Meet our Organizers

Dr. Sonya Neal

Co-Founder, Faculty Advisor

I'm an Associate Professor of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at UC San Diego and HHMI Freeman Hrabrowski Scholar. I'm a Black in STEM, a first-generation college student, and a proud mother of two. My research strives to understand the basic biology of protein homeostasis and how organisms use quality control pathways to mitigate this universal biological stress. I enjoy mentoring, outreach, spending time with family, running, and watching basketball and football.

Claire Chapman

Board Chair

Hi everyone, I am a Ph.D. candidate in Biological Sciences at UC San Diego! I am a member of the Rivera-Chávez lab where I study interactions between the host gut microbiota and the pathogen Vibrio cholerae. I grew up near Sacramento, California, and attended UC Davis where I earned a bachelor's degree in Global Disease Biology and minors in Public Health and Medical Entomology. When I am not in lab, I love baking, reading in the sun, fly fishing, and watching football and baseball with my dog, Gus.

Eric Jordahl

Mentorship Chair

Hi everyone! I am a PhD student in Biological Sciences at UC San Diego. I am a member of the Neal lab where I study proteotoxic stress regulating mechanisms of the endoplasmic reticulum in pancreatic cancer. I am originally from Philadelphia, PA and got my bachelors in Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Pittsburgh. When not in lab, I love spending time with friends, baking, cooking, indoor plants, and playing with my cat, Apollo!

Chloe Welch

Events Co-Chair

Hi everyone! I am a PhD candidate in Biological Sciences at UC San Diego. I am a member of the Wildonger lab where I am investigating how post-translational modifications impact microtubule behavior and axon morphogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster. I am from the Sacramento area where I received my bachelor’s in cell/molecular biology and a master’s degree in stem cell biology. When I’m not in lab, you can find me in the gym, by the water, hanging out with family/friends, or reading a good book.

Jennifer Swindlehurst Chan

Finance Co-Chair

Hello! I am a BioSci PhD student in the Lovett-Barron Lab at UCSD. My research focus is in neuroscience using zebrafish as a model system. I was born and raised in San Diego and am happy to be back here for graduate school. I got my BA in Neuroscience & Behavior and Biology at Wesleyan University. Outside the lab, I love to snorkel, scuba dive, ski, and hike!

Sneha Patel

Events Co-Chair

Hi! I am a PhD student in Biological Sciences at UC San Diego. I am a member of the Leutgeb Lab where I am investigating the role of respiration-related oscillations and theta oscillations across various brain regions in a spatial working memory task in rodents. I went to UC San Diego for my Bachelors degrees in Biology and Psychology, but I am originally from the Bay Area. During my free time, I enjoy going to the beach, working on puzzles, photosynthesizing, doing my nails, and shuffling.

Madeleine Duquette

Finance Co-Chair

Hello! I am a PhD student in Biological Sciences at UC San Diego. I am a member of the Villa Lab where I am studying the fusion of HIV-1 virions with host cells. I grew up in Paradise, CA but earned my B.S. in BioHealth Sciences from Oregon State University. In my free time, I love working out, dancing, painting, or spending time with friends.

Erik Wieboldt

Dr. Tara Drakes

Co-founder, Former Chair

Hello friends! I am a Technical Advisor at Rum and Sargassum, Inc. (Barbados) and former Ph.D. student at UCSD. I grew up in Antigua and Barbuda, was a first-generation college student and was the first in my family to obtain a Ph.D. My research focuses on understanding the microbial communities associated with Sargassum in the Caribbean for the optimization of biofuel production and alleviation of Sargassum along the coastline. When I am not in the lab, I am colouring, baking and cuddling my pup, Mecca.

Dr.Sumedha Ravishankar

Co-founder, Former Chair

Hi! I’m a 6th year Ph.D. student in Dr. Cressida’s Madigan’s lab at UCSD. I study bacterial infections that affect the nervous system, such as bacterial meningitis, using zebrafish as a model organism. I’m from Tucson, AZ, but got my bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley. Go Bears! I then spent two years as a research scientist at the University of Washington before beginning my graduate work. In my free time I love watching baseball/playing fantasy baseball, cooking, running, and spending time with friends!

Ivy Fernandes

Founding Board, Former Finance Chair

Hi! I am a 6th year Ph.D. student in Dr. Deborah Yelon's lab at UCSD, where I research heart development using zebrafish as a model organism. I was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. I attended Santa Clara University for my bachelor's degree in bioengineering. During my free time, I love baking, running, and trying various DIY projects.

Megan Hayes

Founding Board, Former Events Chair

Hello! I am a 6th year Ph.D. student in Dr. Cressida Madigan’s lab at UCSD. I grew up in Tucson, AZ, and received my bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Arizona. Now, as a graduate student in Dr. Cressida Madigan’s lab, I study tuberculosis meningitis in a zebrafish model. Outside of lab, I enjoy spending time outdoors, crafting, and playing with my dog!

Alexandra Stream

Former Events Officer

I am an MD/PhD graduate student in the lab of Dr. Victor Nizet. My research focuses on autoimmunity, vaccine immunology, and immune correlates of protection relevant to the leading human pathogen group A Streptococcus (GAS) and the important post-infectious autoimmune complication of rheumatic heart disease. I went to UCLA for undergrad and then spent two years doing research at the NIH in Bethesda, MD before starting grad school. When I'm not in lab, I love going to musicals, singing a cappella, paddleboarding, and trying new foods around San Diego.

Devanshi Agarwal

Former Finance Officer

I'm a 2nd year Ph.D. Student at UCSD. I'm originally from Chennai, India, and I received my B.S. in biochemistry with a minor in art history from UCLA. I'm the first in my family to pursue a Ph.D. and wouldn't be where I am without the mentors I've had along the way, which is why I resonate with BUMMP's mission. Outside of lab and mentorship, I enjoy going to the beach, visiting art museums, trying new restaurants, and watching reality TV!