Local Postdoc Elected to National Postdoctoral Association Board of Directors

WASHINGTON - Oct. 19, 2016 - PRLog -- The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) has elected four individuals to the Board of Directors for the three-year term of service beginning on January 1, 2017: Andrew Bankston, Ph.D.; Tullia Bruno, Ph.D.; Chantelle Ferland-Beckham, Ph.D.; and Yvette Seger, Ph.D.

Andrew N. Bankston, Ph.D., earned his doctorate in biochemistry, cell and developmental biology from Emory University in 2013, where he worked in the lab of Yue Feng, M.D., Ph.D. He is currently a postdoctoral research associate in the lab of Scott Whittemore, Ph.D., at the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center at University of Louisville. His research focuses on the role of autophagy in developmental myelination and myelin repair after injury. He served as chair of the NPA Outreach Committee since February 2015. Locally, he is a member of the University of Louisville postdoctoral advisory board, bringing more resources to postdocs and increasing communication between postdocs. He is also a member of the planning committee for a local career seminar series (CRAFT) which hosts speakers to provide information on the wide range of potential career options for postdocs. In addition, he is a volunteer leader and member of event planning committees within the local chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He utilizes interactions with members of the public within the society to explain the current issues faced by postdocs and their impact on the overall scientific enterprise.

The directors were elected from a field of five candidates during the 2016 election, which ran from September 23, 2016 through October 7, 2016. The newly elected directors will join the following members of the Board: Tracy Costello, Ph.D.; Josh Henkin, Ph.D.; Juliet Moncaster, Ph.D.; Barbara Natalizio, Ph.D.; Marina Ramon, Ph.D.; Kate Sleeth, Ph.D.; and Jana Stone, Ph.D. The NPA's executive director, Julie Fabsik-Swarts, M.S., CFRE, CAP, serves as an ex officio member of the Board of Directors.


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The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 educational association headquartered in Washington, D.C. Founded in 2003, the NPA seeks to provide a national voice for postdoctoral scholars; to facilitate positive change for postdocs; and thereby to advance the research enterprise in the United States. The NPA serves the postdoctoral community, including more than 3,400 individual members and some 200 institutional members. The NPA provides support to the postdoctoral community through resources, toolkits, professional development and networking opportunities. To learn more about the NPA, visit http://www.nationalpostdoc.org.