School of Humanities and Sciences
Showing 151-200 of 298 Results
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Okikiola Morenike Olajide
Postdoctoral Scholar, Biology
BioOkikiola M. Olajide, PhD is a molecular virologist and emerging structural biologist specializing in HIV-1 vaccine research. Currently a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Barnes Lab at Stanford University, Dr. Olajide focuses on designing HIV-1 immunogens that elicit silent face-targeting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) and developing innovative HIV infection models using human spleen organoids. Her research aims to bridge the gap between promising preclinical immunogens and their effectiveness in human clinical trials, advancing the path toward more effective HIV vaccines. Dr. Olajide earned her PhD in Biology from Albert Ludwigs University, Freiburg, where she investigated protein-protein interactions crucial for viral entry in bat influenza A viruses, pioneering approaches such as photo-affinity protein crosslinking and genetic code expansion. She also holds an MSc in Medical Virology from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, where she studied the role of cockroaches in the dissemination and sustained transmission of live-attenuated oral polio vaccine virus. During her BSc in Microbiology at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, she uncovered an ongoing rubella outbreak among at-risk, unvaccinated pregnant women. A strong advocate for advancing research in developing regions, Dr. Olajide actively supports training initiatives for scientists in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her commitment to mentorship, shaped by her experiences as an international scholar, drives her to guide the next generation of researchers in making meaningful scientific contributions.
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Julian Olaya Restrepo
Postdoctoral Scholar, Biology
BioJulián’s (he\his) research seeks to understand and strengthen the relationships between marine ecosystems, the communities that depend on them, and the policies that shape their management. Positioned at the intersection of ecology, spatial analysis, and social science, his work produces actionable insights to support the conservation and sustainable governance of marine systems. He approaches the ocean as a socioecological system—an integrated network where natural and human components co-evolve—and applies a transdisciplinary lens to address urgent global challenges, including biodiversity loss, fisheries collapse, and climate change. At Stanford University, he has led research on nature-based solutions, developing spatially explicit fishery models that assess how coral reef and mangrove restoration can enhance ecological resilience and improve fisheries outcomes for coastal communities across the Caribbean and U.S.
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Suman Patra
Postdoctoral Scholar, Chemistry
BioDr. Suman Patra is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemistry at Stanford University, working under the mentorship of Prof. Edward I. Solomon. His research focuses on uncovering the mechanistic intricacies of non-coupled binuclear copper (NBC) enzymes, particularly tyramine β-monooxygenase (TBM), which catalyzes oxygen activation and selective C–H bond hydroxylation.His work integrates high-resolution spectroscopy, transient kinetics, and protein biochemistry to probe the formation, structure, and reactivity of short-lived copper-oxygen intermediates. As part of this effort, he performs cell culture and protein purification, enabling the isolation of active, recombinant copper enzymes for detailed spectroscopic and mechanistic studies. Through a multi-spectroscopic approach, primarily UV-Vis, CD, MCD, EXAFS, EPR, resonance Raman, and stopped-flow absorption spectroscopy, he investigates how the geometric and electronic structure of the active sites modulate reactivity and enable O₂ activation without direct Cu–Cu coupling.
Dr. Patra earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata, under the supervision of Prof. Abhishek Dey, where he developed iron porphyrin-based electrocatalysts for the selective reduction of CO₂. His research emphasized mechanistic analysis using electrochemical methods coupled with in situ spectro-electrochemistry to monitor redox transitions and catalytic intermediates under applied potentials. These studies were complemented by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which he used to model key intermediates, protonation pathways, and redox energetics, thereby providing molecular-level insight into how second-sphere interactions and ligand environments influence catalytic behaviour. His integrative experimental–computational approach provided a detailed understanding of structure-function relationships in multi-electron CO₂ reduction.
The mechanistic perspective and technical skillset developed during his doctoral work, particularly in combining spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and computation, now form the foundation of his postdoctoral research. His current studies extend those same principles to more complex metalloenzyme systems, addressing similar core questions about the role of electronic structure, metal-ligand coordination, and local environment in controlling reactivity. His long-term goal is to bridge synthetic and biological catalysis through a mechanistic lens, contributing to the development of efficient, selective systems for small-molecule activation and sustainable energy transformations.
Dr. Patra received his M.Sc. in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati after qualifying the national IIT-JAM examination and completed his B.Sc. in Chemistry at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. Over the course of his academic training, he has cultivated a multidisciplinary research identity that spans coordination chemistry, spectroscopy, electrochemical catalysis, and theoretical modelling. His scientific vision centres on using spectroscopic and computational insight to guide the rational design of catalysts for environmentally relevant redox chemistry. -
Deshan Perera
Postdoctoral Scholar, Biology
BioI am a Stanford Data Science Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Biology at Stanford University, supervised by Prof. Hunter Fraser. My research focuses on evolutionary dynamics and the development of high-performance computational tools to analyze complex biological systems. I earned my Ph.D. in Bioinformatics from the University of Calgary, Canada, where I investigated within-host evolution in pathogen genomics and cancer. Originally from Sri Lanka, I hold a First Class B.Sc. (Hons) in Biology from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. I am passionate about advancing computational biology through the design and implementation of scalable software solutions that leverage GPU, CPU, and SSD architectures for large-scale genomic and evolutionary analysis.
