2025 Postdoctoral Mentoring Highlights

Participants: 5 Postdoctoral Scholars selected from WMIS membership.
Mentoring structure: monthly small-group/1:1 mentoring with cross-sector mentors; curated feedback rounds on abstracts/posters; career-readiness sessions.
Professional development: workshops on abstract writing/review, presentation construction, funding strategy, and career pathways.
Community: cohort-building events; introductions to WMIS leadership, and special reception at WMIC.

• Mentor–mentee pairing across academia and industry aligned to trainee interests.

Academic Mentors

Peter Caravan
Mass General Brigham – Harvard Medical School
Agata Exner
Case Western Reserve University
Eric Gale
Mass General Brigham – Harvard Medical School
Andre F. Martins
University of Tübingen
Anna Wu
City of Hope

Industry Mentors

• Abstract & presentation (talk/poster) crafting with iterative reviews.

How to craft a winning WMIC abstract

Practice Presentations I&II

• Career development workshops with carefully curated panelists (grant strategy, job-market navigation, lab set-up scenarios, industry transitions)

Declaring Independence I: Career paths in academia & How to set up your lab

Declaring Independence II: From academia to industry

Navigating the research funding landscape

Juan A. Azcona

Cornell University

Kaamini M. Dhanabala

UC Santa Barbara

Aeli P. Olson

Mayo Clinic

Derrick Rosario-Berrios

University of Pennsylvania

Karla Ximena Vazquez Prada

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

FROM POSTDOC’S PIs

“The feedback he received directed him to clearly and concisely communicate his findings to a general audience, highlight the novelty of his work, and become a strong advocate for his ideas… There is no doubt that [his] proposals will be even more competitive as a result of his participation in the WMIS Mentorship Program.”

“Being connected to individuals who begin the conversation with, how can they help you become a better scientist in academics was invaluable… All seminars were well designed… and gave her the opportunity to gain deep insight wrought from the experience of others.”

“Derick was thoughtfully paired with two mentors-one from industry and one from academia… While enrolled, Derick… was awarded a T90 postdoctoral fellowship… published two first author papers… and was selected for an oral presentation at the 2025 WMIC meeting.”

“The Postdoctoral Mentoring Program provides a structured environment that facilitates networking opportunities for career advancement and fosters cross-disciplinary collaborations… I was pleasantly surprised when the abstract and poster drafts appeared to be in a ready-to-deploy state… result of the personalized guidance and feedback she received from her Program Mentors.”

FROM POSTDOCS

“The WMIS Postdoc Mentorship Program has been invaluable in my career. Beyond the financial support that made conference participation possible, it connected me with mentors, peers, and former mentees from all professional stages and perspectives, providing a more holistic and integral formation. The fellowship allowed me to focus fully on networking and learning, so I could get the most out of every opportunity. It continues to guide my career as I take the next steps, and I hope to still learn and grow from this supportive network.”

“The fellowship has supported us not only through travel stipends and registration waivers, but more importantly, by providing us with access to a network of mentors and faculty members whose insights have been invaluable.”

“The postdoctoral mentoring program sharpened our ability to present scientific ideas with clarity and impact, while also engaging us in a multifaceted network of mentors committed to our success.”

Veronica Clavijo Jordan, PhD, 2026 Program Chair, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Charlie Khemtong, PhD, University of Florida

Eman Akam-Baxter PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Scott Beeman, PhD, Arizona State University

Juan Azcona, PhD – Cornell University
Jason Cai, PhD – Yale University
Patrick Chow, PhD – Bristol Myers Squibb
Leo Cheng, PhD – Corewell Health Research Institute
Fanjin Da, PhD – Michigan State University
Kaamini Marimuthu Dhanabalan, PhD – UC Santa Barbara
Andre Martins, PhD – University of Tuebingen

Naomi Matsuura, PhD – University of Toronto
Derick Rosario, PhD – University of Pennsylvania
Cuhananthan Sathiyajith, PhD – SAAINNOVATE
Christine Suh, PhD – University of North Texas Health Science
Karla Ximena Vazquez Prada, PhD – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Pin Wang, PhD – Michigan State University
Xuyi Yue, PhD – Nemours Children’s Hospital

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