ALUMNI OUT THERE SUCCEEDING. HERE FOR YOU.
UPPDA Executive Board members converse with Pitt doctoral alumni about their career trajectories and, following the question-and-answer format of the conversation, alumni answered questions from attendees. Learn about their occupations and career paths while also mastering how to conduct informational interviews so that you are prepared for the next stage of your own careers.
- Academia
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Alumnus
Position and Employer
Interviewer
Laurie Dearolf, PhD
Operations Manager, Orland Bethel Family Musculoskeletal Research Center
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February 21, 2025: Aru Gupta, PhD, (Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt graduate student, Laurie Dearolf, PhD, now the Operations Manager for the Orland Bethel Family Musculoskeletal Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh.
Bio: Dr. Laurie Dearolf, PhD is the Operations Manager for the Orland Bethel Family Musculoskeletal Research Center (BMRC). She received her PhD from the University of Pittsburgh Department of Bioengineering, and then completed postdoctoral training at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh/ University of Pittsburgh Department of Plastic Surgery.
Following academic training, Dr. Dearolf worked with The Perry Initiative, most recently serving as executive director for 8 years. The Perry Initiative’s mission focused on reducing gender disparity in orthopaedic surgery and related engineering careers through hands-on orthopaedic surgery outreach programs for more than 18,000 high school & medical students.
The BMRC is a newly established center at the University of Pittsburgh focused on leading-edge research in musculoskeletal disorders. Dr. Dearolf holds special interest in diversity, equity and inclusion in the field of orthopaedics, believing that diverse ideas brought forth by diverse investigators and clinician scientists are the key to creating breakthroughs in treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal diseases.
Aru Gupta, PhD
Natasha Tiltson, Lunel, PhD
Assistant Professor of Microbiology & Immunology, Indiana University
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May 8, 2024: Rachael Rush, PhD (School of Public Health, Dept. of Infectious Diseases & Microbiology) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt postdoctoral associate, Natasha Tilston-Lunel, PhD, now an independent principal investigator at Indiana University.
Bio: Dr. Natasha Tilston-Lunel is a molecular virologist interested in the interface between ecology and virushost interactions. Dr. Tilston received her PhD in Molecular Virology from the University of St Andrews, Scotland under the mentorship of the late Professor Richard M. Elliott. She then moved to the US in 2016 for her postdoctoral training with Professor Paul Duprex, initially at the NEIDL, Boston University followed by a couple of years at the Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh. During her postdoctoral training Dr. Tilston investigated the therapeutic use of defective interfering viral particles. During 2020 her work shifted towards developing a measles virus (MV) vectored vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2. Dr. Tilston was awarded a K99/R00 pathway to independence grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in late 2020 to focus on understanding the pathogenesis of various bunyaviruses. In September of 2022, Dr. Tilston moved to the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis to start her own lab as an independent principal investigator!
Rachael Rush, PhD
Jonathan Duvall, PhD
Research Biomedical Engineer with the Department of Veterans Affairs and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pittsburgh in the Human Engineering Research Laboratories
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February 20, 2024: Jianan Jian, PhD, (School of Medicine, Dept. of Urology) conducted an informational interview with Jonathan Duvall, PhD, now a Research Biomedical Engineer with the Department of Veterans Affairs and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pittsburgh in the Human Engineering Research Laboratories. Watch this session to learn about his journey and his current career!
Bio: Dr. Jonathan Duvall is a Research Biomedical Engineer with the Department of Veterans Affairs and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh in the Human Engineering Research Laboratories. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (2010), a master’s in Rehabilitation Science and Technology (2013) and a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences (2018) all from Pitt. Dr. Duvall’s research involves designing and evaluating assistive technology and conducting scientific research which increases the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities. He also co-founded PathVu, which evaluates and maps sidewalks and other pedestrian pathways for accessibility.
Jianan Jian, PhD
Inmaculada Hernandez, PharmD, PhD
Associate Professor, University of California, San Diego School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
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March 7, 2023: Tumader Khouja, PhD, MPH, (School of Medicine, Dept. of Medicine) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt graduate student, Dr. Inmaculada Hernandez, now an Associate Professor with tenure at the University of California, San Diego School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Bio: Dr. Inmaculada Hernandez is an Associate Professor with tenure at the University of California, San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She has published over 90 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts. Her research focuses on the use of administrative data in the study of pharmaceutical use, outcomes, and pricing. Hernandez has studied extensively the use of anticoagulation in stroke prevention. She has done important contributions to the study of pharmaceutical pricing. Prior to joining the University of California, she was faculty at the University of Pittsburgh. Before that, she obtained her PhD in Health Services Research and Policy from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.
Tumader Khouja, PhD, MPH
Santosh Chandrasekaran, PhD
Research Scientist, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research
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Jan. 25, 2023: Jianan Jian, PhD, (School of Medicine, Dept. of Urology) conducted an informational interview with Santosh Chandrasekaran, PhD, a Research Scientist at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research.
Bio: Dr. Santosh Chandrasekaran is really excited about artificial somatosensation. He seeks to combine principles of neuroscience and technical know-how of engineering to restore somatosensation in humans. He is a Research Scientist at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research with Chad Bouton’s group. Currently, the group is working on pairing transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation with intracortical brain computer interface (BCI) to bring about persistent improvements in dexterous movement and upper limb somatosensation in people with spinal cord injury.
Dr. Chandrasekaran trained as a neuroscientist under the mentorship of Dr. Alison Barth and Dr. Nathan Urban at Carnegie Mellon University. He studied plasticity in the rodent somatosensory cortex. After his PhD, he explored opportunities to be involved in sensory systems research that could have had a direct clinical impact. He joined the Rehab Neural Engineering labs at the University of Pittsburgh as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Lee Fisher. Here, he worked on using spinal cord stimulation to restore somatosensation to the missing hand in people with upper limb amputations.
He was always interested in working on BCI research aimed at restoring dexterous movement and somatosensation to the human hand in tetraplegia. Soon after joining the Feinstein Institutes, Dr. Chandrasekaran carried out the first ever study in humans that demonstrated stimulating sulcal areas of primary somatosensory cortex can evoke highly focal sensory percepts, even localized to the fingertips. This study is being cited as one of only four examples in the entire world that demonstrated evoking sensory percepts in the human hand through intracortical stimulation.
In his spare time, Dr. Chandrasekaran loves to read and go on hikes. He is also an avid rock climber and would regularly visit the Climbing Wall when he lived in Pittsburgh. He is moved towards hyper-local advocacy initiatives – approaching schools in underprivileged communities to encourage their students to apply for internships at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, write to NYC Parks to plant more trees in the neighborhood or install a Little Free Library for the neighborhood kids.
Jianan Jian, PhD
Katie Walsh, PhD
Senior Teaching Consultant, Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University (Education)
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June 2, 2020: The session featured Katie Walsh, Senior Teaching Consultant at the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University (Education).
Bio: Dr. Katie Walsh is a Senior Teaching Consultant at the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University. As a teaching consultant, Katie helps faculty and graduate students develop and hone their teaching practice by leveraging learning science research. She conducts one-on-one consultations on topics such as course design, implementing active learning, and writing a teaching philosophy statement. She develops and facilitates seminars on topics such as student motivation, assessment design, and inclusive teaching. In addition to her work with clients, Katie manages Eberly Center programs such as the Wimmer Faculty Fellows, Graduate Student Instructor Orientation, and internal professional development initiatives. Katie conducts and publishes research on topics that directly inform the work of teaching centers (e.g., evaluating teaching on the academic hiring process). One of the biggest perks of Katie’s job is getting to teach courses in the Carnegie Mellon’s History department. Katie holds a PhD in History from the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and a BA from Catawba College.
Ben Vincent, PhD
Alexander Ufelle, PhD
Assistant Professor, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
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May 20, 2020: This session featured Alexander Ufelle, PhD, Assistant Professor at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (education).
Bio: Dr. Alexander Ufelle has a PhD in Public Health (Environmental and Occupational Health - Molecular Toxicology) from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, a MPH (Environmental Health) from Western Kentucky University, and a MD from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor of Public Health in the Department of Public Health and Social Work at the Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. His current teaching responsibilities include four core courses and four “Environmental Health” track courses for the Masters of Public Health. His previous research work focused on the role of gender and osteopontin in the pathogenesis of silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis. He is a research outreach member of the “Pittsburgh Liver Research Center” with collaborative research on “the crosstalk between osteopontin and Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in liver regeneration and chemical-induced hepatocellular carcinoma.” He also maintains a research collaboration with the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH), working on the “pulmonary fibrotic potential of nanoclay composite during lifecycle.” Finally, his other research efforts focus on “the health effect of lead in children and the health effects of formaldehyde among students in the laboratory.” Alex completed postdoctoral training in the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health in 2016.
Daniel Jacobson Lopez, PhD
- Government
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Alumnus
Position and Employer
Interviewer
Tamala Gondwe, PhD, MPH
Epidemiologist, Pennsylvania Department of Health
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May 10, 2023: Chantele Mitchell-Miland, PhD, MPH, (School of Medicine, Dept. of Medicine) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt graduate student, Tamala Gondwe, PhD, MPH, now an Epidemiologist at the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Bio: Dr. Tamala Gondwe is an Epidemiologist at the Pennsylvania Department of Health. She earned her B.S. at the University of Maryland, College Park, followed by a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. Prior to her current position she obtained postdoctoral research training in Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and Emory University Rollins School of Public Health.
Chantele Mitchell-Miland, PhD, MPH
Alparslan Asan, PhD
Patent Examiner, Biotechnology Technology Center, US Patent and Trademark Office
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March 30, 2023: Vaishali Aggarwal, PhD, (School of Medicine, Dept. of Immunology) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt postdoctoral associate, Alparslan Asan, PhD, now a patent examiner in the Biotechnology Technology Center at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Watch this session to learn about his journey and his career!
Bio: Dr. Alparslan Asan is a patent examiner in the Biotechnology Technology Center at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Alp examines patent applications to determine whether a patent can be granted for various new inventions, many of which are on the cutting edge of tomorrow's technological breakthroughs. Alp is also currently studying law at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University Part-Time Evening Program. Prior to joining the USPTO, Alp earned his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology. In the Neumann Lab, his research involved modulating DNA repair pathways in cancer cells with novel therapeutics as a potential treatment for a subset of breast cancer patients. Prior to Pitt, Alp worked as a researcher at Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center and earned his BS from the University of Washington.
Vaishali Aggarwal, PhD
- Profit
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Alumnus
Position and Employer
Interviewer
Anne Sternberger, PhD
Associate Director of Scientific Affairs, PRIME® Education
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April 24, 2024: Shakti Dahiya, PhD, (School of Medicine, Dept. of Surgery) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt postdoctoral associate, Anne Sternberger, PhD, now a Associate Director of Scientific Affairs at PRIME® Education.
Bio: Dr. Anne Sternberger is an Associate Director of Scientific Affairs at PRIME® Education, an accredited provider of continuing medical education. She earned her B.S. at PennWest California, followed by a PhD in Molecular Plant Biology from the University of Ohio. Prior to her current position, she obtained postdoctoral research training in Evolutionary Ecology from the University of Pittsburgh Department of Biological Sciences. In her current role at PRIME®, Sternberger leverages real-world data, the latest clinical evidence, and innovative learning models to invoke positive change in health and wellness at the individual, system, and community levels. Sternberger specifically leads the Rare Disease and Ophthalmology therapeutic areas at PRIME®.
Shakti Dahiya, PhD
Aliyah Weinstein, PhD
Senior Marketing Program Manager at Stellaromics
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May 5, 2026: Jessica Nuwer, PhD (School of Medicine, Dept. of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt graduate student, Aliyah Weinstein, PhD, now a Senior Marketing Program Manager at Stellaromics. Watch this session to learn about her journey and her career!
Bio: Dr. Aliyah Weinstein is a Senior Marketing Program Manager at Stellaromics, the only company with a platform for true three-dimensional spatial transcriptomics. In this role, Aliyah leads marketing and promotional efforts for Stellaromics' Pyxa instrument. Aliyah earned a PhD in immunology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where she worked in Dr. Walter Storkus' lab studying immune cell trafficking into the tumor microenvironment and tertiary lymphoid structure formation in colorectal cancer. She also earned a Certification in STEM Teaching from Pitt's Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) and was involved in leadership of the Biomedical Graduate Student Association (BGSA) and the Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG). Since relocating to Boston, Aliyah has held scientific marketing roles at Addgene and Fortis Life Sciences, and as a Field Applications Scientist at Taconic Biosciences, before joining Stellaromics in June 2025. She also holds advisory board roles with the nonprofit organizations Letters to a Pre-Scientist and Women in the Enterprise of Science and Technology (WEST).
Jessica Nuwer, PhD
Kimberly Brothers, PhD
Medical Writer at Castle Biosciences, Inc
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April 7, 2026: Mary Cacace, PhD (School of Medicine, Dept. of Ob/Gyn & Reproductive Sciences) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt postdoctoral trainee and Research Assistant Professor, Kimberly Brothers, PhD, now a Medical Writer at Castle Biosciences, Inc. Watch this session to learn about her journey and her career!
Bio: Kimberly is a medical writer at Castle Biosciences with a strong commitment to advancing innovative therapies and diagnostic/prognostic tests that enhance patient care and outcomes. Her research background spans a range of therapeutic areas, including Oncology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Ophthalmology, Infectious Disease, and Dermatology. Throughout her career, she has contributed to numerous scientific publications and secured grant funding in both Ophthalmology and Orthopaedic Surgery. Kimberly earned her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from University of Maine and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh.
Mary Cacace, PhD
Arthi Shridhar, PhD
Scientific Program Lead and Senior Scientist at X-Therma Inc
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April 11, 2024: Diego Hernandez Espinosa, PhD (School of Medicine, Dept. of Neurobiology) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt graduate student, Arthi Shridhar, PhD, now a Scientific Program Lead and Senior Scientist at X-Therma Inc. Watch this session to learn about her journey and her career!
Bio: Dr. Arthi Shridhar has a unique background in the clinical translation of biomaterials and managed several high profile government grants through the Department of Defense and Industry partnerships through her postdoctoral position at University of Pittsburgh in the lab of Dr. Stephen Badylak. Currently serving as the Scientific Program Lead and Senior Scientist at X-Therma Inc., Arthi oversees the R&D (Biology) Applications at X-Therma Inc. where her major contribution is toward end-to-end experimental development and implementation of preservation strategies for a host of regenerative medicine applications. She also serves as a project manager for X-Therma’s collaborators and partners, providing scientific guidance and ensuring milestone completion. Most recently, she has delved into the regulatory space, where she is helping develop pre-clinical and clinical strategies for X-Therma’s products.
Diego Hernandez, MD, PhD
Julianne Baron, PhD, CPH, RBP
President and Owner of Science and Safety Consulting
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March 24, 2024: Megan Mahlke, PhD (School of Medicine, Dept. of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt graduate student, Julianne Baron, PhD, CPH, RBP, now the President and Owner of Science and Safety Consulting. Watch this session to learn about her journey and her current career!
Bio: Julianne L. Baron, PhD, CPH, RBP, is the President and Owner of Science and Safety Consulting, a woman-owned small business with specialized expertise in biosafety, biorisk management, public health, emergency preparedness, training development, and scientific communication. She has a PhD in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health. Dr. Baron completed a postdoctoral fellowship through the National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program (NBBTP) at the NIH in Bethesda, MD. She has obtained her Certified in Public Health (CPH) credential, is a Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP), and has professional certifications in both Biorisk Management and Cyberbiosecurity.
Megan Mahlke, PhD
Abby Stahl PhD
Scientific Advisor, Eli Lilly & Co
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February 6, 2024: Desire Casares Marfil, PhD, (School of Medicine, Dept. of Pediatrics) conducted an informational interview with Abby Stahl, PhD, now a Scientific Advisor in Genetic Medicine at Eli Lilly & Co.
Bio: Elizabeth (Abby) Stahl received her bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering and her PhD in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from the University of Pittsburgh. At the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, she studied tissue-resident macrophages during aging and lipidosis, as well as the host immune response to synthetic biomaterials and xenogeneic tissues in the laboratories of Drs. Bryan Brown and Andrew Duncan. After her PhD, she became a postdoctoral fellow at the Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley working under the guidance of Drs. David Savage and Jennifer Doudna. Efforts in the Doudna lab include engineering new methods of non-viral delivery of CRISPR-Cas9, with a focus on increasing genome editing efficacy and decreasing immunogenicity. Abby has received recognition and funding from the NIH for her work as well as the 2021 Postdoctoral Achievement award from UC Berkeley for service during the COVID-19 pandemic for developing a new diagnostic PCR test that was used for routine testing of the campus community. Abby recently accepted a Scientific Advisor role in Genetic Medicine at Eli Lilly & Co. in Boston, Massachusetts where she continues to perform discovery research and development of CRISPR therapeutics. Outside of the lab, Abby is passionate about teaching and mentorship in STEM, and has been involved with outreach programs for the past 10 years including Investing Now, Bay Area LEEDs, and the SEED Scholar program. Abby served as President of the BGSA in 2016 and has been invited to guest lecture on topics of immunology, CRISPR genome editing, and career development.
Desire Casares Marfil, PhD
Tolu Junaid, MD, PhD, BCMAS
Medical Director, Syneos Health
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April 18, 2023: Santiago Panesso, MD, (School of Medicine, Dept. of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt postdoctoral associate, Tolu Junaid, MD, PhD, BCMAS, now a medical director at Syneos Health. View this session to learn about her journey and career!
Bio: Dr. Tolu Junaid is a physician-scientist with extensive global experience in a variety of healthcare settings in Africa, Europe, and North America. She has over 14 years of diverse therapeutic experience in clinical practice, academia, and clinical research; most recently with Syneos Health as a Medical Director overseeing global Phase I - IV clinical studies.
Dr. Junaid has authored several publications, including a book chapter. Her educational accomplishments include MD (Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria), PhD Medicine (The University of Manchester, UK), postdoctoral fellowship (University of Pittsburgh, USA), and several professional certifications.
Dr. Junaid is passionate about improving the health of patients through research and development of safe innovative therapies. She has won various scientific awards, including Best New Investigator Awards and the Royal Society International Exchange Travel Award. She is a member of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP) and an affiliate member of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine.
Santiago Panesso, MD
Carroline Lobo, PhD
Associate Director of Health Economics and Outcomes Research, EMD Serono
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February 23, 2023: Arundhati Gupta, PhD, (School of Medicine, Dept. of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt graduate student, Carroline Lobo, PhD, now an Associate Director of Health Economics and Outcomes Research at EMD Serono.
Bio: Dr. Carroline Lobo is an Associate Director of Health Economics and Outcomes Research and supports the real-world evidence (RWE) efforts to drive product strategy for EMD Serono. Prior to joining her current organization, Carroline led RWE strategy for pre- and post-market assets at Cepheid.
Carroline received her PhD in Health Services Research and Policy from the School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh, where she gained extensive experience in designing RWE studies using large healthcare administrative claims databases. During her time at Pitt, she worked with a group of policy researchers who collaborated with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services to examine the impact of the opioid epidemic on the Pennsylvania Medicaid population. Her research on the opioid crisis earned her the Early Career Investigator Award at the Addiction Health Services Research conference in 2017. She has published extensively in several peer reviewed journals, including Journal of Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy, American Journal of Managed Care, Medical Care, and Pain Medicine.
Arundhati Gupta, PhD
Tim Keane, PhD
Co-Founder & CEO, TYBR Health
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February 1, 2023: Stephanie Mutchler, PhD, (School of Medicine, Dept. of Medicine) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt graduate student, Tim Keane, PhD, now the co-founder & CEO of TYBR Health, Inc.
Bio: Dr. Tim Keane is the co-founder & CEO of TYBR Health, Inc., in Houston, Texas. TYBR is a Y Combinator and NIH backed medical technology startup that develops tissue-protecting materials to preserve and restore tissue function after surgery. Prior to this, he completed Texas Medical Center’s Biodesign Fellowship, was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at Imperial College London, and was a NSF Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh. Tim holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering and PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh, where he trained under Dr. Stephen Badylak. He is co-inventor on 7 filed patents and has authored over 25 peer-reviewed publications garnering 2700+ citations.
Stephanie Mutchler, PhD
Ben Matta, PhD
Medical Science Liaison, G1 Therapeutics
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May 28, 2020: This session featured Ben Matta, Medical Science Liaison at G1 Therapeutics (for-profit).
Bio: Dr. Benjamin Matta is a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) with G1 Therapeutics. In his current role, Benjamin is responsible for engaging health care providers (physicians, nurses, pharmacists and research coordinators) in discussion on disease state and patient care management related to those cancer types targeted by molecules within G1’s pipeline. His role requires not only in-depth engagement with external stakeholders, but also active collaboration cross-functionally with internal stakeholders through various departments across the organization. Prior to his current role as an MSL with G1 Therapeutics, Benjamin held multiple positions within Medical Affairs at Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, including MSL and MSL/Medical Affairs Trainer going back to 2015. Before making the decision to cross over from academics to the pharmaceutical industry, Benjamin completed several years of postdoctoral research as a transplant Immunologist in the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute in the Department of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. This is also where he earned his PhD in the same setting, and both his doctoral and postdoctoral research focused on understanding immunoregulatory cell and cytokine-driven regulatory signaling pathways that might be harnessed to prevent solid organ and cellular transplant rejection. Benjamin made the transition to industry to be able to work directly with agents and therapies that had already received FDA approval and were providing benefit to patients dealing with devastating diagnoses, such as cancer.
Daniel Jacobson Lopez, PhD
Karen Carney, PhD
Senior Clinical Content Analyst, ClinicalPath
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May 7, 2020: This session featured Karen Carney, PhD, Senior Clinical Content Analyst at ClinicalPath (for-profit).
Bio: Dr. Karen Carney is a Senior Clinical Content Analyst at Elsevier. She works on the Clinical Path product, an EMR-integrated clinical decision support and analytics software tool. As a content expert she supports new commercial initiatives, develops and manages relationships with external partners, and facilitates the product’s international expansion. Collaborating closely with customers, key opinion leaders, and internal teams she works cross-functionally to define and deliver new product offerings. She also works at PittSciVelo as a Commercial Translation Associate. Here she helps researchers commercialize their health data innovations by defining intellectual property, assessing the market space and regulatory hurdles, raising funding, and driving teams through critical milestones in their commercialization roadmap. Prior to transitioning to industry, Karen was a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Her postdoctoral research explored the role of ion transporters in the progression of glioblastoma multiforme. Using cell and animal models, she tested the therapeutic potential of ion transporter inhibitors to reduce cancer invasiveness and extend survival. She was also actively involved in the leadership of the University of Pittsburgh Postdoctoral Association, the not-for-profit consulting firm Fourth River Solutions, and the Pitt Professional Development Consortium. Karen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biopsychology from Eckerd College, a Master of Science degree in behavioral and cognitive neuroscience from the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, and two PhDs in molecular neuroscience from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the Université de Bordeaux.
Carly Sombric, PhD
Daniel Belenky, PhD
Director of Learning Science Research, Learning Research and Design team at Pearson
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April 29, 2020: This session featured Daniel Belenky, PhD (education).
Bio: Dr. Daniel Belenky is the Director of Learning Science Research in the Learning Research and Design team at Pearson. His team synthesizes existing learning science research into actionable insights, creates a variety of communications for internal and external audiences based on those insights, and helps to develop and rigorously test new innovations based on that research. He collaborates with learning designers, product developers, editorial managers, data scientists, platform engineers, marketing, sales, and many other parts of the business to help embed efficacy and research throughout Pearson’s ways of working, as part of the company’s larger effort to help more learners learn more. Daniel received his PhD in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences and subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.
Alexus Patrice Brown, PhD
- Non-Profit
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Alumnus
Position and Employer
Interviewer
Olivia Anthony, PhD
Scientific Communications Manager, Susan G. Komen
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March 26, 2025: Jess Nuwer, PhD, (Pharmacology & Molecular Biology, School of Medicine) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt postdoctoral researcher, Olivia Anthony, PhD, now a scientific communications manager at Susan G. Komen.
Bio: Olivia Anthony, PhD, is a scientific communications manager at Susan G. Komen, a non-profit organization committed to addressing breast cancer on multiple fronts including research, community health, global outreach, and public policy initiatives. She earned her B.S. at the University of Minnesota in 2013 followed by a PhD in Cancer Biology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in 2020. Prior to joining Komen in 2022, she was postdoctoral research at the University of Pittsburgh where she investigated breast cancer metastasis. In her current role, Dr. Anthony serves as a subject matter expert to contribute to Komen’s patient education initiatives and partnership strategy.
Jess Nuwer, PhD
Corrie Tyne Berk, DNP, MBA
Director of Hepatology & Transplant Outreach Programs, Texas Liver Institute
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January 21, 2025: Tamara Kadi, MD (School of Medicine, Dept. of Medicine) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt postdoctoral associate, Corrie Tyne Berk, DNP, MBA, now Director of Hepatology & Transplant Outreach Programs, Texas Liver Institute.
Bio: Corrie Tyne Berk, DNP, MBA, is a healthcare leader and hepatology expert with extensive experience in liver transplant outreach and clinical program development. As the current Director of Hepatology & Transplant Outreach Programs at the Texas Liver Institute, she focuses on expanding liver specialty services to underserved communities and building strong relationships with healthcare professionals to improve patient access to liver care across Texas. Previously, she served as Clinical Director of Loma Linda’s Las Vegas Transplant Institute, where she grew transplant referrals and established vital community partnerships. Her clinical expertise spans liver transplantation, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, viral hepatitis and general hepatology. Her research contributions include publications on liver disease and transplant patient care. She is also a sought-after speaker and consultant, contributing to the advancement of hepatology practice through her work with industry leaders like Gilead, Salix, Madrigal, and Ipsen. Dr. Berk holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA in Healthcare from the Katz Graduate School of Business. Her professional affiliations include the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, as Chair of the Hepatology Associates Committee, and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.
Tamara Kadi, MD
Lycia Neumann, PhD
Senior Director of Health Services Research, Alzheimer's Association
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March 25, 2024: Chantele Mitchell-Miland, PhD, MPH, (School of Medicine, Dept. of Medicine) conducted an informational interview with former Pitt graduate student, Lycia Neumann, PhD, now the Senior Director of Health Services Research at the Alzheimer's Association. Watch this webinar to learn about her journey and her current career!
Bio: Lycia Neumann, PhD, is a member of the scientific team of the Alzheimer's Association as the Senior Director of Health Services Research. Before taking this role, she was a Senior Health Researcher and Evaluator at Highmark Wholecare, a Medicaid and Medicare managed care organization based in Pittsburgh, United States, and the Research and Evaluation Strategic Coordinator at Instituto Oncoguia, a Brazilian cancer patient advocacy organization.
With over 25 years of experience planning, managing, and evaluating health and social programs, Lycia has authored, reviewed, and coordinated publications about citizen-driven community development, evaluation of public policies and programs, aging, and population health.
Originally from Brazil, she moved with her family to the United States in 2015 to pursue a Ph.D. in Public Health - Behavioral and Community Health Sciences - at the University of Pittsburgh. She graduated in 2019, and along with her doctoral degree, she attained graduate certificates in the Evaluation of Public Health Programs and Latin America Social and Public Policy. Lycia is committed to helping organizations be more effective by using research and evaluation to inform decision-making and by establishing purposeful partnerships to strengthen the impact of their work. Her work interests are in healthcare policy and programs, global health, health disparities, caregiving, and aging, both as an applied researcher and evaluator.
Lycia Neumann has a master's degree in Public Administration from Dalhousie University in Halifax - Canada (2003) and two Bachelor's degrees in Business Administration (1997) and Social Communications (1992). She is a member of the editorial board of Innovation in Aging, one of the scientific journals of the Gerontological Society of America. In addition, she serves on the Advisory Council of the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging and the Board of Directors of Jeremiah's Place, a crisis nursery. Lycia is also a member of the American Society on Aging (ASA), the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), and the American Evaluation Association (AEA), and a former member of the Institute for Medicaid Innovation (IMI).
Chantele Mitchell-Miland, PhD, MPH