MASS AWIS is offering an opportunity to make professional connections across a variety of career paths. ‘Join Me for Coffee’ gives a chance to meet with a STEM professional online for 1 hour. Participants will not only learn about that person’s career but also establish a new professional connection. These events are a great opportunity for participants to practice networking in an intimate setting, a skill that helps open doors to meaningful careers in STEM. Snacks and beverages will be provided.

The upcoming ‘Join Me for Coffee’ event series will feature Pushpa Jayaraman. If you would like to participate in this ‘Join Me for Coffee’ event, first complete the event application form. A committee will then review all applications and select 4-6 participants for each event. Selected applicants will be notified by email at least one week prior to the event. Upon selection notification, you will be required to formally register for the event and pay the registration fee via our secure website. Selected applicants who fail to complete registration on time forfeit the opportunity to participate.

Pushpa Jayaraman, PhD

Associate Director, Immuno Oncology at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR)

Dr. Pushpa Jayaraman brings years of immunology experience in academia and industry. Her key areas of expertise include small molecules and biologics, cell therapies and modulation of T and myeloid cell biology.  She is currently an Associate Director within Immuno Oncology at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR), where she has been working for the past six years and has been in multiple roles of increasing responsibilities. In her current role, she leads a research team responsible for the evaluation of novel immunotherapeutics targeting protumor inflammation and inflammasome pathway within the tumor microenvironment. Dr. Jayaraman is involved in various stages of drug development, ranging from target discovery and validation to supporting translational efforts in the clinic, including communicating program strategy to senior stakeholders, facilitating cross-functional and cross-site communication and decision making.

Prior to NIBR, after completing her post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School, Pushpa became an instructor in Medicine and then Research Assistant Professor at UMass Medical School, on dissecting the role of TIM-3, an immune checkpoint molecule in regulating innate and adaptive immunity during chronic tuberculosis infection. Pushpa earned her doctorate in Pathobiology at the University of Washington, Seattle where she evaluated the role of neutralizing antibodies in modulating HIV disease course in elite controllers, and mother-to-child transmission.

Application deadline: October 25th, 2020 at 11:59 PM

Registration fee (upon acceptance): Free for MASS AWIS members; $5 for non-MASS AWIS members

For other Join Me for Coffee opportunities, click here.