Meet the 2025 NSPN x Meridian Science Diplomacy Cohort

Olivia is a Ph.D. candidate at the Institute of Bioinformatics at the University of Georgia, where she studies the microbiomes of plant-associated fungi using DNA sequencing technologies. She is an active volunteer with organizations such as Science for Georgia and the Bioinformatics Graduate Student Association, and is committed to advancing science policy at the intersection of biotechnology and community engagement. Olivia plans to pursue a career in science policy that bridges academic research with public impact.
She holds a B.S. in Biology from the Macaulay Honors College at The City University of New York and Lehman College.

Aixa is a social scientist with an international perspective seeking an immersive learning experience in science diplomacy. Aixa’s research interrogates global ideas in national policies for science, technology, and innovation (STI) to understand the ways in which national tropes and objectives are co-constructed locally. She is interested in the science of science policy and the politics of innovation. Aixa is a postdoctoral researcher at Emlyon Business School where she examines the organization of science advice across national strategic STI policy making initiatives in emerging technologies. Aixa has also worked on housing policy as a Presidential Management Fellow in the U.S. Previously she co-led an international research network on child and adolescent health in Europe and North America. Aixa has also consulted for the WHO on the European child and adolescent health and well-being strategy, and established a WHO collaborative center on child and adolescent health policy in Scotland. Aixa takes every opportunity to advocate for the use and translation of scientific evidence in policy making. Dr. Alemán-Díaz has a Bachelor's degree and a Master’s in public policy from the University of Chicago, and a PhD in Sociology from the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark.

Jennifer Cabezas is a PhD student at the Mayo Clinic where her thesis project bridges bench science with community-engaged implementation science to address racial disparities within Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). Specifically, her work aims to define the distinct underlying biological mechanisms of TNBC in non-Hispanic Black (NHB) women and further understand the perceptions and experiences of NHB women navigating health care before and after receiving their risk notification for breast cancer. Through her research, Jennifer has developed a diverse set of laboratory skills and sharpened her critical thinking. This scientific foundation, coupled with her community engagement work, has illuminated the critical gap that exists between scientific discoveries and their real-world implementation. Jennifer is committed to narrowing this gap by continuing to uplift historically marginalized communities through her research and advocating for improved policies that promote equitable access and care. She holds a BS in Microbiology from Clemson University where she was awarded the Almeda Jacks Outstanding Undergraduate Award in 2020.

Trista Brophy Cerquera is a Ph.D. candidate in Interdisciplinary Ecology at the University of Florida and a Climate & Resilience Policy Analyst supporting resilience planning for defense communities and service personnel. Her work bridges science, planning, and policy to advance community resilience and hazard mitigation across local and federal levels. Trista has held roles with NASA, local government, and academic institutions, with a focus on applied research, science communication, and stakeholder engagement. She is passionate about building inclusive, cross-sector collaborations that turn data into action.

Trista is a former AGU Voices for Science Advocate and has served on local climate and environmental advisory committees. She was recently selected for the 2025 Leadership St. Johns program through the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, where she is expanding her role in regional policy and advocacy. A committed mentor, Trista has supported students and interns across disciplines and is dedicated to lifting others as she grows in her career. She holds multiple graduate degrees in environmental science and sustainability and integrates her background in public health and water policy to shape equitable, forward-looking solutions for communities facing climate-related risks.

Marco David is a PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley. His research lies at the intersection of physics and mathematics. As a physicist, he studies the fundamental building blocks of the universe, as modeled by quantum field theory and string theory. As a mathematician, he explores number theory and geometry to discover new mathematics inspired by theoretical physics. In the course of his work, he also develops and tests new methods for his work, most notably the formal verification of mathematical proofs using interactive theorem provers.

Maheen Khan is a PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering at The City College of New York and the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, specializing in water-responsive materials. Her research focuses on the mechanisms of water-responsive behavior and the role of nanoconfined water, with applications in evaporation energy harvesting. Beyond research, Maheen is committed to shaping science policy, particularly in energy and the environment. She aims to bridge the gap between research and policy to develop programs rooted in the latest science, ensuring broad societal benefits. She is especially passionate about using evidence-based approaches to mitigate the disproportionate impact of environmental and health challenges on women and marginalized communities.

Meera Krishna is a PhD student at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where she studies the role of skin collagen in the aging of sensory neurons, to better understand normal aging processes and help advance the development of more effective therapeutics for peripheral nervous system disorders. Her effective science communication skills earned her the inaugural Three Minute Thesis Award at the Medical College of Wisconsin for the presentation of her research. As a co-chair of the Community Outreach by Students in Science committee, Meera has led several community outreach initiatives at her institution, aimed at bringing science to the greater Milwaukee area, and helping students who are passionate about science advocacy and outreach. Meera earned her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with an Additional major in Creative Writing at Carnegie Mellon University.

Joss Landazuri Vinueza is a graduate student at the University of Washington and Fred Hutch Cancer Center where she studies how some viruses can cause cancer. In addition to her research, Joss host monthly science talks in Spanish as well as is a science writer for the Fred Hutch newsletter in which she distills complex scientific research into more digestible for the general audience. As a Latina scientist, communicator, and policy advocate, she is passionate about leveraging her academic training, personal background, and cultural heritage to engage underserved communities in both science and the policymaking process.

Dr. Caitlin McDermott is a postdoctoral researcher in community nutrition, focusing on evaluating the impact of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) on chronic disease prevention. Dr. McDermott is passionate about advancing government programming, policy, and advocacy to ensure that science-based programs are effectively supported and funded.
Dr. McDermott gives back to her community by offering yoga classes, believing in the importance of community health and wellness. Through teaching yoga, she fosters mindfulness and inclusivity in her community.
As a first-generation college student, Dr. McDermott is dedicated to mentoring students and early-career researchers, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, helping them navigate the complexities of science and policy. She is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM by advocating for policies that provide equal opportunities in research and education.
Through her research and advocacy, Dr. McDermott aims to influence science policy, ensuring it benefits diverse communities and strengthens public health outcomes. She strives to create a more inclusive and impactful future for science and society. She holds both a master's degree and Ph.D. in nutritional sciences, with research focuses in basic science/animal studies and clinical trials.

Dr. Luke Muggy is an Operations Researcher at the RAND Corporation. With a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and an M.S. in Operations Research, he brings experience using quantitative methods to inform public policy.

At RAND, his portfolio includes work for major FEMA studies aimed at improving disaster response and environmental compliance, recovery efforts for COVID-19 and Hurricane Maria, and research on the relationship between urban design and gun violence.

Dr. Muggy is passionate about using policy to build resilient systems that serve diverse communities. He aims to bring analytical rigor and collaborative leadership to global diplomacy efforts, with a focus on sustainable development, equitable recovery, and international cooperation.

David Ramotowski is a PhD candidate studying Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Iowa. He previously obtained a BSc in Environmental Science from Virginia Tech and an MSc in Soil Science from NC State. David’s research focuses on remediating polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediment using bacteria attached to the surface of biochar. His research is funded by the NIH through the Iowa Superfund Research Program, a research center focused on mitigating the impacts of airborne PCBs. David is passionate about protecting public health and improving environmental justice through his research and plans to enter a career focused on science policy.

David is passionate about communicating his research results to all audiences, having won the 2023 University of Iowa Three-Minute Thesis contest and participated in numerous outreach events. He is involved with NSPN through serving as the treasurer of Connecting Science to Society, a student organization at the University of Iowa focused on science communication and currently developing a comic book on research at the university. He also represents his department in the University of Iowa Graduate Student Senate. In his spare time, David enjoys studying languages, particularly German and Spanish, reading, and volunteering in his community.

Janel Rivera is a Ph.D. student at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She is currently studying the role of water on supramolecular water-responsive crystals for energy harvesting applications. Janel grew up in Ponce, PR, and experienced the effects of a poor electric grid that did not combine well with hurricanes and tropical storms. Her experiences in and out of the island have fueled her interest in nanomaterial research and mentoring. She earned a double B.S. in Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, where she got involved in community outreach through the Honors program and the ACS student chapter.

Dr. Abigail Sisti is a Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellow at NOAA’s National Ocean Service where she serves as an International Policy Specialist in the Office of the Assistant Administrator. She holds a PhD in marine science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and a MS and BS in biology from the University of Alabama. As a graduate student, Dr. Sisti was supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and NSF INTERN award.

Marina is the Research Coordinator for the U.S. Geological Survey’s South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, where she works closely with scientists and resource managers to align climate research with real-world decision-making needs. She is a Ph.D. student in Geography and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Oklahoma. Her research focuses on participatory approaches to climate adaptation, with an emphasis on food and water security in Ukraine. Marina previously served as a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow at NOAA, where she worked on climate and fisheries policy. She holds dual M.S. degrees in Marine Biology and Marine Policy from the University of Maine, where her thesis explored the resilience of Maine’s fishing communities facing ecological and socioeconomic change. Marina is passionate about science-policy integration, climate resilience, and advancing inclusive, actionable solutions through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Alexis Wilkinson is a doctoral candidate in Bioengineering at Rice University. She obtained her B.S. from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and her M.S. in Bioethics from KU Leuven. Her doctoral work involves developing and optimizing workflows for deploying isothermal nucleic acid tests at the point-of-care. Specifically, she is developing low-cost point-of-care friendly sample preparation methods for DNA tests for cervical cancer screening and sickle cell disease, integrating and optimizing sample-to-answer DNA tests, and evaluating the diagnostic assays in low-resource settings. Alexis collaborates with researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique and has extensive experience in international research collaborations and performing clinical evaluations. Alexis is passionate about the role of policy in incentivizing and harnessing the development of accessible technologies to further health equity, and in building trust in the research enterprise among vulnerable communities. Outside of research, Alexis has been heavily involved in student government and has advocated for the needs of women in her department.