Leadership Team, Alumni and Founders
UT Southwestern Biotechnology Club
Current Leadership
Kate Borner - Vice President of Operations and Administration
Kate is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Biomedical Engineering program. She works in Dr. Matt Petroll's lab in the Department of Ophthalmology where she focuses on the characterization of gene expression patterns during corneal wound healing events. Outside of lab work, Kate enjoys caring for her collection of plants, music and spending time with her friends, family and corgi.
Malavika Jayaram - Vice President of Education
Malavika (Mal) is a third-year immunology Ph.D. student in the Alto Lab, currently investigating the role of type three secretion effectors of bacterial pathogens such as Salmonella in regulating innate immune signaling. As a member of the Biotech Club, she seeks to actively engage with the international student body at UTSW and help connect them to biotech opportunities to achieve their career goals. Outside of the lab, she enjoys traveling, comedy podcasts, and yoga.
AP Wang - Director of Fellowship
AP is a second-year Ph.D student in the Biomedical Engineering program with an interest in nanomedicine and imaging as tools for drug delivery. Prior to joining the program, AP worked at Pfizer Inc. in the oncology R&D department focusing on impurities, cytotoxicity, and automation of methods. AP aspires to bridge the gap between the general public and scientists in disseminating scientific information, and to continue to inspire young scientists to pursue the unknown. Outside of work, AP enjoys all things gym, cooking, camping, and spending time with family and friends.
Gabriela Ayala Pazzi - Vice President of External Affairs
Gaby is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Engineering program. With a background in Biology and two years of experience in cancer research, she hopes to dedicate her Ph.D. to elucidating the mechanisms behind LNP-mediated drug delivery as part of the Siegwart lab. Her goal is to be part of the driving force of scientists who take innovative treatments from the bench to the clinic. In her free time, Gaby likes listening to music, shopping, and spending time with friends
Animesha Krishnamurthy - Vice President of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Animesha is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Engineering program, working in Dr. Jinming Gao's lab. She recived her BS/MS from Case Western Reserve University, with her research focus being lipid nanoparticles for. Her current research involves evaluation of STING-activating nanoparticles in patient-derived tumor fragments. Outside of lab, she enjoys reading, making homemade coffee syrups, and spending time with her family.
Merve Yilmaz - Director of Alumni Relations
Merve is a postdoctoral researcher in the Shay Lab. Her research focuses on investigating novel telomere-targeted therapeutics to target cancer, and she has also been working on biosensors and developing theranostic agents. Her career goal is to run a biotech company that connects science with technology to uncover new insights and solve unanswered questions. Outside of the lab, she enjoys outdoor activities, going to the gym, discovering new restaurants and hanging out with friends.
Macy Lozen - Director of She-E-O Series
Macy is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Engineering program. She works in the Louros Lab in the Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases where she employs protein engineering to design de novo therapeutics targeting pathological amyloid conformations. Outside of the lab, Macy enjoys being active and spending time with her dogs.
Courtney Santos - Director of Seminar Series
Courtney Santos is a fourth-year PhD Candidate in the Molecular Microbiology program. She works in the Forsberg Lab studying bacterial defense mechanisms against phages and how they are related to eukaryotic antiviral factors. In her free time, Courtney enjoys spending time with friends and family, cooking for loved ones, taking care of her plant babies, and relaxing with some yoga.
Kerelos Shehata - Director of External Affairs
Kerelos (Kero) Shehata is a second-year PhD student aiming to join a lab in the cancer biology or genetics, development, and disease programs. Prior to joining UT Southwestern, he did three undergraduate internships in the biotech industry and after graduating worked for two years as a biotech research associate, working towards developing and optimizing cell engineering strategies to develop iPSC-derived CAR-T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune indications. While at UT Southwestern, Kerelos aims to conduct translational research towards understanding and enhancing novel therapeutic avenues for cancer treatment. Outside of lab, Kerelos enjoys working out and spending time with friends and family.
Victoria Yang - Director of Finance
Victoria is a second-year Ph.D. student in Biomedical Engineering. They are a part of Dr. Daniel Siegwart's lab, where they work on developing gene delivery technologies. They are interested in incorporating viral and non-viral elements into delivery platforms to improve the stability and packaging of nucleic acids. In their free time, they like to play games with friends and make soup.
Steven Hepensteil - Assistant for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Steven is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Cancer Biology program, working in Dr. Kathryn O'Donnell's lab in the Department of Molecular Biology researching novel cell surface proteins in non-small cell lung cancer. Prior to graduate school, he received his B.S. in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and gained industry experience through two internships at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Steven is especially interested in the intersection of scientific innovation and business development, with the goal of shaping research strategy and corporate decision-making to drive the advancement of impactful therapies. Outside of academics, Steven enjoys ice hockey, golf, weightlifting, and cooking.
Frank Goodavish - Assistant Director of External Affairs
Frank Goodavish earned his bachelor's in Molecular Biology and Chemistry from Austin College, where he worked on determining the interactions between native plant species and pollinators, as well as the inhibition of β2-microglobulin via small bait peptides. Joining the Louros lab, Frank will focus on studying heterotypic amyloid interactions that explain the selective vulnerability observed in Alzheimer's disease. When not in the lab, Frank enjoys the outdoors, photography, and reading.
Swathi Ravi - Assistant Director of External Affiars
Swathi is a second-year medical student with a background in Biology and a strong interest in improving patient outcomes through both clinical care and scientific innovation. She conducts quality improvement research focused on medication adherence, as well as research exploring the stigma surrounding chronic diseases. With a growing interest in drug and biotech development, Swathi hopes to contribute to the advancement of therapies that are both effective and accessible. In her free time, she enjoys pottery, cooking, and reading.
Samantha Sakells - Director of IP Education
Sam is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Molecular Microbiology Program. She works in the Forsberg Lab studying the bacteria - phage arms race. More specifically, Sam wants to understand how phages evolve inhibitors of CRISPR-Cas systems, known as anti-CRISPRs, in a process known as de novo gene birth. Outside of the lab, Sam enjoys gardening, crocheting, and spending time with her cats.
Winston Liu - Director of International Relations
Winston is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Cancer Biology Program. He works in Dr. Kareem Azab's lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, where he focuses on developing a novel nanoparticle platform to enhance T cell activation, aiming to translate his findings into more effective therapies for cancer patients. His research interests include cancer immunology and drug delivery, and he is passionate about making an impact in the biotech industry in the future. Outside of the lab, Winston enjoys sports, traveling, and watching movies and TV shows.
Sanjana Prakash - Director of Marketing
Sanjana is a second-year biochemistry Ph.D. Student in the biochemistry program. Prior to moving to Dallas, Sanjana completed her B.S. in biochemistry from the University of British Columbia and worked for two years in the biotech industry as a research associate. She is currently part of the Conrad Lab, studying the mechanisms of viral RNA expression and stability in Kaposi's Sarcoma Herpesvirus infection. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, going bouldering with her friends, and crocheting.
Debanjana Das - Assistant for Operations & Administration
Debanjana is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Dr. Matthew Parker in the Department of Biophysics. She completed her MSc-PhD in chemistry from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Mumbai in India. Her current research involves investigating the relation between the amino acid sequence and function of intrinsically disordered proteins in nature. She enjoys spending time with her friends, reading detective novels, and playing badminton.
Brandon Zhao - Assistant for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Brandon is a first-year medical student at UTSouthwestern's medical school. During his undergrad, he interned as a R&D Biomedical Engineer, working towards designing a novel ventricular assist device. At UTSW, Brandon is passionate about aligning his career goals of being a clinician with his prior background in biomedical engineering. Outside of school, Brandon enjoys running, various recreational sports, and spending time with friends.
Jana Dakour - Assistant for Alumni Relations
Jana is a third-year PhD student in the Immunology Program. She earned her BSc in Biology and MSc in Microbiology and Immunology from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. Currently, her research in the Koh Lab focuses on the gut mycobiome and its role in shaping responses to immune checkpoint therapy. Outside the lab, Jana enjoys exploring new coffee shops, working out, and watching sitcoms.
Rebecca Chiu - Assistant for Education and Development
Rebecca is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Immunology Program, conducting research in Dr. Andrew Koh's lab. Her work focuses on understanding how schistosomes modulate host immune responses and identifying novel biomolecules with potential as therapeutic agents for autoimmune diseases. Outside the lab, Rebecca enjoys playing tennis, making fresh pasta, and discovering new coffee shops.
Strategic Advisors
Yehui Sun
Previously: Director of Seminar Series
Yehui is a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Biomedical Engineering program. She works in Dr. Daniel Siegwart's lab focusing on engineering lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver mRNA selectively to lung via intravenous administration and using Lung SORT LNPs to advance the gene editing technologies for cystic fibrosis. Yehui is interested in Pharm/Biotech industry and nanomedicine for clinical translation. Outside of lab, Yehui enjoys traveling and reading manga.
Founding Members and Alumni
John "Tyler" Piazza
Founder
Tyler founded the Biotechnology Club in the summer of 2018 to provide an industry-focused campus organization to the UT Southwestern student body. Tyler graduated with his M.S. in Genetics, Development, and Disease and now lives in Boston where he works in the life sciences and healthcare data industry. Following graduation, he gained experience working as a strategy consultant, including a role at Trinity Life Sciences where he developed a passion for using real-world healthcare data to improve the development, launch, and commercialization of new therapies.
Jackson Gartman
Co-Founder
Jackson Gartman is currently a medicinal chemist at AbbVie. Jackson was a co-founder of the Biotech Club and joined UTSW in 2016 as a graduate student in Uttam Tambar's lab in the Biochemistry department, where he focused on the total synthesis of natural products, chemical methodology, and medicinal chemistry collaborations. In 2020 he joined AbbVie in Lake County, IL in their Protein Degradation Platform Team as a Senior Scientist.
