Executive Board

Evelyn Vazquez Social Medicine, Population and Public Health, México, President

I am a first-generation student and an adult English second language (ESL) learner. I am a social psychologist interested in the study of social determinants of poor mental health among marginalized communities in higher education settings. I hold a Ph.D. in education (Dr. John Levin was my advisor). My research expertise is on the professional development, mental health, and well-being in the academic profession. Most recently I am leading a research project that focuses on structural vulnerability and mental health disparities among underrepresented graduate and professional students. I am currently a postdoctoral scholar at the School of Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Ann Cheney. In collaboration with UCR Healthy Campus, the Well, and the International Student and Scholars office, in January 2018 my colleagues and I created a program entitled “R'Time: A Community and Space for International Women.” This program aims to create a safe and encouraging community for UCR international women students to decrease their isolation and/or stress, chiefly by decreasing stigma on mental health conditions and by increasing their sense of belonging, social connectedness, and collective purpose.

Lewis Hun Entomology, Cambodia/United States, Vice President

I am the first generation in my family to pursue and earn a degree in higher education. I earned my M.S and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. My current research interests focus on the function of insect steroid hormone importers. Steroid hormones are a group of lipophilic hormones that mediate many biological processes such as growth and development in insects, sexual maturation, immunity and cancer progression in humans. Steroid hormones are produced by endocrine glands and must enter cells by simple diffusion to regulate diverse physiological processes through intracellular nuclear receptors. I am working to characterize the function(s) of the Ecdysone importer in mosquitoes and other insect vector-borne diseases.

Kerianne Wilson Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, United States, Secretary

I study behavior and neuroendocrinology in Dr. Wendy Saltzmans’s lab. My research aims to determine the effects of fatherhood on responsiveness to newborn olfactory and auditory cues and to elucidate the underlying neural and hormonal mechanisms. I am also interested and have experience in pedagogy.

Anne Hilborn Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, United States, Communications Director

I work with faculty to create online ecology classes. I’m interested in using social media for science communication and helping create a greater sense of community for postdocs at UCR.

Francesco Pancaldi Mathematics, Italy, Social Chair and Public Engagement Representative

I am a 4th-year Postdoc (3rd year at UCR) working on mathematical and computational models for biomedical applications. I am also trying to get more undergrads involved in mathematical models. I love gardening (herbs and vegetables), reading books, playing videogames, and binge watch sitcoms and Scifi shows. I have loved my time at UCR and I would like to give back in particular to the Postdoc community by serving as Social Chair for the RPA.

Pablo Arantes Bioengineering, Brazil, Graphic Design Representative

I am a computational biophysicist with a heavy interest on simulation studies of proteins, membranes, small ligands and glycoconjugates. Since my Undergraduate, Masters and PhD research experience, I have worked with computational strategies for structural prediction and biological systems analysis, mainly using molecular dynamics and metadynamics calculations. I am currently working on The Palermo Lab with Professor Giulia Palermo. I am a curious and outgoing person. Outside of academia, I like to cook, to watch movies and to know new places. I’m passionate about coffee, I like to try new coffee makers and new types of coffees.

Keely Brown Botany & Plant Sciences, US, Treasurer

I’m an evolutionary plant geneticist broadly interested in how natural selection works to maintain genetic diversity in populations. I earned my PhD from the University of Kansas (Go Jayhawks!), and I’m currently a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow working with Dr. Dan Koenig to characterize how fluctuations in the environment (like yearly temperature differences) contribute to the maintenance of genetic variation in a century-old experimental barley population.