Postdoc Features
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Clara Wilch, Ph.D. – June 2025 Newsletter Feature
Written by Clara Wilch, Ph.D. My interdisciplinary research focuses on artistic and philosophical approaches to understanding and confronting climate change and environmental injustice. My first book project focuses on how performance shapes ecologically significant relationships in the contemporary Arctic, with a focus on Nunavut, Canada. Perhaps this gathering of… Read MoreJun. 1, 2025
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Joanie Martin, Ph.D. – May 2025 Newsletter Feature
Written by Joanie Martin, Ph.D. Hi! I’m Joanie Martin, a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Nephrology. My journey in science has been fueled by a lifelong curiosity about how things work, from household gadgets to the complexities of living systems. I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and… Read MoreMay. 1, 2025
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Connor Phillips, Ph.D. – April 2025 Newsletter Feature
Written by Connor Phillips, Ph.D. In the fall of 2013, the US federal government shut down for 16 days amid a standoff between the Obama administration and congressional Republicans over funding for President Barack Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act healthcare legislation. At the time, I had just arrived on… Read MoreMar. 31, 2025
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Juan Carvajal Garcia, Ph.D. – March 2025 Newsletter Feature
Written by Juan Carvajal Garcia, Ph.D. I was born and grew up in Asturias, a small state the North coast of Spain. Asturias is known for its food and cider, and it has both beautiful beaches and mountains. My first contact with scientific research was as an undergraduate… Read MoreMar. 1, 2025
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Sara Frederick, Ph.D. – February 2025 Newsletter Feature
Sara Frederick is a postdoc in Vanderbilt’s Physics and Astronomy Department. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a PhD in Astronomy and joining the research lab of Professor Jessie Runnoe in 2021, she continued her studies of active galaxies using spectroscopic data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Read MoreFeb. 6, 2025
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Alicia Cronin, Ph.D. – January 2025 Newsletter Feature
Written by Alicia Cronin, Ph.D. Teacher, doctor, veterinarian. Growing up in a small rural town in Canada, these were the types of jobs you would say when somebody asked what you wanted to be when you grew up. These were the jobs that you were taught about at school. Read MoreJan. 2, 2025
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So Young Choi, Ph.D. – December 2024 Newsletter Feature
Written by So Young Choi, Ph.D. I have been passionate about the brain, the nervous system, and its functioning since my childhood. When I was young, my father used to run his acupuncture clinic in our living room. I would sit next to him while he treated his patients and he… Read MoreDec. 1, 2024
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Sarah Williford, Ph.D. – November 2024 Newsletter Feature
Written by Sarah Williford, Ph.D. From an early age, I found myself captivated by the wonders of science—whether it was the way a simple experiment could reveal the intricacies of chemical reactions or how the stars in the night sky told stories of distant galaxies. However, as I delved deeper… Read MoreNov. 1, 2024
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Bilgunay Ilkin Safa, M.D. – October 2024 Newsletter Feature
Written by Bilgunay Ilkin Safa, M.D. I was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, a city rich in history and culture. Growing up, my mother, a dedicated nurse, was my first inspiration. From a young age, I admired the way she helped people and it made me want to pursue… Read MoreOct. 1, 2024
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Yelena Janumyan Doe, Ph.D. – September 2024 Newsletter Feature
Written by Yelena Doe, Ph.D. The balmy morning air of September 1st, 1988 carried the scent of freshly sharpened pencils and anticipation as I stood in my school’s courtyard amidst the laughter of my schoolmates. All of us dressed in impeccably pressed school uniforms – girls in brown dresses overlayed… Read MoreSep. 1, 2024