ASBMB - Biology Graduate Student Panel!

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Undergraduate Biology Advising

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May 6, 2026, 1:48:20 PM (14 days ago) May 6

to Biology Undergrad Majors List

Are you considering graduate school for biology research? Want to learn more about how to get into grad school, or what life is like as a graduate student?

If so, join us for ASBMB’s Grad Panel on Zoom this Thursday, featuring graduate students from the Gardner, Morrissey, Richardson, and Rothman labs at UCSB!

Our panelists are here to answer any questions you have about:

Their research
Their path to grad school
Application process of grad programs
PhD or post-doc life
Tips for getting into labs as an undergraduate student
And more! Bring your questions and curiosity!

🗓️ Date: Thursday, May 7th
⏰ Time: 7:30 to 8:30PM
📍 Zoom Link: [Click Here]

Whether you are planning to apply to grad school or curious about your options, this is a valuable opportunity to learn more, and network with grad students! You can read more about our panelists below:

Juwel Chandra Baray is a PhD candidate in Molecular and Cellular Developmental Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he studies the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying aging, regeneration, and transdifferentiation. His research focuses on identifying regulators of longevity pathways and developing strategies to slow or reverse aging in non-dividing cells through the controlled expression of reprogramming factors. Using C. elegans as a model system, he also investigates how cellular identity can be reprogrammed to enhance regenerative capacity and extend healthy lifespan.

Christopher Boles is a second year IPQB PhD student in the Gardner lab at UCSB. He completed a 5 year undergraduate/masters degree program in the MCB department at the University of Arizona in 2024, only a few months prior to starting his PhD program. Although his current research is strongly focused on topics associated with cell biology and biochemistry, he has a strong passion for biology education, specifically at the undergraduate level. Through TA jobs and undergraduate student training in the laboratory, he tries to keep himself available for sharing his experiences, answering questions, and giving advice to undergraduate students with graduate school prospects.

Ishwaree Datta, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral research scholar in the laboratory of Dr. Meghan Morrissey at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her current research focuses on understanding how macrophage trogocytosis drives cancer cell response in solid tumors, with the goal of harnessing innate immune mechanisms for cancer immunotherapy. She received her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Florida State University, where she used Drosophila genetic models to dissect complex oncogenic signaling networks in colorectal cancer. Her work spans model organism genetics, mammalian cancer immunology, and transcriptomics, and has been published in journals including Developmental Cell and Journal of Cell Biology. Dr. Datta is a recipient of the 2025–26 Daryl and Marguerite Errett Discovery Award in Biomedical Research.

Samantha Fiallo is a 6th year PhD candidate in the Joel Rothman lab who specializes in mitochondrial genetics. She uses C. elegans to study how deleterious mitochondrial genomes are inherited generation to generation in efforts to develop treatments that eradicate mitochondrial disease. Sam's day to day usually involves a lot of worm picking, genotyping via ddPCR, and confocal imaging of mitochondrial organelles.

Christine Joyce is a PhD Candidate in the MCDB department, working with Dr. Chris Richardson. Her thesis research involves investigating how human cells repair a complex form of DNA damage, called a DNA double-strand break, using genetic, biochemical, and systems biology approaches. She's incredibly passionate about using her skills to improve CRISPR-based gene therapies and to design better cancer treatments for the genetic disease she has focused on throughout her PhD: Fanconi Anemia.

Hope to see everyone there!

American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UCSB Chapter
Lisa Feng, 2025-2026 Secretary of UCSB ASBMB Chapter
Chris Richardson, 2025-2026 Advisor of UCSB ASBMB Chapter