Nucleate x DASL: Empowering the Next Generation of diverse leaders

​Join Nucleate and DASL for an exciting panel discussion on 'Empowering the Next Generation of Diverse Leaders' in the Life Sciences.

​Panelists:

​Jennifer Hairston

​Jennifer Hairston is a dynamic leader with a passion for driving meaningful change through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). With over a decade of experience in project management and organizational development, she has a proven track record of fostering inclusive environments that promote innovation and collaboration.

​Jennifer holds a DEI certification from Cornell University and has partnered with CEOs and senior leaders to implement strategies that ensure every voice is valued. Her approach emphasizes that true progress is achieved by focusing on people, not just processes.

​Throughout her career, Jennifer has worked with industry leaders such as Illumina and Biocom, leading initiatives that integrate DEI principles into core business strategies. Her work ensures that DEI is not just a statement but a measurable force for progress.

​Dr. Sonya Neal

​Dr. Neal joined the faculty in 2018 at the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at UC San Diego where her lab studies the role of the rhomboid superfamily in membrane-related functions and homeostasis. She is the recipient of the NIH MIRA, NSF CAREER, Pew, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Science Diversity Leadership Award, and HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Award.

​Dr. Neal is a champion for diversity where she co-founded the Biology Undergraduate & Master’s Mentorship (BUMMP) program, which has served over 1,350 undergraduate & master’s students to date. Moreover, she teaches a DEI graduate course, “Social Issues in Biology” which is a discussion-based course on the biases we face academia. For these efforts, she has received the campus-wide Inclusive Excellence, the Faculty Mentorship award, advancing EDI award, along with a nationwide award ASCB WICB Junior Award for Excellence in Research.

​Dr. Angela Nicholson-Shaw

​Angela is a scientist passionate about product development and bringing new technologies to market to help researchers make groundbreaking discoveries. After earning a Ph.D. in Biology from UC San Diego in 2021, Angela has focused on developing innovative tools to advance molecular and cellular biology research. In her current role as Staff Scientist at Illumina, she has worked on assay innovation for spatial transcriptomics and identifying rare cancer mutations through blood samples.

​Gabriela Tobal

​Gabriela Tobal is Vice President of Business Development at Endeavor Biomedicines. She has over 25 years of industry experience in the life sciences, with a career spanning research, business development, corporate venture capital, alliance management, and organizational culture. Gabriela has served in business development and alliance management at Everest Medicines and held similar roles at La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company, The Scripps Research Institute, and Amgen. She earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Santa Cruz; a Master of Science in Marine Biology from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego; and an MBA from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.