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Sonali Mali My name is Sonali (she/her), and I grew up in the Midwest before coming to Berkeley for grad school. I am a third-year in Dr. Diana Bautista’s lab where I am excited about studying ion channels and discovering how my favorite non-excitable cells –epithelial cells!– actively contribute to sensation and pathology. I believe the most exciting discoveries in science will happen when inclusion and justice are at the core of how we do science, and I am excited to work with iMCB to develop strategies for a more inclusive and just science. |
Danielle Spitzer My name is Danielle Spitzer (she/her) and I grew up in upstate New York. I studied Biology and Women’s & Gender Studies in college, and I’m currently a fourth year MCB graduate student in the Hariharan lab researching cell adhesion and development. I am especially passionate about advocating for evidence-based teaching practices that both improve learning and reduce inequities in undergraduate STEM education. |
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Maia Reyes Hello! My name is Maia (she/her), a first generation Filipino American. I grew up in two places - Ladera Ranch, CA and Middleton, MA. After completing undergrad, I decided to move back to California and am now a PhD student in the Brar Lab. I am super excited to be studying how changes in protein complex composition affect meiosis in budding yeast! I care a lot about how we can make the scientific community inclusive and equitable, demystifying grad school, and navigating mentoring relationships.
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Anthony Rodriguez-Vargas I grew up in a small coastal town (Guayanilla, Puerto Rico) and my curiosity for the marine environment introduced me to science. My access to research and mentors was limited and, as a result, had an unusual path defining my scientific interests. Currently, I am a first-generation PhD student in the Collins lab, studying the encoded proteins of jumping genes (RNA-based). A select few have opportunities like these; I care deeply about increasing diversity in science and truly hope that for every occasion someone becomes aware of these issues it will take one less generation to solve them. |
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Molly Brothers Hi iMCB! I grew up outside of San Antonio, Texas, in a low-income, single-parent family. Now I am a PhD student in Jasper Rine’s lab, and I study the formation of heterochromatin domains in the budding yeast, S. cerevisiae. In addition to my passion for science (and yeast!), I care greatly about fostering a scientific and academic culture that makes everyone feel like they belong. Anyone that wants to be a scientist should have the opportunity and support to do so. |
Christiane W. Voufo Hi everyone! My name is Christiane and I was born in Dschang, Cameroon. I moved to the Bronx, New York in August of 2005. I made my first venture over to the West Coast when I interviewed at UC Berkeley and loved it. I completed my undergraduate B.S. degree at Syracuse University, where I worked in Katharine Lewis’ lab studying transcription factors and neurotransmitter fate specification. Right after undergrad, I started my PhD career here at UC Berkeley in Marla Feller’s lab, where I study spontaneous activity in development. Being the only black woman in my program and one of two black graduate students in my department, I feel like it is my duty to ensure that the current environment within my program and others is more hospitable to future generations of URMs. |
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Sophia Friesen Hi, I’m Sophia (they/them)! Born and raised in central Ohio, my first time on the West Coast was my admissions interview for Berkeley. I’m now studying how conserved cell-signaling pathways regulate tissue growth and proliferation in the Hariharan lab. As a graduate student, I feel uniquely positioned to work towards a more caring and inclusive MCB department that supports scientists at all levels and from all backgrounds.
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Amanda González-Segarra Hi! I am Amanda González Segarra (she/her). I grew up in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. As an undergraduate student, I characterized the motor nervous system of the sea cucumber Holothuria glaberrima. I currently study how neurons coordinate hunger and thirst to drive feeding in Drosophila melanogaster in Kristin Scott’s lab. I strongly believe there is a need to make STEM careers available to a broader community. I am excited to work with iMCB to develop evidence-based techniques that promote inclusion in our department. |
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Adriana Mendizabal My name is Adriana Mendizabal (she/her) and I grew up in northern New Jersey. I’m currently a second-year PhD student in the Ünal lab where I study the mechanisms involved in coordinating dynamic gene regulation. I care deeply about breaking down the barriers that BIPOC and others from underrepresented groups face in STEM and fostering an atmosphere of diversity, inclusion, and belonging within the MCB department. |
Kent Gorday Biophysics PhD student |