Click to watch the Early Career Panel: 8AM PST / 11AM EST / 4PM GMT
Revisit the panel using the link above, and/or check out the video and panelist bios below.
About the Panelists
A'dryanna H. Jenkins
Twitter: @AhJenkins_
A'dryanna is an undergraduate student at the Pennsylvania State University studying Immunology & Infectious Disease within the Schreyer Honors College. Her current honors thesis focuses on paramyxoviruses, but she has been involved in multiple research experiences over the course of her undergraduate career - including projects in immunology, virology, and biochemistry. These experiences all highlighted the notion that applying laboratory findings clinically can improve the lives of millions, and that marginalized patients throughout the world could benefit directly from research on medical therapies. This realization was central in her decision to pursue an MD/PhD degree upon graduation to advocate for representation in the biomedical and healthcare fields. For now, she aim to develop DEI initiatives at her university and implement changes that will lessen barriers for all underrepresented students who succeed her.
Marilyn Allen
Twitter: @Marilyn_Allen1
Marilyn received her B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Tufts University. As an undergraduate researcher, she worked to characterize a mucus binding protein in probiotic L. reuteri. Marilyn is currently a doctoral candidate in the Chemical and Biochemical Engineering program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Her research focuses on integrating immunology and engineering to design therapeutics for lupus using a nanoparticle platform. She has been awarded the NIH IMSD Meyerhoff Graduate Fellowship and the Lupus Foundation of America Gina M. Finzi Student Fellowship during her tenure as a grad student. Since COVID-19, she enjoys reading fiction and trying new recipes.
Jada Suber
Jada is a PhD candidate in Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her current thesis work involves investigating inhibitory mechanisms of effector cells in peanut allergy and alpha-gal allergy. Before enrolling as a graduate student, she obtained her B.S. in Chemistry from Presbyterian College and completed a Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Ariel Calderon
Twitter: @ArielA_Calderon
Ariel Calderon is a 6th year PhD Candidate in Immunology at Stanford University. His research focuses on the deep phenotypic characterization of human NK cell development using Mass Cytometry to classify human hematopoietic precursor cells through surface markers, transcriptional markers, and regulatory enzymes. Ariel has been awarded numerous awards including an NSF GRFP grant and a Stanford Community Impact Award for work done in encouraging Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts at the Stanford School of Medicine. Ariel began his scientific journey at Hunter College of CUNY as a MARC (Maximizing Access to Research Careers) scholar and is the first in his family to pursue both undergraduate and graduate studies. His goal is to be able to continue making an impact in Immunology research and creating programs to encourage STEM education in low-income Black and Latinx communities.
Ashton Trotman-Grant
Twitter: @ATrotmanGrant
Ashton is a PhD candidate in the Department of Immunology at the University of Toronto. He studies T cell development, synthetic biology and thymic regeneration in the lab of Dr. Juan Carlos Zúñiga-Pflücker. With an interest in entrepreneurship, he recently co-founded a start-up with his supervisor and collaborating scientists called Notch Therapeutics, where they aim to develop off-the-shelf engineered T cells for different diseases. Beyond the lab, he is a proponent of science communication, entrepreneurship and youth mentorship.
