The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science
Campus Organization
Meet the Officers
President
Grace Gustafson
Grace is a PhD candidate in the Molecular Biology program. She is originally from Madison, Wisconsin, but moved to upstate New York to pursue a Bachelor’s degree. She ultimately transferred to Arizona State University, completing a B.S. in Biological Sciences. She spent several years as an undergraduate and a laboratory technician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying caloric restriction and aging. Now in graduate school, she studies developmental buffering mechanisms of start codon mutations in a zebrafish model in the lab of Dr. James Nichols. Off campus, she loves art, hiking, playing guitar, tabletop RPGs, and reading about local history.
Vice President
Roxana Gutierrez
Roxana was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the foothills of the Sandia Mountains. She attended the University of New Mexico and earned a BS in Biology. She has always loved science and has always had a curiosity for understanding the world around her and how the human body functions. Roxana was a dancer most of her life, reaching the pre-professional level by the time she was in high school. However, she always knew that she wanted to pursue a career in science. Roxana moved to beautiful Colorado to attend graduate school. She began her PhD training in the Biomedical Sciences Program (BSP) here at CU Anschutz and knew early on that she wanted to join the Cells, Stem Cells, and Development (CSD) program. Roxana loves dancing, hiking, camping, attending musical festivals, and spending as much time as possible with her dog. She is involved with the SACNAS chapter here at CU Anschutz, where she is committed to cultivating an inclusive community for all.
Secretary
Evan Brooks
Evan Brooks is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Craniofacial Biology in the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine where he studies alternative RNA splicing in mammalian facial development. He is originally from Norlina, North Carolina. He earned his B.S. in biological sciences from North Carolina State University and his Ph.D. in molecular and developmental biology at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He was first introduced to SACNAS as a graduate student and previously served as the Secretary and President of the SACNAS chapter at the University of Cincinnati. Outside of the lab and SACNAS, you can find him binging reality TV shows like The Real Housewives and Survivor, finding new books to read at the Denver Public Library, playing social strategy and board games with friends, and going on random adventures in the Colorado mountains.
Treasurer
Raymundo Lerma
Raymundo, born and raised in Colorado, is a Molecular Biology PhD candidate at the University of Colorado- Anschutz. He earned his B.S. in Molecular Biology from the University of Denver double minoring in Chemistry and Spanish. Raymundo currently works in the Caino lab where he is interested in understanding molecular mechanisms related to mitochondria that drive tumor progression. Prior to returning to academia Raymundo spent more than half a decade working in various scientific professions such as an organic chemist, microbiologist, and a molecular biologist. Raymundo is a big proponent of the community and has served on the board of various community organizations. Raymundo identifies as a gay, Latino, and Mexican-American.
Campus-Community Liaison
Crystal Minjarez
Crystal is a first-generation college graduate from Regis University with a B.S. in Neuroscience. After 3 years as a lab technician, she started to pursue her PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in 2022. Currently in Gidon Felsen's lab, Crystal studies perception and decision-making via eye movements, using behavior and electrophysiology in a mouse model. When Crystal isn't in the lab, you can find her spending time with her cats, at a park, or doing crafts. Importantly, Crystal is dedicated to creating and keeping an inclusive environment for everyone in science.
National Liaison
Laura Islas
Laura is a PhD student in the Immunology Program and is doing her thesis work in the lab of Dr. Paul Norman. She began her scientific journey as an undergraduate at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she developed kidney organoid models to study kidney diseases. After earning her B.S. in Biochemistry, Laura spent several years exploring opportunities in both academia and industry. These experiences sparked her interest in unconventional T cells, which form the focus of her graduate research. In her free time, Laura enjoys staying active by hiking, running, doing yoga, and playing volleyball.
Social Media Coordinator
Rianna Farahani
Rianna is a PhD student in the Pharmacology and Molecular Medicine program. Before moving to Colorado, she lived in San Jose, California, where she got her bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Systems Physiology and a minor in Chemistry from San Jose State University. In undergrad, she conducted research in the atmospheric chemistry lab, investigating complex organic mixtures in upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UT/LS) aerosols that might influence climate. Now, as a PhD student, she is studying the underlying molecular mechanism of proteins important in prostate cancer metastasis. Outside of lab life, Rianna enjoys cooking, baking, crocheting, and dancing.
Native American Affairs Officer
Edgardo Linares
Edgardo, born and raised in Los Angeles, California, is a Molecular Biology PhD student at the University of Colorado Anschutz. He earned his B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Edgardo is currently working in the Johnson lab, where he is working towards understanding how the lncRNA HOTAIR can be oncogenic or tumor suppressive depending on its methylation pattern. Before graduate school, Edgardo worked in two genetics laboratories at UCSC while being funded by the NIH IMSD program through UCSC’s STEM Diversity program. Outside of research, he enjoys live music, exploring nature, and spending time with loved ones. Edgardo identifies as Salvadoran-American/Latino.
Chapter Advisor | Professor
Carlos Enrique Catalano, PharmD, PhD
Carlos was born in Hollywood, California and grew up in Southern California. He eventually moved to San Francisco, where he graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Biochemistry. He then attended the University of California San Francisco, where he received his Pharm.D. in Clinical Pharmacy (1983) and a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry (1987), studying under Dr. Paul Ortiz de Montellano. He next received an NIH post-doctoral fellowship and trained with Dr. Steve Benkovic at the Pennsylvania State University. Carlos started his independent research career as an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 1989; he moved to the University of Washington School of Pharmacy in 2006 ... and then returned to Colorado in 2016, where he is currently a Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics. His research program focuses on understanding how a virus "puts itself together" using biochemical, biophysical and structural approaches. Carlos has been a member of SACNAS since 1990 and is honored to be the SACNAS Anschutz Chapter Advisor. Biking, hiking and sailing are among the activities that keep him busy outside of the lab.