Rhyisa Armbrister, PhD
Rhyisa Armbrister is a biochemist and NIH NINDS fellow specializing in gene-targeted therapies for neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Friedreich’s ataxia. With expertise in DNA repair mechanisms and a focus on developing innovative bionanoparticle-based therapies, Dr. Armbrister is advancing research at the intersection of neuroscience and Biochemistry.
Chika Chuka, PhD
Dr. Chuku joined Florida International University (FIU) as a post-doctoral researcher in August 2023, after graduating with a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of Miami in 2023. A native of San Francisco, California, Dr. Chuku spent much of her academic career in California, receiving her BS in Biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2014 and her MPH from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science in Urban Public Health in 2019. Throughout her doctoral career in Miami, Dr. Chuku’s research interests grew to include women’s health, maternal and child health, HIV-related care, substance use, and intersectionality, along with developing a growing skillset for data visualization, management and analysis, especially via REDCap, R, and GIS. She is currently a member of Dr. Carrico’s iCARUS lab, where she is primarily responsible for data management of the START study.
Helen Wagner Coello, PhD
Helen Urpi Wagner Coello is a postdoctoral associate at Florida International University’s STEM Transformation Institute, where she explores the intersections of identity, education, and belonging in the experiences of undocumented and DACA students in higher education. With a PhD in Biology, Helen transitioned from genomics and landscape ecology into STEM education research, where she brings a unique interdisciplinary approach. She has taught and mentored nearly 1,000 undergraduate students, founded the BSC 3941: Florida Aedes Genome Group (FLAGG) Research Internship, and contributed to numerous workshops and programs aimed at student success and advocacy. She is passionate about utilizing frameworks like Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) and UndocuCrit to amplify marginalized voices and create more inclusive academic spaces. As Chair of FIUPAS, Helen is committed to creating a strong, supportive community for postdoctoral scholars at FIU.
Pedro Augusto Da Silva Peres, PhD
- Postdoctoral Associate
- Crustacean genomics and systematics lab (CRUSTOMICS)
- Institute of Environment & Department of Biological Sciences – BBC
- Research Interests: Evolutionary biology, population genomics, phylogenetics, phylogeography, mostly focused on marine species
Héctor G. Loyola Irizarry, Ph.D.
Héctor Loyola Irizarry is a postdoctoral associate at the Department of Biological Sciences and STEM Transformation Institute at Florida International University (FIU). Loyola Irizarry obtained a B.Sc. in Industrial Microbiology from the University of Puerto Rico –Mayagüez, where he performed research in Dimuth Siritunga’s lab in plant genetics. After graduating in 2018, he started his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at Cornell University, where he trained under Ilana Brito, characterizing genetic tools for human gut microbiome engineering. Now, Héctor works in increasing access to bioinformatics research for FIU students and performing biology education research. He aims to combine his areas of expertise to provide students with comprehensive research experiences in computational microbiology and expand on his education research in career development and mentoring.
Jingjing Liu, PhD
- School of Universal Computing, Construction & Engineering Education (SUCCEED)
- Research Interests: Engineering students’ learning experiences, transfer pathways, college access and success, and STEM education
Preciosa Martinez-Motto, PhD, MS, RD/LND, RN
Position: Post-doctoral Associate
Department/Lab: Dietetics and Nutrition/ MetA-Bone Lab
Research Interests: Design and evaluation of mindfulness-based education programs for improvement of eating behaviors and long-term weight management in minority populations, including bariatric patients of Hispanic origin.
Samuel Neely, PhD
Samuel Neely is a paleoecologist and environmental scientist focused on peat dynamics within coastal ecosystems over time. He earned his doctorate in geology from Texas A&M University, where he examined taphonomic processes influencing peat formation in mangroves, leading to insights into historical depositional environments and ancient permineralized deposits. With a keen interest in the impact of invasive species on ecosystem stability, he has studied predator-prey interactions among Plio-Pleistocene mollusks and conducted field research throughout South Florida, assessing the impacts of non-native invertebrate fauna to inform management strategies aimed at mitigating their spread. Currently, Dr. Neely is expanding his research to include STEM, biomedical, and bioinformatics-driven education, seeking to integrate scientific insights into innovative educational frameworks.
Patience Paul, PhD
Patience is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Franco Lab at the Florida International University (FIU) Center for Translational Science in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. Her academic journey includes a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, followed by a Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, FIU, Miami, Florida. Her current research focuses on the identification of nitrated proteins with disease-driving functions in neurological disorders including cancers of the nervous system, with the goal of developing safe, long-term therapeutic approaches.
Samuel Snyder, PhD
- Postdoctoral research associate
- STEM Transformation Institute at MMC
- Research Interests: engineering ethics, institutional change, social network analysis, and community engagement
Members of the FIUPAS meet monthly to advise and provide input to FIU’s Office of Postdoctoral Scholar Services. If you have suggestions about ways in which the Office of Postdoctoral Scholar Services may provide support for the professional development of FIU postdoctoral scholars or foster opportunities for social and professional interaction among FIU’s community of postdoctoral scholars, please email one of the Postdoctoral Advisory Council Members identified above.