2023-2024 DiBS Board
Mission Statement: This academic year, we plan to continue to bring our graduate and post-doc community together in an inclusive way to build a stronger community that celebrates diverse identities. One of our main goals is creating a safe space and point of contact for anyone in IBiS to bring forward any concerns or any thoughts or ideas; our anonymous suggestion box, email, and group events are how we promote this. We will also continue to advocate for IBiS students and associated employees to ensure IBiS is an equitable and safe community. Beyond these core activities, we will promote discourse on topics of diversity through collaborations with other groups, professional development talks, and focused events.
Delfin Buyco (he/him)
DiBS President
Delfin Buyco is a second year PhD student in the Kamat Lab, where he uses membrane mimetics and cell-free systems to study membrane biophysics. He grew up in Seattle and lived in the Philly for several years. Delfin likes board games and cooking.
delfinbuyco2027@u.northwestern.edu
Janet Zhao (she/her)
Co-vice president
Janet is a second year IBiS PhD student in the Kozorovitskiy lab studying bipolar disorder linked genes and their relationship to circadian rhythms and manic behaviours. She grew up in Ottawa, Canada and earned her bachelor’s degree from Princeton University. In her spare time she enjoys going to parks with her dog, watching TV, and swimming.
Citlayi Villaseñor (she/her/hers)
Co-vice-President
Citlayi is a fourth year PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences (IBiS) program. She was raised in Escondido, California and earned her bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University studying biochemistry. She is researching in Dr. Neha Kamat’s laboratory in the department of Biomedical Engineering. Citlayi uses biophysical techniques to study lipid membrane properties and how these properties affect alpha-helical membrane protein folding. She is a first-generation doctoral degree student who loves being immersed in nature and music when she’s done in lab for the day.
Rivaan Kakkaramadam (he/him)
Vice-treasure
Citlayi Villaseñor (she/her/hers)
Rivaan Kakkaramadam is a 2nd year PhD student in the Backman and Szleifer Labs, where he uses theoretical modeling to study the interdependence of chromatin organization, chromatin-modifying proteins, and transcription. Rivaan is from New Jersey. In his spare time, he likes going to the movies, visiting museums, and cuddling with his cat.
Aldeb Perera (he/him)
DiBS treasure
Aldeb Perera is a third year PhD student in the Allada Lab, where he uses fruit flies to uncover the neurons and pathways responsible for sensing sleep need and effecting recovery sleep. He is originally from Belize. In his free time, Aldeb likes to try new foods and play video games with friends and family.
aldebperera2020@u.northwestern.edu