Research and Professional Development

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Institute for Cancer Genetics

Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Civil Engineering & Engineering Mechanics, Dept Civil Eng & Eng Mechanics

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering; Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Chemical Engineering

 Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Biological Sciences

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Medicine, Columbia Center for Translational Immunology (CCTI)

I am a stem cell biologist. Following my study of natural stem cells in Hydra and Planaria during my master's, I moved on to making stem cells from mouse skin in the lab during my Ph.D. Now, I have transitioned to human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), aligning myself more closely with translational research during my Post-Doc at Columbia University. Engaged in various projects, I explore the complex mechanisms of intrinsic immunity in stem cells, specifically their defense against viral infections. My another research project is focused on understanding the impact of sleep restriction on the regeneration potential of adult stem cells.

Beyond the lab, serving as the CUPS co-vice president and co-chair of the networking community has been a tremendous experience. It allows me to discover innovative ways to collaborate with the exceptionally talented members of the CUPS team. Together, we engage in dynamic brainstorming sessions to expand our community within the university, with the aim of connecting with every individual in the extensive and dynamic postdoc and ARS population (>1600 people!). One particularly meaningful initiative, close to my heart, is the "CUPS and Startups: a Networking Series" co-developed with my colleague Mikael Pezet. This endeavor involves bringing the postdoc community into the incubator spaces within NYC, and we're immensely grateful for the warm reception from the NYC life science community. In addition to this, our regular board game nights, happy hours, city visits, and outdoor events serve as fantastic opportunities to bridge connections within the postdoc/ARS community. We at CUPS are always open to hear your ideas regarding what events would you like us to organize. Please feel free to reach out to us.

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Chemical Engineering

Upasana Roy holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stony Brook University. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, where she studies how DNA damage is repaired. She uses microscopy techniques to visualize in real-time how DNA repair complexes are assembled and regulated. She is currently the vice-chair of the Research & Professional Development Committee at CUPS.
 

Tuhin Roy graduated from North Carolina State University (NCSU) with an M.S. degree in Applied Mathematics and a Ph.D. degree in Structural Engineering & Mechanics in 2021. Upon completion of his graduation, he continued as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Dr. Murthy Guddati’s group at NCSU working on guided wave inversion for the estimation of arterial stiffness from Shear Wave Elastography. In January 2023, Tuhin joined Dr. Elisa Konofagou’s laboratory at Columbia University as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist. He is engaged in research focusing on two main areas: Harmonic Shear Wave Elastography, aimed at characterizing tissue stiffness for breast cancer detection, and Pulse Wave Inverse Problems, targeted at characterizing vascular walls to identify cardiovascular diseases. His research interests include acoustics, signal processing, finite element analysis, and optimization for biomedical applications.

Tuhin joined the Columbia University Postdoctoral Society (CUPS) in 2023 and currently serves as the Chair of the Research and Professional Development (RPD) Committee for the 2024-2025 cycle. The RPD Committee plays a vital role in supporting the postdoc community by providing resources to enhance their current roles and preparing them for future career transitions. The committee organizes a variety of events, including exploring diverse career options, networking opportunities with professionals, panel discussions on women in science, immigration info sessions, talks promoting mental health and many more.

Trang Nguyen is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Dr. Markus Siegelin’s laboratory at the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology. Her work focuses on targeting tumor cell metabolism and the epigenome for brain tumor therapy. She graduated from KAIST, South Korea with her Ph.D. degree in Biological Sciences, and not long after worked in the Department of Medicine at the University of Maryland to identify novel signaling pathways and compounds contributing to resolution and recovery of lung injury for one and half years. Her current work at Columbia is focused on developing a rational therapeutic approach with improved central nervous system penetration to extend patient life expectancy.

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dept Microbiology & Immunology

Student, College of Dental Medicine: Post-Graduate Dental

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Genetics and Development

Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Medicine

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Neurology

Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology

CUPS Research and Professional Development Alumni

Chemistry, Barnard College

Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Biological Sciences

Sandra has a PhD in Neuroscience from UAB (Barcelona). She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia University. Her research is focused on understanding the role of mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum interactions in the pathophysiology of muscular dystrophy.

Sandra is the Co-Founder of the Outreach & Communications Committee (created Jan 1, 2019) and currently its Chair.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Institute for Cancer Genetics

Sam completed her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Yale University and is currently a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain and the Department of Neurology. Her research focuses on using Positron Emission Tomography and other medical imaging technologies to elucidate the brain pathology in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease patients compared to Cognitively Normal subjects. 

Sam is very interested in Science Outreach and Communication, and looks forward to building the skills it takes to be an effective science communicator in the Press Office of CUPS! In her free time, she enjoys baking, spending time with friends and family, and is an avid Yankee fan!

Rashmi Voleti is a postdoc in the Chemistry Department in Dr. Neel Shah's lab. Rashmi grew up in Hyderabad, India. Fascinated by proteins and wanting to learn more about protein structure and function, she decided to move to UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Texas for graduate school. She did her Ph.D. in Jose Rizo’s lab where she used various biophysical methods to study proteins involved in neurotransmitter release. In the Shah lab, she is interested in exploring phosphotyrosine signaling in immune cells. When she is not in lab, Rashmi enjoys cooking Indian food, trying out new restaurants, volunteering, yoga and indoor rock climbing among other things.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Medicine, Dept of Medicine Cardiology

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Ophthalmology

Obtained BS (2008) and MA (2010) from the University at Buffalo and PhD (2015) from University of Florida.

Currently Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Dept of Pathology&Cell Biology.

The Columbia University Postdoctoral Senator - the Columbia postdoctoral community is welcome to contact by email with any issues related to their professional experience. Any communications are confidential.

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Biological Sciences, Dept of Biological Sciences

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Biological Sciences, Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Biological Sciences

I received my PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). In January 2023, I joined Columbia University as a Fulbright Postdoctoral Researcher. I am based at the Zuckerman Institute, where I study the neural and genetic mechanisms underlying socio-sexual behaviour in Betta fish.

I am passionate about research outreach and social communication, which is why I joined CUPS very soon after I arrived in the big apple! And to have a good start, I became the new Secretary of CUPS. Since September 2024, I am Co-President of CUPS for Manhattanville.

Apart from my research goals, I hope I will be able to run the (half) marathon after some time in the city.

 Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Systems Biology

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Biological Sciences

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Medicine

Nicole (Nicki) Perry Hauser is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Javitch Lab at the Department of Psychiatry. She organizes and hosts the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) bookclub as part of the Advocacy Committee of CUPS.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience

The editor-at-large and chairman of the CUPS newsletter

Molly Scott was a postdoctoral research scholar in the NEED Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University working with Dr. Kim Noble. She received her PhD in developmental psychology at Temple University working with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek. In the NEED Lab, she worked on the Baby's First Years project, studying the connection between income and young children's development. Molly is passionate about translating developmental science for parents, teachers, policy makers, and other stakeholders.

Adjunct Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics

Martina is an EMBO awardee postdoctoral research fellow at the Zuckerman Institute in the lab of Prof. Franck Polleux where she studies the contribution of human-specific gene duplications in the evolution of the human brain.
In addition to her academic achievements, she is an advocate of equitable access to educational resources which she demonstrated through her commitment to mentorship and science outreach activities. She organized workshops to foster public enthusiasm for neuroscience research in the context of the Brain Awareness Week and she is actively seeking opportunities to engage with students to offer supervision and mentorship, including her latest contribution as a mentor in the BRAINYAC program. As chair of the Outreach and Communication Committee of CUPS, Martina aspires to build bridges between scientists of various disciplines and facilitate their engagement with the general public.

Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Dept of Pathology&Cell Biology

Marie holds a PhD in Neuroscience from ETH Zurich (Switzerland). She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at Columbia University in the Department of Psychiatry. In her work she uses in vivo methods and genetic tools to understand the neural circuits that regulate motor function.

Marie is also the Co-Founder and former member (& Chair; 2019) of the Outreach & Communications Committee (created Jan 1, 2019). She was the Founder and Editorial Manager of the CUPS Blog now run by the Outreach&Comms Committee. During her time in the O&C Committee, her top goal was to develop & expand some of its sections: Meet our Postdocs, Science Stories and Event Highlights as well as to engage in Outreach activities across NYC.

 Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Taub Institute

Adjunct Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Dermatology

Lecturer in the Discipline of Biological Science

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry

After finishing her PhD in the Netherlands, Maaike Schilperoort joined the Tabas laboratory at the Department of Medicine of CUMC as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist. Her research focuses on mitochondrial dynamics and metabolic regulation of macrophages in the context of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Aside from being in the lab, she enjoys sports (fitness training, hiking, and biking), eating breakfast, and listening to podcasts.

As co-chair of the Outreach and Communication Committee of CUPS, Maaike aspires to build bridges between scientists of various disciplines and facilitate their engagement with the general public.

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Systems Biology

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Medicine

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Physics

After completing my PhD in Neuroscience, I began my postdoctoral journey at Columbia University in June 2023 as a Research Scientist in the Department of Neurology. My research focuses on investigating cognitive impairments, particularly language deficits, in individuals with Multiple Sclerosis. This work aims to uncover the underlying mechanisms and improve understanding of how these impairments affect patients' daily lives.

After settling into this vibrant city, I sought opportunities to connect with others and expand my professional network. I began attending events organized by CUPS as a way to meet like-minded individuals and foster new relationships. These enriching experiences inspired me to take a more active role within the organization, and I soon joined the team as the Social Media Manager. In this capacity, I collaborate with colleagues to enhance community engagement and promote the society’s initiatives to support postdoctoral scholars at Columbia.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology; Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory

Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Radiation Oncology

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Chemistry

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute

Associate Research Scientist in the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

After obtaining my PhD at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, I crossed the pond in January 2023 to begin my postdoc at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in Andrew Yates' research group. In the field of Theoretical Immunology, I apply my mathematical toolkit to address immunologically relevant questions. My primary interest lies in understanding the interplay between the immune development and anti-viral responses in infants, as well as how immune memory is established after vaccination.
As a bit of a globetrotter, I have become accustomed to creating a 'family' away from home. CUPS has been a fantastic foundation for me to do so from the very beginning. After participating in several events during my first year, I decided to give back and have become involved in the executive committee

Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering

Adjunct Associate Research Scientist in the Taub Institute

Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Neurology

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Biomedical Engineering; Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Dept of Biomedical Engineering

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Dept Biochemistry/MolBiophyscs

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Systems Biology

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Biomedical Engineering

Assistant Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology at the Columbia University Medical Center

After obtaining the PhD in pharmacology at the University Clinic of Bonn (Germany), I joined Columbia University in January 2021 to study neuronal mechanisms of food intake in the Institute of Human Nutrition. Here I met other amazing postdocs actively involved in CUPS, so I decided to join this great team as secretary.

In my free time I love to play board games, pen-and-paper RPG, and videogames, knit, complain about NY pizza, and volunteer for a cat rescue association.

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Systems Biology, Department of Systems Biology

Dhru obtained a PhD in Cancer Biology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, TX. Currently he is an Associate Research Scientist at the Department of Biomedical Engineering where he studies the effect of bacterial toxins on lung cancer.

Within CUPS, Dhru serves as the chair of Research and Professional Development committee and as the section manager for the Art & Humanities on CUPS blog as part of the Outreach and Communication committee.

CUPS Research and Professional Development Alumni

I completed my PhD at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai. Since March 2024, I have been a Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia Psychiatry, where I study the mitochondrial and metabolic properties of neural circuits and their connections to psychosocial stress and health outcomes across the lifespan. Shortly after arriving in New York, I joined CUPS to connect with fellow researchers and contribute to creating a supportive and dynamic environment for postdocs. This has helped me open doors to exciting opportunities for community building. Since September 2024, I’ve been serving as Co- Vice President of CUPS for CUIMC. In this role, I work closely with an incredible team of colleagues to foster a sense of community among postdoctoral scholars. Together, we design and implement initiatives to enhance engagement, provide professional development opportunities, and create a supportive environment for navigating the postdoc life at Columbia.

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Neurology

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Pathology and cell Biology

Chloé Pasin is a Postdoctoral Reseach Scientist in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia University. Her research focuses on identifying immunologic factors associated with the evolution of the clinical state of a patient after hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Chloé is a member of the Outreach & Communications Committee and hopes to help improving women’s representation in STEM fields.

I'm working in neuroendocrinology at CUMC. During the day, I study eating disorders in mice. Being a postdoc often feels lonely, so after some time just talking to my mice, I decided to be part of some more human community and joined CUPS. I got to meet great people with fascinating life experience and supportive advice. I am pleased to take the lead of our society for the next year, and cannot wait to welcome all your eccentric and brilliant ideas to build a friendly and rich environment in Columbia. Looking forward to meeting you soon.

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Dept of Pathology&Cell Biology

 Adjunct Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Carlos is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Zuckerman Institute. After obtaining a PhD in Immunology from Cornell University, he joined the Polleux Lab to study the role of microglia in synaptic development. He is passionate about making scientific knowledge accessible to the general public, building trust in the scientific process and inspiring communities along the way. He currently serves as co-char of the Outreach & Communications Committee of CUPS.

Carlos B. Rueda Diez holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and a M.Sc. in Molecular Biomedicine from Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain). He is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Neurology at Columbia University, New York.

His research is focused on uncovering the molecular mechanisms of Glut1 deficiency, a pediatric neurodegenerative disease. His research interests are mitochondria, neurobiology and metabolism. Carlos is involved in STEM teaching and volunteers for educative purposes and is also interested in scientific divulgation, in order to bring research advances to public awareness.

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Dermatology

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Neurology, Department of Neurology

I am a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the field of (Theoretical) Immunology and am affiliated with the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology. My research focuses on delineating the mechanisms underlying the generation and maintenance of memory T cells, and on identifying decisions that determine their fate.

As the co-chair of CUPS O&C committee, I hope to translate new pieces of current science for educational purposes and for entertainment. In CUPS, I strive to create a comfortable and cohesive social environment where postdocs can collaborate on creative and interesting (amusing or absurd) projects.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Chemistry

 Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Dental Medicine

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology

Anderson SH Chu (HK) serves as a Principal Investigator (PI) at Columbia University. He got approved several grants and leads funded projects as the PI at Columbia University, centering on the physio-chemical-mechanical design, scaling-up production, functional design and practical applications of sustainable materials and resilient structures.

Chu earned his Ph.D. degree in Structural Engineering from The University of Hong Kong (HK), and received training from the University of Cambridge (UK) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) before joining Columbia University. According to Stanford University, he has been ranked into world’s top 2% scientists (world’s top 0.2% in Civil Engineering in 2022) since 2021. With a H-index of 28 and Scopus citation of 2000 (as of 2023), his original research findings have been disseminated in renowned journals, such as ACI Mater. J., Cem. Concr. Res., Cem. Concr. Compos., Eng. Struct., Compos. Struct., Addit. Manufact., Constr. Build. Mater., and Desalination.

Chu’s research interests in cement and concrete science revolve around: low carbon materials, resilient structures and functional design. He focuses on recovering low carbon cement from oceanic and waste resources, using it for carbon capture, utilization and storage, and ultimately data-driven design of functional composite materials. Based on physio-chemical-mechanical approaches, he engages in the development of bio-inspired concrete and infilled cementitious composites, in the realm of fiber reinforced concrete clusters, and incorporating functions such as microbial self-healing and underwater 3D printability. He employs an interdisciplinary combination of experimental and analytical techniques to facilitate interaction and knowledge transfer between academia and industry, with an eye on both basic and applied research. He has been involved in several practical projects and holds intellectual property rights for core technologies, all of which align with specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Chu’s commitment to advancing science is coupled by his active community services. He serves an editor for several journals, including an academic editor for Advances in Civil Engineering, and a research topic editor in Frontiers in Materials. He is a dedicated reviewer for a number of esteemed journals and delivered hundreds of high quality reviews. Regarding teaching, he has been a lead teaching assistant for Mechanics and Materials course, and a co-instructor for civil engineering courses. More importantly, he mentored over 60 undergraduate students, master students and Ph.D. students (co-mentored) across the US, the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong, many of whom are playing critical roles in universities, government, and the industries worldwide. Over the past decade, he established robust and extensive domestic and international collaborations with some of the most excellent researchers within the field and across different disciplines, including geotechnical engineering, material science, and environmental science. He is an Associate Member of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and a member of American Concrete Institute (ACI) with an involvement in Committees 239 and 544.

Beyond research, Chu participates in university governance and community leadership. He serves as the President (main campus) of Columbia University CUPS, where he chairs Advocacy since 2022. He has been appointed as a Columbia University Senate Member from 2023 onwards. Prior to it, he was elected as the President (Deputy) of the university-wide student association at The University of Hong Kong for a row of two years.

More information: Google Scholar, Columbia hub, Website

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry

Alban was trained as medical geneticist in France with a special interest in birth defect, hereditary hearing loss, autism spectrum disorder and exome sequencing. His research experience focused on monogenic diseases but also include oligogenic inheritance. He is a research associate in the Chung lab. He works on characterizing the natural history of several rare genetic disorders.

Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Medicine

Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Medicine

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Chemistry

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of English and Comparative Literature