Board Members

Prajita Pandey Ph.D. is presently serving as an Assistant Director, Chemistry at Emery Pharma. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington and completed her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of North Texas. Her professional expertise spans small molecules and biologics analysis. Supporting women in science has always been her passion and she is eager to make valuable contributions to East Bay AWIS.

Preeta is a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley working on protein-based materials for drug delivery. She currently serves as VP, and was named the 2024 Volunteer of the Year for her role in organizing the 2024 Winter Workshop and the AWIS NCC Annual Awards Gala. She is also an active mentor through the Palo Alto Chapter’s mentoring program and the POWER Bay Area initiative, supporting women across all career stages, from community college to PhD. Preeta is dedicated to fostering an AWIS East Bay community that bridges academia and industry by increasing participation from academic researchers

Hilda received her bachelor’s in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley in 2022 and started her career in STEM in an academic lab focused on chromosome reconstitution. For the past two years she has served as a Lab Manager at CellSight Tech, a San Francisco-based startup dedicated to improving patient selection for cancer therapies. She first joined AWIS as a volunteer helping organize social events and later stepped in as interim co-secretary. Hilda is passionate about creating spaces where women in STEM can uplift and support one another—both inside and outside the lab - and is committed to advancing that mission. 

Katie received her Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, and a Master's in Translational Medicine from UC Berkeley & UC San Francisco. She started her career at Merck in Philadelphia, working in vaccine and biologics process development and manufacturing. After moving to the Bay Area, Katie has worked in cell and gene therapy as part of the clinical manufacturing team at 4D Molecular Therapeutics, and as a program manager at GeneFab. She has been volunteering with the chapter since 2018, and is interested in continuing community outreach initiatives.

Meena Narayanan, holds a PhD in Allergy/ Immunology from Medical University of Vienna, Austria. Currently, She is working as a Lead Scientist in CMC - Process Analytics discipline at Poseida Therapeutics/ Genentech (A member of Roche group). She is passionate about Cell and Gene Therapy modality and loves serving at selected biotech forums including AWIS and Biocom as a Mentor, Co-Chair and in Board Leadership role. She absolutely resonates with AWIS's tagline "Invest in their future (and yours)"; She strongly believes in giving back to the scientific community at the same time expanding the breadth and depth of her experience in mentoring, team building and leadership. 

Hayley McCausland earned her Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Emory University and her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley, where she focused on microbial genetics. She went on to be an automation scientist at Pivot Bio and is passionate about advancing biotech in the food and agriculture space. Hayley volunteers with AWIS to help support a community of women scientists in the East Bay as well as the next generation.

Julietta Sheng is a Science Policy postdoctoral scholar at the Engineering Biology Research Consortium in Emeryville, CA, where she focuses on education and engagement. Her work integrates research, governance, and community engagement to advance STEM education and strengthen the biotech workforce through science-informed policy. Julietta joined AWIS East Bay as a volunteer in early 2025, contributing to various event communications. She previously earned her PhD in Biomedical Sciences – Neuroscience at Colorado State University, with research centered around stress and mood disorders.

Cynthia holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from UCLA, where she trained in drug development for neuromuscular diseases. During her time at UCLA she led the Bruin Allies for Duchenne, an organization focused on raising awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy through community outreach and STEM education. After seeing the impact scientists have on the curiosity and confidence of young students, she developed a passion for community service. This led her to join AWIS East Bay as a volunteer for event coordination and communication. Currently, Cynthia is a Senior Scientist at Bio-Rad Laboratories developing digital assays for research and clinical applications.