PBG Leadership Team

Austin Zimmet is a fourth year Ph.D. candidate in the Biochemistry and Biophysics department. Austin’s research focuses on understanding, at a mechanistic level, how cells regulate their cytoskeletal architecture. Before coming to Penn, Austin received his B.A. in Chemistry at Franklin and Marshall College and then worked at the NIH. He has participated in PBG for two years as a team member, project manager, and director. Austin plans as PBG Co-President to continue to maintain the organization’s level of excellence, serve PBG members in obtaining their career goals, and provide clients with high quality deliverables. In his free time, Austin enjoys running marathons/half marathons and anything bicycle related.

Linlin is a rising sixth-year Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry. Her research is focused on the design and synthesis of caged oligonucleotide probes applied in transcriptome analysis and gene expression modulation. She joined PBG in 2016 and has served on different roles including VP of Business Development. She is looking forward to continuing the growth of PBG for all our aspiring members.

Ross is a third year student in the Pharmacology Program at the University of Pennsylvania. His research is focused on using analytical chemistry to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of drug induced liver injury. Prior to Penn, he graduated from Bucknell University with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. He is passionate about health care consulting and biotech venture capital and excited to continue serving PBG as a co-president.

Kyle is the VP of Business development for the upcoming year. He is currently a fifth year Organic Chemistry Ph.D. candidate. An interesting fact about him is that he has been to 27 states and has a goal to visit the rest. Email: kylenied@sas.upenn.edu

Alejandro is a 5th year graduate student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. Previously he worked as a team member and project manager on PBG projects and interested in pursuing a career in life-sciences consulting. His love for food is only paralleled by my love for New England sports.

Joshua is a 3rd year PhD student in the Cell and Molecular Biology Program. His research focuses on the impact of astrocytes on the response of melanoma brain metastases to targeted therapy. Before Penn, Joshua received a B.S in Biology at Lehigh University, where he also played wide receiver for the Mountain Hawks. With an interest in business, Joshua has been involved with PBG as a Team Member, Project Manager and Director. He is very passionate about developing leaders and is excited to continue with PBG as VP of Consulting.

Kristen is a second year MBA student at Wharton, majoring in Health Care Management. Prior to Wharton, Kristen studied biology at Dartmouth College and worked for four years as a management consultant at Oliver Wyman, working on projects across diverse industries and functional areas. In between her first and second year of business school, she interned with the commercial team at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Kristen has been involved with PBG since fall of 2018 and is excited to continue her involvement as VP of Finance.

Alex is a third year PhD student in Cell and Molecular Biology studying the role microtubules play in the progression of heart disease. He has a dog named Goose and is committed to expanding the influence of green juice margaritas.

Jack was born and raised in Edmonds, Washington and received his Bachelors of Science from Chapman University in Orange, California. Jack moved to Philadelphia to pursue a doctorate in pharmacology and joined Amita Sehgal’s lab in 2016. The goal of his research project is to discover the mechanism by which cannabinoids affect sleep and seizures. Jack has worked on two PBG projects and is now serving as VP of Operations. In his free time, Jack enjoys playing tennis and volleyball, eating ramen, and taking road trips.

Takashi is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Biology department. His research focuses on understanding the molecular basis of breast cancer metastasis using preclinical mouse models. Takashi has worked on two PBG projects. As Secretary of Alumni Relations, he looks forward to strengthening the ties between current members and alumni for the benefit of both

Katerina is a 4th year PhD candidate in Genetics and Epigenetics at the Perelman School of Medicine. She uses a variety of statistical and computational methods to evaluate how human genetic variation contributes to cardiometabolic traits and diseases, specifically through changes in gene expression and gene splicing. She has greatly enjoyed her experiences as a PBG team member, and as Secretary of Career Development she looks forward to helping PBG members achieve their consulting career goals.

Supriya is a graduate student in the Masters of Behavioral and Decision sciences. She earlier completed her graduate education from University of Pennsylvania in Biotechnology. She is interested in the intersection of healthcare /life sciences and data science. As the secretary of communications, she hopes to maintain seamless communication between all stake holders involved in PBG. In her free time, she likes to watch sitcoms, scroll through funny dog videos, travel and try out new restaurants.

Chris Yi is a second-year master's student pursuing a dual degree in Computer Information Technology and Bioengineering. Chris is passionate about using his technical background to help businesses solve their complex problems, from launching a new product to improving efficiency. To Chris, PBG provides a strong platform for both professional and personal growth, and he's excited to serve on the board in the coming year. Outside of school, you can find Chris planning his next big trip using his points and miles.

Jiawei is a fourth year Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry. He currently works at a laser lab and studies photo physics and photo chemistry through ultrafast spectroscopy. He has been with PBG since 2018 across different roles and feels excited to serve as Secretary of Sponsorship for the incoming year. When he is not at lab, he likes walking around the city. Although not happy with the finale of Game of Thrones, he is still a loyal fan of the Starks.