Welcome to the Mizzou Black Postdoctoral Association (MBPA) – A community for all black and other minoritized postdoctoral fellows on the Mizzou campus.
The Mission
The MBPA was founded in 2023 as a non-profit organization, primarily to establish an inclusive, interdisciplinary community to enhance the experience of black and other historically minoritized postdoctoral fellows, by creating a supportive environment that provides opportunities for career development and peer-to-peer mentorship.
The Goals
The goal of the MBPA is not only to create a space for the exchange of information but also to create a supportive and inclusive community for its members at the University of Missouri by promoting professional development, networking opportunities, mentorship, advocacy, and social well-being.
Core values
Diversity, inclusion, professional development, leadership, and community building.
Meet the Governing Board
President: Olufunke Omolola Arishe, PhD
Olufunke Omolola Arishe is a driven and accomplished Post-doctoral Scholar at NextGen Precision Health, University of Missouri, Columbia. With a Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Benin, Nigeria, in collaboration with Augusta University, Georgia, and prior educational milestones including an M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Physiology from the University of Benin, Nigeria, she has cultivated a deep understanding of her field.
Olufunke’s Postdoc research at the Cardiovascular Translational Research Center, University of South Carolina, looked at the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines on vascular dysfunction and hypertension. In subsequent roles at the University of Tennessee Health Center, Olufunke continued to make significant strides. Her current work focuses on studying renal and vascular physiology and pathophysiology characterized by an integrative approach encompassing molecular, biochemical, electrophysiology, imaging, isolated tissue, and whole animal methodologies.
Secretary: Mark Adero, PhD
Mark Adero is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Yang Lab at the University of Missouri, Division of Plant Science & Technology, based at the Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center. He works on plant biotechnology and genome-editing–enabled crop improvement, applying tissue culture and transformation methods to make recalcitrant crops more amenable to modern breeding and molecular approaches.
Adero earned a PhD in plant biotechnology and an M.Sc. in genetics, and has a track record of work on somatic embryogenesis, regeneration and genetic transformation across crops such as banana, maize, tomato, cassava and wheat. His earlier research was conducted while affiliated with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Kenyan institutions.