PDA Executive Committee Officers

Huakang Tu, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - Internal Communications (Chair)

Huakang is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Epidemiology under the mentorship of Dr. Xifeng Wu.  He was trained in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and has a long-term interest in cancer prevention and control research.  His current research focus is on how energy balance and dietary factors affect cancer risk and clinical outcomes.  As the Chair of Internal Communications, he aims to facilitate the communication and interaction among PDAEC members.

Daisy I. Izaguirre, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - Internal Communications (Vice Chair)

Daisy is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Breast Surgical Oncology under the mentorship of Drs. Anthony Lucci and Carolyn Hall.  She is currently working on identifying markers that can be used to predict response and/or therapeutic agents in the treatment of breast cancer.  As the Vice-Chair of Internal Communications she will assist Huakang in maintaining a record of governance team and PDAEC meetings as well as handling and overseeing internal correspondence.

Rajan Chaudhari, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – Policy (Chair)

Rajan Chaudhari is a postdoctoral fellow in laboratory of Dr. Shuxing Zhang in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics. His current research work is to develop novel computational methods to predict polypharmacology profiles of the small molecules. He works with the vice chair to maintain the bylaws, oversee election cycles and increase the efficiency of the Postdoctoral Association.

Kristina Stemler, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – Policy (Vice-Chair)

Kristi is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Helen Piwnica-Worms in Experimental Radiation Oncology. Her work focuses on understanding how to mitigate the damaging off-target side effects of chemotherapy treatment. She joined the PDAEC in 2013 and has been an active member of a variety of subcommittees. As the returning Vice-Chair of Policy, she will assist with by-law maintenance, election cycles, and increasing the efficiency of the Postdoctoral Association.

Brian Engel, Ph.D.   
Subcommittee – Responsible Conduct of Research (Chair)

Brian is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Steven Millward’s laboratory in the Department of Cancer Systems Imaging. His main research interests include the development of novel PET/CT molecular imaging agents to non-invasively interrogate tumor cell death and also the expression of key markers for immune-oncology therapies. As Chair of the Responsible Conduct of Research subcommittee, Brian will facilitate the completion of the NIH requirement for Responsible Conduct of Research training for everyone with this requirement.

Beibei Huang, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – Responsible Conduct of Research (Vice Chair)

Beibei Huang is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Shuxing Zhang in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics. His current research work is to develop novel computational methods likes deep learning to predict polypharmacology profiles of the small molecules, and explore the interactions of lipid membranes with self-assembled nano-objects including functional biomimetic polymers, peptides, polymeric micelles and polymer therapeutic complexes/conjugates in order to enable the intelligent design of new materials with improved bilayer modifying properties.   As a vice chair of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), he assists Brian Engel for facilitating the completion of the NIH requirement for RCR training.

Simone Punt, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – Communications (Chair)

Simone is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Patrick Hwu in the Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology.  Dr. Punt’s research focuses on finding novel targets to improve immunotherapy by using shRNA and gRNA high-throughput screens. One of the main interests is on improving immunotherapy by targeting the tumor cell metabolism. As chair of the Communications Committee she aims to create a sense of community by providing an easy and effective way to bidirectionally communicate with the MD Anderson postdoctoral fellows. As vice chair of the Career Development subcommittee she assists the chair to improve the transition of PDAEC members through all stages of their professional career.

Amrita Mandal, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – Communications (Vice-Chair)

Amrita is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. George T. Eisenhoffer Jr. in the Department of Genetics. Dr. Mandal’s research focuses on deciphering the mechanisms by which cell division and cell death is maintained for proper epithelial homeostasis. As the vice-chair of communications committee her aim is to raise awareness on career development events, awards and fellowships relevant to postdocs as well as facilitate timely update of the MD Anderson postdoc website.

Therese Youssef Andraos, M.D.
Subcommittee – Mentor Award (Chair)

Therese is a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Radiation Oncology (Hematologic Section) under the mentorship of Dr. Bouthaina Dabaja. Dr. Andraos’ research focuses on studying the impact of radiotherapy on survival outcomes and local control in different types of lymphomas. As the Chair of the Robert M. Chamberlain Distinguished Mentor Award subcommittee, she supervises the selection process and the ceremony that will be held by the Postdoctoral Association.

Jianfeng Shen, Ph.D. 
Subcommittee – Mentor Award (Vice-Chair)

Jianfeng is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Guang Peng in the Department of Clinical Cancer Research. His work focuses on deciphering the role of chromatin remodeling factors in DNA damage response and developing therapeutic strategies by targeting the defects in DNA damage repair signaling. As the vice-chair of Mentor Award, he works closely with Dr. Youssef Andraos to organize the Robert M. Chamberlain Distinguished Mentor Award ceremony that will be held by the Postdoctoral Association at MD Anderson.

Alejandro Tortoriello, M.D.
Subcommittee – Outreach (Chair)

Alejandro is a Bio-Innovation Odyssey Fellow focused on the discovery, evaluation, and translation of technology for commercialization. Dr. Tortoriello has become a key component in growing the I-Corps program at MD Anderson, which is supported by the NSF Southwest I-Corps Node. He also serves as Operations Manager for the Venture Mentoring Service at Houston, an initiative supported by the UT System to create a world-class mentoring service for University of Texas Startups.

Ivan Liadi, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – Outreach (Vice-Chair)

Ivan is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Amer Najjar in the Department of Pediatrics – Research. Dr. Liadi’s work focuses on applying engineering techniques and approaches to screen for highly-potent immune cells at single-cell level. As the vice-chair of Outreach, he works closely with Alejandro Tortoriello to raise awareness of the PDAEC offerings and engage postdocs through organization of social events at MD Anderson.

Maria Gracia Garcia, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - Science Park (Chair)

María is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Ellen Richie in the Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis. Her current work is studying the molecular mechanisms required to specify initial thymus fate during fetal development, which are unknown. Understanding these mechanisms will facilitate the development of strategies to generate functional organs in culture, and to rejuvenate the aged, involuted thymus. She has been part of the PDAEC since December of 2016 and is looking forward to becoming an active member and serving the MD Anderson community.

Somnath Paul, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - Science Park (Vice Chair)

Somnath is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Blaine Bartholomew in the Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis. Having completed his PhD in India, in arsenic-induced epigenetic toxicity, Somnath’s present work focuses on identifying the molecular crosstalk and physical interactions between ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers (SWI/SNF and INO80) with the nucleosomes. Understanding these interactions will help to decipher the chromatin dynamics within the cells. He looks forward to fostering collaborations of the Smithville postdoc community with members of the postdoctoral community in Houston.

Angela Rynne Vidal, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – APCS (Chair)

Angela is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Samuel C. Mok and Dr. Karen H. Lu. Her research focuses on studying the interaction between stromal and cancer cells in the context of uterine papillary serous carcinoma, characterizing the tumor microenvironment at the primary and metastatic sites. As the chair of the Annual Presidential Career Symposium, she aims to make this event an enjoyable and valuable resource of information for scientists from the different Texas Medical Center institutions, allowing them to connect with professionals working in various fields and learn first-hand about possible career paths.

Rajan Chaudhari, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – APCS (Vice Chair)

Rajan Chaudhari is a postdoctoral fellow in laboratory of Dr. Shuxing Zhang in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics. His current research work is to develop novel computational methods to predict polypharmacology profiles of the small molecules. Previously, he served as an interim chair of APCS subcommittee and was responsible for managing APCS 2016 registrations and networking reception. As a vice-chair of the APCS subcommittee,  he assists the current chair to plan and organize APCS event.

Taghreed Hirz, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - APSS (Chair)

Taghreed is a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology (THNMO), with a laboratory interest in evaluating the impact of co-occurring genetic events on the biology, heterotypic interactions and therapeutic responsiveness of KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinoma (LUAC). She is the chair of Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium (APSS) and a member in the Career Advancement Team. The symposium is usually organized by the postdoctoral fellows, consists of selected talks given by postdoctoral fellows and invited faculty from the numerous research facilities at the Texas Medical Center, break-out sessions showcasing advanced technologies and applications in cancer research, as well as opportunities for informal interactive discussions with fellows and faculty throughout the day.

Kylee Veazey, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - APSS (Vice Chair)

Kylee is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Margarida Almieda Santos in the Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis. Her research focuses on dissecting epigenetic mechansims underlying the onset and maintenance of MLL-fusion Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). As the APSS Subcommittee Vice Chair, she is responsible for coordinating speakers and events for the Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium.

Omkara Veeranki, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – Career Development (Chair)

Omkara is a post-doctoral fellow in the department of GI Pathology and Translational Molecular Pathology under the mentorship of Dr. Dipen Maru. She is investigating the role of CDK9 inhibitors as a potential therapeutic target for esophageal and gastric adenocarcinomas in combination with the current standard of care. As the Career Development Chair, she is committed to the career development of the postdoctoral community at MD Anderson. She raises awareness among the postdoc community about the different career pathways and coordinates career development opportunities in the Texas Medical Center and NIH. In the capacity of Career Advancement Leadership position, she seeks to provide resources that guide postdoctoral fellows through all stages of their training towards their professional career goals. 

Simone Punt, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – Career Development (Vice Chair)

Simone is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Patrick Hwu in the Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology.  Dr. Punt’s research focuses on finding novel targets to improve immunotherapy by using shRNA and gRNA high-throughput screens. One of the main interests is on improving immunotherapy by targeting the tumor cell metabolism. As chair of the Communications Committee she aims to create a sense of community by providing an easy and effective way to bidirectionally communicate with the MD Anderson postdoctoral fellows. As vice chair of the Career Development subcommittee she assists the chair to improve the transition of PDAEC members through all stages of their professional career.