Brooke Bender is a postdoctoral fellow in UNC’s SPIRE program, which prepares scientists for careers that integrate research and teaching. Through SPIRE, she has gained hands-on teaching experience, including serving as an instructor at North Carolina A&T State University, and is passionate about evidence-based teaching. She is particularly interested in helping students appreciate the creativity involved in scientific discovery. In the Besheer Lab, she studies how stress and drug exposure alter brain circuits involved in decision-making and addiction.

Jacob Gordon is a proud North Carolinian whose scientific journey has taken him from the Appalachian foothills to leading research institutions around the world. Jacob completed his PhD through the prestigious NIH-Cambridge Scholars Program, training at both the National Institutes of Health and the University of Cambridge in the UK. Now an Eshelman Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow at UNC, Jacob studies how the Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO) regulates gene activity and chromatin organization, using biochemical and structural approaches to understand how molecular machines function inside cells.

Scott Allen is a postdoctoral researcher and RNA biologist focused on expanding the therapeutic potential of RNA through innovative, translation-minded research. As the inaugural postdoc in the AGILE program, he engages in projects designed to move scientific ideas toward social and commercial impact, shaped by continuous feedback from diverse collaborators and stakeholders. With a strong belief that innovation is as much about identifying the right opportunity as inventing something new, Scott emphasizes curiosity, interdisciplinary exchange, and iterative progress in driving meaningful impact.

The UNC Postdoctoral Association (PDA) is a postdoc-led organization that represents and advocates for postdoctoral scholars across campus while fostering a strong sense of community. In this interview, PDA leaders discuss the benefits of being a postdoc at UNC, highlight challenges such as job uncertainty, compensation, and work-life balance, and share thoughtful advice for new postdocs on building support networks, advocating for themselves, and making the most of their time at UNC.

Marta Overchuk is a postdoctoral researcher in the Rizvi Lab, where she develops light-activated strategies to selectively destroy cancer cells. Originally from Ukraine, she is also a leading science communicator with a large Instagram following, sharing practical advice to help young researchers navigate academia. A recent K99 awardee and UNC PARE Award recipient, Marta helped launch graphmatik.io, a free data-visualization platform used worldwide, and is passionate about making science and research skills more accessible to trainees everywhere.

Marcello DeLuca is a biomedical AI researcher in UNC’s Molecular Modeling Lab, where he develops artificial intelligence tools to accelerate drug discovery and repurposing. Originally trained as a mechanical engineer, he is using his postdoc to learn new skills in AI—an area he had no experience in just two years ago. He now encourages other postdocs to explore AI and shares practical tips for getting started in this rapidly evolving field.

Ismael Gomez is a postdoctoral researcher at UNC’s Bioinformatics and Analytics Research Collaborative (BARC), a UNC Core Facility, where he provides bioinformatics support across academic and industry projects. He chose this path to develop his expertise in bioinformatics, having completed his PhD in Cell Biology and Physiology, and through this work has gained a unique perspective on connecting data across labs and solving complex research problems.

Kavya Katugam-Dechene is a biomechanist whose research examines how aging, injury, and disease affect movement and balance. A Venture Catalyst Fellow, she gained experience in research commercialization and now plans to pursue a career in industry, where she can continue advancing science through real-world applications.

Kylie Seltzer is an art and architectural historian whose research explores how 19th-century Parisian architecture reinforced ideas of race and white supremacy in public exhibitions. She also serves as Vice Chair of the National Postdoc Association’s Advocacy Committee, where she works to strengthen policies and practices that support postdocs and highlight the impact of their work.