Samantha has worked in the medical field for 6 years, biotechnological industry research for 2 years, and academic research for 13 years. She built out the education program at ULP moving from Program Manager to Director within a year. Her passion for teaching and years of experience positions her as the crux of the education program at ULP. Samantha holds a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UC Irvine and is currently pursuing her M.S. in Bioinformatics at Brandeis University.
Dr. Barr has worked in various academic research labs for 14 years. She received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UC Davis in 2013. With the goal of helping to bridge the gap that currently exists between basic science research and clinical medicine, she received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at UC Riverside's School of Medicine in 2018. Dr. Barr worked as a journal editor and taught biology courses at Chaffey College for one year before completing her postdoctoral fellowship at City of Hope focusing on cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Barr is passionate about training the next generation of scientists and joined ULP in 2024 to aid student learning of cutting-edge life science research techniques.
Melody has worked in the biotechnological industry for 5 years and education for 8 years. She has taught and mentored students from pre-school to undergraduate in various volunteer, professional, and managerial positions. The multi-faceted skills she developed over the years allow her to work as an admin and designer for our program. She was one of the first students in our program, earning an internship at one of our companies, and now working for the facility to help other students on their path. Melody holds a B.S. in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology from UC Riverside and is currently pursing her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Ali has several years of virology experience characterizing the replication mechanism of persistent enterovirus infections. He currently works as a Research Scientist for Crescenta Biosciences characterizing therapeutics for metabolic diseases. Ali received his BS in Public Health Sciences and BA in Business Administration from UC Irvine.
Justin is an exuberant innovator with 4+ years of research and development experience in prototype, manufacturing and web lab experimentation. He is passionate about expanding scientific knowledge and providing the new generations with the tools to further push the boundaries of known science. Justin received his MS in Biomedical Engineering from UC Irvine and is VP of Engineering and co-founder of Syntr Health Technologies, Inc.
