Leadership

Mahal is a PhD student in the Evolution, Ecology & Population Biology program. She works in the lab of Dr. Rachel Penczykowski, where she studies (1) how urbanization alters soil abiotic and biotic properties and (2) the consequences of these altered properties on plant communities. She received her BS in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from Agnes Scott College. Her undergraduate research was in the lab of Dr. Jaap de Roode at Emory University, where she studied how host diet may impact both the gut microbiome and parasitic resistance of monarch butterflies. Mahal is eager to provide feedback on all types of scientific communication.

Areas of expertise: Ecology & Evolution · Microbiology  · Soil Science

Anna is a graduate student in Gautam Dantas’ lab studying development of the infant gut microbiome and how commensal bacteria influence Clostridioides difficile pathogenesis. Her previous research focused on using protein crystallography to investigate how Bacteroides and other gut commensals degrade dietary fibers. Anna enjoys helping others communicate their research and has experience writing and editing grants, fellowship applications, and manuscripts.

Areas of expertise: Biochemistry & Biophysics · Computational Biology · Microbiology · Molecular Biology

Skyler is a graduate student in the Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis program. She is currently in the lab of Dr. Christina Stallings where she researches the innate immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and proteins involved in myeloid cell development. She is very passionate about scientific communication to the public and has experience writing and editing manuscripts and grant applications.

Areas of expertise: Cell Biology · Immunology · Microbiology · Molecular Biology

Eylül is a PhD student in the Molecular Genetics and Genomics program. She is currently in the process of picking her thesis lab. Her undergraduate research in the Djuranovic Lab focused on protein synthesis optimization through early-elongation codon alterations. Outside of lab, Eylül enjoys hammocking in Forest Park, scootering around, and baking Turkish treats.

Areas of expertise: Cell Biology · Genetics · Microbiology · Molecular Biology · Scientific Schema Design

Daphne is a graduate student in the Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis program. She is currently a first-year student doing rotations, but her primary research interests lie in microbial pathogenesis. Daphne has a strong interest in science communication and writing.

Areas of expertise: Immunology · Microbiology

Alyssa is a PhD student in the Neurosciences program. She earned degrees in Biology and Psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2019. Her current research focuses on understanding the organization of networks within individual human brains using fMRI techniques and understanding how these networks may be altered in psychiatric illness. Alyssa has experience writing and editing manuscripts, conference abstracts, and grant applications.

Areas of expertise: Neuroscience · Scientific Schema Design

Ilana is an MD/PhD student in the Immunology program. Her current research interests include the gut microbiome and immunology. Ilana has experience editing manuscripts, grants, personal statements, and creative pieces. She is passionate about all forms of communication and enjoys working directly with people during presentation consultations.

Areas of expertise: Microbiology · Immunology

Monica is the science communication specialist of the Center for Health & Science Communication at Becker Library, bringing forth decades of academic research experience to serve our community of students, trainees, faculty, and staff. Before shifting gears to her current position, Monica enjoyed many years as an experimentalist in biophysics, structure/function and pharmacology of membrane transporters and ion channels. She earned a Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Barcelona, and following postdoctoral training in UCLA, she joined the research-track faculty at the School of Medicine, first in Cell Biology & Physiology, and later in Anesthesiology.

Monica believes the transfer of knowledge is the biggest responsibility we have as scientists, and she has always found all aspects of our profession having to do with communication enormously gratifying. Monica has a passion for writing, reviewing and editing, and she looks forward to helping you achieve excellence in science communication!

Areas of expertise: Science Communication · Biochemistry & Biophysics · Molecular Biology · Electrophysiology  · Pharmacology

Kathleen is a Research Assistant Professor in the Neurology department, focused on investigating therapeutic targets in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Her scientific editing experience includes serving as a co-instructor for the WashU Amgen/BP-ENDURE undergraduate writing workshop, mentoring WashU trainees within the NIH Grant Writing course, and completing an editing course through University College. She has experience in manuscript and grant writing and is willing to review all types of communication. After founding InPrint in 2017, Kathleen served as its Editor-in-Chief until January 2021.

Areas of expertise: Cell Biology · Neuroscience