Leadership
Austin Szatrowski
Co-President
Austin joined Genetics, Genomics, and Systems Biology (GGSB) in 2025, having previously been an intern at the Regeneron Genetics Center. His work with Luis Barreiro studies inter-individual variation in the innate immune response. Outside of lab, he maintains strong interests in the history and philosophy of science, innovation policy, and the business of biotech.
Yuqing Xue
Co-President
Yuqing is a third year PhD student in Cancer Biology program. Her research is focused on understanding the genomic changes in blood cancers with the goal of identifying novel therapeutic strategies. She is interested in careers in biotechnology and biomedical research. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, climbing and planting.
Kasia Kurylowicz
Treasurer
Kasia is a fourth year PhD candidate in Cancer Biology. Her research focuses on the interactions between the microbiome and the innate immune system and how that affects tumor immunity. She would like to apply her knowledge and skills to translational science to help with cancer patients’ treatment. In her free time, she enjoys traveling to new places, hiking, biking/roller-skating along Lake Michigan, and trying new restaurants in Chicago.
Emily Liu
Social Media Manager
Emily joined the Immunoengineering program in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) in 2022. Her research with Melody Swartz’s group focuses on investigating the role of lymphatics in cell therapies for cancer and assessing T cell longevity in vitro. She enjoys collaborating with and supporting other scientists, and I value the process of analyzing, debating, and refining scientific ideas. In private, she enjoys dancing, cooking, and training her cats to do tricks.
Kasia Zawieracz
Kasia is a fourth year PhD student in the Cancer Biology program. She is working on the transcriptional regulation of gut stem cells and the source of intestinal inflammation in the context of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and colon cancer. Kasia is interested in integrating computational biology applications into research and patient diagnosis. Outside of lab work, Kasia enjoys playing tennis, biking, climbing and going to concerts.
JoAnn Tinker
JoAnn (she/they) is a 6th year PhD Candidate in the Department of Chemistry, where she designs fluorescent sensors to highlight cellular structures and develops automated image analysis pipelines to convert microscopy datasets into quantitative maps. She is interested in how biological data can be more efficiently generated, managed, and interpreted for translational impact. Outside of lab, you might find her observing the night sky at Promontory Point.
Lea Kim
Lea Kim is a 3rd year PhD candidate in the Department of Chemistry, where she is advised by Bryan C. Dickinson. Her research focuses on using direction evolution to discover peptide-based molecular glues targeting disease-relevant proteins. She is interested in the biotechnology field, with an ultimate goal of bridging the gap between scientific discovery and commercial translation. Outside of the lab, Lea enjoys playing on the bells of Rockefeller Carillon, baking sweet treats, and trying to find the next best matcha spot.
Raghav Bhardwaj
Raghav Bhardwaj joined the Molecular Metabolism PhD program in 2025. His work focuses on identifying novel G protein-coupled receptors to increase energy expenditure as a strategy to combat
metabolic diseases. He is interested in utilizing his academic findings as a springboard to build the next generation of anti-obesity peptides. Previously, Raghav contributed to the FDA approval and
commercialization of an antibody oligonucleotide conjugate drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy at Avidity Biosciences. Outside of work, he enjoys meditating, surfing, and dancing
salsa.
Pratyasha Chakraborty
Pratyasha Chakraborty is a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Moellering Lab in the Department of Chemistry. Her research focuses on the development of novel chemoproteomic tools and high throughput screening platforms for accelerating drug discovery. She is passionate about translational science and biotechnology and helping scientific discoveries transition from the bench to the clinic. Outside the lab, Pratyasha enjoys visiting national parks and painting.
Yeaji Park
Yeaji is a third-year PhD student in the Neurobiology program. Her research interest centers on studying the cellular and molecular basis of learning and memory. She is eager to expand her knowledge of the biotechnology field through UCBA.