Officers

Executive Board 2020-2021

Kayly Lembke, PhD

President (2019-)

Kayly completed a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Scripps College in 2010. She then started her graduate training with Dr. David B. Morton at Oregon Health & Science University, where she studied the interaction of TDP-43, an ALS-associated protein, with type-II voltage-gated calcium channels in Drosophila melanogaster. She completed her Ph.D. in 2017 and, in 2018, became a Postdoctoral Research Scholar with Dr. Andy Frank in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.

Nicole Green, PhD

Vice-President (2019-)
Social Outreach Committee Member (2019-)
Professional Development Committee Member (2019-)

nicole-green@uiowa.edu

Nicole Green, Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Tootle Lab in the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology at the Carver College of Medicine. A lifelong Drosophila biologist, Nicole completed her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Kansas State University under the mentorship of Dr. Erika R. Geisbrecht. She currently is using the Drosophila ovary to understand the fundamental roles of prostaglandin signaling and nuclear actin in stem cell biology and is a proud member of the Flyowa community. Nicole is the Vice President of UIPDA, the Social Committee Chair/social media manager, and the postdoc rep for the UI Research Council. She is also very involved with the Genetics Society of America and serves on the GSA Education Committee. Outside of research, Nicole enjoys playing piano, maintaining her extensive houseplant collection, and trying to juggle her many book clubs.

Andrew Jezewski

andrew-jezewski@uiowa.edu

Andrew Jezewski, Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Krysan Lab in the Stead Family Department Pediatrics at the University of Iowa. Andrew completed his Ph.D. work characterizing mechanisms of antimalarial drug resistance and investigating antiglycolytic therapies for the treatment of malaria under the mentorship of Audrey John at Washington University in Saint Louis. His current work aims to understand the role of carbon dioxide tolerance as a requirement for cryptococcal virulence. Andrew is the Chair of the UIPDA Policy and Advocacy Committee. Outside of research, Andrew enjoys tending to his greenhouse and garden, college football, biking, and being outdoors.

Tyler Titcomb, PhD

Secretary/Treasurer (2019-)
Awards Committee Member (2019-)

tyler-titcomb@uiowa.edu

Dr. Titcomb is a Registered Dietitian with a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences. His current scientific interests are focused on the clinical use of diet as an adjunct therapy for neurological conditions, and the application of available epidemiological data to evaluate the association of diabetes (and other chronic conditions) with popular diets that offer limited information on their long-term health outcomes. Tyler’s thesis argues that diet and nutrition habits have historically been underappreciated for their effect on human health, and his two-fold scientific approach intends to critically evaluate the pros and cons of popular dietary patterns.

College Representatives

School	Representative
Carver College of Medicine	Priyanka Sandal, PhD
College of Dentistry
College of Engineering
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences	Shane Rightley, PhD
College of Nursing
College of Pharmacy
College of Public Health	Ben Steines, PhD
At Large
International Representative

Committee Members

Social Outreach	Policy & Advocacy	Professional Development	Awards
Nicole Green	Ben Steines	Jared Mclendon	Rachel Cole
Zeb Zacharias		Stina Urban	Ben Steines
		Nicole Green	Priyanka Sandal
		Stephen Roy	Lauren Bruno
		Priyanka Sandal	Kevin Dibbern
			Tyler Titcomb

Leadership

Leadership skills are core skills. We are always looking for new committee members to bring motivated postdocs into leadership roles! If you are interested, please contact the current President and Vice President about how to get involved.

Get Involved!