Use the menu below to jump to different sections of this page.
- About MUPAchevron_right
- Board Memberschevron_right
- Travel Grantchevron_right
- Postdoc Appreciation Weekchevron_right
About MUPA
MUPA’s mission is to foster professional development and social interaction to provide community and a collective voice; and to liaison between postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and administration.
MUPA Board Members
Dr. Anand Soorneedi
President | asoorneedi@missouri.edu
Dr. Jose Costa Netto
Vice President | jcostanetto@missouri.edu
Dr. Jose Costa Netto is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the MU Research Excellence Program in Dr. Felix Fritschi’s lab in the Department of Plant Science and Technology. He is an agronomist with degrees from the Federal Rural University of Amazon and a Ph.D. in Crop Physiology from the University of Missouri–Columbia. His research focuses on plant physiology and anatomy related to photosynthesis and gas exchange. Dr. Costa Netto is passionate about sustainable agriculture, he is interested in developing innovative tools to improve crop yield for the near future and likes to actively communicate scientific knowledge to stakeholders in the agriculture industry. Dr. Costa Netto’s hobbies are traveling and geek culture. He also has a podcast in Portuguese that is focused on discussing agronomy and farming in Brazil. The podcast usually has around 12k downloads monthly and 12k Instagram followers.
Dr. Divya Kandanool
Secretary & Treasurer | dkn42@missouri.edu
Dr. Divya Kandanool is a University of Missouri Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Kristen Veum’s lab in Columbia, MO. Before her role at Mizzou, Divya completed her PhD at Arkansas State University, where her research centered on assessing the costs and benefits of utilizing winter cover crops in furrow-irrigated rice-soybean rotations on clay soils. With a multidisciplinary academic background, Dr. Kandanool brings a unique perspective and has shown a strong commitment to soil health and sustainable agriculture.
Currently, her work encompasses several projects, including investigating the long-term impacts of crop rotations on soil health indicators in Midwest Missouri, enhancing and refining the Soil Health Assessment Protocol and Evaluation (SHAPE) to incorporate additional soil health indicators and land use management practices that can support the prediction of changes in soil health, and performing exploratory data analysis and visualization of the Dynamic Soil Properties of Soil Health (DSPSH) database using R software to better understand and manipulate the data for interpretation. She is also passionate about academic mentorship, teaching, and curriculum development.
Dr. Brielle Thompson
Professional Development Chair | brielle.thompson@missouri.edu
Dr. Brielle Thompson received her PhD in Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management from the University of Washington – Seattle in 2024. Her dissertation research involved using quantitative models and decision analysis techniques to inform invasive species management in the Columbia River Basin. She now uses this toolset in her Postdoctoral Fellowship at Mizzou in the School of Natural Resources to aid in invasive carp management decisions in North America. Overall, she is passionate about bridging the gap between quantitative modelers and natural resource managers. Outside of research, she enjoys distance running, reading, and spending time outside (preferably by a body of water) with her husband and dog.
Dr. Hannah Artman
Social Chair | h.artman@missouri.edu
Hannah Artman is a post-doctoral research fellow in local news at the Missouri School of Journalism. Her current work focuses on multidisciplinary approaches to understanding local news audiences, publication distribution, and alternative media networks. She graduated from the University of Miami with her PhD in 2024 where her dissertation explored Spanish-language populist disinformation networks on YouTube. Previously, she worked as a political campaign and media consultant based out of Miami, FL.
Dr. Edgar Diaz Miranda
Outreach Chair | eamkhd@missouri.edu
Dr. Edgar Diaz Miranda is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Lei Lab in the ObGyn and Women’s Health Department at the University of Missouri. He earned his bachelor’s degree in veterinary medicine and animal science from the Universidad de Cordoba, Colombia and his M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in Veterinary Medicine from the Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Brazil. His research area is reproductive biology focused on ovarian reserve formation and maintenance. Dr. Diaz Miranda grew up helping his family’s agricultural enterprises in Colombia, so in addition to research, he is passionate about cattle and sports.
Dr. Fazle Elahi
School of Medicine Representative | fethy@health.missouri.edu
Dr. Fazle Elahi is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Medical Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. His research focuses on how oxidative stress changes structure and function of blood vessels supplying the brain and eye. Previously, Fazle received a prestigious Brain Pool Fellowship from the National Research Foundation in South Korea. Dr. Elahi is passionate about bridging the gap between academia and industry and has played a pivotal role in the development of commercial products aimed at assisting diabetic patients. As an R&D Manager, he played a pivotal role in the development of two commercial products aimed at assisting diabetic patients in managing their blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Fazle’s passion for bridging the gap between academia and industry is evident in his enthusiasm for researching and implementing commercialization strategies from conception to market delivery.
Dr. Renato Filogonio
Ad Hoc Board Member | r.filogonio@missouri.edu
Dr. Renato Filogonio is a postdoctoral fellow at the lab of Prof. Joe Santin, from the Division of Biological Sciences. He earned his BSc. degree in Biological Sciences at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (Brazil), his MSc. in Zoology at the São Paulo State University (Brazil), and his Ph.D. at Aarhus University (Denmark). He is a trained physiologist with a keen interest in the evolutionary trends of how animals function. At the University of Missouri, his research has been focused in understanding how the bullfrog brain works and how it is capable of recovering from hibernation. Outside the lab, Dr. Filogonio is a passionate bass player, an occasional climber, and an inveterate bookworm.
MUPA Bill of Rights
The MU Postdoctoral Association created a Bill of Rights to outline how the condition of Postdoctoral Fellows can be maintained and improved.
MU Postdoctoral Association’s Travel Grant Application
MUPA Travel Awards – Call for Applications
Every year the MU Postdoctoral Association allocates special funds to help support postdoc attendance at conferences during their time at MU. We strongly encourage all postdocs to apply for this award. Postdocs may receive up to $500 towards costs, limited to membership or registration fees, flights, lodging, poster printing, and childcare (please see note below), for any Meeting/Conference and/or training program taking place within the specified funding period to be considered for that funding round. We particularly encourage postdocs who have not yet received an award from MU Postdoctoral Association, as well as those who are presenting work done whilst at Mizzou.
Note: awards are paid directly to the postdoctoral scholar once proof of payment by the postdoctoral scholar is provided via receipt.
Travel Award Funding Cycle
The MU Postdoctoral Association Travel Award follows a three-round funding cycle per year. The application deadlines for each funding round are described below:
- Fall: Deadline November 1
- Conference/training attended from September 1 to December 31
- Spring: Deadline March 1
- Conference/training attended from January 1st to April 30
- Summer: Deadline July 1
- Conference/training attended from May 1st to August 31
Only conferences attended in the specified date range for each funding round are eligible for the award. Funds may be used for the costs of membership or registration, flights, lodging, poster printing, and/or childcare expenses.
Starting with the Spring 2024 cycle, postdocs awarded in the most recent two funding cycles are not eligible to be awarded.
- For example, postdocs awarded in Fall 2023 are not eligible to be awarded in Spring 2024 or Summer 2024 but can apply for the Fall 2024 funding cycle.
If you wish to apply, please review the Travel Award Instructions, complete the application package, and return it to mupatravel@missouri.edu. An updated application form is provided for cycles starting with Fall 2024. Please ensure you are submitting the correct application form and have carefully read all statements concerning the reimbursement process before submitting.
Note: There is now an option to apply the travel grant award towards childcare expenses incurred while attending a meeting/conference.
National Postdoc Appreciation Week
National Postdoc Appreciation Week 2024 is September 15-20!
This week gives the MU postdoc community an opportunity to come together for professional development talks, social events, and some fun competition to show off our research in visual ways. We look forward to showing appreciation for all the MU postdocs and spending time together!
Visual Research Competitions
All artwork and graphical abstracts will be shown on MUPA’s social media pages! A great opportunity to show other postdocs the research going on at Mizzou! All submissions for the art and graphical abstract competition are due by Monday September 16th at 5pm to eandres@health.missouri.edu.
Art competition: submit any scientific imaging or illustrations to represent your research! We will send out all the photos for voting by the MU postdoc community and the top submissions will receive small prizes!
Graphical abstract competition: submit a visually appealing and engaging abstract that provides pertinent information and main findings in a visual form. The MUPA board will score the submissions and the top submissions will receive small prizes!
Social Events
- NPAW Kickoff Picnic (Family-friendly; sponsored by Proteintech) at Happy Hollow Shelter
- Happy Hollow Shelter, Columbia, MO 65201
- 12-2:30 pm; Sun Sept 15th
- Trivia at iTap
- 308 S 9th St, Columbia, MO 65201
- 7-8:30 pm; Wed Sept 18th
- Social on Logboat Brewery Lawn
- 504 Fay St, Columbia, MO 65201
- 5:30-7:30 pm; Fri Sept 20th
Professional Development Events (all on Zoom – Zoom links will be sent out via email)
- Humanities and Social Sciences Academic Book Publishing 101
- In this session, I will talk about how to publish a monograph in the humanities and social sciences. I’ll discuss how to get the proposal or monograph ready for submission, identifying the best publisher for your work, understanding the time frame of publishing, understanding your contract, and collaborating with your press. My hope is that you have a stronger understanding of the process and what editors are looking for in projects.
- Presenter: Dr. Ana Maria Jimenez-Moreno, Editor, Ohio State Press
- 10-11 am; Mon Sept 16
- Meeting ID: 916 1932 7547; Passcode: 317462
- An Engaged University
- This presentation will briefly explain the origin of Mizzou as the state’s Land Grant University, the Grand Challenges that Missourians themselves have identified, and how MU Extension is structured to address these challenges on a community and statewide level.
- Presenter: Chad Higgens, Vice Chancellor for MU Extension
- 2-3 pm; Tues Sept 17
- Meeting ID: 979 6083 9836
- How to Design an Effective Chalk Talk
- Chalk talks are a critical component of academic job searches. Yet, few postdocs have experienced or even observed a chalk talk. In this seminar, you will learn about the structure of a chalk talk, common mistakes, typical questions asked by search committees, and more generally how to communicate your science more effectively for grants, elevator pitches, and poster sessions.
- Presenter: Dr. Erik Snapp, Director of Student and Postdoctoral Programs, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Jamelia Research Campus
- 1:30-3 pm; Wed Sept 18
- Zoom Meeting ID: 917 2857 3949; Passcode: 549640
- Financial Wellness – Fostering Financial Security as a Post-Doc
- Join the Office for Financial Success to learn money management tools and systems that you can use to foster financial security through your postdoctoral period and beyond.
- Presenter: Alex Embree, Program Manager, Student Support Services, Student Financial Aid
- 1-2 pm; Fri Sept 20
- Zoom Link