Executive Council Officers

Sumedha is a molecular biologist focussing on molecular oncology. She moved to United states after completing her Ph.D. from IFOM Foundation, Milan in Italy. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher in Vindigni lab in the division of Oncology. She is mainly interested the field of genomic integrity, DNA replication and repair. Her postdoctoral research focusses on effect of DNA methylation and de-methylation on DNA replication, genomic integrity and oncogenesis. She is a member of Outreach committee of WUPS.

Rishabh is a postdoctoral researcher at Aravamuthan Lab, WashU. He is working on developing intelligent systems for quantifying motor disorders in children with Dystonic Cerebral Palsy under the supervision of Dr. Bhooma Aravamuthan. He is interested in multi-disciplinary approaches to solving real-world problems.

His vision is a world where he is healthy in a holistic sense, encompassing mental, physical, and emotional well-being. In this world, disabilities are not seen as limitations but as opportunities to push the boundaries of technology and promote inclusivity and accessibility for all. With this vision he is working as an Executive Council Members in Wellness and Networking committee.

Andrea is an astrophysicist who graduated with a Ph.D. from the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany) in 2022. Currently serving as a postdoctoral researcher in the physics department, Andrea’s research focuses on unraveling the mysteries of active galaxies, which are celestial objects fueled by supermassive black holes. Andrea employs a comprehensive approach to study these fascinating phenomena by utilizing various telescopes that cover the entire electromagnetic spectrum. In addition to her academic pursuits, she actively engages in public outreach, sharing her enthusiasm for astronomy with others and fostering a love for the subject among the wider community.

My research focuses on studying fatty acid metabolism and kidney injury progression and repair in acute and chronic kidney diseases. Currently, I hold the treasurer position at the WUPS-EC. My goal as an EC member is to incentivize postdoc camaraderie at WashU.

As a clinical scientist, Ash is committed to a career that emphasizes the two-way bridge between research and clinical practice. At WUSM, she engages in precision neuroimaging research that is primarily focused on individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Her research aims to identify individual differences in brain morphology and their association with cognitive abilities and co-occurring biopsychosocial symptoms in TBI. Information at this level can inform the development of both personalized as well as manualized interventions that promote cognitive restitution and improve psychosocial functioning. Ash received her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign in 2021.

Shweta is a postdoc at the DiAntonio Lab in the Department of Developmental Biology. She did her PhD at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, India. For her doctoral work, she explored the role of non-neuronal cells in the progression of a motor neurodegenerative disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Currently, at the DiAntonio Lab, she studies the mechanisms that define axon degeneration.

Ray obtained his PhD in Theoretical Physics from Massey University, New Zealand. He is now a postdoc at the Wexler Lab in the Department of Chemistry. His research interests include developing efficient and accurate computational methods for quantum many-body problems, with applications to material sciences.