Executive Committee
PDAEC Co-Chair: Lara Alvarez de Lacerda, Ph.D
Lara is a Susan G. Komen Postdoctoral Fellow, training with Dr. Wendy A. Woodward in the Department of Radiation Oncology. Her research focuses on the role of the tumor microenvironment in regulating the equilibrium among breast cancer stem cells, progenitor, and differentiated cells.
PDAEC Co-Chair: Melissa Singh, Ph.D.
Melissa is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Joya Chandra in the Department of Pediatrics Research. Her current research focuses on targeting histone deacetylases and demethylases as a rational combination therapy for the treatment of glioblastoma.
Secretary and Publicity Co-Chair: Shadia Zaman, Ph.D.
Shadia is a postdoctoral fellow in the department of Experimental Therapeutics. She is currently training with Dr. Varsha Gandhi to identify and validate novel therapeutics for the treatment of hematological malignancies such as multiple myeloma.
Policy Co-Chair: Haley Peters, Ph.D.
HPeters@mdanderson.org
Policy Co-Chair: OPEN
Speakers Chair: Prashasnika Gehlot, Ph.D.
Prashasnika is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Surgical Oncology under the mentoring of Dr. Steven Curley. She is currently working on hepatocellular cancer and liver cancer stem cells with animal models.
Publicity and Mentor Award Co-Chair: Jason Carey, Ph.D.
Jason is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Kahandan Keyomarsi in the department of Experimental Radiation Oncology. He is investigating the correlation between BRCA-hereditary breast cancer and Low Molecular Forms of Cyclin E.
Mentor Award Co-Chair: Claudia Miller, Ph.D.
Claudia is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Garth Powis in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics. Her research focuses on studying tumor-stroma interactions in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma to identify relevant therapeutic targets for this devastating cancer.
International Co-chair: Amir Hamdi, M.D.
International Co-chair: Dong Yang, Ph.D.
Events Chair: Sudha Krishnamurthy, BDS, Ph.D.
SKrishnamurthy1@mdanderson.org
Sudha is an Odyssey Fellow, training with Dr. Jeffrey N. Myers in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery. Her research focuses on understanding tumor initiating cells, mouse models and genomic alterations in head and neck cancers.
RCR Seminars Co-Chair: Kimberly Enard, Ph.D., MBA, MSHA
Kimberly is a postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Health Equity and Evaluation Research (CHEER) under the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences. She is currently training under Dr. Lovell A. Jones focusing on health disparities, access to care, and health policy.
RCR Seminars Co-Chair: Enrique Fuentes-Mattei, Ph.D.
Enrique is currently training in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology under the mentorship of Dr. Mong-Hong Lee and Dr. Sai-Ching Yeung. His main areas of research include toxicology, molecular biology, receptor mechanisms, obesity, diabetes and carcinogenesis
Service Co-Chair: Diana Stewart, Ph.D.
Diana is a NCI R25T-funded postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Health Disparities Research under Dr. Jennifer Irvin Vidrine. Her research focuses on health behavior promotion (e.g., smoking cessation, reducing problematic substance and alcohol use, healthy eating) to reduce cancer disparities among the underserved populations such as those with low-SES, racial/ethnic minorities, and the mentally ill.
Science Park Chair: Brent Ferguson, Ph.D.
Brent is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis at Science Park in Smithville, TX working under the direction of Dr. Marcelo Aldaz. His research is focused on understanding the function of the putative tumor suppressor gene WWOX in various types of cancer."
South Campus Chair: Diane Scaduto, Ph.D.
Postdoc Liaison Chair: Figen Beceren-Braun, Ph.D.
Figen is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Tomasz Zal in the Department of Immunology. Her research focuses on restoring the anti-tumor immunity of lymphocytes in tumor microenvironment.
APSS Working Group: Fabiola D. Gomez, Ph.D.
Fabiola is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Varsha Gandhi in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics. She is working on developing strategies to combine Pim kinase inhibitors with other agents in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Associate Director, Research Trainee Programs: Martha Skender, MPH
Program Manager, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs: Tracy Jennifer Costello, Ph.D.
Tracy is charged with assisting Martha Skender with the planning, organization, direction setting and evaluation of the academic and career development programming for the Institution's research postdoctoral fellow population, including strategic oversight of the MD Anderson Postdoctoral Association.
PDAEC Meetings
Get involved! Participate in our meetings:
- Mar 12, 2013 12-1 pm FCT7.5051A
- Mar 28,2013 12-1 pm FCT7.5051A
- April 9, 2013 12-1 pm 2SCR2.1030B
- April 25, 2013 12-1 pm FCT7.5051A
- May 7, 2013 12-1 pm FCT7.5051A
- May 23, 2013 12-1 pm 2SCR2.1030B
- June 5, 2013 12-1 pm FCT7.5051A
- June 20, 2013 12-1 pm FCT7.5051A