2019 - 2020 PDA Executive Committee Officers

Ronja Anugwom, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - Policy (Chair)

Dr. Anugwom is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Junjie Chen in the Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology. Dr. Anugwom’s research focuses on DNA damage response mechanisms and how to exploit them for targeted cancer therapy. As chair of the policy subcommittee, she will maintain bylaws, administer elections and monitor policy issues.
 

Didem Ağaç Çobanoğlu, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - Policy (Vice Chair)

Dr. Çobanoğlu is an Odyssey Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. James P. Allison in the Department of Immunology. Her research focuses on finding novel immunosuppressive pathways in the tumor microenvironment. Her previous research has shown that signaling through adrenergic receptors impair adaptive and innate immune cells’ function and promote immunosuppression. She is currently investigating the role of neurotransmitters in the tumor microenvironment and trying to uncover novel immunosuppressive pathways that can be targeted by repurposing drugs. As the vice chair of Policy, she will partner with Dr. Anugwom to ensure bylaws and policy issues are current and appropriate for the postdoc community and elections proceed effectively.

Sanaalarab Al Enazy, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - Responsible Conduct of Research (Chair)

Dr. Al Enazy is a postdoctoral fellow in the Neurosurgery Department under the mentorship of Dr. Amy Heimberger. She has extensive training in Pharmaceutical science and Pharmacology and expert in the field of nanomedicine and is devising FDA approved materials to develop and optimize nanoparticles that targets the immune system for delivery of nucleic acids. Her main goal as a chair of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and co-chair of communications is to bring her organizing, planning, and negotiating skills to great use as we provide each postdoctoral fellow with the tools and environment they need to pave their professional path efficiently. Dr. Al Enazy is also hoping to implement programs that will be available on campus to promote a better work-life balance, which is critical in the world of postdocs.

Sylvester Jusu, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - Responsible Conduct of Research - (Vice Chair)

Didem Ağaç Çobanoğlu, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - Internal Communications (Chair)

Dr. Çobanoğlu is an Odyssey Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. James P. Allison in the Department of Immunology. Her research focuses on finding novel immunosuppressive pathways in the tumor microenvironment. Her previous research has shown that signaling through adrenergic receptors impair adaptive and innate immune cells’ function and promote immunosuppression. She is currently investigating the role of neurotransmitters in the tumor microenvironment and trying to uncover novel immunosuppressive pathways that can be targeted by repurposing drugs. As the chair of Internal Communications, she will maintain PDAEC meeting notes and coordinate conference calls with the MD Anderson PDAEC members from Science Park.

Dhiraj Kumar, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - Internal Communications (Vice Chair)

Dr. Kumar is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Filippo G. Giancotti, MD, in the Department of Cancer Biology. Kumar is currently examining the role of long non-coding RNA in metastatic reactivation of breast and prostate cancer and their role in the tumor microenvironment. He is trying to uncover the role of adoptive immune microenvironment in dormancy reactivation. Kumar’s graduate studies demonstrated that Notch1-MAPK signaling axis regulates melanoma stem cells, metastasis and angiogenesis. As the vice chair of Internal Communications, he will maintain PDAEC meeting notes and coordinate conference calls with the MD Anderson PDAEC members from Science Park.

Jemima C. John, Ph.D. 
Subcommittee – Communications (Chair)

Dr. John is a Health Disparities Research postdoctoral fellow in the division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences. Her research focuses  on the influences of social support, social control and partner relationships on physical activity (PA), related health behaviors, and cancer risk reduction in underserved populations, such as Hispanic and African American Populations. As chair of the Communications subcommittee she will promote an environment where  the PDAEC continues to expand its reach and engagement with postdoctoral fellows throughout the institution. She also aims to be at the forefront of communicating institutional  research  seminars, workshops and research collaborative events that foster intellectual growth and research expertise and independence among MD Anderson postdoctoral fellows.

Sanaalarab Al Enazy, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - Communications (Vice Chair)

Dr. Al Enazy is a postdoctoral fellow in the Neurosurgery Department under the mentorship of Dr. Amy Heimberger. She has extensive training in Pharmaceutical science and Pharmacology and expert in the field of nanomedicine and is devising FDA approved materials to develop and optimize nanoparticles that targets the immune system for delivery of nucleic acids. Her main goal as a chair of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and co-chair of communications is to bring her organizing, planning, and negotiating skills to great use as we provide each postdoctoral fellow with the tools and environment they need to pave their professional path efficiently. Dr. Al Enazy is also hoping to implement programs that will be available on campus to promote a better work-life balance, which is critical in the world of postdocs. 

Jezreel Pantaleon Garcia, M.D.
Subcommittee – Mentor Award (Chair)

Dr. Pantaleon Garcia is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Scott E. Evans. His research involves mechanistic studies to understand the phenomenon of inducible resistance in lung epithelium that protects against pneumonia, particularly to prevent pulmonary infections in susceptible immunocompromised cancer patients. Currently, he proudly collaborates internationally to strengthen research capacity of developing countries in Latin America as an adjunct professor of Tecnologico de Monterrey’s Medical School in Mexico and as member of the global MECOR program sponsored by the American Thoracic Society and Asociacion Latinoamericana de Torax. As chair of the Mentor Award subcommittee he will work to incorporate professional skill development and networking opportunities that nurture the bond and capacity between mentors and the postdoctoral community at MD Anderson.

Christian X. Cruz Pico M.D., FACS
Subcommittee - Mentor Award (Vice Chair)

Dr. Christian Cruz Pico is a T32 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Surgical Oncology under the mentorship of Dr. Funda Meric-Bernstam. His research involves the optimization of targeted therapies in tumor models with alterations in the DNA damage repair pathway. As a new member of the PDAEC and vice-chair of the Robert M. Chamberlain Mentor Award subcommittee, he will work with the Chair to coordinate the selection process as well as the ceremony and reception.
 

Olga Sizova, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – Outreach (Chair)

Dr. Sizova is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Jeffrey Molldrem in the Department of Hematopoietic Biology and Malignancy. Her research project focuses on neutrophil-induced inhibition of T cell proliferation during cancer. As the chair of the Outreach Subcommittee, she will organize the networking and outreach events for postdoctoral fellows.

Jemima C. John, Ph.D. 
Subcommittee – Outreach (Vice Chair)

Dr. John is a Health Disparities Research postdoctoral fellow in the division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences. Her research focuses  on the influences of social support, social control and partner relationships on physical activity (PA), related health behaviors, and cancer risk reduction in underserved populations, such as Hispanic and African American Populations. 

Monika A. Zelazowska, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - Science Park (Chair)

Dr. Zelazowska is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Kevin McBride in the Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis. Her current research is focused on analysis of alterations in immunological responses caused by infection with oncogenic gammaherpesvirus.  As vice-chair of the PDAEC in Science Park she is looking forward to serving her local postdoctoral community and will  continue to  strengthen the collaborations with Houston campus.

Dhurjhoti Saha, Ph.D. 
Subcommittee - Science Park (Vice Chair)

Dr. Saha 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 transcriptional regulation of human telomerase by metastasis suppressor protein.  Dhurjhoti’s present work focuses on elucidating the role of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeler in RNA polymerase pausing and how this regulation effects the maintenance of mouse embryonic stem cell pluripotency. Understanding this regulation will help to decipher the chromatin dynamics during cellular development.  As chair of Science Park he will foster collaborations of the Science Park postdoc community with members of the postdoctoral community in Houston.

Sandeep Mittal, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - APCS (Chair)

Dr. Mittal is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neuro-Oncology under the mentorship of Dr. John F. deGroot. His research focuses on to identify and target the underlying molecular mechanisms of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) resistance to antiangiogenic therapy and molecularly target agents. In the previous year he served as the vice-chair of Internal Communication sub-committee. This year, as the MD Anderson chair of the FY20 APCS subcommittee, Dr. Mittal will collaborate with postdoctoral fellows across TMC to organize APCS, an event that highlights career options and networking opportunities for current postdoctoral fellows, promote participation of MD Anderson postdocs and update members of the PDAEC of FY20 APCS plans and progress.

Sunil Acharya, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – APCS (Vice Chair)

Dr. Acharya is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy under the supervision of Dr. Katy Rezvani. His research interest is focused on engineering natural killer (NK) cells to express various chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) to enhance the cytotoxic activity of NK cells against various solid cancers. He has been a member of the PDAEC since 2018, and this year, he is serving as a vice chair of the MD Anderson Annual Postdoctoral Career Symposium (APCS) subcommittee. In this role, he will serve on FY20 APCS organizing committee and work with the MD Anderson APCS chair to update MD Anderson postdocs about the progress of the event during the planning phase and promote the participation of postdocs in this TMC-wide event in order to make it a grand success.

Elien Doorduijn, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - APSS (Chair)

Dr. Doorduijn is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Patrick Hwu in the Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology. Her research focuses on identifying tumor-intrinsic mechanisms by which tumors evade the immune response using whole-genome CRISPR screenings. Understanding of these immune evasion mechanisms is necessary to develop novel strategies to target unresponsive or refractory tumors. As a chair of the Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium (APSS), she will help organize this one-day symposium where postdoctoral fellows can present their research findings, attend seminars and network to further enhance their career.

Riccardo Muzzioli, Ph.D.
Subcommittee - APSS (Vice Chair)

Dr. Muzzioli is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Cancer System Imaging under the mentorship of Dr. David Piwnica-Worms, MD, Ph.D. His research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of novel radiopharmaceuticals compound and radiolabeling of antibody for target radiotherapy and PET imaging. Discovering new tracers is necessary for improve the diagnostic step in the oncological field and better evaluate the therapeutic effect of drugs. As a new member of the PDAEC and vice-chair of Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium (APSS), he will work with the chair of the APSS, Dr. Doorduijn, to organize and coordinate this one-day symposium where postdoctoral fellows can increase their network by presenting their own research and discussing with the other postdoc from other institutions in the Houston area.

Amriti Lulla, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – Career Development (Chair)

Dr. Lulla is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, under the mentorship of Dr. Khandan Keyomarsi. Her work in the lab broadly includes understanding the mechanisms by which immune cells, such as neutrophils and MDSCs, prime the primary tumor to metastasis in breast cancer using different in vivo model systems. Specifically, she investigates the mechanistic link between neutrophil elastase and cancer stem-like cells and other such pathways that enrich metastatic cells from the primary tumor. As the chair of the Career Development subcommittee, she strives to bring in speakers that will help postdocs network, identify a career trajectory that resonates best for them and provide the initial steps via the Academic Seminar series. The main theme for FY2020 is identifying and harnessing transferrable skills for future careers.

Nicole Kettner, Ph.D.
Subcommittee – Career Development (Vice Chair)

Dr. Kettner is a postdoctoral fellow in Experimental Radiation Oncology, mentored by Dr. Khandan Keyomarsi. Dr. Kettner’s doctoral thesis studied the role of the mammalian circadian clock in metabolism and tumor suppression. She completed a short postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Fu's laboratory to complete a project focused on the role of circadian disruption in metabolic syndrome-induced spontaneous hepatocarcinogenesis before coming to MD Anderson Cancer Center to work on her current project with Dr. Keyomarsi. Her current research project focuses on identifying the biological mechanism(s) of the resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors and identifying independent biomarkers to predict response and/or resistance. Given her extensive network in the Houston area, Dr. Kettner will facilitate networking with potential speakers as vice chair of the career development team.

Vrutant Shah, Ph.D.
Subcommitte - Teaching (Chair)

Alessandra Audia, Ph.D.
Subcommitte - Teaching (Vice Chair)

Simone Punt, Ph.D.
Immediate Past PDAEC Co-chair

Dr. Punt is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Patrick Hwu in the Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology.  Her 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 cellular (tumor or T cell) metabolism. In previous years she was the chair of the Communications subcommittee and vice-chair of the Career Development subcommittee. She will continue to serve the MD Anderson postdoctoral community as chair of the Executive Committee.

Javiera Beatriz Bravo-Alegria, Ph.D.
Immediate Past PDAEC Co-chair 

Dr. Bravo-Alegria is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Vydia Gopalakrishnan’s laboratory in the department of Pediatrics-Research. Her main research interests include the study of the brain development and microenvironment and the cell-to-cell communication with tumor cells. Javiera has served in the PDAEC since she started working in MD Anderson in 2017 and this year she will continue to serve as co-chair for the Executive Committee.