We are tremendously grateful to the speakers who share their expertise and experience with us each year during our annual IBS Career Day.
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Aisar Atrakchi, PhD 2020, 2023 
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Dr. Atrakchi is a Pharmacology/Toxicology Supervisor in the Office of Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), at the Food and Drug Administration. She joined the Agency in 1992 in the Division of Neuropharmacology Drug Products as a reviewer of drug applications for Neurology and Psychiatry indications. Dr. Atrakchi has been active as a member and Chair of a number of CDER and other Agency committees as well as Topic Lead on the ICH (International Council for Harmonization), Expert Working Group of Genotoxic Impurities, has contributed to a number of guidance documents for Industry and Reviewers, and has published in peer reviewed scientific journals. Dr. Atrakchi earned an MS in Pharmacology from the University of Montana in Missoula, and Ph.D. in Pharmacology/Toxicology from the University of California at Davis. Before joining the FDA she worked in a consulting firm as a Senior Toxicologist and Contracts Manager for the Environmental Protection Agency. She was a Fogarty International Fellow in the Lab of Biophysics, NIH and did a postdoctoral fellowship at the Department of Experimental Medicine at the George Washington University Medical School.
FDA Contact • Aisar Atrakchi on LinkedIn
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Amy Avila, PhD 2021 |
Dr. Avila received her Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from the University of Delaware in 1993 and her PhD in pharmacology from Georgetown University in 2003, with a focus in neuropharmacology. After completing her thesis research investigating the regulation of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, she conducted post-doctoral research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Avila worked in the Neurogenetics Branch studying the neuromuscular disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy and investigating pharmacological therapies using cell-based models and transgenic mouse models. In 2006, she joined the Food and Drug Administration as a pharmacologist/toxicologist reviewer in the Division of Psychiatry Products in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). She has been an active member of committees involved in developing and promoting advanced scientific education for reviewers within CDER and evaluating the utility of New Approach Methodologies into the drug review paradigm. |
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Nicole Bonan, PhD 2024
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Nicole is a recent graduate of the Cancer Biology program in IBS. Her PhD project focused on NK cell therapies to treat cancer, and she is continuing in this field at Miltenyi Biotec, where she started work as a Research Scientist I in November 2022 in Gaithersburg, MD. Miltenyi is best known for their cell separation, culture, and flow cytometry products, and they also have a preclinical RND department that aims to develop cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune disease. Before GW, Nicole graduated with a BS in Biochemistry (2016) and an MS in Biology (2018) from American University. Her previous research included MAPK signaling in the context of skin cancer. In her free time, Nicole enjoys running and being outdoors! Company Website • Company Job Search • Sample Job Announcement |
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Adriana Bora, PhD 2023
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With a B.S. in Physics at University of Bucharest, Dr. Bora graduated her PhD in Neuroscience in 2009 from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne where she studied structural and functional analysis of brain peptides with role in neurotransmission and cell-cell signaling in the laboratory of Jonathan Sweedler. She continued with her post-doctoral training in clinical neurology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Neurology Department where she focused on biomarkers research of HIV-Associated Neurological Disorders, Parkinson, Multiple Sclerosis, and other neurological disorders. In 2018, Dr. Bora transition to industry as Medical Science Liaison in Neurology working for Sanofi Genzyme where she continues her career growth. |
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Jaclyn Brennan, PhD 2022 
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Dr. Brennan received her B.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Virginia Tech, her M.S degree in Bioengineering from the University of Oklahoma, and her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from The George Washington University with a focus on cardiac electrophysiology. She is an alumnus of the Whitaker International Fellowship program which she used to study cardiac cell mechanotaxis at Ecole Polytechnique in France. During her Ph.D., she founded GW COMPASS, a graduate student professional development organization dedicated to highlighting post-graduate career opportunities for scientists and engineers. She also cofounded the GW SciPolHub, GW’s official chapter of the National Science Policy Network (NSPN) which seeks to engage early career scientists and engineers with policy making through professional, social, and educational events. Dr. Brennan’s interests at the intersection of science and policy led her to her current role as a health policy fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives. She serves in the office of Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA-18), the Chairwoman of the Health Subcommittee within the Energy and Commerce Committee. AMSE Bioengineering Fellowships • AAAS Fellowships & Eligibility • Jaclyn Brennan on LinkedIn |
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Katherine Bricceno, PhD, RAC 2024 
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Katherine earned her PhD from the IBS program at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She was part of the Graduate Partnership Program at the National Institutes of Health and did her dissertation research with animal and cellular models of spinal muscular atrophy, a rare neurological disease. She also interned in policy and communication offices at NIH. After graduation, she worked in medical communications at the non-profit Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies. She now works as an associate director in the medical writing group at Biogen supporting the development of treatments for various neurological and immunological disorders. This group produces documents describing the company’s scientific and medical research for review by regulatory agencies (e.g., US Food and Drug Administration). |
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Rachel Burga, PhD 2021 
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Rachel is a biomedical engineer and immunologist, with a keen interest in developing innovative cancer therapies. She obtained her training in bioengineering from Columbia University, where she was drawn to the field of cell and tissue engineering. After additional years in research developing genetically modified CAR-T cells for liver metastases, she realized her passion truly lay in cancer immunotherapy, and she joined the IBS program at GW. During her PhD, Rachel was co-mentored by Dr. Cath Bollard and Dr. Rohan Fernandes, where her dissertation research focused on generating enhanced nano-immunotherapies for solid tumors. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University’s Neurosurgery department, developing genetically modified cell and RNAi therapies from brain tumors, Rachel continued to pursue her passion for developing novel cell therapies in her role as Senior Scientist at Obsidian Therapeutics, a small biotech company focused on regulatable cell and gene engineered products. As of 2022, Dr. Burga is now a Principle Scientist at Obsidian Therapeutics. |
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Mindy Goldsborough, PhD 2023 
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Mindy is currently a life sciences consultant in product and technology development. She recently retired from her Chief Scientific Officer position at ATCC (American Type Culture Collection) where she was responsible for the development and implementation of scientific and technology strategy. Prior to the CSO role, Mindy was the Vice President and General Manager of the ATCC cell biology and microbiology businesses. Throughout her tenure at ATCC, she sat on the Executive Leadership, Corporate Business Development, IP and Legal Teams, and was the Chair of the Science and Technology Council. Before joining ATCC, Mindy was the Director of R&D for BD Biosciences Advanced Bioprocessing Division and prior to that role she was the Director of R&D for the BD Bioscience Bioimaging Business. Prior to BD, Mindy spent her early career in a series of positions of increasing responsibility at Life Technologies after completing her Ph.D. in Genetics from The George Washington University in 1985. |
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Nick Hand, PhD 2020 
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Dr. Hand graduated from Bath University in UK in 2003 with an 'Applied' (1 year industry experience) Biochemistry undergraduate degree. He then worked as a research technician for 5 years at Johns Hopkins University in the Oncology Dept, gaining experience in 2 different labs. Following his time at Hopkins, he enrolled in the GW IBS program, earning a PhD in Microbiology & Immunology. After receiving his doctorate, he got a contracting position at GSK for 1 year in the Analytical R & D department, then contracted in Downstream for 1 year and was made permanent in 2019. |
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Carrie House, PhD 2020, 2021, 2022 
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Dr. House is an Assistant Professor of Cancer Biology at San Diego State University (SDSU) and a member of the Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego. She earned her BS in Biology from George Mason University and her PhD in Molecular Medicine from The George Washington University. She completed a Postbaccalaureate fellowship at the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the National Cancer Institute. Her research is dedicated to improving cancer outcomes by studying mechanisms of therapy resistance and disease relapse. Specifically, she examines the role of the tumor microenvironment and cancer stem cells in mediating survival and drug resistance in ovarian and breast cancers. While at NIH she received a Fellows Award for Research Excellence two years in a row, the prestigious Postdoctoral Research Training (PRAT) Award, and the Sallie Rosen Kaplan Postdoctoral Fellowship for Women Scientists. She received an NCI K99/R00 Transition to Independence Award and is a Co-Leader of an Obesity in Cancer Research Project funded by the National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities. Company Recruiting Contact • Sample Job Announcement (non-tenure) • Sample Job Announcement (tenure) • Carrie House on LinkedIn • The House Lab |
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Michelle D. Jones-London, PhD 2022 
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Dr. Michelle D. Jones-London serves as Chief, Office of Programs to Enhance Neuroscience Workforce Diversity (OPEN). In this position, she plays a critical role in guiding the Institute’s diversity efforts. Dr. Jones-London joined NINDS as a Program Director in 2006. Dr. Jones-London earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. She then received postdoctoral training as a research fellow at University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Jones-London came to the NIH in July 2004 as an Emerging Leader Fellow; she performed duties across the Department of Health and Human Services including the Center for Scientific Review, FDA Office of Women's Health Science Program, and the Immediate Office of the Secretary, Intergovernmental/Tribal Affairs Office. Her trans-NIH efforts include oversight for the NIH Blueprint ENDURE and DSPAN (F99/K00) programs, the BRAIN Initiative Diversity K99/R00, former Project Scientist for the NIH National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) and part of the leadership team for NIH Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST). Her research interests have focused on understanding monoaminergic neurotransmitter regulation and mechanisms of behavioral psychopharmacology in animal models of disorders such as ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, and depression. Company Recruiting Contact • Sample Job Announcement • Michelle Jones-London on LinkedIn
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Sophia Kaska, PhD 2024 
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Dr. Sophia Kaska is the Manager of Science Policy and Research Affairs at Endocrine Society where she works to advance the Endocrine Society’s policy priorities and activities and advocates for increased funding for biomedical research. Prior to joining the Endocrine Society, she worked at a nonprofit medical and health advocacy alliance where she coordinated efforts for scientific society CEOs to gather and exchange timely policy news and information and oversaw a program where she supported science policy and communication initiatives by early career scientists. Currently, she serves on the Science Policy Committee for the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and the Advocacy Committee for the National Postdoctoral Association. She earned a dual major PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology and Environmental Toxicology at Michigan State University and completed postdoctoral research in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Kentucky. Her research background encompasses opioid addiction, depression, and drug discovery. |
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Erik Karmele, PhD 2024 
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Erik Karmele received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Cincinnati. In 2019, he earned his Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the George Washington University – National Institutes of Health Graduate Partnerships Program. His graduate work investigated the consequences of IL-13 regulation by IL-13Rα2 on the induction and recovery phases of mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease. He continued his training in immunology as a postdoctoral fellow in the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, studying the role of IL-33 signaling in colonic dendritic cell maturation and function. Erik joined AstraZeneca in the fall of 2021. He is currently a Senior Scientist in Bioscience Immunology at AstraZeneca in Gaithersburg, MD where his work is focused on identifying and developing novel therapies for autoimmune disease indications. Recruiter: Julie Burrell • Company Website • Sample Job Announcement |
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Zachary Klase, PhD 2023, 2024 
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Zachary A. Klase, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology at Drexel University College of Medicine. He comes to Drexel from the University of the Sciences, where he was Associate Professor and Interim Assistant Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences. He received his PhD training at the George Washington University Medical Center (GWUMC) under Fatah Kashanchi, studying the effects of RNA interference on HIV-1 infection. He trained as a postdoc at the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease under Drs. Kuan-Teh Jeang and then Jason Brenchley, studying transcriptional control of HIV and microbial translocation and immune dysfunction in SIV-infected non-human primates. His research group focuses on the overlap between HIV-1 pathogenesis, substance misuse and cure strategies with a particular eye toward epigenetics and small RNA. HR Contact • Postdoc Posting • Staff Scientist Posting • Faculty Posting (R) • Faculty Posting (T) |
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Elizabeth Necka, PhD 2020 
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Elizabeth Necka is a Program Officer and the Program Chief of the Behavioral Science of Mental Disorders and Aging Program in the Geriatrics and Aging Processes Research Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health. Liz joins NIMH through the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship, where she is working to advance recognition in the federal government of the contribution of the behavioral and social sciences. Dr. Necka received her Ph.D., as well as her master’s, in psychology from the University of Chicago. While there, she worked in Greg Norman’s lab, where her dissertation research examined the relations between hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle and women’s perceptions of and behaviors towards others. Prior to joining NIMH, Liz worked as an intramural postdoc in the Affective Neuroscience and Pain Lab in the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. |
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Jiaqi O'Reilly, PhD 2024 
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Dr. Jiaqi O'Reilly (she/her) is a Health Program Specialist in the Repair and Plasticity Cluster at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS/NIH). She has a B.A. in Africana Studies and a B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Miami where she studied the epigenetic mechanisms underlying schizophrenia. Jiaqi received a Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine from The George Washington University, concentrating on neuroscience. Her work examined neuroplacentology and GABAergic signaling, and she continued this line of investigation as a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University Irving Medical Center before joining NINDS in 2021. Jiaqi is currently on detail, as an advisor to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. |
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Shabnum Patel, PhD 2020 
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Shabnum Patel, PhD is the Director of CMC and Technical Operations in the Center for Cancer Cell Therapy at Stanford University. Her interests are in the scale-up and translation of immuno-oncology research into Phase I/II clinical trials, with a focus on novel manufacturing platforms, product characterization technologies, and gene editing. She has worked extensively in the GMP field for cell therapy, focusing on the development and characterization of virus-specific T cell therapies and gene-modified cell therapies, and has published in each of these fields with an emphasis on HIV and cancer. She has experience building GMP CAR T operations within academia, working with CMOs and academic GMP facilities to tech transfer programs, conduct engineering and process qualification runs, and set up the infrastructure to support clinical manufacturing programs. Finally, she has worked with clinical and regulatory teams to contribute to CMC sections, develop appropriate documentation and SOPs to support clinical manufacturing needs, and train employees on critical procedures. Company Contact • Shabnum Patel on LinkedIn
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Derrick D. Rowe, PhD, JD 2023 
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Dr. Derrick Rowe is Of Counsel in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where his practice focuses on patent prosecution and counseling designed to help clients protect their intellectual property rights both domestically and internationally in the life sciences, biotechnology, molecular biology, pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and medical device fields. Derrick has extensive experience and has developed his practice in view of his experience in private practice as well as an in-house counsel at a large pharmaceutical company where he provided patent, contract, regulatory, and strategic counseling for pharmaceuticals and vaccines (including for multiple marketed products and related strategic partnerships). Derrick is the author or co-author of eight peer-reviewed scientific articles and several published legal articles. He has also served as speaker/panelist/moderator in multiple life science settings and has guest lectured at a U.S. law school on the topic of Intellectual Property Licensing Law. Patent Agent Page / PA Life Sciences • Patent Agent Careers • PALS Tuition Program |
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Indra Sarabia, PhD 2022, 2023 
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Indra got her bachelor's of science in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2015. She received her PhD in Immunology and microbiology from the George Washington University in 2021, under the mentorship of Dr. Alberto Bosque. Her thesis work focused on in vitro tools for HIV-1 Research, and this work was supported by the Ruth L Kirschstein pre-doctoral F31 fellowship (NIH NIAID). Indra started working in industry shortly after graduating, and is currently working as a contractor at Janssen, in the discovery immunology department. Company Recruiting Contact • Sample Job Announcement • Indra Sarabia on LinkedIn
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Elizabeth Stivison, PhD 2021 
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Dr. Stivison loves all kinds of science. She is currently a post doc at Vanderbilt University, working on inositol signaling in the lab of Ray Blind, and a careers columnist for ASBMB, writing about academic careers. She got her PhD in 2019 at Columbia University, studying DNA repair in the lab of Lorraine Symington. Before grad school, she spent a few years as a technician at Massachusetts General Hospital studying brain tumors. She also spent some time working on tall ships studying and teaching about oceans and rivers. She currently lives in Nashville (very far from the ocean) with her adorable and enthusiastic dog, Milo. |
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Kelsey Sugrue, PhD 2020, 2021, 2022 
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Dr. Sugrue works at Palladian Partners, Inc., where she serves as a senior science writer on major communications contracts, including various Institutes, Centers, and Offices of the National Institutes of Health. She was trained as a developmental biologist, earning her B.S. in Molecular/Cellular Biology from Saint Mary’s College Notre Dame and her Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine from George Washington University. She conducted her dissertation research and held a postdoctoral position at the Children’s National Medical Center. As a science writer, Kelsey gets to put her passion in practice by translating complex scientific information into plain language for multiple audiences. She writes and edits scientific content for websites, social media, and print while adhering to each client’s priorities and specifications. She also works with leaders at NIH, including the director of NHLBI and the CEO of the All of Us Research Program, to develop presentations for their speaking engagements and provides strategic support for developing graphics, presentation templates, and speeches. Company Contact • HR: recruiting@altarum.org • Sample Job Announcement • Kelsey Sugrue on LinkedIn
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Russell Williams, PhD 2022 
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Russell is a scientist with experience in biotech industry research and development, especially large-scale assay development using next-generation sequencing. After receiving his Ph.D. from George Washington University and finishing a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, he joined the R&D team at GeneDx, a clinical genetic testing firm. He then joined Leidos Biomedical Research as Genomics Team Lead, overseeing the technical execution of large-scale microarray and sequencing studies for the NCI. He is now a Senior Scientist at Meso Scale Diagnostics, where he is applying sequencing methods to optimize DNA nanosensors for their commercial assays. |
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