Council Members

Search:

Last Name	First Name	Council Position
Hossain	Md Iqbal	President	Md Iqbal Hossain President \| 11/2024 to present Vice Pressident \| 02/2024 - 11/2024 Council Member \| 08/2023 - 02/2024 Department of Chemistry College of Science hossai54@purdue.edu Council Bio: Dr. Md Iqbal Hossain is a postdoctoral fellow in the Claridge Lab. His research focuses on developing precision interfaces through topochemical polymerization, enabling the creation of 1 nm chemical patterns. These patterns allow for the engineering of soft materials beyond their inherent heterogeneity, facilitating the study of cell binding for regenerative medicine and the organization of nanowires for nanoelectronics. As a member of the Purdue Postdoctoral Association (PPDA), Dr. Hossain is committed to amplifying the voices and needs of postdocs within the Purdue community and fostering communication with university administration. Through PPDA, he works to ensure fair representation of the Purdue postdoc community while enhancing the postdoc experience by providing opportunities for both social and professional development.
Kilari	Hemalatha	Vice President	Hemalatha Kilari Vice President \| 02/2025 to present Treasurer \| 08/2024 to 02/2025 Council Member \| 08/2023 to present Davidson School of Chemical Engineering College of Engineering hkilari@purdue.edu Council Bio: Dr. Hemalatha Kilari is a postdoctoral research associate at CryptSYS Lab in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering. Her research focuses on the design, control, and process intensification of batch and continuous crystallization systems for applications in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. By integrating model-based digital design and process analytical technology tools, she develops scalable and efficient manufacturing strategies aimed at producing high-quality materials, utilizing both experimental and computational approaches. As Vice President of the Purdue Postdoctoral Association (PPDA), Dr. Kilari is committed to building a stronger, more connected postdoc community at Purdue by fostering collaboration, professional growth, and representation. She works alongside PPDA leadership to enhance professional development initiatives, expand networking opportunities, and create a more empowered, engaged, and connected postdoc network at Purdue.
Thakur	Anupma	Secretary	Anupma Thakur Secretary \| 10/2024 to present Council Member \| 08/2024 to present School of Materials Engineering College of Engineering thakur40@purdue.edu Council Bio: Dr. Anupma Thakur is a postdoctoral research associate in the School of Materials Engineering. Her research focuses on the design and engineering of two-dimensional materials for various applications, including clean hydrogen energy generation, carbon capture and utilization, chemical sensors, photo/electrocatalysis, extreme environments, and actuators. As Secretary of the Purdue Postdoctoral Association (PPDA), Dr. Thakur is dedicated to building a more connected and empowered postdoc community at Purdue. She plays a key role in facilitating clear and effective communication among postdocs and with university administration. Through organizing initiatives, streamlining information, and advocating for postdoc interests, she works to strengthen representation and contributes to a more supportive and enriching experience for all postdocs at Purdue.
Mousazadeh	Hossein	Co-Public Relations Officer	Hossein Mousazadeh Co-Public Relations Officer \| 08/2024 to present Council Member \| 08/2023 to present Community and Well-Being Learning Collaborative John Martinson Honors College hmosazad@purdue.edu Council Bio: Dr. Hossein Mousazadeh aims to advance the fields of Quality of Life, Well-Being, and Community Development through impactful interdisciplinary research and innovative education in sustainable development, community empowerment, and tourism. The central goal of his research is to promote health equity by addressing structural factors that influence community quality of life, well-being, and overall health outcomes. Dr. Mousazadeh strives to empower local communities and foster sustainable growth by integrating evidence-based practices with experiential learning opportunities. Passionate about creating inclusive environments, he seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice, addressing the diverse needs of individuals, families, and communities. Through collaborative teaching and research, he aims to cultivate future leaders who champion diversity, resilience, and meaningful contributions to communities. Dr. Mousazadeh are Faculty Affiliate, Institute for a Sustainable Future (ISF); Faculty Affiliate, Women's Global Health Institute (WGHI), at Purdue University.
Thach	Trung	Co-Public Relations Officer	Trung Thach Co-Public Relations Officer \| 08/2024 to present Council Member \| 08/2024 to present Biological Sciences College of Science ttthach@purdue.edu Council Bio: Trung Thach completed his PhD in Structural Biology and subsequently joined Korea University as a research professor. Since 2017, he has been employed at the Pioneering BioNano Center as an NRF fellow and was a Principal Scientist then. His research, focusing on protein structure and engineering, has been supported by Brain Korea, the National Research Foundation, and the Imnewrun startup. In December 2021, he transitioned to the Department of Biological Sciences (Purdue University), as a postdoctoral researcher.
Curtis	Philip	Council Member	Philip Curtis Council Member \| 08/2024 to present Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences College of Science curtis39@purdue.edu Council Bio: Dr. Philip Curtis is a postdoctoral research associate in the Language Learning and Meaning Acquisition Lab in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. His research focuses on how children learn to produce the many different sounds that are part of the language(s) they are acquiring and ways to support their development. As a member of the Purdue Postdoctoral Association (PPDA), Dr. Curtis is committed to advocating for postdocs at Purdue and enhancing the academic, personal, and professional opportunities available to them.
Kaur	Amanpreet	Council Member	Amanpreet Kaur Council Member \| 08/2024 to present Industrial and Physical Pharmacy College of Pharmacy akchahal@purdue.edu Council Bio: Dr. Amanpreet Kaur is a second-year Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics (IMPH) at the College of Pharmacy. She has been a Purdue Postdoctoral Association (PPDA) council member since 2024. With over seven years of experience in pre-formulation, solid-state pharmaceutics, and pharmaceutical product development, Dr. Kaur focuses on advancing pharmaceutical formulations through cutting-edge technologies. Her current research at Purdue University, funded by the Gates Foundation, involves developing novel formulations of poorly water-soluble anti-infectives that pose a threat to global health. She is dedicated to translating scientific insights into real-world pharmaceutical solutions. In her free time, Dr. Kaur enjoys watching movies, listening to music, and practicing yoga and meditation daily.
Petrova	Stella	Council Member	Stella Petrova Council Member \| 08/2024 to present Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics College of Pharmacy spetrova@purdue.edu Council Bio: Originally from Sofia, Bulgaria, Stella received her PhD in Chemistry from Virginia Tech. Then, she started a post-doc appointment at the Purdue Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics Department where she focuses on novel oral drug-delivery strategies for emerging therapeutics in collaboration with AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Prior to academia, Stella worked in industry as an R&D Chemist and Biomedical Engineer. She held positions as President of the Graduate Women in Chemistry (VaTech), co-founded and led the Chemistry Graduate Student Senate (VaTech), and is currently an Executive Member at Large for the ACS CELLulose Division. As an elected member of the PPDA, she has worked diligently to advocate for and advance the needs of postdocs by leading and organizing major social events like the PPDA Christmas party, enabling professional development workshops, facilitating collaboration among external professional groups and the PPDA, and strengthening the PPDA organization to help sustain its future at Purdue. Stella is passionate about animal conservation, sustainability, and leaving the world better than she found it. In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis, hiking, and music.
Samaddar	Manalee	Council Member	Manalee Samaddar Council Member \| 08/2024 to present Physics and Astronomy College of Science msamadda@purdue.edu Council Bio: Dr. Manalee Samaddar is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Physics, specializing in Biophysics. She began her journey at Purdue University as a Ph.D. student in 2017 and has been part of the Purdue community for over eight years. Her research focuses on applying spatial transcriptomic approaches to investigate various human diseases, combining principles of physics and biology to gain deeper insights into complex biological systems. Dr. Samaddar joined the Purdue Postdoctoral Association (PPDA) out of a passion for fostering a strong postdoc community, advocating for their needs, and organizing professional development opportunities.

PPDA Advisors

Dr. Rachelle Swan	Postdoc Office Director
Lori Miller	Executive Assistant
Brittany Ledman	Senior Communication Manager

Past Board Members

Subhadeep Das
Richa Singh
Viswanath Pasumarthi
Yiran Wang
Tu Van Duong
Dezhi WangAlex Lancelot
Chetan K Arya
Jesse Langdon Wolfhagen
Elvita Eglite
Theresa Green
Fanfei Meng
Shamila Janakiraman
Tauqeerunnisa Syeda
Anke Tukker
Youngwoo Lee
Pan Liao
Ria D. Corder
Amit K. Jaiswal
Lisa M Prince
Ya-Hsin Hung
Jian Xu
Kristen Bellisario

Ivy Schweinzger
Ophélie Desmet
Yuyan Bao
Shiyan Wang
Abdel Halloway
Farzad Mohajerani
Mina Rostamza
Vivek Jitendrabh Lawana
Andrei Khomenko
Viri Tejada Ortigoza
Amanda Skidmore
Iris Müller
Ibrahim Yeter
Ari Suarez
Masha Fardisi
Elizabeth Buescher
Eva M Leenknegt
Ida Ngambeki
Nicola Carraro
Orkan Kurtulus
Peter Richtsmeier

Council Members

Md Iqbal Hossain

Council Bio:

Hemalatha Kilari

Council Bio:

Anupma Thakur

Council Bio:

Hossein Mousazadeh

Council Bio:

Trung Thach

Council Bio:

Philip Curtis

Council Bio:

Amanpreet Kaur

Council Bio:

Stella Petrova

Council Bio:

Manalee Samaddar

Council Bio:

PPDA Advisors

Past Board Members

Communication

Campus

Services

Resources