Trainee Associate Member Program Leadership Board
Overview
The TAM Leadership Board is the advisory board of the Trainee Associate Member Program of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Mission
The mission of the leadership board is to:
- Foster interaction, community, and collaboration among trainees by sponsoring events of interest to them
- Maintain a dialogue with the CRTEC leaders; advocating for trainees' interests when appropriate
- Disseminate information relevant to the interests of the HICCC trainee community
- Serve HICCC trainees as a representative body to discuss their issues and concerns
Board Members
Claudia Aiello
- MD PhD Student
Claudia is a fourth-year MD-PhD student, currently completing her dissertation research in the lab of Dr. Donna Farber. Her work focuses on tissue-resident memory immune cells and their roles in tumor immunity. Outside the lab, Claudia enjoys running and biking along the West Side Highway and through Central Park, as well as exploring the restaurant and bar scene near her home in Lincoln Square.
Robert Hincapie, PhD
- Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Robert is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, advised by Dr. Santiago Correa. Robert joined the Correa lab (and Columbia) in October 2023. He is interested in immunoengineering using glycans and self-assembling biomaterials, in chemical biology and bioconjugate chemistry, in mentorship, in distance running, and in catching up on the latest season of his current TV obsession.
Jenny Jin
- MD PhD Student
Jenny Jin is an MD-PhD student in the Stockwell lab studying the interplay among ferroptosis, diet/nutrition, and cancer therapy. She received her BA in Biochemistry from Columbia University, where she worked in the Stockwell lab to characterize and optimize ferroptosis biomarkers. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading books from all different genres, attempting the NYTimes crossword, and exploring NYC (especially the food scene).
Eli Pinker
- Medical Student
Eli is a third-year medical student at VP&S with a bachelor's degree from Columbia University. His research with Dr. Ran Reshef focuses on characterizing immune reconstitution following CAR-T therapy, with additional interests in the gut microbiome’s role in GVHD in bone marrow transplant patients. Before attending medical school, Eli taught high school science, reflecting his passion for education. Beyond medicine, Eli enjoys cooking, rock climbing, and traveling.
Laura Quevedo, PhD
- Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Laura is a postdoctoral research scientist in the Palomero Lab at Columbia University. She uses single-cell and multi-omic approaches to study hematopoietic stem cell aging in a mouse model and also investigates peripheral T-cell lymphomas using both murine models and human samples, with a focus on how the tumor microenvironment is shaped by PI3K inhibition. Laura joined Columbia in April 2023 after earning her PhD in Spain, where she studied tumor heterogeneity in pancreatic cancer. Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active through sports, and traveling.
Megan Rodriguez
- MD PhD Student
Megan is a third year in the MD-PhD program at Columbia. She is a member of Brent Stockwell’s lab, and she studies how different lipid species induce ferroptosis in cancer and immune cells. She is interested in pursuing a career as a neuro-oncologist. In her free time, she enjoys running (will be running her first half marathon this spring!), painting, exploring New York City restaurants and museums, and dinners with friends.
Daniel Naveed Tavakol, PhD
- Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Naveed Tavakol is a postdoctoral research scientist in the lab of Dr. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, working on translational approaches to integrated organ-on-a-chip systems to model cancer, with a specific focus on the immune system. He is also passionate about mentorship, science communication, and building an inclusive scientific community. Naveed also received his PhD from Columbia in 2023 with work focusing on engineering human models of the bone marrow. Previously, Naveed was a Whitaker International Fellow at the EPFL in Switzerland (2017-2018) and graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.S. in biomedical engineering in 2017.
Shannon Weng
- MD PhD Student
Shannon is a third year MD-PhD student in the labs of Peter Sims (Systems Biology) and Kam Leong (Biomedical Engineering). She is working on using nanoparticles to generate CAR-macrophages in situ for treating colorectal cancer. In her free time, she enjoys seeing Broadway shows, singing, dancing, and walking around the city. She’s excited to connect with other TAM members and faculty at HICCC!
