PDA Leadership
Ayelen Lizarraga, PhD
PDA Secretary
lizarraga@uchicago.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Medicine
Tony Copeland-Hardin, PhD
PDA DEI Committee Co-Chair
copelandhardin@uchicago.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Public Health Sciences
Zeeshan Banday, PhD
PDA Policy Committee Co-Chair
zeeshanb@uchicago.edu
Research Scientist
Department of Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology
Marina Kabirova, PhD
PDA Policy Committee Chair
kabirova@uchicago.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Neurobiology
Pawan Kumar, PhD
PDA Seminar Committee Co-Chair
pawank@uchicago.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Ecology & Evolution
Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology
Bernardo Pinto, PhD
PDA Seminar Committee Co-Chair
pintobi@uchicago.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Richa Agrawal, PhD
PDA Social Committee Co-Chair
agrawalr@uchicago.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Shahid Ali, PhD
PDA Social Committee Co-Chair
shahidali@uchicago.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy
Julien Guillard, PhD
PDA Social Media Committee Chair
julien.guillard@bsd.uchicago.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Medicine
Rowida Mohamed
PDA Survey Committee Chair
rowida.mohamed@bsd.uchicago.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Kevin Muñoz Forti, MSc, PhD
PDA Teaching and Outreach Committee Co-Chair
kmunozforti@uchicago.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Medicine
Kathryn Sanchez, PhD
PDA Teaching and Outreach Committee Co-Chair
Kathryn.Sanchez@bsd.uchicago.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Pediatrics
Alka Singh, PhD
PDA Welcome Committee Chair
alkas@uchicago.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Medicine
PDA Alumni
- Elizabeth Lee – Assistant Professor, Villanova University. PDA Role: PDA President
- Andréanne Morin – Bioinformatician at Imagia Canexia Health, PDA Role: Survey Committee Chair
- Britney Helling – Senior Scientist I at AbbVie, PDA Role: PDA President
- Priya Mathur – Principal Medical Writer at AbbVie. PDA Roles: PDA Secretary, University Affairs Chair
- Katie Harris – Assistant Professor, Franklin College. PDA Role: Welcome Committee Co-Chair
- Mohana Ray – Account Executive, HDMZ. PDA Role: Seminar Committee Co-Chair
- Matt Eckwahl – Associate Program Officer – Science Innovation at the Walder Foundation. PDA Role: Seminar Committee Co-Chair
- John Leonard – Scientist at 3T Biosciences. PDA Roles: PDA President, 2018, Symposium Committee Chair, Past PDA Vice-President, myCHOICE Liaison
- Justin Luebke – Project Manager at Biofire Diagnostics. PDA Role: University Affairs Chair
- Colin McFaul – PDA Role: Welcome Committee Co-Chair
- Nicolaus Schmandt – Data Scientist at Tailored Brands. PDA Role: Social Committee Co-Chair
- Kasey Van Hedger – Postdoc at University of Western Ontario. PDA Role: Survey Committee Chair
- Aurelie Desgardin – Clinical Research Coordinator, University of Chicago Medicine. PDA Roles: Welcome Committee Chair, Seminar Committee Co-Chair
- Yulia Dzhashiashvili – Research Professional at University of Chicago. PDA Roles: Co-Chair of Seminar Committee, myCHOICE Liaison
- Aritro Nath – Postdoc at University of Minnesota. PDA Role: 2016 Symposium Committee Chair
- Kristina Martinez – Assistant Professor at Midwestern University. PDA Roles: PDA President 2015-2016, Co-chair of Teaching & Outreach Committee.
- Kristy Hentchel – AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow. PDA Roles: Vice-President and Co-chair Teaching & Outreach Committee (Outreach) 2016-2017.
- Joseph Pierre – Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center. PDA Role: Survey Committee, National Postdoc Survey; Social Media Committee Chair.
- Erica Westerman – Assistant Professor at the University of Arkansas. PDA Role: Survey Committee, Co-team lead on the National Postdoc Survey.
- Kyle Dolan – Head of Science and Innovation at British Consulate-General Chicago. PDA Role: Chair of Social Media Committee 2016, Future of Research Chicago 2015 Lead Co-Organizer, Chair Science Policy Committee 2014-2015.
- Margaret Pruitt – Postdoctoral Researcher, Worcester Polytech Inst. PDA Role: Co-chair of Teaching and Outreach (Teaching) and Chair of the Welcome Committee 2015-2016.
- Elizabeth Litte – Medical Writer in Pharma. PDA Role: Chair Science Policy Committee 2015-2016.
- Vanessa Leone – Pathways to Independence Instructor, UChicago. PDA Role: Executive Officer 2014-15, Chair of the University Affairs Committee.
- Daina Ringus – Medical Student at Northwestern. PDA Role: Executive Officer 2014-15.
- Irene Gallego Romero – Principal Investigator, University of Melbourne. PDA Role: Chair of the Welcome Committee 2014-2015, University Affairs Committee.
- Abby Stayart – myCHOICE Program Manager. PDA Role: Chair Teaching & Outreach Committee, Co-chair University Affairs, Member of Welcome and Symposium Committees.