ImmunoX Ambassadors

Intro

Graduate Student Ambassador
Minna Apostolova

Minna is a second year BMS graduate student in the Spitzer Lab. There, she studies peripheral immune responses to cancer. After growing up in Tulsa, OK, Minna started her research career in immunology studying CD8 T cell dysfunction in Dr. Mary Philip’s lab while pursuing her undergraduate degree in biochemistry and chemical biology at Vanderbilt University. During college, she deepened her commitment to advocating for scientific research by founding Vanderbilt’s first interdisciplinary STEM newspaper, serving as a founding member of a student public health outreach advocacy group, and organizing a series of personal and professional webinars for the Barry Goldwater Scholarship Organization. Here at UCSF, Minna continues to pursue her passions in science advocacy and mentorship by serving as a member of the Gladstone Institute for Immunology (GIGI) trainee committee and regularly mentoring students from undergraduate and graduate-level organizations. As an ImmunoX Trainee ambassador, she aims to bolster community amongst graduate trainees across ImmunoX labs, focus on recruiting more diverse applicants to UCSF graduate programs, and facilitating conversations surrounding improving trainee experiences at UCSF. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to her with any questions and/or feedback.

Postdoc Ambassador
Pailin Chiaranunt

Pailin (‘Pie-lin’) “Pai” Chiaranunt completed her PhD in Immunology from the University of Toronto. She is currently a Schmidt Science Fellow in the labs of Drs. Anna Molofsky and Ari Molofsky. Pailin’s current research focuses on how respiratory inflammation can lead to long-lasting changes in brain function and behavior, as commonly observed in post-acute infection syndromes. Outside the lab, Pailin is passionate about science outreach and advocacy. She spearheaded multiple initiatives to promote DEI in STEM and to enhance graduate training programs during her time at the University of Toronto. As an ImmunoX Postdoc Ambassador, Pailin is excited to continue advocating for trainees and to help bolster the ImmunoX community across UCSF campuses.

Postdoc Ambassador
Amy Fan

Amy C. Fan is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Matthew Krummel’s lab at the University of California, San Francisco, where she investigates how myeloid antigen-presenting cells regulate immune responses and maintain tissue health. She earned her PhD in Immunology at Stanford University under the mentorship of Dr. Ravindra Majeti, where she identified molecular mechanisms underlying the development, pathology, and treatment failure of acute myeloid leukemia. Before moving to the Bay Area, Amy completed her B.S. in Biology with a minor in Asian Diaspora Studies at MIT and worked at the Broad Institute. Recognizing the transformative impact of mentorship and early research opportunities in her own career, Amy is dedicated to nurturing curiosity in young scientists and making academic science more accessible. She has mentored students in the lab, spearheaded outreach programs, and organized several courses and scientific conferences. As a graduate student, she served on several committees to craft policies and programs to cultivate graduate student wellness, mentorship, and holistic graduate admissions. Amy is excited to engage with the ImmunoX community as the UCSF ImmunoX Postdoc Ambassador. She welcomes colleagues to connect with her by email or Slack.

Content Lists