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Hello 2021 SURFers! My name is Maryan Rizk, an IRACDA postdoctoral fellow working in the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences. I am excited to be joining you all this summer to learn about research and reading research papers. I went to UCSD for both my undergraduate degree in physiology and neuroscience and my PhD in biomedical sciences. I love science and thinking about mechanisms of how physiology works in conjunction with molecular and cellular mechanisms. I also love to understand how multicellular organisms interact with microbes including viruses and bacteria. I currently work in the Thackray lab at the UCSD medical school to study polycystic ovary syndrome. I wish you all the best this summer and in your academic and professional careers! 

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Hello 2021 SURFers! My name is Maryan Rizk, an IRACDA postdoctoral fellow working in the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences. I am excited to be joining you all this summer to learn about research and reading research papers. I went to UCSD for both my undergraduate degree in physiology and neuroscience and my PhD in biomedical sciences. I love science and thinking about mechanisms of how physiology works in conjunction with molecular and cellular mechanisms. I also love to understand how multicellular organisms interact with microbes including viruses and bacteria. I currently work in the Thackray lab at the UCSD medical school to study polycystic ovary syndrome. I wish you all the best this summer and in your academic and professional careers! 

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Hi everyone! My name is Grace and I am a student at San Diego Mesa College. I am majoring in Biology and hope to study Plant Biology when I transfer. My ultimate goal is to be a neurosurgeon and research treatment for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. I grew up in Northern California, but have been a frequent traveler to San Diego for many years and finally made the move about 2.5 years ago. I live in Ocean Beach with my partner, Trevor, in a tiny cottage full of plants and animals! I have two adorable spaniels, Maci (4, on the right in photo) and Sage (2, on the left in photo), a crested gecko, Iggy, and around 70 house plants. Outside of school and work, I enjoy spending my free time with my pets and plants, home cooking for my dogs, and going to the beach or adventuring around the cliffs. I absolutely love science and nature so I am really looking forward to our research topic! I have not had any research experience thus far so I am super excited to get started and meet so many amazing scientists.

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Hello 2021 SURFers! I'm excited to kickstart our program and meet all of you during our Lab Safety and Journal Club 2 seminar. I have lived in Southern California for most of my life and spent three years in the Central Valley while studying at Fresno State. My undergrad and Master's degree are in biology, and my Ph.D. training is in biomedical science with a strong focus in inflammatory cell death. I am postdoctoral  fellow in Dr. JoAnn Trejo's laboratory where I study cellular signal transduction. My areas of expertise are molecular cell biology and biochemistry. My career goal is to be involved with higher education teaching and science outreach. I enjoy my evenings in the company of my cat, Stardust, while we go on walks.

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Hello everyone! My name is Spencer and I'm an IRACDA postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Emily Troemel's lab in the Division of Biological Sciences at UCSD. I study how the innate immune system responds to intracellular pathogens using the nematode C. elegans as a model. I'll be co-teaching a module on career options one can pursue with different types of STEM degrees. You may also see me helping out with a few of the other workshops in the program. I grew up in Colorado and moved to California escape the cold weather, I've been here ever since. I received by BS in Biology at Santa Clara University and got my PhD in Molecular Biology from UCLA. When away from lab, I send my time waking around different neighborhoods in San Diego with my girlfriend and dog Louie. Looking forward to meeting you all soon!

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Hello SURFERs, John Tat here. I am an IRACDA fellow in the Dept. of Medicine and a lecturer for the Div. of Biological Sciences. Born in SE Asia, I grew up in SD and did all my schooling here (yes, that’s from elementary through PhD). I am a translational scientist and have worked on broad topics such as developing chemotherapeutic strategies for breast cancer and designing antidotes against chemical WMDs. I also teach undergraduate courses on molecular medicine, physiology, and stem cell biology. So, there is a good chance some SURFERs might end up in my lab or classes! Being a UCSD alumnus, I can probably give you a few tips and tricks to thriving at UCSD that won’t show up on any student tour or Reddit thread. 

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Hello SURFERs, John Tat here. I am an IRACDA fellow in the Dept. of Medicine and a lecturer for the Div. of Biological Sciences. Born in SE Asia, I grew up in SD and did all my schooling here (yes, that’s from elementary through PhD). I am a translational scientist and have worked on broad topics such as developing chemotherapeutic strategies for breast cancer and designing antidotes against chemical WMDs. I also teach undergraduate courses on molecular medicine, physiology, and stem cell biology. So, there is a good chance some SURFERs might end up in my lab or classes! Being a UCSD alumnus, I can probably give you a few tips and tricks to thriving at UCSD that won’t show up on any student tour or Reddit thread. 

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Hi everyone, my name is Danielle and I am a postdoctoral fellow in Dr Jin Zhang’s lab in the department of Pharmacology. I develop and use tools to investigate events happening inside cells in real time. I will be co-teaching the module on what you can do with a STEM degree. I grew up in Ohio, earned a BS in chemistry at Ball State University, a PhD in chemistry at University of Maryland Baltimore County in Baltimore, Maryland, and now I’ve been here in San Diego for almost four years. When I am not in lab, I am at home with my cats, at the beach, or exploring California. I look forward to meeting everyone!

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Hello! My name is Justin Shaffer and I'm an IRACDA postdoctoral fellow and mycologist / microbial ecologist. I'll be helping Rachel lead the SURF research modules and am really looking forward to doing some sweet science with you all! Currently, I'm working with Rob Knight in the School of Medicine on cutting-edge microbiome science. I grew up all over California, but went to High School in Thousand Oaks in Ventura County and community college at Moorpark. I was trained as a mycologist / microbial ecologist at UC Santa Cruz (undergrad), University of Arizona in Tucson AZ, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama (grad). The majority of my research is focused on plant-microbe interactions and especially those involving fungi. Outside of my research, I love teaching and foraging, cooking, and watching movies! Looking forward to getting to know all of you SURFers!

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Hello! My name is Justin Shaffer and I'm an IRACDA postdoctoral fellow and mycologist / microbial ecologist. I'll be helping Rachel lead the SURF research modules and am really looking forward to doing some sweet science with you all! Currently, I'm working with Rob Knight in the School of Medicine on cutting-edge microbiome science. I grew up all over California, but went to High School in Thousand Oaks in Ventura County and community college at Moorpark. I was trained as a mycologist / microbial ecologist at UC Santa Cruz (undergrad), University of Arizona in Tucson AZ, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama (grad). The majority of my research is focused on plant-microbe interactions and especially those involving fungi. Outside of my research, I love teaching and foraging, cooking, and watching movies! Looking forward to getting to know all of you SURFers!

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My name is Elizabeth Montano, and I am an IRACDA postdoctoral fellow in Victor Nizet’s Lab. I will be co-leading the first journal club session with Brenda and Anabel. I am from Belen, New Mexico, earned a BS in Biology at UNM, and moved to San Diego to obtain my PhD at UCSD in Biology. I’ve studied various subjects including entomology (insect curation and describing new species of beetles), cave microbial ecology, drug discovery from cave bacteria and purified compounds, and currently broadly focus on host-pathogen interactions. My dream career is a teaching professor where I primarily teach lab classes and occasional small class size ‘lecture series.’ I have three dogs, 2 chihuahuas - Peanut and Lulu (18, 16), and a golden retriever - BeBe (8), and a wife named Monica. I am thrilled to meet each of you and look forward to seeing what we can accomplish during our time together!

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Hi everyone! My name is Jinae Roa, and I am an IRACDA fellow in Dr. Susan Taylor’s laboratory in the Department of Pharmacology at UCSD. I was born and raised in Long Beach, CA, but I spent time living abroad in Vancouver, BC, Canada. I love traveling (favorite destination: New Zealand), reading (favorite genre: fantasy, favorite book: The Stranger), watching sports (NBA: Lakers, MLB: Dodgers/Padres, NFL: Saints), and visiting all types of museums (favorite museum: Van Gogh Museum, favorite thing seen: David by Michelangelo). I am married with two kids and my goal is to start a research laboratory that studies how cells/animals interact with the environments around them.

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Hello everyone! My name is Antonia, but I go by Esmeralda. I am a current transfer student primarily from San Diego Mesa College, but have taken courses from the San Diego Community College District. I plan to double major in Neurobiology and Molecular & Cell Biology.
I was born and raised in San Diego, I do not have any pets but I do want a pet bunny. I am excited to participate in SURF because it will be a great transition as a trasnfer student to UCSD in the fall 2021. I think this program can help me naviagte not only campus, but research, lab and my career.
My future is all over the place but I want to be a physician-scientist. I plan to have a dual MD/PhD degrees. Later on in the future, I want to be a Professor at the School of Medicine since mentoring is a huge part of my journey.
Really excited to meet everyone and be part of the cohort and team.

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Hi everyone my name is Richard Sanchez and I'm an IRACDA fellow in Dr. Pekkurnaz's lab (in the Department of Biology, neuroscience section). I grew up in Central, Los Angeles and earned my BS in pharmacology at UCSB. I manged to start my scientific career there with Dr. Eduardo Orias, where I attempted to map the somatic genome of tetrahymena thermophila in order to expand its use as a model organism. I took a post-baccalaureate (PREP) at ASU for a year before getting into my interdisciplinary program at UAB and earning  my PhD. in neuroscience. I currently working on mitochondrial and ER dynamics and the influence cellular metabolism has on these two organelles in health and disease.
I like lifting weights, and going outdoors to hike. I'm an avid gamer and reader in my spare time, and a guinea pig dad. I'm looking forward to meeting all of you and having a fun and exciting summer together.

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Hello everyone, My name is Anabel Flores and I am an SD IRACDA Fellow in the Nizet Lab (Department of Pediatrics). I was raised in the Palm Springs area, earned my BS in Biology & Spanish at California Baptist University, and my PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). I’ve done research in various subjects including cardiology, cancer biology, obesity & diabetes, and currently host-pathogen interactions (antibiotic resistance). This year I was blessed to obtain a tenured-track faculty position at my alma mater California Baptist University. I will start my dream job this Fall and will continue research in host pathogen interactions. I love running/hiking and traveling! I have 5 siblings and I truly enjoy being the jokester in the family :D Looking forward to meeting you all this summer!

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Hello everyone, My name is Anabel Flores and I am an SD IRACDA Fellow in the Nizet Lab (Department of Pediatrics). I was raised in the Palm Springs area, earned my BS in Biology & Spanish at California Baptist University, and my PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). I’ve done research in various subjects including cardiology, cancer biology, obesity & diabetes, and currently host-pathogen interactions (antibiotic resistance). This year I was blessed to obtain a tenured-track faculty position at my alma mater California Baptist University. I will start my dream job this Fall and will continue research in host pathogen interactions. I love running/hiking and traveling! I have 5 siblings and I truly enjoy being the jokester in the family :D Looking forward to meeting you all this summer!

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Hi everyone! My name is Mike Williams and I'm an SD IRACDA fellow and do research in the Dermatology department at UCSD. I work specifically on the skin microbiome and understanding how skin bacteria effect our health. I was born and raised in San Diego and love spending all my free time with my little girls at home (cats&babies) and playing the ukulele when there is time :) I inspire to teach and run a lab of my own in the near future as well. I look forward to meeting yal this summer!

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Hi everyone! My name is Mike Williams and I'm an SD IRACDA fellow and do research in the Dermatology department at UCSD. I work specifically on the skin microbiome and understanding how skin bacteria effect our health. I was born and raised in San Diego and love spending all my free time with my little girls at home (cats&babies) and playing the ukulele when there is time :) I inspire to teach and run a lab of my own in the near future as well. I look forward to meeting yal this summer!

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Hello everyone, my name is Arnold Gutierrez and I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego. I will be one of the instructors for the Research Ethics Workshop this Summer. I grew up in the Inland Empire here in Southern California. I completed my undergraduate education in Biological Psychology at California State University, San Bernardino and my doctoral training in Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati. My current work looks at how factors such as route of administration and age can influence the lasting impact that drugs of abuse have later in life. I have two boys, Nicolas (3 years old) and Isaac (11 months old), and an amazing wife named Anna. I look forward to meeting you all this summer!

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My name is Gabby Ryan. I am from San Diego. I attend both San Diego City and Mesa Colleges, and I recently changed my major to chemistry! I have found a passion for this subject this past semester, and I am looking forward to seeing where it will take me.

I am excited about the program’s focus on the circadian rhythm of tide pool organisms. I have always loved marine biology, and it means a lot to me to have the opportunity to explore this particular area of science alongside talented peers and mentors.

I currently live with my mom Rosalba and my dog Coco (a little trio!) Although, I am very close with my dad and I would say he’s one of my biggest role models.

During my spare time, I like to write poetry, swim, take my dog for a run at the park, and meet up with friends for coffee!

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Hi everyone my name is Angel Sanchez and I am a biology major at San Diego City College. Some facts about me are that I am born and raised here in San Diego and I have a cat named Mari. I also love working on computers on my spare time as well as playing videogames. (I also got into building keyboards recently). I am excited and nervous about the program as I have never done any form of research and haven't been able to be in a lab setting for more than 2 months in my life time.

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Hello Everyone,
My name is Brenda Andrade. I a SD IRACDA postdoctoral scholar and researcher at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. I was born and raised in Los Angeles California where I began my career as a chemist designing and synthesizing molecular receptors to trap or recognize small molecules. My career goals are to earn tenure at an undergraduate serving institution and educate and mentor young scientist.  I look forward to meeting and working with you all this summer.
PS I'm co-leading the Journal Club I with Elizabeth and Anabel.

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I’m Joel Hurtado. My major is physics and possibly going down the biophysics rabbit hole. I grew up in the Central Valley, though I’ve been in San Diego for 3 years now. I have a very talkative pandemic kitty, Casanova. I use to work as a mechanic (pumps/steam turbines/random stuff) and calibration technician before I started going to City. I have no research or lab experience really, at least on an academic setting, so I’m excited to see what it’s all about. I like tinkering and figuring how stuff works, so naturally I’m gravitated towards science. Other interest include cycling, travel, tech, finance, urban planning (somewhat active with the North Park Planning Committee.)

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My name is Morgan Mouchka and I'm the IRACDA Education Coordinator/Program Manager and a BioClock Mentor. I'm originally from a small town in Western Nebraska near the Oregon Trail.  I have conducted research in diverse systems and organisms, ranging from the intertidal zone, coral reefs, parasitoid wasps, and viruses.  However, my true passion is education...both teaching science course and mentoring others in how to teach using the most effective practices.  I have two daughters, Elena (8) and Sonia (4),  a cat named Gino, and a husband named Greg.  I'm so excited to interact with you during the program and to learn more about your interests and future goals.