Meet the UAPA Executive Board
Meet the current members of the UAPA Executive Board and Heads of Committees.
Nicole Jimenez, PhD
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Nicole is currently a postdoc in Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz’s lab at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix and has been using both her passion for advocacy work and science to assist with her research on the cervicovaginal microbiome. She is currently facilitating research investigating the cervicovaginal microbiome and its role in endometrial cancer and gynecologic conditions like endometriosis. Specifically, she is utilizing her skills in microbiome analysis, microbial genomics, computational biology to better understand potential oncogenic bacteria and beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and their contributions to the cervicovaginal microenvironment in health and disease. She is delighted to be part of Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz’s lab as they are currently using multi-omic approaches with immunoproteomics, metabolomics, and genomics in conjunction with the lab’s 3-D human cell models and large clinical studies to set the foundation for creation of innovative microbial biomarker diagnostics. In addition, her lab’s societal goals of expediting the research pipeline from bench to bedside try to focus on health disparities within gynecologic conditions in context to Arizona’s diverse populations with many studies focusing on the Hispanic/Latinx, Native American, Aging communities.
Email: [email protected] |
Alane Blythe Dy, PhD, MSPH
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Geovana is currently, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Arizona, where she conducts research in translational immunology and cancer immunotherapy. Her work focuses on improving anti-tumor immune responses through T-cell and NK cell–based therapies, with applications in hematologic malignancies. She has contributed to studies exploring novel therapeutic combinations in preclinical models.
Dr. Leite has a multidisciplinary background spanning immunology, exercise science, and the gut microbiome, and is passionate about science communication, mentorship, and advancing translational research. www.linkedin.com/in/geovana-leite-phd-44556621/ https://katsanis-simpsonlab.arizona.edu/person/geovana-leite |
Ashton Jorgensen, PhD
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Ashton is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Dr. Taben Hale's lab at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix studying sex-specific mechanisms of cardiac fibroblast–mediated extracellular matrix remodeling. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women and men, yet women remain underrepresented in research; her work addresses this gap by examining how ACE inhibition and angiotensin II signaling differentially regulate fibrosis in males and females to improve cardiovascular therapies.
Ashton has strong expertise in primary cell culture, RNA and protein analysis, in vivo cardiovascular models, and single-nucleus RNA‑seq and ATAC‑seq analysis, and her work has been recognized with the 2025 Elizabeth Young New Investigator Award (OSSD) and first place in the 2025 Arizona Physiological Society Postdoctoral Oral Presentation. Beyond research, Ashton is committed to mentorship, science communication, and community building through trainee mentoring, public outreach, and her role as Chair of the University of Arizona Postdoctoral Association Social Committee. Email: [email protected] www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonjorgensen/ |
Shahram Zarrabian, PhD
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Shahram is currently a Research Associate at the Department of Translational Neuroscience, University of Arizona. He holds a B.Sc. in General Biology from Kharazmi University (1996), an M.Sc. in Medical Physiology from Shahid-Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (1999), and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from the Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (2016), where he studied under the mentorship of Prof. Mohammad-Reza Zarrindast. His doctoral research focused on the role of GABA A and GABA B receptors in the CA3 area of the hippocampus in relation to anxiolytic-like behaviors and avoidance memory deficits induced by D-AP5, an NMDA receptor antagonist, in rats. Dr. Zarrabian previously served as an Assistant Professor at Azad University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, for five years before continuing his research career at the University of California, San Francisco. He has authored over 32 publications, with a total of 386 scientific citations. In addition to his academic roles, Dr. Zarrabian has made significant contributions to the field of neuroscience through his service as an editorial board member of the Journal of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience and as a topic editor for Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. He also led an international non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on family health as its CEO for five years, demonstrating his commitment to advancing both scientific knowledge and public health.
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Elke Zeller, PhD |
Elke is a paleoclimate scientist interested in interactions between past climates, flora, and fauna. My current research focuses on understanding the interactions between global vegetation distributions and the global climate system, with a particular emphasis on warm periods that can serve as analogs for future climates. Research Interests include Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology, Climatology, and Human Evolution.
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