The Communications & Membership Committee engages in activities that promote the Society’s mission and encourages membership and sponsorship. In particular, we:
- Develop initiatives to engage student, post-doctoral and early-career members
- Organize and manage the Scientific Writing, Imaging, and Research Competitions, and the Huston Antibody Science Award.
- Assist with the continued development of the website, ensuring relevant and current content
- Engage all members and the broader scientific community through various channels, including LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.
Chair: Silvia Crescioli. Co-chair: Alicia Chenoweth. Members: Jessica Anania, Sarra Idri, Vaishali Kapoor, Raquel Barroso Ferro, Janice Reichert and Jyothsna Visweswaraiah.
Dr. Jessica C. Anania is a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Prof. E. Sally Ward and Prof Raimund Ober at the University of Southampton. She received her PhD, under the supervision of Prof. Mark Hogarth, characterizing a novel form of FcγRIIa in humans and non-human primates (Melbourne Australia). Her previous postdoctoral training examined the role of follicular dendritic cells in complement and IgG driven immune responses by novel image analysis techniques (Uppsala, Sweden). Jessica’s current work is focused on engineering antigen delivery vehicles to induce immunological tolerance.
Dr. Jay Bhatt is a Scientist in the Protein Sciences organization at Genentech Inc. where he is involved with various aspects of protein biochemistry for antibodies, antigens, and therapeutic proteins. His PhD work at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas at El Paso focused on investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying human disease conditions. He is passionate about diversity and inclusion conversations in the workplace; and mentoring students. Outside of the lab, Jay enjoys playing the piano, cricket, and table tennis.
Alicia Chenoweth, PhD, King’s College London
Dr. Alicia Chenoweth is a postdoctoral research associate in the Cancer Antibody Discovery and Immunotherapy group led by Prof. Sophia Karagiannis at King’s College London. Her work is focused on Fc engineering of antibodies for breast cancer therapy to better engage and influence the immune microenvironment. She received her PhD in Melbourne, Australia, under the supervision of Prof. Mark Hogarth, focusing on the interactions of human and non-human primate IgG antibodies with Fc receptors, and the impact of IgG Fc modification on immune cell function. Dr. Chenoweth was the co-chair of the Gordon Research Seminar for Antibody Biology and Engineering, held in 2022.
Silvia Crescioli, PhD, King’s College London
Dr. Silvia Crescioli is a senior post doc at King’s College London in Prof. Sophia Karagiannis’ Cancer Antibody Discovery & Immunotherapy Group, where she leads and supervises several projects focused on different areas of cancer immunology and immunotherapy, such as the study of B cells in cancer, antigen/antibody discovery, ADC development, and antibody production, engineering and glycoengineering. Dr. Crescioli received her PhD in Biomedical Sciences, Experimental Oncology, from the University of Florence.
Vaishali Kapoor, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis
Dr. Vaishali Kapoor is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. Dr. Kapoor received her PhD in Cancer Biology from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (New Delhi, India) and did her postdoctoral training at the Washington University School of Medicine. Her research involves development of novel drug candidates against radiation-inducible neo-antigens. Her lab is developing ways to target radiation sensitizers specifically to cancer with the goal of enhancing the efficacy of radiation therapy. Dr. Kapoor is also interested in understanding the mechanisms of resistance to standard-of-care cancer therapies. @ LinkedIn; Twitter; Washington University
Raquel Barroso Ferro, University of Aberdeen.
Raquel Barroso Ferro, student volunteer for the Education and Career Sub-Committee, is a first year PhD student at the University of Aberdeen, UK, currently working to develop a novel scFv-based immunotherapy against ovarian cancer. She previously completed an integrated Master’s in Biochemistry (MSci) from King’s College London and worked as a research assistant evaluating how various environmental chemicals can influence aspects of the human physiology. @ LinkedIn
Janice Reichert, PhD
Dr. Janice Reichert, Chief Operating Officer of The Antibody Society, is an internationally-recognized expert in the development of antibody therapeutics. She is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of mAbs, a peer-reviewed, PubMed-indexed biomedical journal that focuses on topics relevant to antibody research and development. Dr. Reichert has published extensively on development trends for antibody therapeutics, and she has presented her research results as an invited speaker at conferences held worldwide. Dr. Reichert received her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and did her post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical School.
Relevant links: Editor-in-chief, mAbs Kaplon H, Crescioli S, Chenoweth A, Visweswaraiah J, Reichert JM. Antibodies to watch in 2023. mAbs 2023.
Dr. Jyothsna Visweswaraiah is a scientist with drug development experience in small biotech and a track record of advancing new therapies into the clinic. She currently heads the Antibody Discovery group in the Drug Creation department at Seismic Therapeutic. She was previously at FL75, developing a modular, multi-specific biologics platform to address the complexities of biology with high resolution, and at Pandion Therapeutics where she developed novel therapeutics designed to address the unmet needs of patients living with autoimmune diseases. Dr. Visweswaraiah has trained at Harvard Medical School and the National Institutes of Health. She has been an advocate for women in science and workplace inclusiveness. She mentors students interested in STEM careers, early career women scientists and serves on the Advisory Board of WEST, a non-profit organization supporting early to mid-career women. In recognition of her accomplishments, Dr. Visweswaraiah was nominated for the 2021 James S. Huston Antibody Science Talent Award.
