Executive Council Members

Pankaj is Post Doctoral Research Associate in Shoghi’s Lab at PRTC, WashU. His focus of research is to develop machine learning based model to predict pathologic complete response (PCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer patients. Before joining WashU he was research assistant in CVMI project in Jio Institute, Navi-Mumbai under the supervision of Dr Sudipta Roy.

An infectious disease enthusiast, working as a postdoc research associate at the Kau lab in the Division of Allergy & Immunology at BJC IOH. I have a keen interest in parasitic diseases in humans and animals however, lately shifted my interest to microbes. I’m right now the Chair of the Career Development Committee, and it’s been an amazing experience to work with such an energetic group of people.

I received my B.S. degree in mechanical design, manufacturing, and automation from Central South University in 2018 and completed my Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2023. My research focuses on multi-physics coupling CFD modelling of the ALD process, and I am currently working on CFD modelling of electrolyzer reactors in the Jiao group. As a member of the Networking and Wellness, as well as Career Development committees, I am dedicated to fostering a supportive and collaborative environment for all postdocs. In the Networking and Wellness committee, I aim to create opportunities for us to connect, share experiences, and promote a healthy work-life balance. Through the Career Development committee, I am committed to providing resources and organizing events that will help us advance our professional skills and achieve our career goals.

Suranjana investigates neuronal activity-dependent mechanisms regulating the development of the mammalian cerebral cortex, with kind help from her marsupial friends in the Richards lab. She obtained her Ph.D. in developmental neuroscience from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India where she studied genetic mechanisms regulating the specification & connectivity of the sensory thalamus and cortex.

Tyler is a cancer biologist currently investigating clonal evolution in myeloproliferative neoplasms and the mutational trajectory leading to secondary leukemia. The overall aim of his post-doctoral fellowship is to describe the clonal architecture of MPN disease progression to leukemia which could lead to early detection and improved disease surveillance. He is passionate about translating complex discoveries at the bench into understandable, tangible science to reach a broader audience for the ultimate goal of clinical application and improving patient outcomes. Tyler is an adjunct professor at Washington University where he greatly enjoys teaching biomedical problem-based learning. Tyler received his Ph.D. in Biological Biomedical Sciences from Oakland University where he published work on the role blood stem cells play in tumor maintenance before and after radiation therapy.

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.

Rannyele (Ranny) is working on establishing single-cell sequencing techniques to investigate germline cell regeneration in Platynereis. Ranny is a Brazilian scientist passionate about annelids and she received her PhD from the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain, where she worked on regeneration in syllid annelids.

https://rannypribeiro.github.io/

Burke is a neuroscientist studying cortical homologies between human and non-human primates with structural and functional neuroimaging. His research seeks to improve the common spatial framework used to map findings between species and better understand the recent evolution of the hominid cortex. Burke received his Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego in 2023, where he studied human corticocortical structural connectivity as well as spontaneous intra- and extracranial electrophysiological correlativity. As Chair of the WUPS Policy committee, he coordinates discussions, research, and advocacy to improve the personal wellbeing and professional standing of WashU Postdocs.

I am a neuroimmunologist, currently working as a post-doc in the Holtzman lab, Dept. of Neurology where I am trying to understand the mechanisms underlying the development of cerebral amyloid angiopathy. I received my Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, India where I worked on the role of microglia-CD4+ T cells interaction in multiple sclerosis. I am interested to uncover novel therapeutic targets that show very subtle, often unnoticed, molecular changes between homeostasis and the initiation of pathology in neurodegenerative disorders.