Diversity Initiative for the Advancement of STEM (DIAS)

Jessica Kahng (she/her)

President Emeritus

Jessica is a Ph.D. candidate out of the School of Biological Sciences at CSHL. She joined CSHL in 2020 and is part of the Cheadle Lab where she investigates the role of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) during development and adulthood. Specifically, she is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating OPC engulfment of thalamocortical inputs into the visual cortex.

Jessica is passionate about increasing awareness and diversity in STEM and finding ways to provide opportunities and resources to groups marginalized due to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, religious beliefs, sexual preferences, and gender identity. She believes that creating a supportive community is critical for creating a productive environment, and hopes to build a strong community at CSHL that is welcoming and respectful of all.

Emma Courtney

Co-President

Profile coming soon

Renee Garcia-Flores

Co-President

Profile coming soon

Maha Syed

Information Director

Profile coming soon

Hrishikesh Deshpande (he/him)

Finance Director

I currently work as Research Associate/Lab Manager for the Zador Lab in Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. As a first-generation immigrant, working in an institute like CSHL offers me a unique opportunity to increase the diversity found in STEM. Through my efforts in DIAS, I hope to provide first-hand experience to encourage others with similar backgrounds to find a safe space to grow to their full potential as well. If you are curious to find out how you can help, please reach out!

RK Narayanan (he/him)

Social Media Coordinator

RK Narayanan is Senior Director, Business Development and Technology Transfer at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), a biomedical research and education institution in Long Island, NY with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology, and quantitative biology. RK is engaged in all aspects of technology transfer matters at CSHL with major industry collaborations, an emphasis on operations and compliance matters, and as lead for technology transfer activities for neuroscience, cancer, and QB. RK has a great time building relationships with the amazing scientists at CSHL, partnering with industry and investors, and making deals with a long-term view.
RK is an experienced technology transfer professional, with 20+ years of experience in life sciences research and 9+ years of licensing expertise. Prior to joining CSHL, RK was a Technology Manager at UIUC, where he obtained his MBA in 2019. RK also holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Arizona.

Irene Sanchez Martin (she/her)

Social Media Coordinator

I navigated the academic systems of different countries and institutions. I have lived and worked in Spain, Finland, Germany, France, and the USA, and this constant change enabled me to understand and embrace people of different cultures, build cross-cultural networks, and learn new languages. Also, my mentors, workplaces, and academic institutions advocated for accessibility and inclusion in the sciences.

Before my postdoctoral work in the USA, I mainly contributed to DEI advocacy efforts through community outreach during my Ph.D. program. As part of the Marie Curie fellowship program, I participated in various policy advocacy roundtables promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

I am dedicated to contributing to institutional efforts to implement diversity and inclusion initiatives and fostering a healthy environment.

Johanna Syrjanen

Social Media Coordinator

Profile coming soon

Deeptiman Chatterjee (he/him)

Harassment Prevention and Response (HPR) Representative

When I’m not tweeting about the various issues of diversity and inclusion in STEM, and other similar causes that I openly subscribe to, I’m a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Camila dos Santos. I grew up in India, from where I moved to the USA to pursue my graduate studies in 2014. I received my Ph.D. from Tulane University in New Orleans, where I transferred to after initially starting my studies at Florida State University. During my time as a graduate student, I was involved in organizing social and cultural events as part of the departmental graduate student association as well as the campus-wide Indian and Bengali student organizations. In that capacity, I’ve been an advocate for equal representation and fair treatment of international trainees in academia as well as being supportive of fostering a sense of belonging for students who live far from home. I have also been a part of groups representing Women in STEM as a volunteer and an ally. Personally, I believe that diversity initiatives in all STEM-related fields should primarily be led by the largest group that makes up the field–graduate students, technicians, and early-career postdocs–and in that capacity, I’m proud to be a voice for DIAS at CSHL.

Mia Lin Amato

Outreach Co-Chair

Profile coming soon

Yaman Thapa

Outreach Co-Chair

Profile coming soon

Amitava Banerjee (he/him, they/them)

Community Chair

Amitava Banerjee is a postdoc jointly at the Labs of Hannah Meyer and Saket Navlakha working on deciphering how the immune system protects us from pathogens while avoiding attacking our own bodies. Born and brought up in India, he did his Ph.D. in Physics at University of Maryland, where he developed machine learning techniques for time-series analysis and applied them to myriad different systems – from worm neurons to Yellowstone geysers. Amitava is also interested in understanding how scientists’ backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures bias their research questions and methodologies, and how science intersects with society and politics. In their spare time, Amitava loves to cook (especially for others), read and gift books, and travel (even better if it is on someone’s grant).

Audrey Fahey (she/her)

Advocate

Hey there! I’m a Research Tech in Dr. Doreen Ware’s lab, spending my day-to-day performing experiments to support the research going on in her lab. In my free time I enjoy going on walks, reading, watching video essays on Youtube, crafting of all sorts, and hanging out with my friends. I am also an Ambassador for the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), so if you have any questions pertaining to that, feel free to reach out! As a DIAS Advocate, I am looking forward to co-organizing activities and events to help build our community and to celebrate the diversity that makes us awesome. If you have any ideas for activities, let me know!

Diego Hernandez

Advocate

Profile coming soon

Katie Tram

Advocate

Profile coming soon

Jon Cahn

Advocate

Profile coming soon