YSACNAS Executive Board

Delfina is a 6th year PhD candidate in Mustafa Khokha’s lab. She graduated with her BA in Biology from Pomona College in 2013 where she studied C. elegans eggshell formation with Dr. Sara Olson. Delfina is currently working on a joint project between the Khokha and Lusk labs using S. cerevisiae, baker’s yeast, to study how proteins important for vertebrate development enrich in the nucleus. In addition to science, Delfina is a McDougal Teaching Fellow with the Poorvu CTL. She enjoys designing and leading teaching, pedagogy, and mentorship workshops related to improving the learning & training experience for traditionally under-represented trainees in science fields.

Outside of academia, Delfina loves dancing with Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Yale, watching Netflix, and training for half-marathons.

I am a PhD student in the Emonet Lab, and I am really interested in understanding how bacteria collectively solve problems. My hobbies are: watching TikToks, exercising, cooking/baking, and recently gardening.

I (she/her) am a neuroscientist and STEM advocate. I am an alumna of Drew University, where I earned my BS in neuroscience with a minor in statistics. Currently, I am a Neuroscience Ph.D. student at Yale University. I am from New Jersey, home of the Jersey Shore. My research interest is applying bioinformatics tools to understand complex brain disorders and diseases. Outside of academia, I work to amplify the voice of underrepresented groups of scientists by volunteering for various organizations. I aim to provide access routes to higher education for underrepresented students and make the work of academics more accessible.

Fun Facts: I have run track and cross country from kindergarten through college as a D3 athlete, so, in my free time, I run 5Ks. I have a wonderful cat named, SuperStar. I like ceramics, hiking, and lying on the beach.

Rosa is a queer Chicanx femme from Southern California. She received her associates from Fullerton College and her bachelors from UC Irvine. They’re studying opiate addiction in the Picciotto lab. Her goals as a scientist are to aid in destigmatizing and demystifying psychiatric illnesses by increasing science and health care accessibility for those historically excluded. In their free time, Rosa enjoys cooking, dancing, being outdoors, and spending time with their baby, Chai.

María graduated with a BS in Biology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) where she studied the Type III Secretion System of enteropathogenic E. coli. After graduating, she joined the Noonan Lab at Yale School of Medicine as a Research Associate, contributing to the study of the role that regulatory networks have during brain development in autism spectrum disorder. In Spring 2022 María joined YSACNAS as Social Media Manager. María enjoys baking, some of her recipes got better after some months of lockdown!