NPA Postdoc Council Nominates 2026 Members

December 9, 2025

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) has nominated five individuals to the NPA Postdoc Council (PDC) for two-year terms of service beginning on January 1, 2026: Maria Lungu, J.D., Ph.D., Zeinab Mehsein, Ph.D., Nicoletta Memos, Ph.D., Adati Tarfa, Ph.D., PharmD, M.S., and Chukwudi Ubah, Dr.PH, MPH.

The newly elected directors will join the following members of the PDC: Florencia Anunziata, Ph.D., Pallabi Bhowmick, Ph.D., Christine Carney, Ph.D., Courtney McClure, Ph.D., Javaria Munir, Ph.D., Claire Perrot, Ph.D., and Alexandra Wynn, Ph.D.

Azmi Ahmad, Ph.D., Veronica Farrugia Drakard, Ph.D., Alison McCarthy, Ph.D., Dylan Johnson, Ph.D., and Amanda Shaver, Ph.D., will complete their terms at the end of this year. We thank them for their service.

Lungu is a postdoctoral research associate at the Digital Technology for Democracy Lab. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee College of Law and a doctorate from Florida Atlantic University in public administration. She is currently a policy researcher and team leader at the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Policy (CAIDP). She was previously a legal consultant at Stepping Stones International and, before that, gained valuable experience working for the Metropolitan Public Defender’s Office in Nashville. Lungu has also been honored as an Artificial Intelligence Ethics and Society (AIES) research fellow and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s AI Governance Alliance. Her research focuses on the intersection of law, public administration, and artificial intelligence. She currently serves as an associate editor of The POSTDOCket where she enjoys giving a voice to various postdoc issues.

Mehsein is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She received her Bachelor of Science and master’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Montpellier in France, then completed her doctorate in biology and medical science, specializing in neuroscience, in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Saint Joseph in Beirut, Lebanon. Her doctoral research focused on investigating the link between neuropathic pain and mood disorders by targeting the insula, a key region for neuromodulation involved in both pain regulation and emotional processing.

During graduate school, she was involved in public science communication through a research vulgarization association, an initiative aimed at making scientific knowledge accessible to the general public.

She is currently the chair of the postdoctoral association at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she leads initiatives such as professional development workshops and social events to build a stronger, more supportive postdoctoral community. She also aims to bridge the gap between postdoctoral scholars and institutional leadership by actively advocating for the needs and concerns of the postdoc community.

Memos is an NIH F32 postdoctoral fellow at Baylor College of Medicine. She received her Bachelor of Science in animal behavior from Southwestern University, after which she earned her Master of Philosophy and her doctorate in psychology with a focus on animal behavior and comparative psychology from the CUNY Graduate Center. Her doctoral research focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms driving the long-lasting neurotoxic effects and behavioral deficits associated with chronic methamphetamine use in mice following a period of withdrawal to identify therapeutic interventions for substance use disorder. As a postdoc, Memos studies the genetic risk factors associated with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome/Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SIDS/SUID) using genetically modified mice and studies the role of the mu opioid receptors in cardiorespiratory function to inform upon the effects of prenatal substance use exposure and SIDS/SUID outcomes. Memos is passionate about advocating for postdoctoral support and wellness, as well as championing the inclusion and equity of women and the LGBTQ+ community in STEMM research.

Tarfa is a postdoctoral researcher at the Yale School of Medicine whose work is informed by implementation science, health services research, and a syndemics perspective to advance care for HIV and substance use disorder. A pharmacist by training, Tarfa is driven by an interest in how care actually happens in communities, including in community pharmacies, in spaces serving people who are unhoused, and in the lives of individuals whose needs are not adequately met by traditional healthcare systems. Tarfa’s leadership and scientific contributions have been recognized by the Edward Bouchet Graduate Honor Society, the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, the Society of Behavioral Medicine, and through an alumni achievement award from Tarfa’s PharmD program.

Tarfa is committed to building more supportive environments for postdoctoral scholars and is honored to serve on the NPA Postdoc Council. Tarfa mentorship and is inspired by the many voices and contributions of fellow postdocs. Outside of research, Tarfa writes Google reviews as a Level 10 Local Guide with over 200 million views, a creative outlet rooted in curiosity about people, places, and the stories they tell.

Ubah is a postdoctoral scholar within the Division of Dental Public Health at East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine. He received his Bachelor of Science in microbiology from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), a master's in public health from Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, and a Doctor of Public Health from the Brody School of Medicine at ECU in Dec. 2023. His doctorate dissertation focused on "Addressing rising Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI's) using novel Nanomedicine: Implications for public health protection," where his work contributed to the fight against antibiotic resistance bacteria infections in health system.

Actively involved in community and leadership, Ubah has served as president of international students association, director of graduate school of affairs in student government association, and senator of the graduate and professional student senate. Through these experiences, he has acquired broad perspectives on advocacy, outreach, community engagement, diversity and change agents particularly among diverse population. Ubah is also very active in professional organizations including American Public Health Association where he currently serve as section councilor for international health, American College of Health Care Executives, National Black MBA Association, and American Chemical Society. He plays soccer, kayaking, bowling and paintball. He will be speaking at the 2026 NPA Annual Conference on the topic, "Beyond the Lab: Building Inclusive Postdoc Communities Through Digital Connection and Informal Engagement."