The UOPA committee is an elected body of organizers for the UOPA. The committee organizes events, manages the website and social media, sends out communications, and records meeting minutes.
Read our Mission Statement.
Rolf Skyberg (Co-Chair / Treasurer)
I am a postdoc in the Niell lab in the Institute of Neuroscience. I study how mice use their visual systems to navigate, explore and process the complex visual world, as well as how this complex processing might be disrupted during altered perceptual and cognitive states, such as ones generated by hallucinogens. I received my PhD from the University of Virginia in 2018 and just recently moved to Oregon in 2022. When not in the lab I enjoy playing video games and/or board games, woodworking, making delicious meals, watching football, going on hikes/hanging out with my two amazing dogs; Sundae and Strider.
Contact: rskyberg (at) uoregon (dot) edu
Twitter: @SkybergRolf
Laura Desban (Co–Chair)
I am a postdoc in the Eisen and Guillemin labs, in the Institute of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, respectively. I use zebrafish to investigate how microbiota and olfaction interact to mediate and modulate social behaviors. I received my PhD in Neurosciences from Paris Sorbonne, France, and moved to Oregon in 2020. When I don’t watch my little fishes interact, I like spending my time exploring the PNW trails on hikes and / or runs, as well as the Oregon wineries. I am a big foodie and I love cooking and baking. I am always down to try out new places and am looking forward to meeting other postdocs to go on adventures with.
Sayandeep Gupta (Secretary)
I am a postdoc in the Plesa Lab in the Knight Campus, and my work focusses on developing gene synthesis technologies to create high-throughput screening method for large-scale protein-protein interaction. My adventure in academia began in India, where I spent years in studying microbiology and biochemistry, and finally obtained my PhD. I am quite obsessed with protein functions and have a deep interest in popular science communication. I write articles on various scientific innovations in my native language (Bengali) for an Indian web-portal and have served as a joint editor-writer for a published book on science behind crime detection. When not engaged with pipettes and PCR in the lab, you may find me reading a paperback in the cozy corner of my home.
Satya Yadav (Communications)
I am currently working as a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the Widom lab, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, at the University of Oregon, Eugene. My research focuses on mapping the sequence landscape of RNA structure, dynamics, and protein interactions at the single-molecule level. With a Ph.D. in Biophysics (Protein Structure Biology) from AIIMS, New Delhi, India, and a master’s in applied Botany from IIT Kharagpur, India, I bring a diverse skill set and a passion for single molecule biophysics, biochemistry, and molecular biology.
I am particularly interested in studying RNA structure, dynamics, and protein interactions at the single-molecule level. By utilizing cutting-edge techniques such as fluorescence spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and mass spectrometry, I aim to unravel the intricacies of RNA function and regulation. I believe that understanding the behavior of RNA at the molecular level holds the key to understanding various aspects of biology, including gene expression, gene regulation, and RNA-mediated diseases.
Outside of research, I have a wide range of personal interests. I am a keen reader and enjoy exploring different genres, from science fiction to biographies. I also have a passion for astrology and make predictions based on celestial influences. When I am not engrossed in scientific pursuits, I enjoy watching cricket and football, exploring the outdoors, particularly coastlines and mountains, and spending time with my family and friends.
Luis Franco (Events & Social Media Coordinator)
I am a postdoc in the Niell Lab. I study how mice actively sense their environment in order to achieve their goals, particularly through their visual system. To this end, I use state of the art online tracking in combination with augmented reality displays. My aim is to unveil neural mechanisms underlying visual object invariance and prediction. Outside the lab, I enjoy racing and strategy videogames, movies, going to the gym, and hacky sack with the ION folks.