Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellows

Winter 2007 Fellow Biographies

		Rima Adler (DELS/BLS) completed her PhD in Genetics at The George Washington University, in Washington DC in December 2006. Her dissertation research was conducted at the National Institutes of Health. She evaluated adult blood stem cell contributions, via retroviral gene insertion site analysis, to better understand hematopoiesis and gene-therapy. She worked in labs at the New York State Department of Health and also on clinical guidelines projects for NY State. Volunteer activities during graduate school (including work with the Student Society for Stem Cell Research, the International Society of Stem Cell Research, and instructor at various levels of education: OASIS, FAES, and Hands on Science) have given her a unique perspective on communicating science, to both scientific peers and lay audiences. During the National Academies’ fellowship, she looks forward to continuing to use her scientific expertise to bridge the research-bench to the voting-public to promote sound public policies that are based upon facts rather than fiction. After this fellowship, she plans to do a traditional post-doctoral research fellowship, in a gene-therapy focused lab, before returning to a policy career. Rima is a hobby-linguist, loves to travel, likes to learn about people/cultures, is interested in playing the violin again, and enjoys exploring DC on warm sunny days! Contact by email.
		Kristin Agopian (PGA/GUIRR) graduated from Harvard University with a Ph.D. in Virology in June 2006. Her doctoral research focused on the Nef protein of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Nef is important for the development of AIDS in HIV-infected individuals. Her project had two areas of focus: 1) the interaction of HIV Nef with Pak2, a human serine/threonine kinase which may coordinate the cellular stress response and is involved in T cell activation; 2) the evolution of HIV Nef sequences and functions in viruses within the brain versus lymphoid tissues of AIDS patients. Kristin received an A.B. in Molecular Biology from Princeton University. For her undergraduate thesis, she studied speciation by observing defects in egg development in interspecific hybrid fruit flies. During her graduate work, she developed a growing interest in the commercialization of science and technology as a way to bridge lab discoveries with societal need. She hopes that during her time with GUIRR she will learn more about ways to improve collaboration between industry and academia. Kristin is excited about her fellowship at the National Academies. She hopes to learn as much as possible about the world of science policy and looks forward to exploring Washington, DC. In her spare time she enjoys music of all types, crossword puzzles, cooking, art museums, movies, tennis and outdoor walks. Contact by email.
		Tylisha Baber (NAE/CASEE) graduated from Michigan State University with a PhD in chemical engineering in December 2005. Her doctoral research was Phase I of a USDA-SBIR funded project focused on the product development and characterization of a novel ozone-mediated treatment of biodiesel derived from soybean oil for fuel quality improvement. During her graduate tenure at Michigan State University, Tylisha received certification in college teaching as a participant in the College Teaching Certification (CTC) program. Teaching and mentoring activities included being a chemistry faculty member at Lansing Community College, a guest lecturer for an undergraduate thermodynamics course, a research mentor for undergraduate students, and a participant in the Future Faculty Career Exploration Program at Rochester Institute of Technology. She also holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University. Tylisha is looking forward to her fellowship at the Academies and hopes to gain a greater understanding of the analysis tools and resources used to strategically create and implement policies relating to scientific and technical issues. In her free time, Tylisha enjoys reading, exercising, attending performing arts events, and watching professional sports. Contact by email.
		Tiffani Bailey (NAE/CASEE) completed her PhD in Chemistry from North Carolina State University in December 2006. Her interdisciplinary research focus was on modifying chemical and physical properties at the liquid/solid interface to address optimizing surface chemistry applications. T his research was a collaborative effort in both chemistry and chemical engineering departments. While in graduate school, Tiffani was selected as a Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Scholar (AGEP), a NASA Harriet Jenkins Predoctoral Fellow and was a recipient of the American Chemical Society YCC Leadership Development Award. Her undergraduate studies were conducted at Hampton University, where she earned her BS in chemistry. During her time as a fellow at the National Academies, Tiffani is interested in enhancing her knowledge on the impact of science and technology policy in higher education. She also hopes to gain insight on assessing and evaluating grants or funds disseminated for research and development. Tiffani has been involved in science and technology research since the age of 7 and is passionate about the importance of educational programs to keep students in the S&T pipeline. In her leisure time she enjoys volunteering in the community, traveling, and being a mentor to students. Contact by email.
		Pamela Bradley (IOM/IOM EO) received her Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2001. Her doctoral research, supported by a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Predoctoral Fellowship, investigated how organs adopt a particular shape and position using the fruit fly model system. Her postdoctoral research, at Harvard Medical School and the National Institutes of Health, is aimed at elucidating the molecular mechanisms that control how cells change shape during development. Pam is interested in the translation and application of basic science research to medicine and is looking forward to being a fellow with the Institute of Medicine, where she will support the Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine. She hopes to learn how advances in science and clinical medicine are integrated into health policy for the benefit of public health. Whenever possible, she enjoys traveling, especially when it involves sailing, hiking or SCUBA diving. Contact by email.
		Hannah Brenkert-Smith (DBASSE/CHDGC) is currently completing her Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Her doctoral research examines how property owners and communities respond to wildfire risk along Colorado’s Front Range. Her work brings together research on behavioral response to natural hazards and the effects of place attachment and is supported by an EPA STAR (Science to Achieve Results) Fellowship. Hannah looks forward to her fellowship at the Academies and sees it as opportunity to participate in the efforts of creating policy that is scientifically sound and supported by both the physical and social sciences. Her career goals include finding ways to further pursue and promote research agendas that integrate social science research into environmental research agendas. Hannah has a M.A. and B.A. in Women Studies and has done volunteer work in India and Cameroon. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, running, cooking, and working in her garden. Contact by email.
		Susan Burke (PGA/COSEPUP) is currently completing her Ph.D. in physics at the University of Arizona. Her doctoral research was conducted at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, IL, where she studied the top quark—the heaviest known elementary particle. Susan received her B.S. in physics from Miami University, and spent her junior year as an exchange student at the University of Helsinki, Finland. While in graduate school, Susan developed interests in both science communication and science policy. She was a 2002 AAAS Mass Media Fellow, writing and delivering radio stories on a broad range of scientific topics for a NPR-member station in Columbus, OH. Later, she served as the principal investigator of a study assessing the climate for women in her physics department. Susan is excited to be a fellow with COSEPUP where she may continue to research issues that affect the participation of women and minorities in science. She is also considering a career in science policy and sees this fellowship as an opportunity to explore this possibility. In her spare time, Susan enjoys visiting museums, taking walks, and scouring used bookstores. She currently chairs the Fermilab International Film Society. Contact by email.
		Nida Corry (HPDP/IOM) is currently completing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Purdue University. Her doctoral research focuses on evaluating the determinants of preventative and risky health behaviors, specifically exercise and eating disordered behaviors, using an extended model of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Nida earned her B.S. from Florida State University in both Psychology and Religion, with a minor is Spanish. During her graduate career, she developed an interest in the potential contributions of psychology to health care policies through her clinical work in medical settings and participation in national research conferences, including a graduate student Social Change Workshop at Stanford University. In the future, Nida would like to assist agencies that promote the use of research findings in social and political decision-making and to continue her development as a psychologist in the field of Behavioral Medicine. She hopes to learn more about the role scientists can play in the development and implementation of public policy during her tenure with the National Academies, and looks forward to working with bright individuals from various fields. In her free time, Nida enjoys running, traveling, reading and spending time with friends and family. Contact by email.
		Albert Epshteyn (BCST/DELS) graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a PhD in Chemistry in December 2006. In his graduate research Albert explored the fundamental reactivity of early transition metals as pertaining to small molecule activation and catalyst development. In particular, his work enabled the identification of a new class of stable Ta(IV) alkyl complexes. Albert's undergraduate studies were also at UMD where he was a Banneker-Key scholar. He obtained his Biochemistry B.S. degree and participated in a Gemstone undergraduate interdisciplinary research project studying prison overcrowding in the US. After 4 years the Gemstone project culminated in a presentation at the November 2000 American Society of Criminology Conference in San Francisco entitled GPS Sex Offender Tracking, and in a report to the Maryland Lieutenant Governor. Albert is happy to have the opportunity to work with BCST, since he has always been interested in the way governmental entities obtain and utilize scientific information. In the long term Albert hopes that his varied interests will lead him on a career path to improving science education and general interest in science. In his spare time Albert enjoys cooking, tennis, B&W film photography, and learning Spanish. Contact by email.
		Nagla Fetouh (KSM/NAS) completed her M.A. in Education from the University of Michigan in 2003. She holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Michigan. Nagla has been teaching high school science/biology at Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois for the past two years. She recently moved to Maryland and is extremely enthusiastic about working at the Marian Koshland Science Museum, where she will be developing educational materials for global warming exhibit website and the infectious disease exhibit field trips. Nagla is hoping to use her experience in curriculum design and development from her prior teaching experiences to help in creating interesting, relevant, and intellectually stimulating lessons for others to use and/or adapt. When she has time to, Nagla enjoys spending time volunteering with different community service programs, playing various sports, and reading. She is enthused about this opportunity to add to her repertoire of curriculum design experiences that will help her develop long-term as an educator and further her goal of becoming more heavily involved in educational curriculum design and policy at the secondary level. Contact by email.
		Patrick Foley (COSEPUP/PGA) is currently completing his PhD at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in Applied Physics. His research is focused upon optimization of active sound cancellation components through interactive visualization. He received a B.A. in Physics at Hendrix College in Conway, AR with a minor in Classics. For the past two years, he has worked for the Virtual Reality Center at UALR, programming and demonstrating a CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment for university guests. During the summers, he has also worked under a NASA EPSCOR grant funding research on a hybrid rocket. Patrick is unsure of his long-term career goals, and hopes that the Convocation on Rising above the Gathering Storm will help him understand the demands of the scientific community and his place within it. He is excited to gather information to help Arkansas adapt to the rapidly changing needs of scientific inquiry. Patrick enjoys fishing, Frisbee, and games of all sorts. Contact by email.
		Friederike Haass (NAS/PNAS) is a fifth year Neuroscience graduate student at the University of California San Francisco in Lily Jan’s laboratory. For her thesis project she studies how potassium channels (proteins in the cell membrane that act as gates to regulate the flow of potassium ions) are assembled and trafficked to the right location within the cell. She grew up in Germany and studied Biology at the University of Wuerzburg. For her “Diplom” research thesis, Friederike worked in Ed Kravitz’s lab at Harvard Medical School on fighting behavior in lobsters. She would like to apply her science background to work in a team environment and address questions relating as to how science affects society and what society should ask of science to solve problems. She looks forward to learning about this process during her fellowship with PNAS. Friederike participated in BioTeach for three years, planning and implementing hands-on science experiments for 7th graders. This past summer, she did a part-time internship with the California Council on Science and Technology. In her spare time, she likes to read, particularly newspapers and books on history and politics, play the violin, visit museums, and attend classical music/opera performances. Contact by email.
		Jonathan Hickman (DELS/PRB & BASC) is currently working towards his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution at SUNY at Stony Brook. He became interested in biogeochemistry and ecophysiology in his first two years of grad school, and for his dissertation he’s examining how relatively unique aspects of the physiology of kudzu, and invasive vine, is leading to substantial impacts on ecosystems and atmospheric chemistry. During college and for several years afterwards, Jonathan’s focus was distinctly non-scientific—he completed a B.A. in English and Studio Art from Vassar College in 1995, and then worked as a researcher first at the Council on Economic Priorities and then for FORTUNE magazine. He’s very excited to be taking a break from academe (and the lab) for a few weeks. Jonathan feels the draw of a career in policy very strongly, but at the same time, he really enjoys doing scientific research, and it’s difficult to consider severing himself from it completely. He hopes that the fellowship experience will help him reconcile those two apparently conflicting desires. In his spare time, he enjoys the odd NPR podcast, Billy Wilder movies, making music, and occasionally playing tennis or squash very poorly. Contact by email.
		Marc Humphrey (PGA/CISAC) earned his Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University in 2003 and his B.S. at Western Michigan University in 1997. His dissertation, conducted at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, focused on both theoretical and experimental aspects of precision measurements in atomic physics. After devoting one year to language training in Germany and France, he extended his skills to the international arena as a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa. His service included a ten-month water and sanitation assignment in rural Mali, followed by a data management post with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Bamako. Following his Peace Corps service, Marc intends to apply his physics training and foreign policy interests to the fields of arms control and nuclear non-proliferation. He hopes to build on his experience at CISAC to become an international security policy analyst or diplomat. For many years, Marc has held a passion for traveling to distant places, experiencing diverse cultures, and learning about foreign affairs. In addition, after two years in the desert, Marc is anxious to rediscover ice and to rekindle his love of hockey. Contact by email.
		Sabrina Jedlicka (PGA/COSEPUP) is currently completing her Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue University. Her highly interdisciplinary doctoral research is focused on the functional modulation of neuronal phenotype and neurotransmitter release via induction by rationally designed novel biomaterial peptide surfaces. Currently her materials are being applied to novel cell-silicon therapies for epilepsy. She holds a dual B.S. from Kansas State University in Chemical Science and Biological & Agricultural Engineering; while performing research in a variety of areas, including veterinary diagnostics, biomaterials, bioremediation, and developmental physiology. Sabrina is looking forward to working with COSEPUP, where she likely will focus on ethics in research and the integrity of research data. She has always been multidisciplinary in her research, academic, and career interests and hopes that a policy fellowship will allow her to utilize her talents in science, while challenging her to cultivate an understanding of ethics and policy development. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, exploring art museums, and reading. Contact by email.
		Laura Levit (IOM/NCPF) graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in May 2006, and was admitted into the Virginia Bar Association in October 2006. She completed her undergraduate studies at the College of William and Mary, receiving her B.S. in psychology. In law school, Laura worked for several different nonprofit organizations that focus on health and mental health care policy, including the World Federation for Mental Health, the Treatment Advocacy Center, the Bazelon Center and, the National Research Center for Women & Families. During one of these internships, she researched the circumstances in which the family members of person’s with mental illnesses can get health care related information under HIPAA. Her research resulted in a published article outlining family member’s legal rights under HIPAA. Laura is excited to be doing her fellowship with the NCPF where she will continue her work on HIPAA. She hopes this fellowship will give her a better understanding of how health care policy decisions are made in Washington, D.C., and provide her with some of the skills necessary to spend her career working on health care issues. In her free time, Laura enjoys riding her two Dutch warmblood mares, reading with her cat Mini on her lap, and cooking. Contact by email.
		Jeremy Mark (PGA/COSEPUP & DEPS/BEES) is completing his M.P.P. at The George Washington University this spring, with a focus on environmental policy. He holds a B.S.E. in Materials Science and Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. Originally interested in developing materials for renewable energy sources, Jeremy found that supporting policies were as important as the technologies themselves. He hopes to improve communication between scientists and policy makers, particularly in the development and deployment of clean, renewable energy technologies. Most recently he has worked for the House Science Committee, and is looking forward to learning how scientists interact with policy development while at the Academies. He hopes to pursue a career in the federal government, but remains open to any opportunities that will let him pursue his interests. In the long-term, he will likely not be able to resist the allure of academia and teaching. While at Case, he co-founded a student chapter of Engineers Without Borders and continues to be actively involved in Alpha Phi Omega, a community service fraternity. An avid swing dancer, he has recently taken up ballroom dancing and adores live theatre. Contact by email.
		Sandra N. Ottensmann (PGA/CSTL) just received her M.S. in chemistry from Stanford University, where her graduate work focused on the synthesis of glycosyltransferase transmembrane domains for use in studying carbohydrate synthesis pathways. She received a B.S. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 2005. As an undergraduate, she performed research on liquid crystalline polymers at Caltech and on thermoelectric materials at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Sandy is excited to be working at the CSTL, where she hopes to learn how scientists and lawyers work together to create new policy decisions. Her future plans possibly include attending law school in order to gain a background in law in addition to her scientific education, so she can eventually work at the intersection of law and science. In her free time, she enjoys great food and wine, reading, rollerblading, video games and cooking. Contact by email.
		Laila Parker (PGA/DSC) recently completed a dual M.S. in Water Resource Policy & Management and Water Resource Engineering at Oregon State University, and holds a B.A. in Biology from Carleton College. Her M.S. research involved developing a volunteer groundwater monitoring network as part of a larger effort in community-based groundwater management. She also developed a image processing model to study vapor-phase flow in soils. Laila is interested in working at the science-policy interface in environmental management, and hopes to gain a greater understanding of science policy at the national level through this fellowship. In her spare time she usually enjoys exploring the outdoors, but she's looking forward to experiencing D.C. Contact by email.
		Florence Roan (IOM/BGH) received a combined M.D./Ph.D. degree from Emory University in May 2003, where her graduate research focused on the regulation of cellular cytokines by human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8; KSHV), the viral etiologic agent of Kaposi’s Sarcoma. She holds a B.A. in biology and biochemistry from Rice University in Houston, Texas. She has recently completed a residency in internal medicine at Washington University in Saint Louis and will be starting a fellowship in infectious diseases at the University of Washington in July 2007. While she ultimately intends to be involved in research in infectious disease immunology and clinical practice in an academic setting, she is also very interested in the social challenges that the infectious disease field presents and hopes to be an active participant in the dialogue on public health and health policy. She is enthusiastic about her fellowship with the Forum on Microbial Threats and increasing her understanding of the underlying issues that inform our national priorities and agendas and the role of scientists in forming policy. In her free time, she enjoys technical scuba diving, good food, wine and music. Contact by email.
		Simil Roupe (NAE/DEW) is currently finishing her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Her thesis is focused on neural and vocal plasticity as a result of deafness in primates. She is interested in how the brain learns and processes language and along with a B.S.E in mechanical engineering she also received a B.A. in Spanish language from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. Before attending college Simil worked for three years in an elementary school, and she has a strong desire to work on improving science and mathematics education especially for underrepresented groups. She is excited to begin her fellowship with the DEW program this year, and hopes the experience will give her a broader perspective on how scientists can be an influence toward socially responsible public policy. In her free time, Simil likes to hike and explore or play games with friends, and she is looking forward to meeting new people and making new friends during her time in D.C. Contact by email.
		Lisa Troy (IOM/FNB) is completing her Ph.D. in Nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University. As part of her dissertation research, Lisa developed an index to measure adherence to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This Index has been used to examine associations between adherence to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and bone mineral density, risk of hip fracture, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Lisa’s extensive course work in epidemiology and public health at both Harvard and Tufts has prepared her well for a career in science. Additionally, she comes with a broad background of experiences including work in nutrition program evaluation, both in the U.S. and abroad, and teaching. Teaching and mentoring are, in fact, of particular importance to Lisa, as is evidenced by her past work as lecturer for several university-level courses, and her work on committees focused on curriculum development. Lisa looks forward to experiencing policy-making in action during her time at the Academies. Contact by email.
		Carolyn Williams (NAE/NAE EO) is currently completing her PhD in chemical engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her dissertation research focuses on the use of synthetic gene-circuits in Escherichia coli for improved precursor and cofactor availability during secondary metabolite production. This research would create a dynamic microbial strain for industrial-level synthesis of biopharmaceuticals and other desirable products. She completed her BS in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University in 2003. Carolyn is excited to be working at the NAE, where she anticipates being involved in a project to evaluate the success of different organizations at incorporating engineering concepts into standard K-12 curricula. During her fellowship, she hopes to gain insight into the process of science and engineering curriculum development and the formulation of education policy. Carolyn enjoys reading, singing, snowboarding, and theater. Contact by email.