Leadership

President

Emily Isko

(she/her)

I am a 4th year graduate student in the School of Biological Sciences. I received my B.A. in Music and Neuroscience from Amherst College in 2018. At Amherst, I completed an honor’s thesis studying zebrafish hair cells, analogous in structure and function to hair cells in the cochlea necessary for human hearing. After graduation, I worked at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at NIH studying the role of the microbiome in the genetic and metabolic disease of methylmalonic acidemia. Here at CSHL, I am combining my interests in neuroscience, developed at Amherst, and bioinformatics, developed at NHGRI, in my thesis research to look at the connectome and transcriptome differences underlying singing behavior observed in the singing mouse (Scotinomys teguina). Outside of lab, I enjoy attending dance classes, listening to a variety of music, and playing clarinet in a chamber group on campus.

Vice President

Hoda Ansari

(she/her)

I am a graduate student at CSHL School of Biological Science. I study the sensory integration of social encounters in rodents and how affective signals shape sensory responses to social cues. I graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, where I studied psychology and music, followed by a Masters in cognitive neuroscience at University College London. I then spent three years at Schneider Lab at New York University as a research assistant studying how the brain learns from the past to make predictions about the future. My hobbies include singing, discovering quaint cafes, and picnics with my dog when it is not frigid.

 

Co-Chair of Outreach

Sessen Daniel Iohannes

(she/her)

Sessen Daniel Iohannes is a 3rd year PhD student at the School of Biological Sciences. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Pisa (Italy) and her master’s degrees in Molecular Biotechnology and Agricultural Sciences from the University of Pisa and Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Italy). During her master’s studies she became interested in plant genomics and worked on the genomics of local adaptation of a grass called teff. She was involved in a science communication and outreach initiative called Progetto Biotecnologico aimed at bringing biotechnology to local high schools and the public in Pisa. She is currently a coordinator of the African Researchers Network within the American Society of Plant Biologists. 

Co-Chair of Outreach

Marygrace Trousdell

(she/her)

After receiving bachelor's degrees in math and biology from the University of Rhode Island, I joined the dos Santos lab as a bioinformatician in 2019. In this role, I programmatically develop, optimize, and implement pipelines to analyze high-throughput sequenced datasets in order to better understand various aspects of breast cancer initiation and progression. I am passionate about getting people excited about science and promoting equity in STEM. In my spare time, you can find me on the volleyball court, in my art studio, or on my peloton.

Sub-Chair of Outreach

Khue Tran

(she/her)

Hi, I’m Khue and I’m excited to be a part of the Outreach team here at WISE. I’m a graduate student in the Koulakov lab where I study birds and olfaction. I lived in Austin, Texas before moving here and prior to that, I was born and raised in Vietnam. My greatest joy in life is sleeping, followed by spending time with my cat while doing as little as possible.

Sub-Chair of Outreach

Michael Ciccone

(he/him)

After I received my bachelors in Biology with a specialization in developmental genetics from Stony Brook University in 2018, I joined the dos Santos lab as an intern. In 2019, I enrolled in the Cell Biology and Biochemistry Master’s program at Stony Brook while continuing to work in lab and graduated in 2020. Currently, I am a Research Technician III and building manager in the dos santos lab. My projects focus on mammary gland development during pregnancy and breast cancer development by utilizing mouse and human mammary gland-derived organoids. When I’m not in lab some of my hobbies are gardening, cooking, building Legos and caring for my Pixie frog named Soup!

Co-Chair of Development

Viet Hang Le

(she/her)

Hang joined CSHL as a Postdoc in 2021. She completed her BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences at The University of Nottingham. She obtained her PhD degree from The University of Aberdeen, where her research focused on axon guidance in the visual system during early embryonic development. Currently, her studies revolve around understanding the mechanism of seizures in brain disorders, including the interaction between neurons and cancer. Having been fortunate enough to receive training in different parts of the world, Hang is always aware of the challenges and rewards of being a woman in science. As a result, she dedicates her time to serving as the Co-Chair of In-House Education, with the goal of raising awareness about equality and inclusivity within the Lab. Her hope is to encourage more individuals to share their opinions and foster understanding among everyone in the lab, regardless of gender or origin.

 

Co-Chair of Development

Kristina Shaw

 

Co-Chair of In-House Education

Janeen Brained

(she/her)

I am a computational post-doc in the Ware Lab. I received my doctorate degree at Zhengzhou University in Zhengzhou, China. As a Ph.D. student, my primary focus was to understand instabilities occurring during reproduction and flowering time in diploid, haploid, and polyploid plant species. Currently, my research focuses on understanding gene regulatory networks which control nutrient-used efficiencies in crop plants. Apart from my research endeavors, I am passionate about teaching and communicating science to non-scientist and young future scientists. Thus, prior to my post-doctorate studies, I was a middle high school biology teacher in Nassau, Bahamas. Here, I developed a passion for teaching and a commitment to uplifting children and young adults within local communities.

Co-Chair of In-House Education

Zhezhen Yu

(she/her)

Zhezhen is a graduate student at Wigler and Levy labs, pursuing her PhD in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program at Stony Brook University. Her research focuses on human genetics, genomics, and the development of novel sequencing technologies, and her work integrates experimental and computational approaches. She has also obtained an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Science Communication from Stony Brook University.  Beyond her academic endeavors, she finds pleasure in hiking, experimenting with new baking recipes, and exploring art exhibitions. She aspires to foster a more inclusive environment in science and engineering with the WiSE community.

Co-Chair of In-House Education

 

Emma Courtney

(she/her)

Co-Chair of Communications

Debora Tenenbaum

(she/her)

I am a postdoc in the Kinney lab, where I am using biophysical and computational tools to understand how DNA sequence controls transcription in bacteria. I received my PhD in Physics from Brandeis University in 2022. For my dissertation, I used single-molecule microscopy experiments to study the molecular mechanisms underlying bacterial transcription. Before that, I received my Bachelor and M.Sc. in Physics from the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina). I strongly believe that the advancement of science is a collective effort, one that benefits enormously from the diversity of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. I have planned and executed multiple outreach activities aimed to broadening participation of women and Latinx people in STEM disciplines. In my free time I enjoy dancing, crocheting, and traveling.

 

Co-Chair of Communications

Kenneth Addison

(he/him)

I am the lab manager for the Tuveson Lab.  I received my biomedical engineering degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) in 2012.  I have over 10 years of experience managing and helping research labs operate efficiently and effectively.   I began working on asthma research at Duke University shortly after graduating from UNC.  I then took a lab manager position at the University of Arizona where I worked from 2015-2020, continuing work in the pulmonary field.  In 2020, I moved back to the east coast where I began my position at CSHL, now studying pancreatic cancer.  My hobbies include playing soccer, sailing, painting, and cooking!  I am very grateful for the opportunity to join the WISE team and help support equity and representation in STEM.

 

Co-Chair of Communications

Shirsa Palit

(she/her)

Fascinated by the remarkable adaptability of plants to changing climatic conditions, I currently serve as a postdoc at the Pedmale lab, delving into the molecular basis of plant responses to environmental cues. My academic journey, spanning from Kolkata to Pune, includes notable achievements in Bangalore, Allahabad, and a PhD at IISER Pune, where I explored the role of secretory peptides in plant development. Thrilled to contribute to WiSE, I aspire to foster a supportive environment for diverse emerging scientists. Outside the lab, I indulge in writing, reading, and nature photography during my spare time.

 

Co-Chair of Professional Development

Alexandria Battison

(she/her)

I am a postdoctoral fellow at Cold Spring Harbor in the Borniger Lab studying neuron-tumor interactions. I received my PhD from the University of Connecticut in Physiology and Neurobiology where I used mass spectrometry and proteomics to investigate the synaptic mechanisms of gabaergic neurotransmission. Following graduate school, I did a postdoc in Chemistry at Yale University where I studied mucin-type O-glycosylation in Alzheimer's Disease. In my time outside of the lab I am an avid equestrian and own a horse named Kit Kat. I also run a small business training horses and teaching people to ride! I am very excited to now be a part of the Cold Spring Harbor community and be a member of WiSE!

 

Co-Chair of Professional Development

Yunxin Xie

(she/her)

I am a graduate student at the School of Biological Sciences at CSHL. I received my bachelor’s degree from Tsinghua University (China), where I studied biological sciences with a specific interest in transcription regulation. I am intrigued by every aspect of matter giving rise to life, from self-organizing molecules to collective behaviors of animals. I believe in multidisciplinary approaches to solving the puzzles in nature, and I hope to make the knowledge and tools more accessible. In my spare time, I enjoy vocal arts, calligraphy and random reading.

 

Co-Chair of Mental Health

Rabia Gondur

(she/her)

I am a Computational Research Scientist at the Cowley lab. I received my B.S. in Integrative Neuroscience with a concentration in cellular and molecular neuroscience and my M.S. in Data Science from Fordham University. During my Masters, my research focused on augmenting latent variable models to work with data from two modalities using Gaussian processes, variational autoencoders, and deep neural networks. Currently I am working on building machine learning models to better understand the underlying computations of the brain.

 

Co-Chair of Mental Health

Sadia Rahman

(she/her)

Currently, I am a research technician at the Shea lab at CSHL. Previously, I completed my masters at the City College of New York in cellular biology, studying novel DNA repair abrogations in the mouse auditory system. In my time there, I spent a lot of time in positions of mentorship with undergraduate graduate students, as well as working in a collaborative club that advocated for minorities and women in STEM to succeed in their careers, regardless of what that may be, as well as outreach. Currently, I work on how different neural circuits play a role on maternal behavior. In my free time, I enjoy finding new places to eat, taking long walks, and nearly any hobby that involves doing something with my hands.

 

Chair of Website Development

CiCi Zheng

(she/her)

I am a 4th year Ph.D. student at CSHL School of Biological Science. I study functional networks in nature, like leaf venations or neural networks. My research involves developing quantitative tools to characterize networks, and deriving algorithms inspired by nature that potentially serve as better engineering solutions. I graduated from the College of William and Mary with math and biology degrees in 2020, and have since wanted to apply math and computational tools to understand biological phenomena. I believe scientific reasoning and mathematical logic can empower us to become better thinkers. In my spare time, I am an amateur barista and I devour novels.

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