sharp is a mandatory reporter.
Affiliated Graduate Groups: Biochemistry and Molecular Physics, Genomics and Computational Biology
Email Address: SHARPK@UPENN.EDU
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I am a strong believer in their mission.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
Many years involvement in graduate education, including 10+ years as chair of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics graduate group.
Research Interests & Experience: Simulation of proteins, nucleic acids, virtual drug discovery.
Link to Faculty Bio.: Kim A. Sharp | Faculty, Perelman School of Medicine
Fun Fact: I bike to work from the suburbs every day.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Epidemiology and Biostatistics -- Biostatistics
Email Address: knashawn@upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I hope to ensure the success of all of our trainees.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I am organized, a good listener, honest, and respectful.
Research Interests & Experience: I am a collaborative statistician with a primary focus in mental health and behavioral modification interventions for asthma, insomnia, weight management, and HIV/STD risk reduction.
Link to faculty bio page: https://www.dbei.med.upenn.edu/bio/knashawn-h-morales-scd
Fun Fact: I enjoy movies and traveling.
*Note*: Dr. Mullins is a mandatory reporter.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Developmental, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Biology
Email Address: mullins@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I am committed to changing the environment at Penn for our underrepresented graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, so that it is one where all trainees can thrive to become the best scientists they can be.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I am active in racial justice efforts here at Penn, including co-chairing the BGS and BPP Combating Racial Inequities Committee (CRIC), and co-leading the Research Pillar of Action for Cultural Transformation in PSOM. I am also active as the graduate program chair of DSRB in educating our students and faculty about systemic racism and how we can change it. As a woman scientist I understand the feeling of not fitting the mold and I want to change that to make STEM inclusive for all.
Research Interests & Experience: My lab studies how a BMP morphogen signaling gradient forms, is maintained, and is interpreted to specify multiple cell types along the embryonic dorsal-ventral axis. We also study the membraneless Balbiani body organelle in oocyte polarity and maternal regulation of embryonic development in the zebrafish.
Fun Fact: After receiving a fitbit as a present, I have become obsessed with my steps.
Link to Faculty Bio.: Mary C. Mullins | Faculty | Perelman School of Medicine
Affiliated Graduate Groups: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Cell Biology, Physiology, and Metabolism
Email Address: mattgood@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Research Interests & Experience: My lab is interested in the unique cell biology of early development. We study mechanisms regulating the maternal-zygotic transition and the assembly of membraneless organelles.
Link to Faculty Bio.: Matthew C Good | Faculty | Perelman School of Medicine
Fun Fact: I played basketball under the lights of the Palestra as part of the faculty-student game.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Email Address: mharhay@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
As a recent Penn Medicine PhD student and post-doc myself, I am eager to contribute to the community's health from the other side as a junior faculty member.
Research Interests & Experience: My research program principally focuses on the design and analysis of randomized trials.
Faculty Leader
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Developmental, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Biology
Email Address: sundaram@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Link to Faculty Bio.: Meera V. Sundaram | Faculty | Perelman School of Medicine
Fun Fact: I am an amateur genealogist with almost 5000 people in my researched family tree.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Genetics and Epigenetics, Neuroscience
Email Address: hartmic@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I am committed to training the next generation of neuroscientists and geneticists including fostering a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative environment for trainees at all levels and from all backgrounds, instilling rigorous research values, and promoting a general passion for learning and science.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
As a young LGBTQ+ faculty member, I have a strong connection with positive and negative experiences I had as a student and postdoc. These experiences make me want to work hard to create an environment where the voices of current trainees are listened to and supported during both positive and negative experiences.
Research Interests & Experience: My lab studies the role of genes associated with neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders in the plasticity of neuronal circuits and behaviors. I did my PhD training in the Neuroscience Graduate Group at Penn and my postdoctoral training at Columbia University in New York City.
Link to lab website: www.mphartlab.com
Fun Fact: I am an identical twin.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Developmental, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Biology
Email Address: jainr@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
To help in ongoing efforts to strengthen training.
Research Interests and Experience: Our lab studies how 3D spatial organization and genome folding directs cell fate decisions and organogenesis.
Link to lab website: https://www.med.upenn.edu/jainlab/
Affiliated Graduate Groups: Immunology, Cell and Molecular Biology -- Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology
Email Address: henricksons@email.chop.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I was previously in the Minority Student Network and I'm thrilled to have joined this group.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
Supporting trainees, both in my lab and in the graduate programs more broadly, is a fundamental part of being a faculty member and I'm eager to help in any way I can.
Research Interests & Experience: My lab studies the impact of chronic inflammation and inborn errors of immunity on T cell immunometabolic function.
Fun Fact: I'm a dual citizen (United States and Canada).
Link to Faculty Bio.: Sarah Henrickson | Faculty | Perelman School of Medicine
Affiliated Graduate Groups: Immunology, Pharmacology, Cell and Molecular Biology -- Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology
Email Address: sunshin@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Link to Faculty Bio.: Sunny Shin | Faculty | Perelman School of Medicine
Affiliated Graduate Groups: Immunology, Cell and Molecular Biology -- Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology
Email Address: bailisw@chop.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I want to take a more active role in helping address systemic discrimination and inequality within academia, in hopes it can help make the Penn research community a safer and more inclusive space for trainees.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I hope I can be an open, compassionate listener and strong advocate for trainees in need of support.
Research Interests & Experience: The Bailis lab studies how metabolism and the compartmentalization of metabolic reactions control immune cell behavior.
Link to Faculty Bio.: Will Bailis | Faculty | Perelman School of Medicine
Fun Fact: I ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch every day during my PhD.
TAA Members - Graduate Students
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Cancer Biology
Email Address: Bailey.Nance@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
As an IDEAL Research Fellow, I am very passionate about supporting, advocating for, and connecting with other underrepresented trainees. Being a part of the TAA allows me to extend the same support systems and resources that have been pivotal for my personal and professional growth during my time at Penn.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
With my involvement in both Ernest E. Just Biomedical Society and by participating in the IDEAL Council with GAPSA over the last 3 years, I have been able to connect with graduate students, amplify the voices of student leaders, and advocate for marginalized graduate students with Penn administration. I hope that with these skills and connections, I can continue to do so with the TAA!
Research Interests & Experience: My research focuses on cancer metabolism, specifically looking at how protein structure effects function and localization of a key moonlighting enzyme in adult soft tissue sarcomas.
Fun Fact: I make a Spotify playlist for every occasion (even failed experiments!). I am slowly curating the soundtrack to my graduate school career.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology
Email Address: GoldspiB@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Career Stage: MD/PhD student, currently PhD years
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I was hoping to work within the Penn community in order to help students feel safer and more connected to their surroundings. I think it's fundamental to use my own privileges to support those who do not have access to the same privilege that I have.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
As a medical student, I worked in community clinics where I learned trauma informed care, and worked with patients from disadvantaged backgrounds. This experience taught me skills of resilience, patience, and dedication to those with different backgrounds than mine.
Research Interests & Experience: Broadly, I am interested in metabolic circuits between host and pathogen, and am studying how intracellular bacterial pathogens re-program host metabolism to create a niche for growth.
Fun Fact: I've sung on Broadway! To an empty audience, but still counts!
Affiliated Graduate Group: Immunology
Email Address: fds@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
To help shape STEM into a more inclusive and diverse environment.
Research Interests & Experience: I am a PhD candidate interested in T cell cytoskeletal signaling and migration.
Fun Fact: I collect & barrel age Scotch whiskey.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Developmental, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Biology
Email Address: Gabriella.Rice@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Affiliated Graduate Group: Immunology
Email Address: irozich@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Research Interests & Experience: My research interests include better understanding the relationship between the immune system and the microbiome, and how pathologies can potentially develop when their communication pathways are disrupted.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Gene Therapy and Vaccines
Email Address: jingruz@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I want to help others navigate conflicts and make Penn a more welcoming place for every trainee.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I know from personal experiences how frustrating and daunting it can be to reach out for the support needed when discrimination happens, especially in the academic setting/workplace. At Penn, I was able to get the help I needed from my lab and I would like to provide that for others.
Research Interests and Experience: I'm studying the epigenetic mechanisms and 3D genome architecture that promote expression of key oncogenes in triple-negative breast cancer.
Link to Google Scholar page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jkd4TkMAAAAJ&hl=en
Fun Fact: Despite many attempts to learn, I cannot ride a bike.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology
Email Address: Jorgeac@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I chose to join because I feel there should be a lending hand and open ears available for anyone seeking help of any kind throughout their time at Penn.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I bring previous experience from managing a biology honor society and small research team from my community college and believe I can listen as well as be a guide for those seeking help of any kind.
Research Interests & Experience: My research interests have always revolved around microbiology and infectious diseases, particularly with virology. I have experience working with bacteriophages and mammalian viruses.
Fun Fact: I am a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Biochemistry and Molecular Physics
Email Address: ueharak@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Research Interests & Experience: My research interests broadly span the elucidation of biochemical mechanisms underlying metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cancer. Throughout my academic career, I have aimed to study metabolic flux, circadian regulation of metabolism, regulation of systemic glucose and lipid homeostasis, and substrate utilization
Fun Fact: My name translates to 'Heavenly Call'.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology
Email Address: kstrelau@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I joined the TAA to (1) Actively address racism & discrimination in my community, (2) Better educate myself on how to be a supportive, cognizant, compassionate, & effective ally of minority & historically oppressed groups, & (3) Leverage the privilege of my whiteness to sensitively communicate with & educate other white people on matters involving minority & historically oppressed groups & facilitate difficult conversations which might not be possible without a privileged mediator/advocate.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I strive to listen to others’ experiences, reflect on my own actions, & be open to criticism. I know that as a white person in the US, I inherently have racist and discriminatory beliefs embedded in my psyche. I try to continually identify, confront, & correct those beliefs. I am also committed to apologizing for & learning from the mistakes I make on my anti-racist journey. I believe an open-minded, self-critical (yet self-compassionate) approach is essential to anti-discriminatory endeavors.
Research Interests & Experience: I study SARS-CoV-2 viral transmission in Philadelphia from a microbiological and epidemiological perspective. My work prioritizes understanding transmission within historically oppressed Black and Brown communities in Philadelphia, which have been hit hardest by the pandemic.
Fun Fact: I have a white pit bull named Franklin, after both Rosalind Franklin and Ben Franklin!
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Gene Therapy and Vaccines
Email Address: kapodaca@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Cancer Biology
Email Address: Kyabeth.Torres-Rodriguez@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Genetics and Epigenetics
Email Address: mariafcr@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Research Interests & Experience: My lab studies the interception of chromatin biology and cancer. I am interested in the mechanisms of how chromatin modifiers regulate oncogenes and the possibility of targeting them to ameliorate cancer phenotypes.
Fun Fact: I currently own 23 different types of house plants and I'm always looking for more.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Developmental, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Biology
Email Address: Maya.Hale@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
Having a support system of scientists of color and people who value diversity, who understand the trials of earning a PhD and give a safe space for me to express the unique stresses of being a Black Woman in STEM has been extremely beneficial to my mental health throughout graduate school. I would like to be a part of and expand that support system for other students in BGS.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I have experience mentoring students who identify within underrepresented groups in STEM, as well as students who have mental health struggles. I also have a good knowledge of Penn resources for academic, wellness, and discriminatory intervention. Additionally, I will use skills learned in my Psychology degree for empathetic listening and the creation of a safe space.
Research Interests & Experience: My thesis research studies how axon guidance proteins at the growth cone membrane are regulated during midline crossing in the embryonic mammalian spinal cord.
Fun Fact: I once skipped school and flew to Vegas for a tattoo consult, only to get turned down for being too young.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Cancer Biology
Email Address: maxklap@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Why did you choose to join the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I think it's important that we show up for each other and maintain our community as a safe, inclusive, and inviting space to do the best we can-- scientifically and humanly.
What experiences and strengths do you bring to the Trainee Advocacy Alliance?
I really care about promoting a positive work culture within Penn BGS and in academia generally.
Research Interests & Experience: I study epigenetic mechanisms that prevent T cells from fighting off viral infections and cancers.
Fun Fact: When I'm not at the lab bench, I enjoy cooking and spending time with friends and family.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Immunology
Email Address: michelle.cully@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Research Interests & Experience: Normally bronchus associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) formation is induced by inflammation, but in mice lacking IKKα in lymphatic endothelial cells, BALTs form spontaneously. I aim to elucidate the mechanism of spontaneous BALT formation and determine their impact on immunity.
Affiliated Graduate Group: Cell and Molecular Biology -- Genetics and Epigenetics
Email Address: trcater@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
I want to use my time in graduate school to not only advance myself professionally, but also give back to the profession. I want to help empower fellow students, regardless of ethnicity, background or creed, to feel supported by their community, able to shape their own graduate experience and find ways to thrive.