Practicum Pods
By Global Disease Biology Advising at UC Davis
We, at Global Disease Biology (GDB) Advising, recognize that many GDB students share information about practicum mentors and opportunities through in-person interactions within GDB courses and in our office. In Practicum Pods, current peer advisors interview GDB students to talk the practicum experience. Tune in to a new Practicum Pods episode every month to learn about undergraduate research, mentorship, and project specifics!
Practicum PodsApr 01, 2024
Practicum Pods Episode 23: Audrey Spindler
Audrey is currently working on their GDB Practicum Project on Fungal Plant Pathogen Species. Learn about Audrey's research experience in the GDB Office's April Practicum Pod.
Important Links:
https://plantpathology.ucdavis.edu/people/akif-eskalen
https://ucanr.edu/sites/eskalenlab/
Practicum Pods Episode 22: Keerthana Pagidimarri
Keerthana Pagidimarri completed their GDB Practicum Project on " comparative assessment of diagnostic techniques for try trichomonas fetus and prevalence analysis and cats from Yolo. County, California." Learn about Keerthana’s research experience in the GDB Office's March Practicum Pod!
Practicum Mentor:Karen Shapiro, DVM MPVM PhD
School of Veterinary Medicine
Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology
One Shields Avenue, 4206 VM3A
University of California
Davis, CA 95616-5270
kshapiro@ucdavis.edu
Practicum Pods Episode 21: Kazim Rizvi
Kazim Rizvi completed his GDB Practicum Project on "Circadian Rhythms of Drosophila melanogaster" Learn about Kazim's research experience in the GDB Office's February Practicum Pod!
Important Links
Dr. Fumika Hamada M.S. Ph.D, Associate Professor of Neurology, Physiology, & Behavior (fnhamada@ucdavis.edu)
The transcription for the episode can be found here.
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!
Practicum Pods Episode 20: Alejandro Tapia
Alejandro is currently working on their GDB Practicum Project on vaping and its health implications! Learn about Alejandro’s research experience in the GDB Office's January Practicum Pod.
Important Links:
https://aqrc.ucdavis.edu/people/kent-pinkerton
https://health.ucdavis.edu/phs/education/undergraduate_public_health_scholars.html
Practicum Pods Episode 19: Mrinal Prabhakar
Mrinal Prabhakar is currently doing her GDB Practicum Project with Dr. Glenn C. Yiu, M.D., Ph.D. She is currently still working to find a title for her study. Learn more about Mrinal's research experience in Episode 19 of the GDB Office's Practicum Pod!
Important Links:
- https://health.ucdavis.edu/eyecenter/yiulab/index.html
- https://profiles.ucdavis.edu/glenn.yiu
Practicum Pods Episode 18: Melanie Gallegos-Campos
Melanie Gallegos-Campos completed her GDB Practicum Project on "Study on the Establishment of Bifidobacterium breve SC95 in the Presence in 2’-fucosyllactose Using Stepwise Fecal Fermentations" Learn more about Melanie's research experience in the Episode 18 of the GDB Office's Practicum Pod!
Important Links:
- Dr. David A. Mills & Dr. Saumya Wickramasinghe
- Link: https://mills.ucdavis.edu/people/david-mills
Practicum Pods Episode 17: Taliyah Borromeo
Taliyah Borromeo completed their GDB Practicum Project on "Imani Clinic’s Implementation of an Equitable Hypertension Program to Improve Cardiovascular Health". Learn about Taliyah’s research experience in Episode 17 of the GDB Office's Practicum Pod!
Important Info:
- Mentor: Dr. Javier E. López, M.D.
- This program is affiliated with Imani’s Cardiology Clinic and funded by the California Department of Public Health
Practicum Pods Episode 16: Anam Safoora
Anam Safoora (she/her) completed her GDB Practicum Project on "Testing Artificial Intelligence Accuracy in Mosquito Identification". Learn about Anam’s research experience in Episode 16 of GDB Advising's Practicum Pod!
Links & Information:
- Mentor: Dr. Christopher Barker
- Email: cmbarker@ucdavis.edu
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!
Practicum Pods Episode 15: Elizabeth Roth
Elizabeth Roth (she/her) completed her GDB Practicum Project on "Population Genetics and Insecticide Resistance in Aedes Aegypti Mosquito Populations in Orange County, CA." Learn about Elizabeth's research experience in Episode 15 of GDB Advising's Practicum Pod!
Links & Information
- Mentor: Geoff Attardo (gmattardo@ucdavis.edu)
- Lab Website: attardo-lab.com
Practicum Pods Episode 14: Paulina Frost
Paulina Frost completed her GDB Practicum Project on the "Role of Language in Reported Level of Worry About COVID-19 Infection in California." Learn about Paulina's research experience in Episode 14 of GDB Advising's Practicum Pod!
Links & Information
- Mentor: Jake Pry (jmpry@ucdavis.edu)
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!
Practicum Pods Episode 13: Alisa Chernikova
Alisa Chernikova completed her GDB Practicum Project on the "Analysis of Morphological and Anatomical Changes In Pistachio Cultivars And Their Relation To Pericarp Dehiscence." Learn about Alisa's research experience in the GDB Office's February Practicum Pod!
Important Links:
Principal Investigator: Dr. Georgia Drakakaki
Lab website: https://drakakaki.ucdavis.edu/
Episode transcription can be found here or on our website, gdb.ucdavis.edu!
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!
Practicum Pods Episode 12: Maya Deshmukh
Maya Deshmukh (she/her) is a fourth-year GDB student completing her GDB Practicum Project on "The Impact of Insurance on the Risk of Dementia After Traumatic Brain Injury," Learn about Maya's research experience in GDB Advising's January 2023 Practicum Pod!
Links & Information
- PI: Dr. Miriam Nuño, Associate Professor, Division of Biostatistics, mnuno@ucdavis.edu
- Sofia Research Team: https://sofiaresearchteam.org/team
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!
Practicum Pod Special Edition: Peer Pod 2
In our second Practicum Podcast episode of Fall 2022, we are joined by our wonderful GDB Peer Advisor and current student, Michelle Mallari (she/her). Listen in to learn about how she got involved in research after transferring to UCD, what awesome work she is up to in plant biology, and much more!
Important Links
- PI: Venkatesan Sundaresan, PhD (sundar@ucdavis.edu)
- Mentor: Debra Skinner, PhD
- Sundaresan Lab: https://sundarlab.weebly.com/
- More about Sundaresan Lab and synthetic apomixis!: https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/rice-plants-reproduce-clones-seed
- Handshake: https://ucdavis.joinhandshake.com/
Access the transcription for Practicum Pod Special Edition: Peer Pod 2 at https://docs.google.com/document/d/13xSPz3MvCDwhROanoQrN-ICY3F43FRdB5fOqUoafREk/edit?usp=sharing
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!
Practicum Pod Special Edition: Welcome to the Peer Pod!
Happy Halloween, GDBers! This first Practicum Pods episode of Fall 2022 is a special one as we are joined by our very own peer advisors, and your fellow students, Indira D'Souza (she/her) and Raf Ricon (he/him). Listen in to learn about how they got involved in research during their early years at UCD, what awesome work they're up to, and much more!
Indira's Links
- Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center: pod.ucdavis.edu
- Dr. Leigh Ann Simmons: lasimm@ucdavis.edu
- Dr. Jennifer Phipps: jephipps@ucdavis.edu
- Social Environment & Stress Lab: seslab.ucdavis.edu
- Dr. Camelia Hostinar: cehostinar@ucdavis.edu
Raf's Links
- RESURG: health.ucdavis.edu/surgery/resurg.html
- RESURG contact email: HS-RESURG@ucdavis.edu
- Dr. Misty Humphries: mdhumphries@ucdavis.edu
You can find the episode transcription here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r_rJP7dmta18y_Mxm-2Hk0PiewOSzTUPV45rlxg2rfM/edit?usp=sharing
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!
Practicum Pods Episode 11: Sophia
Sophia Li (she/her) completed her GDB Practicum Project on "When to call: an analysis of calling statistics from a COVID-19 phone-based questionnaire." Learn about Sophia's research experience in the GDB Office's May 2022 Practicum Pod!
Links & Information
- PI: Kristin Andrejko (Kristin.Andrejko@cdph.ca.gov)
The parent study is affiliated with CDPH and UCB School of Public Health, and here are some publications that have come from it:
- Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by mRNA-Based Vaccines Within the General Population of California - https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciab640
- Predictors of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection Following High-Risk Exposure - https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciab1040
- Effectiveness of Face Mask or Respirator Use in Indoor Public Settings for Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Infection — California, February–December 2021 - http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7106e1
Access the transcript for Episode 11: Sophia at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15Xtz5Qqeyr0z7i6QXOK-FyJ_ZrEz5Fo7s3P5z2G5jIk/edit?usp=sharing
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!
Practicum Pods Episode 10: Jorge
Jorge Benitez (he/him) completed his GDB Practicum Project on "Biomechanisms Leading to Tissue Resident CD4 Memory T Cells during Bacterial Infection." Learn about Jorge's research experience in the GDB Office's February Practicum Pod!
Important Links
- PI: Stephen McSorley, Professor and Director of the Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (sjmcsorley@ucdavis.edu)
- Mentor: Claire Depew (cdepew@ucdavis.edu)
- UC Davis Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases: https://ciid.ucdavis.edu/
- Mentorships for Undergraduate Research in Agriculture, Letters and Science (MURALS): https://opportunity.ucdavis.edu/programs/murals
- MURALS Director: Ranyell Hamilton (rthamilton@ucdavis.edu)
- MURALS Graduate Student Coordinator: Jermey Prim (jkprim@ucdavis.edu)
Click here to view the transcript for Episode 10: Jorge.
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!
Practicum Pods Episode 9: Victoria
Victoria Huang (she/her) completed her GDB Practicum Project on "Mixture of Common Food Contaminants Alters Nervous System Gene Expression Leading to Decreased Body Temperature in Rats." Learn about Victoria's research experience in the GDB Office's February Practicum Pod!
Important Links
- PI: Michele A. La Merrill, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Professor of Environmental Toxicology (http://lamerrill.ucdavis.edu/)
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!
Episode transcription here!
Practicum Pods Episode 8: Valerie
This week on Practicum Pods, we have the pleasure of speaking with Valerie Nyasimi (she/her/hers), a fourth-year Global Disease Biology student working on her GDB Practicum Project in Dr. Doug Cook's lab under the Department of Plant Pathology. Her project is titled "Efficacy of the bacterial metabolite 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol in controlling the Chickpea pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum." Learn about Valerie's research experience in the GDB Office's January Practicum Pod!
Links & Information
- PI: Dr. Douglas Cook (drcook@ucdavis.edu)
- Cook Lab website: http://cooklab.ucdavis.edu/
Access the Episode 8 transcript at https://docs.google.com/document/d/18Qtf9p5mbACJ8btXp1C5sBdRg9hX_Lr6Yskw8ac8xvU/edit?usp=sharing
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods, or if you would like to share your research experience in an episode!
Practicum Pods Episode 7: Lois
In this episode, we feature Lois Kang (she/her), a 4th year Global Disease Biology student currently researching the topic of "Gene List of Potential Application of CNKSR2 Genetic Therapeutic Intervention" with Dr. Joseph Shen and Leigh Ann Higa. Lois is interested in pursuing Genetic Counseling as a career and is using her Practicum experience to explore this option further! Learn about Lois's research experience in Episode 7 of the Practicum Pods!
Important Links:
- PI: Dr. Joseph Shen jojshen@ucdavis.edu
- PI: Leigh Ann Higa lahiga@ucdavis.edu
- UC Davis MIND Institute Website: https://health.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/
To Find Genetic Counselors:
- https://www.abgc.net/about-genetic-counseling/find-a-certified-counselor.aspx/
- https://findageneticcounselor.nsgc.org/?reload=timezone
Access the transcription for Episode 7: Lois at https://docs.google.com/document/d/14hlgpnswPwrNfdx_92XNwLyKqg5iPtnkJ82Eeg6SYss/edit?usp=sharing
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods, or if you would like to share your research experience in an episode!
Practicum Pods Episode 6: Omar
In this episode, we feature Omar Garcia (he/him), a 4th year Global Disease Biology student currently researching the question, "Does the neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) you have affect the diagnosis, treatment, and accompanying social services that you receive?" with a hypothesis of: "Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, specifically those with low socioeconomic and historically underrepresented groups, experience a larger disparity in access to diagnosis, treatment and accompanying social services than individuals with other NDD." Learn about Omar's research experience in Episode 6 of the Practicum Pod!
Important Links:
- Name and Contact Info of Practicum Mentor: Dr. Sarah Dufek, PhD, BCBA-D (sadufek@ucdavis.edu)
- Prep-Medico Internship: https://health.ucdavis.edu/diversity-inclusion/prep_medico/Prep_Medico.html
- CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program: https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/features/cups/index.html
- Internship at Collaborative START Lab: https://health.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/research/esdm/student_opportunities.html
- MCHC/RISE-UP Internship: https://www.kennedykrieger.org/training/programs/center-for-diversity-in-public-health-leadership-training/mchc-rise-up
Access the transcription for Episode 6: Omar at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r5HaPAZvyk1X1_dKB6HqdLeOSxGae_BezlJ-3-jwrRc/edit?usp=sharing
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods, or if you would like to share about your research experience in an episode!
Practicum Pods Episode 5: Vanshika
Episode 5 features Vanshika Desai (she/her), a fourth-year GDB student who is currently completing her research on "Analyzing the Barriers to Implementing Effective Mental Health Programs in Rural Communities." Hear more about Vanshika's experience in the GDB Office's May 2021 Practicum Pod!
Important Links:
- Knights Landing One Health Center (https://knightslandingonehealth.com/)
Mentor(s):
- Dr. Judith Van de Water, Professor of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology (https://profiles.ucdavis.edu/judy.vandewater)
- Sarina Rodriguez, Community Engagement Research Specialist at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change (https://regionalchange.ucdavis.edu/people/sarina-rodriguez)
Access the transcription for Episode 5: Vanshika at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qyagYVbEHXFzqvLLV7fcMsE1WneUUTvcjNyjToZOSs4/edit?usp=sharing
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!
Practicum Pods Episode 4: Rene
Today on Practicum Pods, we have Rene Nichols (she/her), a third-year Global Disease Biology Major with a minor in Public Health. Her mentor is Dr. Melanie Gareau who is in the Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology at the UC Davis Veterinary School. Listen to this episode to learn more about Rene and her path towards completing her Practicum Project and Medicine
Important Links:
- Mentor: Melanie Gareau, PhD (https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/melanie-gareau)
- Gareau Lab (https://www.gareaulab.com/)
Access the transcription for Episode 4: Renee at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X_BxaX8qqRU4iouHB-7WI_EbOUNvUmXrM7hq79usuS0/edit?usp=sharing
Email gdb-advise@ucadvis.edu with suggestions and ideas about Practicum Pods!
Practicum Pods Episode 3: Lauren
Lauren Santoro (she/her) is a third-year GDB student who is currently in the process of finding a practicum project and mentor in the field of forensic pathology. Hear more about Lauren's experience in GDB Advising's March 2021 Practicum Pod!
Important Links:
- Public Health Institute: https://www.phi.org/
- Yolo County Coroner's Office: https://www.yolocountysheriff.com/services/coroner/
- Dr. Judy Melinek, President and CEO of PathologyExpert Inc., a consulting firm and educational resource center for forensic pathology (contact here: http://www.pathologyexpert.com/).
Dr. Melinek's suggested references for students interested in the field of forensic pathology:
- This blog post: http://pathologyexpert.blogspot.com/2014/04/faq3.html
- Information on Working Stiff, a memoir about Dr. Melinek's training years and summarizes what its like to train in forensic pathology: https://drworkingstiff.com/categories/non-fiction
Access the transcription for Episode 3: Lauren at https://gdb.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk8766/files/inline-files/EPISODE%203%20Practicum%20Pods%20Transcript_1.pdf
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!
Practicum Pods Episode 2: Laurel
Laurel Denyer (she/her) is a fourth-year Global Disease Biology major with minors in Public Health Sciences and Geographic Studies. Her Practicum Project title is "Nutrition Disclosure Completeness of Online Grocery Websites." It is an exploratory look into online grocery websites' compliance in disclosing accessible nutrition information. Her mentor is Dr. Jennifer Falbe of the Falbe Lab in the Department of Human Ecology.
Important Links
- Dr. Jennifer Falbe (jfalbe@ucdavis.edu)
- About Dr. Falbe https://humanecology.ucdavis.edu/people/jennifer-falbe
Access the transcription for Episode 2: Laurel at https://gdb.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk8766/files/inline-files/EPISODE%202%20Practicum%20Pods%20Transcript_2.pdf
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!
Practicum Pods Episode 1: Radhika
Radhika Marwaha (she/her) completed her GDB Practicum Project on "Assessing the Impact of Acculturation on Attitudes and Behaviors Towards Domestic Violence in Arab Refugees." Learn about Radhika's research experience in GDB Advising's January Practicum Pod!
Important Links
- PI: Patrick Marius Koga, MD, MPH, Associate Professor & Director of Ulysses Refugee Health Research & Training Program
Organizations
- UC Davis Bhagat Puran Singh Health Initiative (https://www.instagram.com/ucdavisbpshi/?hl=en, https://www.elaajclinic.org/)
- Other Collective (https://othercollective.org/)
Access the transcription for Episode 1: Radhika at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BuRWV1Gm7XkKgOsB9YGfAZZPCU8bYW6sh97_0Ivzn4I/edit?usp=sharing
Email gdb-advise@ucdavis.edu with ideas and suggestions about Practicum Pods!