PDA Leadership Biographies

 

Member Biography
Shashi Singh

Shashi Singh, PhD
~ Senior Co-President, PDA
~ Representative, Faculty Senate & Intercouncil Leadership
sxs2904@case.edu

Shashi is a postdoc in the department of Biochemistry & Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics, School of Medicine. He got his PhD in India from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Shashi joined CWRU in 2022 after completing his first postdoc at Cleveland Clinic. He is studying the mechanisms of RNA viruses and host cell battlefields and applying those insights to generate novel RNA therapeutics.

Shashi joined the PDA in 2022 ans served as the Chair of the Social Activities Committee, planning extracurricular activities for the CWRU postdocs,  and representing postdocs on the Faculty Senate Committee on Information and Communications Technology. Currently, he is the senior-co-president of the PDA and is committed to advocacy and career growth of postdocs. 

In his free time, Shashi enjoys hiking, traveling, camping, and talking to his family in India. He loves to explore new places and cultures, and he is determined to make the most out of his postdoc experience.

Department: Biochemistry

Photo of Lenka Hromadkova in a soda fountain shop

Lenka Hromadkova, PhD
~ Treasurer, PDA
lenka.hromadkova@case.edu

Lenka Hromadkova is originally from the Czech Republic where she obtained her PhD in Animal Physiology at Charles University in Prague. During her PhD, she also attended several fellowships to work with neuronal cultures in Alzheimer’s disease lab at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar at Dr. Safar’s lab at the Department of Pathology working on cellular tau pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Outside the lab, she enjoyed sport activities like beach volleyball, yoga, and swimming. During her free time, she likes traveling and exploring different cultures, painting, cooking, and reading. She joined the PDA group in fall 2021 as a treasurer to be a part of postdoctoral scholar community.

Department: Pathology

Imdadul Khan

Imdadul Khan, PhD
~ Secretary, PDA
mdimdadulhuque.khan@case.edu

Imdadul is interested in applying chemical and genetic tools and approaches in epigenetics to understand and treat cancer. He did his Master's on isolating bioactive natural products from the endophytic fungus at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Imdadul did his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (emphasis on Medicinal Chemistry) at the University of Mississippi in 2022, where he designed and synthesized natural product-inspired complex small molecules as potential therapeutics for various diseases. The potential of small molecules to serve as a tool to explore casual interaction directly in the cells and to understand the complexity of cellular processes inspired him to pursue postdoctoral training in chemical biology. Imdadul joined as a postdoctoral scholar in the Gryder lab at the School of Medicine in January 2023. Imdadul's future professional goal is to lead a team as a principal investigator and utilize a holistic approach including chemistry, biology, and bioinformatics, to solve the puzzles of biological systems in treating diseases. 

Imdadul joined the PDA in 2023 and currently holds a position as the Secretary. Imdadul is the eldest of two brothers and one sister, the son of two proud parents, a husband, and a father to one precious little girl. He likes to travel, watch movies, and meet new people. 

Department: Genetics and Genome Sciences

Regmi, Sagar

Sagar Regmi, PhD
~ Representative, Faculty Senate Committee on Research
~ Chair, Visa and Immigration Committee

sagar.regmi@case.edu

Sagar is originally from Pokhara, Nepal and completed his PhD from the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore in 2019. He is a current postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Pharmacology in the CWRU School of Medicine. His research involves determining the structure of proteins which play important roles in various cellular pathways using cryogenic electron microscopy.

Outside the lab, he enjoys sporting activities like badminton, going to the beach, yoga, and traveling to naturally beautiful places with hiking activities. He joined the PDA in 2022 to be a part of the postdoctoral scholar community. He is excited to represent the Committee on Research on the Faculty Senate. 

Department: Pharmacology

Sree Vasudevan

Sreelakshmi Vasudevan, PhD
~ Chair, PDA Women's Initiatives Committee
sreelakshmi.vasudevanpillai@case.edu

Sreelakshmi Vasudevan is from Kerala, India and she received her Ph.D degree in Biochemistry from University of Kerala, India. She started her postdoctoral research in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Case Western Reserve University during 2018. Here current research focuses on the mechanism of rhodopsin mutations in adRP. She joined the CWRU postdoc association in 2021 as a Chair of the Visa and Immigration Committee and from 2022 she is Chairing Women’ Initiative committee. Other than research and family time, she is interested in exploring new places and cultures.

Department: Ophthalmology

Syam S

Syam S, PhD
~ Chair, PDA Social Activities Committee
sxs3169@case.edu

Syam is a postdoctoral scholar in the Case School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and joined CWRU in 2023. He received his PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur), West Bengal, India. Before joining CWRU, he worked a as a research assistant in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kharagpur. At CWRU, his research focuses on the influence of aerosols and particulars on hypersonic boundary layer transition. His research interests include experimental fluid mechanics, hypersonic boundary layer transition, shock-droplet interaction, flow visualization, laser ignition of atomized fuel-air mixtures, and droplet combustion. He loves to listen to vocal and instrumental music in his free time, especially Hindustani and Carnatic music. 

Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Maura McCall

Maura McCall, PhD, MSN, RN
~ PDA Professional Development Committee
~ Representative, Faculty Senate Committee on Information and Communications Technology
mkm186@case.edu

Maura joined the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing as a postdoctoral fellow in the fall of 2022. After years of helping researchers conduct their studies, she decided to get her PhD. Her F99/K00, A Multi-omics Approach to Examine Symptoms and Medication Adherence in Women with Breast Cancer  began at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing looking at relationships among trajectories of symptoms, medication adherence, and genetic variation. At CWRU, the project will add the association of gut function and exosomes to symptoms and adherence. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and is looking forward to a hobby other than going to school.

Department: School of Nursing

Popular Pandey

Popular Pandey, PhD
~ PDA Professional Development Committee
~ Representative, Faculty Senate Committee on University Libraries
pxp440@case.edu

Popular Pandey is a postdoctoral researcher who joined the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at CWRU in Fall 2022. Originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, he earned his PhD in Physics from Florida International University (FIU) in Fall 2020. During his PhD studies, he developed nanoscale electroanalytical probes for single molecule analysis. After completing his PhD, he continued as a distinguished postdoctoral fellow at FIU, where he developed and implemented nanopipette-based multifunctional probes for single cell analysis. At CWRU, Popular's research focuses on understanding how membrane proteins regulate the permeation of water, gases, and other solutes that are critical for cellular homeostasis. He uses a combination of molecular biology, biochemistry, electrophysiology, and molecular dynamics simulation methods to investigate these mechanisms. Outside of work, Popular enjoys a variety of activities, including gardening, cooking, watching TV shows and movies, hiking, travelling, and spending time with friends and family. As a new member of the CWRU Postdoctoral Association (PDA), Popular is eager to contribute to the community through his involvement in the Faculty Senate Committee on University Libraries and the PDA Professional Development Committee. In these roles, he looks forward to representing the interests of postdocs, promoting their professional development, and advocating for their needs and concerns.

Department: Physiology and Biophysics

Jonnelle Edwards-Glenn

Jonnelle Edwards-Glenn, PhD
~ Postdoc Representative, ad hoc University Media and Social media Safety and Protection Plan Committee of the Faculty Senate
~ PDA Social Activities Committee; Social Media Ambassador
jxe196@case.edu

Jonnelle Edwards-Glenn is originally from Northwestern Ohio and received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences in August of 2021. Currently, Jonnelle is a postdoctoral scholar in the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan’s laboratory. Her current research focuses on environmental pollutants’ effect on cardiovascular disease. Jonnelle joined PDA in 2021 but took on a greater role as Social Media Ambassador this year. In this role, she creates content and manages information disseminated on PDA’s social media pages to keep the postdoctoral community informed. Jonnelle is also a champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion and volunteers at John Hay School to mentor and instill leadership skills into underrepresented minority young ladies. Her ultimate goal is to have a lasting impact on underrepresented minority students interested in STEM careers. Outside of work, Jonnelle enjoys traveling, coloring, watching movies, and spending time with her family. Jonnelle is a proud and active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Greater Cleveland Alumnae Chapter.

Department: Cardiology

Nicole Wagner

Nicole Wagner, PhD
~ Representative, Faculty Senate Committee on Women Faculty
nxw243@case.edu

Nicole Wagner is originally from Erie, Pennsylvania. She obtained her B.S. in Biochemistry from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2018, followed by her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from The Ohio State University in 2022. At OSU, she used NMR and complementary techniques to study roles of protein and DNA structure and dynamics in the Cre-loxP site-specific recombination system. In January of 2023, she began her postdoctoral position in the Pharmacology department at Case Western, where she will be using cryo-EM and cryo-ET to investigate structures of adenovirus/host factor complexes. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, traveling, and playing with her two dogs, Beanie and Ivy.

Department: Pharmacology

Eric Mosher

Eric Mosher, PhD
~ Chair, PDA Professional Development Committee
~ Representative, Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies

~ Representative, Faculty Senate Committee on Campus Planning, Facilities, and Space
epm41@case.edu

Eric Mosher is from Middletown, Pennsylvania. He is very familiar with CWRU, as he completed his undergraduate studies here. After 4 years in Cleveland, Eric pursued a PhD in Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. Eric returned to CWRU in 2022 to start his current postdoc position in the lab of Derek Taylor in the Department of Pharmacology, where he is studying interactions between HPV and human proteins involved in carcinogenesis. Outside the lab, Eric is an avid sports fan and enjoys cooking. Eric joined the PDA as a co-chair of the professional development committee and is excited to contribute to helping CWRU postdocs achieve their career goals.

Department: Pharmacology

Vlad Stetsenko

Volodymyr Stetsenko, PhD
~ Representative, Faculty Senate Committee on Minority Affairs
~ Postdoc Representative, Reproductive Health Task Force
vxs468@case.edu

Vlad received his M.D. and Neurology residency training in Ukraine, followed by the completion of a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at KSU/Cleveland Clinic. For his Ph.D., Vlad studied the renewal and localization of CNS-recruited B cells during neurotropic coronavirus infection. He joined the Carpenter Lab in 2023 to study transcription profiling of human T-cell responses to Mtb-infected macrophages using single-cell RNA and TCR sequencing.

Department: Infectious Disease

Amra Ismail

Amra Ismail, PhD
~ PDA Women's Affairs Committee
axi150@case.edu

Amra Ismail is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Biochemistry. She completed her Ph.D. in 2019 from Cleveland State University and joined CWRU in 2021. Her research is focused on understanding the role of major Stress granule proteins, in response to various stress inducers. She enjoys traveling, painting, exploring new cuisines and spending time with friends and family.

Department: Biochemistry

 

Bernadette Schneider

Bernadette Schneider, PhD
~ Chair, PDA Benefits Committee
bls69@case.edu

Bernadette Schneider is a postdoc in the department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, working with Prof. Christine Duval and Prof. Julie Renner. A native of northeast Ohio, she completed her PhD in chemistry at the University of Michigan in 2022. Her research at Case investigates specialized polymeric membranes for rare earth element recovery via biosorption, a process using biologically-derived materials to remove specific contaminants from water. She joined the Benefits Committee to help other postdocs understand their benefits and to ensure that the needs of postdocs with respect to benefits are effectively communicated. Outside of research, she especially enjoys the performing arts and going for walks outdoors. 

Department: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Nisha Bhattarai

Nisha Bhattarai, PhD
~ PDA Professional Development Committee
nxb446@case.edu

Nisha Bhattarai is a postdoc scholar who joined the department of Physiology and Biophysics at CWRU in Fall 2023. Originally from Nepal, she earned her PhD in Physics from Florida International University (FIU) in the Summer of 2021. During her PhD, she utilized computational and theoretical approaches to study various biomolecules including proteins, membranes, and peptides. Following her PhD, Nisha became a postdoc scholar at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) in 2021, where she delved into researching disease mechanisms related to sodium ion channel mutations causing neurodevelopmental disorders, using molecular modeling and bioinformatics approaches. At CWRU, her current research is centered on understanding the interactions between various GTPases and Plexin genes, with implications in cancer. Outside of work, Nisha loves hiking in nature, traveling, trying new cuisines, and spending time with friends and family. As a new member of the CWRU PDA Professional Development Committee, Nisha is enthusiastic about engaging in various PDA activities, anticipating contributions to the association, and seeking opportunities for further professional development. 

Department: Physiology and Biophysics