Meet our inaugural MOSAIC scholars
The 91影库 and Molecular Biology is pleased to present the seven postdoctoral scholars in the society's inaugural cohort for the , or MOSAIC, program.
In August, the society received a cooperative agreement with the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences to develop and execute a program that will support postdoctoral fellows and new investigators embarking on careers at research-intensive institutions. (Read about the $1.27 million award here.)
"I am excited to welcome our MOSAIC scholars to the 91影库fold and looking forward to meeting and working with them soon," said Ruma Banerjee of the University of Michigan, the co-investigator for the ASBMB’s MOSAIC grant.
Learn about the first 91影库MOSAIC scholars below. (Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect the addition of two new scholars as of April.)
Lillian J. Brady
Lillian J. Brady is a postdoctoral scholar in the lab of at Vanderbilt University, where she is studying the sex differences in cholinergic regulation of dopamine release and their impacts on behavior. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, she earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in biotechnology from Alcorn State University and her Ph.D. with a focus on neurobiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“The NIH MOSAIC award will be instrumental in my career development and will provide the proper foundation I need to be able to reach my career goals of mentoring diverse scientific minds and becoming a successful independent investigator in the Neuroscience field,” she said. Her research project is titled “Sex differences in cholinergic regulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor modulation of local nucleus accumbens circuitry underlying motivation.”
Josefina In茅s del M谩rmol
Josefina In茅s del M谩rmol is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of at The Rockefeller University, where she is studying the structural mechanisms of odorant recognition by olfactory receptors. She was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She earned an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Buenos Aires and a Ph.D. in molecular neurobiology and biophysics at Rockefeller, during which time she was one of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s inaugural international student research fellows. She is a mentor for the and a volunteer for the .
“I am excited to join a generation of scientists with heightened awareness and skills to promote diversity and inclusion in the biomedical workforce,” del M谩rmol said. “To that aim, this award will provide me and fellow MOSAIC scholars with formal training and community resources to become active agents of social and academic change, while supporting our professional development to succeed as independent investigators.”
John R. Jimah
John R. Jimah is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. He is studying the structural basis of dynamin-mediated membrane fission and actin bundling. He earned his bachelor's degree from Colgate University and his Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. Raised in Ghana, Jimah was a member of the group of trainees at the NIDDK that started the seminar series known as TREaDS, short for Trainees Recognizing Excellence and Diversity in Science.
Through the MOSAIC program, Jimah said, “I will get training in effective mentoring for budding young scientists from all backgrounds and experiences in order to help them develop into brilliant scientists who will address current and future biological and biomedical questions. I also look forward to knowing my fellow MOSAIC scholars and supporting each other for success in our careers as scientists and mentors.” His research project is titled "Structural basis of dynamin-mediated membrane fission, actin bundling and interaction with binding partners."
Elias Picazo
Elias Picazo is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of at Harvard University, where he is developing new organocatalytic reactions. A native of California's Central Valley, Picazo earned his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and then his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he studied the total synthesis of complex natural products.
"I am excited to continue my research endeavors as an independent researcher at a research-intensive university upon completing my postdoctoral training at Harvard. I will also use this opportunity to connect with a network of professionals seriously committed to increasing minority representation in science," Picazo said. His research project is titled "Strategic molecular activations for the selective synthesis of 2-deoxy-beta-glycosides, and for the synthesis of novel donor–acceptor Stenhouse adducts."
Chelsey C. Spriggs
Chelsey C. Spriggs is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of at the University of Michigan, where she studies polyomavirus trafficking to the nucleus.