EICs:
Julia Kravchenko is a neuroscience graduate student
studying the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer’s
disease. She is passionate about making academia accessible to the general public. Outside the lab she can be found reading fantasy novels amidst her growing collection of gnomes. Along with being a Co-EIC, Julia also helped with layout for the magazine!
Jessica Li is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology. Though their research interests have evolved toward an environmental microbiology focus, they remain fascinated by the gut microbiome and the many ways microbes affect human health. They aim to make science more engaging through fun illustrations.
Alexander Ford is a student and neuroscientist who researches how the brain processes sensory information in the visual system. He has a tendency to seek out the absurd, and frequently attempts to create art. In his free time, he is with friends, family, or a good book under a tree.
Editors:
Daniela Pereira is a PhD candidate in neuroscience studying the interaction between GLP-1 and addiction. She enjoys singing on the good days and bad days, sometimes driving her friends nuts. She also loves to read, crochet, and play video games with her long-distance friends!
Deanna Cannizzaro is a lover of science and storytelling. She enjoys crafting ways to share her research about how sensory neurons are critical for saliva regulation, while also writing a speculative fiction novel, reading fantasy books, baking gluten-free breads, and hiking with her family.
Emily Januck is a PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Michigan, where she studies neurodegeneration. Outside the lab, she enjoys attending trivia, playing Euchre, and traveling with her friends. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
Juan Mato is a neuroscience graduate student leveraging mouse models to investigate the cellular mechanisms of peripheral neuropathy in inherited ataxias. Outside the lab he can be found playing volleyball, bouldering, cooking, and playing fortnite with his friends. 🙂
Colter Giem is a second-year Ph.D student in Molecular and Cellular Pathology, studying nuclear protein dynamics and regulation in neurodegenerative disease. In his free time, he enjoys painting and hiking around Ann Arbor, board games with friends, and trying (and mostly failing) to like running. Colter was also an illustrator for this edition!
Naomi Raicu is a fourth-year Applied Physics Ph.D. candidate at UM, where, as a member of the Z Laboratory in the Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences Department, she studies the transport properties of high-entropy liquids through atomic-scale simulations. In her free time, she enjoys distance running and knitting. Naomi also served as an illustrator for EquilibriUM Edition 5.
Kaitrin Freeland from Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is a 3rd year PhD student in the Biological Chemistry department. In the lab, she uses fluorescence microscopy to study lysosomal repair mechanisms. Outside the lab she enjoys the outdoors, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Illustrators:
Elise Tahti is a Ph.D. candidate in the UM Department of Pharmacology, where she spends her time striving to better understand the diverse functions of drug metabolizing enzymes. She enjoys working in interdisciplinary spaces where science, culture, and art intervene, which is heavily influenced by her background studying Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies as an undergraduate. In her free time, she can often be found picking up new creative hobbies, such as printmaking, ceramics, and fiber arts.
Paola Isabel Medina-Cabrera is a fifth-year Cancer Biology Ph.D. student from Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. In the labs of Dr. Marina Pasca di Magliano and Dr. Benjamin Allen, Paola studies how cells communicate in the pancreatic cancer microenvironment to develop new potent therapeutic strategies for patients. Paola has been involved in MiSciWriters since 2022 as part of our Illustration team, where she enjoys turning scientific concepts into engaging visuals. Besides drawing and making science more interactive, she enjoys reading, exploring new cities, and enjoying a new restaurant! Along with illustrations, she also helped with layout for the magazine!
Rebecca Taubitz is a physiology graduate student interested in the intersection of reproductive health, endocrinology, and stress. She is passionate about sharing science creatively and loves collecting new hobbies in her spare time.
Adriana Brown is a 3rd year PhD student in Earth & Environmental Sciences. She studies how the climate of ancient Earth evolved using geology and chemistry. When not looking at rocks, she enjoys cooking with her roommates, doing crosswords, and exploring the outdoors.
Satabdi Mohanty (she/her) earned her Master’s degree in Human Genetics from the University of Michigan and is currently a Research Assistant in the Department of Human Genetics. She served as a scientific illustrator for the previous edition of Equilibrium magazine and is continuing that journey in this edition as well. Satabdi enjoys translating complex scientific ideas into engaging visuals that spark curiosity and make science more accessible. She believes that discoveries are not meant to live only in research papers; they can also be told through colors, characters, and creative storytelling. For her, illustration is where her scientific and artistic worlds meet, allowing both sides of her personality to thrive. This fall, Satabdi will begin her PhD in Cellular, Molecular, and Systems Biology, carrying with her the same curiosity that fuels both her research and her art.
Layout
Skye Thompson
