School of Medicine
Showing 1-9 of 9 Results
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Mohan Babu Budikote Venkatappa
Basic Life Research Scientist, Genetics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsLongitudinal host-microbial omics profiling and wearables-based monitoring to understand Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), its heterogeneity, and predictors of the diverse symptoms that ASD individuals experience.
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Stephanie Balters
Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences
BioDr. Stephanie Balters is a neuroscientist, educator, and innovator dedicated to advancing team flourishing and excellence. As Director of the Empowerment Neuroscience Lab in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, she employs advanced neuroimaging and computational methods to elucidate the neural and inter-brain signatures of high-impact, purpose-aligned teams. Her research identifies barriers to collaboration and develops targeted interventions to enhance connection, communication, and collective success. Beyond academia, Dr. Balters serves as a Human Factors Specialist at NATO, translating neuroscience into actionable strategies that help leaders cultivate resilient, high-performing teams. She also leads team innovation workshops at Stanford University, fostering authenticity, trust, and alignment to spark transformative ideas in science and business. With a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Engineering Design, Dr. Balters previously held research roles at Stanford’s Center for Design Research and Computer Science Department before joining the School of Medicine.
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Mahamaya Biswal
Postdoctoral Scholar, Molecular and Cellular Physiology
BioMahamaya is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University, where she specializes in Cellular and structural biology with a focus on membrane protein biogenesis, quality control, and the development of innovative nanobody technologies. Her research integrates advanced cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), cell biology, and nanobody engineering to unravel the mechanisms governing the assembly and maturation of membrane protein biogenesis factor hubs with a focus on Voltage gated ion channels as a model substrate.
Dr. Biswal’s scientific journey began with an integrated M.Tech in Biotechnology degree from D.Y. Patil University, India, where she conducted foundational research on bacterial persister cell formation at BARC and characterized breast cancer proteins ZBRK1 and BRCA1 at ACTREC,. After spending a brief time in biotech industry at Yashraj Biotechnology Ltd., Mumbai, optimizing purification pipelines for cancer antigens used in diagnostic kits and facilitating technology transfer from R&D to manufacturing, she moved to US to join UC Riverside’s PhD program under Department of Biochemistry and supervision of Dr. Jikui Song. She made significant advances in understanding the structural dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Notably, she solved the X-ray crystal structure of the NSP7-8 complex, a key cofactor for the viral replicase, and also elucidated the interaction between the viral nucleocapsid protein and human G3BP1. Her doctoral and postdoctoral work has also contributed to studies on viral immune evasion, including the structural basis for STAT2 antagonization by DENV2 NS5.
At Stanford, Dr. Biswal has expanded her expertise to the structural and functional study of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and currently focusing on gaining mechanistic insights on Membrane protein biogenesis factor hubs by combining cell biology and structural biology expertise. She is also developing nanobody libraries targeting synaptic vesicles and bacterial death effectors for in situ tomography and potential therapeutic applications respectively. Dr. Biswal is a committed mentor, having supervised graduate and undergraduate students, and is dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion in science through active involvement in organizations such as AWIS, BioAIMS, and BSS (India). Her scientific contributions have been recognized with honors including the HEERF Dissertation Year Fellowship, the Mary K. and Randolph T. Wedding Prize, and best poster awards at UC Riverside. Dr. Biswal’s long-term vision is to lead a research program that translates structural insights into therapeutic strategies for neurological and infectious diseases, advancing both scientific knowledge and the next generation of scientists. -
Anna Booman
Postdoctoral Scholar, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
BioAnna Booman, PhD, MS is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine. She conducts perinatal pharmacoepidemiology research to study the safety and effectiveness of medication use during pregnancy, since most pregnant individuals cannot be included in clinical trials. She uses large observational datasets, such as the Merative MarketScan Database, and complex epidemiologic methods in her research.
Dr. Booman received her PhD in Epidemiology from the Oregon Health & Science University School of Public Health, her MS in Computational Biology and Quantitative Genetics from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and her BS in Mathematical Biology (minor: Computer Science) from the College of William & Mary. Her research has spanned many areas of perinatal epidemiology, including a focus on twin children, rare genetic disorders, gestational weight gain, and insurance discontinuity in pregnancy.
