GSO Officers 2021-2022

Vinay Menon, President Vinay Menon, President

Vinay is a fifth year student in the Chemical Biology training group. He works in the lab of Dr. Shalini Low-Nam in the Chemistry Department where his work focuses on total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy and single-molecule tracking of the molecular signals that lead to cancer cell metastasis. Outside of the lab, he enjoys going to movies, practicing martial arts, and spending with friends, family, and his cat Pharaoh. As president of the GSO, Vinay hopes to foster clear communication within the GSO and also between the GSO and the PULSe student body.


Ruilin Yu, Vice President Ruilin Yu, Vice President

Ruilin (pronounced like “ray-lene”) is a second year PULSe student in the Immunology and Infectious Diseases training group. She is a member of Dr. Gaurav Chopra’s lab in the chemistry department. Central questions to her research are: How and why do microglia become dysfunctional in neuroinflammation, injuries or neurodegenerative diseases? What can we do to intervene this process? Outside lab, she makes salad for her guinea pigs, practices yoga, and tries not to think about her research too hard. As the vice president at PULSe GSO, she would like to help organize activities which bring sparkles to graduate student life in PULSe.


 

Claire Pfeffer, Secretary Claire Pfeffer, Secretary

Claire is a third-year PULSe student in Chromatin Biology and Gene Regulation training group working in Dr. Brittany Allen-Petersen’s lab in the Biology Department. Her research focuses on understanding the relationship between PP2A-B56⍺ and EGFR in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as well as understanding the role of PP2A in nutrient deprivation in PDAC. Outside the lab, running, Claire enjoys hanging out with her cat, Chrissy, and listening to podcasts. As secretary, she aims to keep the student body informed through the PULSe newsletter and hopes to increase communication between the GSO and student body.


Magaly Guzman Sosa, Treasurer Magaly Guzman Sosa, Treasurer

I am a third-year PULSe graduate student in the Integrative Neuroscience group. I am working in Dr. Jean-Christophe Rochet's lab in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology. My research focuses on understanding the effects of post-translational modifications in alpha-synuclein pathology. Now, my work focuses on understanding the effects of truncated variants of alpha-synuclein on membrane-induced self-aggregation and toxicity. My goal is to understand the mechanism of protein aggregation that is the hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases. Outside and sometimes in the lab, I like to sing along with the music (not the best singer). Further, I enjoy playing chess, reading books, and watching anime. As a treasure of PULSe GSO, I aim to increase transparency and coordination with the student body. 


D. Alejandro Canaria, Social Activities Coordinator D. Alejandro Canaria, Social Activities Coordinator

Alejandro is a fifth-year PULSe student in the Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases training group and a grad student in Dr. Matt Olson's lab in the Department of Biological Sciences. His research focuses on CD4 T lymphocyte differentiation, in which he is identifying key transcription factors that lead to the differentiation of different subsets of these cells in the context of autoimmunity and cancer. Outside of lab he enjoys hiking, watercolor painting, taking care of his succulents and other plants, dancing, swimming, and hanging out with friends. As the Student Activities Coordinator, he expects to coordinate engaging events that help with mindfulness for the whole PULSe graduate student community.


Samantha Tinsley, First-Year Mentoring Chair

Samantha Tinsley is a fifth year PULSe student in the Molecular Signaling and Cancer Biology training group working in Dr. Brittany Allen-Petersen's Lab in the Department of Biological Sciences. Her research focuses on the role PP2A-B56α in acinar-to-ductal metaplasia and the initiation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Outside of working in lab, Sam is a Netflix enthusiast that binges a concerning amount of television while hanging out with her dog, Millie, and cat, Jade. She also enjoys the occasional social excursion with friends and is always available for anyone who needs a buddy for coffee breaks. Moving into her fourth year as the First-Year Mentoring Chair, she hopes continue to foster meaningful connections for incoming students that could lead to valuable connections in their future careers by planning events and guiding discussions between the mentor-mentee pairs.


Nicole Anderson, Social Media Chair Nicole Anderson, Social Media Chair

Nicole is a third year graduate student in the Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases training group working in Dr. Matthew Olson's lab. Her research focuses on understanding the complex STAT3-BATF signaling pathway that regulates intestinal  T cell homeostasis and disease. Outside of the lab, she enjoys socializing with friends, playing trivia at the tap, and watching Disney movies. As the social media chair, she hopes to create an interactive environment through various forms of social media to display the diversity of the PULSe program. 


Arryn Blaine, Seminar Chair Arryn Blaine, Seminar Chair

Arryn Blaine is a 5th year PULSe student in the Integrative Neuroscience Training group, working in Dr. Richard van Rijn’s lab under the Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology department. Her research is focused on understanding delta opioid receptor (DOR) signaling, specifically as it relates to the role of the beta -arrestin proteins in DOR-agonist induced seizures. Outside of the lab, Arryn enjoys reading and writing. She thinks nothing is better than staying home on a rainy day with a good book, a big cup of tea and her cat Taja. She also loves dancing and for the past few years, she has been a board member for VariAsian, a Korean pop dance team here at Purdue. As the seminar chair, Arryn hopes to help set-up a great seminar for all the PULSers this year! Feel free to contact her with any questions about anything (she did her undergraduate studies at Purdue too, so she knows all the good coffee places!).


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