Women in STEM Officers

2023-2024 Officer Board

Genevieve (Gigi)Hunn

President

• Position, Year: PRA 
• Department: Anesthesiology
• What do you do?/Topic of interest/Research Background: In the lab of Dr. Nidia Quillinan, I am focused on further characterizing cerebellar stroke, which is a specific type of ischemic stroke that affects more than 20,000 people each year. This is very important to research because injury to the cerebellum can cause issues with motor and nonmotor function. This project is exciting because we are using techniques that span from cells to animal behavior. The goal is to assess how immune factors in the cerebellum are functioning, and how that might affect synaptic structure and excitability from the cerebellum to the thalamus and other areas of the brain. We are using a novel transgenic approach and gearing up to do in vivo electrophysiology to evaluate synaptic function. My goal is to attend a PhD program and work on neuro-based diseases. 
• Other things you want to mention (what do you do in your free time?): I enjoy traveling and exploring the outdoors in my freetime! 

Claire H Levitt

Vice President

• Position, Year: Graduate Student, 3rd Yr
• Department: Bioengineering
• What do you do?/Topic of interest/Research Background: Broadly, I study diabetes and the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas which are the group of cells primarily responsible for maintaining glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion. I aim to understand how gap junction coupling in influences global islet dynamics in the context of diabetes using a human pseudo islet platform for modeling the islet.
• Other things you want to mention (what do you do in your free time?): when I’m not in the lab I love hiking and climbing and I’m OBSESSED with our dog Sophie! Follow her on Instagram: @sophie.dophie.jamba.juice 🐾

Jennyfer Mora Mitchell

Parenting and Postdoctoral Liaison

• Department: Craniofacial Biology. School of Dental Medicine.

Maddie Mason

Treasurer

• Pronouns: she/her
  
• Role on campus: Neuroscience PhD Student
• Research: I’m developing a novel mouse model for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma to understand how early onset cancer develops and to advance the treatments available for this disease.
• Why are you in Women in STEM? I joined WiSTEM because I’m passionate about educating up-and-coming scientists and developing a community at CU Anschutz that is inclusive of all.
• 3 things you like to do besides STEM:
  1. Baking
  2. Watching new TV shows
  3. Nature hiking

Bailey Courtney 

Middle School & HIgh School Mentorship Coordinator

Kayla Sompel

Educational Outreach Coordinator

• Pronouns: she/her
• Role on campus: First Year Medical Student
• Research: Pursuing clinical analysis of immunotherapy toxicities in advanced cancers.
• Why are you in Women in STEM? WiSTEM is an amazing way to support women and equity in STEM and within the community. I love providing underserved communities with the tools to either pursue STEM careers or interact with their local STEM community.
• 3 things you like to do besides STEM:
  1. Ski
  2. Cook
  3. Exercise

Hannah Work

• Name: Hannah Work, B.S. – 5^th year PhD student
• Position: Undergraduate Outreach Coordinator
• Department: Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• What I do: I work in the lab and am developing cellular and computational models that better assess if drugs are safe for fetuses and newborn babies. I specifically research how well (or poorly) fetuses and newborn babies metabolize and break down drugs in their developing livers. 
• Other things to mention: Outside of lab, I’m very outdoorsy and like to rock climb, backpack, and hike! I’m not a fan of the cold so once winter comes, I dive into my indoor hobbies like reading, puzzling, and board gaming 😊

Amber Stewart 

Mentorship Coordinator

• Position, Year: Pharmacology PhD Student, 3^rd Year
• Department: Pharmacology
• What do you do?/Topic of interest/Research Background: I use super-resolution microscopy to study the fine details of the molecular organization at inhibitory synapses within the brain.
• Other things you want to mention (what do you do in your free time?): For fun I love to be outside - skiing, camping, hiking. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, and love a good glass of wine.

Courtney McGinnis

• Graduate Student – fourth year

• Toxicology Department
• I work with Dr. Kristofer Fritz studying the metabolic consequences of alcohol toxicity. In his lab, I use proteomic techniques to investigate post-translational modification and epigenetic changes induced by alcohol consumption. Additionally, we evaluate these protein targets for therapeutic intervention and/or diagnostic potential. 
• In my free time, I enjoy attending concerts, hiking/camping in the summer, and skiing in the winter. 

Lucero Rodriguez

Social Media & Marketing Coordinator

• Pronouns: she/her
• Role on campus: Cell Therapy Technologist
• Why are you in Women in STEM? I enjoy supporting and encouraging women especially of underrepresented populations. To aim high towards their dreams and see that it is possible to attain your goals/dreams.
• 3 things you like to do besides STEM:
  1. Visiting breweries and coffee shops 
  2. Spending time with family and friends
  3. Shopping, listening to music and cuddling with my dog Henle