Anna Blenda

Renee Chosed

Marcie Cole

Carl Correll

Vsudeva Kamath

Malvika Kaul

Sireesha Mamillapalli

Jane Newman

Esther Nuebel

Brandy Sreenilayam

Matthew White

Asma Zaidi

My name is Josh Brown and I am the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Harding University College of Pharmacy in Searcy, Arkansas. I have only been a member of ABE for one year and attended this past year’s conference in Santa Fe. My educational interests include the scholarship of teaching and learning, measures of student success, and using technology to improve student outcomes.

As the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, I am in charge of a great deal of communication directed toward students as well as faculty. I have had to develop numerous policies and clearly communicate them to their intended audience. I am also in charge of running our college’s social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok). This includes developing and creating/filming content.

I want to serve the ABE in this capacity because I want to see this association grow. While I have only been around here for a short time, I have already seen the passion this organization’s members have and it is contagious. I want others to see it as well and this committee is a great place to join to help spread that passion.

I am currently a Clinical Professor of Biochemistry and the Vice Chair for the Department of Biomedical Sciences at University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. In my role as Vice Chair, I facilitate mentoring and faculty development opportunities for over twenty basic science faculty. Specifically, I am responsible for standardizing and improving a peer teaching observation program in the department, developing a faculty mentoring program in the department, and hosting a joint seminar series on various faculty development topics with our sister medical school. Therefore, faculty mentoring is something I am passionate about and thoroughly enjoy as part of my role at SOMG.

I have been a member of ABE since 2017 and have attended several in-person meetings over the years. I have been a member of ABE’s Professional Development Committee for 2 years and have thoroughly enjoyed being an active contributor to this committee. I have supported the PDC’s goal to reimagine and relaunch the ABE mentoring program and I would like to serve another 2-year term on this committee to help complete this goal.

Marcie Cole, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics department at the University of Louisville. Dr. Cole received her Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky and completed her postdoctoral studies at UAB, Birmingham and the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Cole's primary effort focuses on professional development and education for first year dental and medical students. Dr. Cole took an additional leadership role five years ago to design, implement, and direct the first fully integrated dental curriculum for first-year dental students at the University of Louisville. This endeavor has resulted in a series of first-year dental course that integrate biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, and histology across organ body systems. She directs and teaches in these integrated biomedical sciences courses (21 credits) in the dental school, as well as teaches in first-year medical school and graduate courses.

Dr. Cole’s research interests have centered on the role of redox signaling and pathogenesis of NO and NOx, including consumption of NO via ROS. These interests extend into understanding nutritional metabolism in health and disease. Dr. Cole has more than 40 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals and received a Hartwell Foundation Fellowship, as well as an NIH K99/R00 career award. She has been a member of ABE for 2 years and was selected for a short talk, “Simulation in Education Using a Virtual World (Metaverse): Supplemental Educational Platform Students Using Gather®” at the May 2023 meeting in Kiawah Island. In addition, Dr. Cole has been an active member of the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine (SfRBM) for more than 25 years. During that time, she has held Chair positions for the Website, Junior Awards, and Sunrise Free Radical School Committees, as well as served on Council for the past 16 years, and served as Vice President of Education & Professional Development for the last 12 years.

Dr. Cole would like to continue serving on the PDC Committee and in addition, would also like to be considered for the Nomination Committee. She is currently secretary for the PDC Committee. Dr. Cole is interested in continued growth and leadership for ABE, thus she would enjoy becoming more involved by being part of the Nomination Committee for ABE.

I have always enjoyed participating in ABE events and the interactions I have had with such a talented, diverse group of colleagues. If you have met me at any of the ABE meetings, you probably realized I am an extrovert and enjoy getting to know people beyond the surface and connecting with new people. This is why I believe that service on the Membership Committee would be a great fit for me and a benefit to the association. I would enjoy interacting with the current membership and reaching out to potential members at medical, pharmacy, and dental schools not currently represented in ABE. If you agree, I appreciate your support.

I respectfully submit my nomination for service on the ABE Professional Development Committee. I currently serve as a Foundations in Medicine block director and the Biochemistry content expert at Rutgers–Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. In this capacity, I work closely with faculty across disciplines to support curriculum integration, assessment alignment, and teaching improvement within the preclerkship curriculum. These experiences have reinforced my interest in educator development and in creating structures that support faculty growth and collaboration.

Attending the ABE conference in Santa Fe this year was both inspiring and energizing, and it highlighted the value of a strong professional community dedicated to excellence in biochemistry education. I am eager to extend my involvement in ABE by serving on a standing committee and contributing to initiatives that support professional development for ABE members.

Many of the challenges faced by biochemistry educators are shared across institutions. I am particularly interested in opportunities to exchange curricular approaches and to develop cross-institutional resources or collaborative projects. As a committee member, I would aim to help identify relevant professional development needs and support programming that is practical, inclusive, and responsive to the evolving needs of medical education. Thank you for considering my nomination. I would be honored to work alongside fellow committee members to support ABE.

I am honored to seek re-election to ABE's Advancing Belonging and Connecting Committee. I currently serve as ABC Committee Chair and have contributed to initiatives including our inaugural Media Club and demographic survey analysis and helped lead the development of the "Words Matter" workshop on health equity language in biochemistry education. I also helped guide the organization through our recent committee evolution to better reflect our mission of advancing belonging.

My overarching goal is to cultivate inclusive, equitable academic programs and institutional cultures that prepare future healthcare professionals to serve diverse patient populations. I am particularly passionate about implementing evidence-based practices that promote equity and examining how our educational environments and practices either perpetuate or challenge systemic inequities. As a senior administrator at a new medical school, I lead curriculum development, faculty hiring, and accreditation processes. This experience in building inclusive institutional structures from the ground up directly translates to ABE's work in advancing belonging.

ABE's goal of being a supportive and inclusive community resonates deeply with my values. I am committed to ensuring all members regardless of institution, identity, or career stage, feel they belong in our organization, and I would be honored to continue to serve ABE in advancing that mission.

My involvement with the Association of Biochemistry Educators (ABE) aligns with my professional mission to advance research, education, and scholarly communication. As Associate Dean for Research & Scholarship and Professor of Biochemistry at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, I have spent over a decade fostering a culture of inquiry and collaboration. I am excited to bring this focus to the ABE Communications Development Committee, whose work in amplifying events, resources, and opportunities is essential to furthering ABE’s mission.

Over the past decade, I have led initiatives that integrate research and communication into medical education. Most notably, I founded and serve as Editor-in-Chief of Scholarly Research in Progress (SCRIP), an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed student journal designed to reduce barriers to publication and strengthen scientific writing skills. This platform has become a cornerstone for disseminating student scholarship and fostering confidence in scholarly communication. In addition, I developed programs such as the Summer Research Immersion Program (SRIP), which provides structured research experiences for medical students, and the Academic Research Connection Hub (ARCH), a searchable database linking students with faculty mentors. These efforts reflect my commitment to creating accessible, high-impact channels for sharing knowledge—an approach that aligns perfectly with ABE’s communications goals. My background as a scientific writer and editor, combined with leadership on editorial boards and experience in technology-driven outreach, equips me to contribute meaningfully to the committee’s work. I have successfully collaborated on strategies to enhance visibility through digital platforms and understand how to tailor content for diverse audiences across websites, newsletters, and social media.

I seek to serve because I believe communication is the foundation of engagement. By ensuring that ABE’s resources and opportunities are communicated effectively, we can strengthen our community and inspire innovation in biochemistry education. My experience in scholarly publishing, program development, and strategic communication positions me to help ABE expand its reach and impact. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues to advance ABE’s mission.

I am honored to present myself, Sireesha Mamillapalli, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Physiology at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, as a candidate for the Association of Biochemistry Educators (ABE) Professional Development Committee. I currently serve as Course Director for our Integrated Science course, one of three required basic science courses for all medical students. Additionally, as the Longitudinal Content Lead (LCL) for biochemistry, I oversee the development, tracking, evaluation, and organization of biochemistry content across the four-year curriculum. This role involves ensuring alignment with best practices in educational literature and fostering collaboration among basic science and clinical faculty.

As the current chair of the Professional Development Committee and having previously served as vice chair, I bring valuable leadership experience that will allow me to share expertise and strengthen the committee’s initiatives. I am deeply committed to advancing faculty growth, particularly by strengthening mentor-mentee relationships. My vision is to create dynamic initiatives that address the evolving educational needs of biochemistry faculty while promoting meaningful collaboration. I actively seek and incorporate peer feedback to identify challenges and design relevant, impactful training opportunities that leverage shared expertise within our academic community.

I firmly believe that continuous professional development is essential for maintaining high educational standards and cultivating a supportive environment for all faculty members. Through these efforts, I aim to contribute my experience and passion for biochemistry education to the committee, ensuring the success and growth of educators within ABE. Thank you for considering my candidacy.

I joined the Association of Biochemistry Educators in 2024 through recruitment from Sheri Fong. Sheri showed me a warm welcome before I was even a member, which meant a lot to me. I attended my first meeting in 2025, and I knew immediately that this group of people felt like my group of people. This is a community I hope to become an integral part of. I want to serve on the membership committee so that I get the opportunity to meet, interact with, and learn from ABE members and find others to join the association. I am interested in the membership committee because I have an outgoing personality and I want to help find and admit stellar individuals who would be a good fit to join ABE.

I am a full-time medical educator in the Biochemistry department at University of Utah; I direct problem-based learning at my institution and I have metabolism and cell biology-related teaching roles as well. Academic research interests include professional identity formation of medical learners, reflexivity in quantitative research, and curriculum/assessment design.

I am Dr. Esther Nuebel, an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Utah School of Medicine and a committed educator with deep experience in applying next-generation teaching methods within medical curricula. As a new member of the Association of Biochemistry Educators, I am excited to explore everything ABE offers and to become more involved in its mission. I feel I have “dipped my toes into the water,” and I am now at a point in my career where intentional professional growth is essential to reaching the next level of excellence. With this mindset, I am eager to contribute meaningfully to the Professional Development Committee.

I am a new member of the Association of Biochemistry Educators (ABE). My core educational interests lie in creating effective, student-centric learning environments, specifically through curriculum design, case-based learning (CBL), and problem-based learning (PBL) facilitation, particularly within the context of metabolism, genetics, and inborn errors of metabolism. I have actively developed, co-directed, and implemented several courses, designing hundreds of learning activities and formative assessments. Furthermore, my published work on curriculum design created by and for bioscience postdoctoral fellows aligns perfectly with the PDC’s goal of supporting educator career development. My experience across two medical schools, including serving as Chair of Faculty Council and Course Director, has given me vital skills as a curricular leader, mentor, and organizational manager. As a faculty leader, I routinely planned and executed workshops for faculty development, addressing topics of pedagogy, accreditation, and communication with leadership. This experience directly translates to the PDC’s mission to plan and organize seminars and workshops and create other resources. Additionally, my significant involvement in mentoring medical students in qualitative research projects, coupled with my role as Director of Research Education, positions me well to support educators in becoming effective mentors and educational scholars.

I want to serve on the PDC because I believe in the transformative power of professional development for educators. Biochemistry educators are critical leaders in integrating foundational science into clinical practice, and supporting their growth as master teachers and curricular innovators is paramount. I am highly motivated to contribute to the strategic identification of experts and the development of resources that enhance the ABE community’s skills in assessment, mentorship, and educational scholarship, thereby advancing biochemistry education nationwide. 

I want to serve on the ABC Committee because I strongly believe that upholding the inherent dignity and worth of every person begins in the educational environment. I am passionate about supporting ABE’s commitment to accountability for all. I am eager to contribute to the ABC Committee's mandate to explore opportunities to provide ABE members with professional development to disseminate expertise in educational best practices to connect our community.

I am Brandy Sreenilayam and am an Associate Professor at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) – South Georgia campus and the Assistant Dean of Assessments for the Philadelphia and South Georgia campuses at PCOM. I have been a member of ABE for 6 years and have attended the past 2 ABE biannual meetings. My educational interests are biochemical pathways and nutrition. My research interests are focused on furthering medical education, especially students who struggle to feel ready to take their Board exams or failed in their first attempt.

Over the past 5 years, I have mostly focused on mentoring students in various capacities. For instance, I participate in pathway programs that work with high school students interested in the medical field, I attend STEM events at local elementary, middle and high schools to interact with students to inform them about careers in the medical field, I mentor 2-3 students from my Alma Mater in their Engineering & Science Mentorship Program, I judge middle school and high school science projects in the local area and provide feedback on what was good and areas they could improve, and am a panelist at PCOM’s First Generation Panel Discussion and Luncheon. Since becoming the Assistant Dean of Assessments 3 years ago, I have increased my interactions with faculty and leaders at other colleges and universities.

I am very passionate about exposing others to opportunities they may not have heard of or think they could not attain and I believe in the statement “Pay it forward”. I have had several mentors that have helped me grow professionally to allow me to be where I am today and I want to offer that to others. I want to be a member of the ABE Professional Development Committee to broaden my impact on others and serve the ABE community.

As a biochemistry educator who has benefited tremendously from strong mentorship and professional development opportunities, I am passionate about supporting the career development of fellow educators. I am a relatively new ABE member, but upon attending the first meeting I found it to be an outstanding professional organization that truly possesses a camaraderie and collaboration not enjoyed by larger societies. As such, it is an ideal conduit through which rich career development opportunities can be offered to its members. I am now an associate professor at our medical school, and also serve as a graduate program director. I would be honored to serve the ABE and its members through a role on the Professional Development Committee.

I am a Professor of Biochemistry at Kansas City University. I am interested in continuing my membership in the Professional Development Committee (PDC) where I had the privilege of serving in the last term. I will be a strong member of the PDC because of my commitment to mentorship, education, and faculty growth. Through my roles in teaching, advising, and curriculum development, I have worked closely with learners and colleagues at different career stages and understand the challenges they face in professional advancement. I bring a collaborative approach, thoughtful communication, and a focus on practical, inclusive strategies that support career development, leadership skills, and academic success.