Board Members

Shanae is a PhD candidate in the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine program at the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Bioengineering. Her research focuses on the use of biomaterials to mitigate dysregulated healing processes in skin and muscle wound healing and characterising new animal and ex vivo human models for study. In her free time, Shanae enjoys baking, drawing, dancing, taking care of her plants and learning new things.

shanae.butler@fourthriver.org

Hannah is a PhD student in the Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, working in Dr. Baoli Hu's lab. Her research focuses on identifying and characterizing therapeutic targets in glioblastoma, examining how they drive mesenchymal subtype identity and shape the tumor immune microenvironment. Hannah is passionate about the biotech ecosystem in Pittsburgh, and channels this through her involvement as a member of Nucleate and Fourth River Solutions. In her free time, Hannah enjoys running and playing with her cat.

hannah.white@fourthriver.org

Alison is a PhD student in the Molecular Genetics and Developmental Biology Program at Pitt. Her research focuses on understanding early developmental signaling pathways by using zebrafish embryos. Outside of lab, Alison spends most of her time taking care of her geriatric, sock-eating dog, cooking, and knitting.

alison.guyer@fourthriver.org

Jiahui Hou is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh. Her current research focuses on understanding how gene expression regulatory networks change during the progression of Alzheimer's disease using bioinformatic methods. In her free time, Jiahui enjoys rediscovering the world with her one-year-old boy, walking her dog Obee, cooking, hiking, and traveling.

jiahui.hou@fourthriver.org

Carlan is a Covestro Circular Economy Fellow in the Chemical Engineering program at the University of Pittsburgh. His research is two-pronged: designing sustainable plastic alternatives that undergo controlled degradation, and exploring how similar materials can be translated into wound-healing applications. Outside of the lab, Carlan enjoys spending time with friends and family, outdoor activities, and reading.

carlan.gray@fourthriver.org

Victor Onyekachi is a PhD candidate in the Department of Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. His research focuses on understanding how the immune checkpoint receptor TIM-3 regulates natural killer cell responses during cancer immunotherapy and viral infections, with the goal of developing strategies to improve immune-based treatments. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, watching historical films and participating in community outreach initiatives.

onyedikachi.onyekachi@fourthriver.org