MIT Postdoctoral Association - MIT PDA

Meet our new(ish) community building co-chair!

Hello! I’m Jacob A Hoffman, PhD , Community Building Co-Chair of the MIT PDA. I’m a postdoc in the Belcher lab at the Koch Institute where I work on AI protein design for biomining applications. I joined the PDA this spring because I wanted to create a community for MIT postdocs to socialize, network and find camaraderie during a career phase often characterized by isolation and loneliness.

In the past semester, I’ve worked to plan events that help build that camaraderie. In January, I helped deliver the January Postdoc Welcome Back Party, complete with a postdoc DJ. I also organize postdoc mixers at on campus establishments. I believe MIT should be a place of welcome, and by creating casual spaces for postdocs to get to know each other I hope to create that welcoming environment.

This semester, I’m focused on finding new spaces for postdocs to socialize. We have sourced a location for a postdoc Karaoke night (coming up in May) and are looking into a postdoc talent show (more details to come, start thinking of your act!).

Have an idea for something fun for the postdoc community? Feel free to DM me (here or on slack) or reach out via email to [email protected].

The night before the 130th Boston Marathon, the postdocs took advantage of the car-free marathon route for a special late-night ride 🚴‍♀️🌙

The PDA and biked the full 26-mile course under the city lights. Huge thanks to everyone who joined, helped coordinate bike transport, and made the evening such a fun and memorable ride, and of course thanks to our sports committee co-chairs, Sarah and !

The monthly Board Game Night stays one of our most popular events! 🎲🍕
Enjoy delicious pizza, meet new people, and challenge your friends (or make some new ones!) over your favorite games. It’s the perfect way to unwind, laugh, and connect with the community 💛

A huge thank you to our incredible organizer ( ) and volunteers who make this night possible every month!

Hi! I’m Yibei, the IT & Information Committee Chair of the MIT Postdoctoral Association (PDA). I’m a postdoc at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research. I joined the PDA because I enjoy building tools and systems that make it easier for our community to stay connected and informed.

Over the past semester, I’ve been working behind the scenes to keep the PDA calendar updated with events across the community, including PDA sports, game nights, the buddy program, art/painting events, and book club. I’ve also helped with technical tasks such as organizing buddy program groups and supporting small automation and coding projects that help our events run more smoothly.

This semester, I’m focused on making it easier for postdocs to find and track PDA events, improving how we manage event information, and building small tools that support our programs behind the scenes. My goal is to make the infrastructure invisible but effective so the community events can shine.

I’m always happy to hear suggestions for tools or improvements that could help the PDA run better. Feel free to reach out via email pda-www[at]mit[dot]edu and/or find me on MIT slack!

I’m Vas , a Postdoctoral Associate in MIT’s Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and Co-Chair of the Professional Development Committee at the Postdoctoral Association. My research brings together materials science, physics, and chemistry to advance brain-inspired computing for energy-efficient AI.

Since joining the PDA in November 2025, I’ve been especially interested in helping fellow postdocs connect across fields, explore different career paths, and find opportunities for collaboration and growth. I care about creating spaces where postdocs can learn from others, exchange ideas, and think more openly about what comes next.

Through my role in the PDA, I collaborate closely with the MIT Career Advising & Professional Development (CAPD) to organize events that offer practical insight into careers across academia, industry, and startups. In December 2025, I co-organized and co-chaired the Professional Development Startup Panel & Workshop, which brought postdocs together with founders and industry mentors to discuss innovation, research translation and careers beyond academia. I also helped chair the Early-Career Faculty Panel organized by the PDA Alumni Committee, where postdocs heard direct perspectives on the transition into faculty roles and the realities of early academic careers.

This semester, I hope to continue building opportunities for the MIT postdoc community to connect with professionals across sectors, while also expanding links with academic institutions in the UK and Europe.

If there are career topics, professional development events, or collaborations you’d like to see, I’d be very glad to hear your ideas. You can reach me at [email protected], message me on Slack, or come say hello at one of our upcoming events.

Poornima Dubey is a translational scientist and entrepreneur whose work bridges nanomedicine, cancer biology with an interest in healthcare AI. She earned her Ph.D. in Nanotechnology from IIT Roorkee, and her research journey includes positions at UCL School of Pharmacy, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Maryland, and MIT's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. Her research interests span from gold nanoparticle-based therapeutics and non-viral gene delivery systems including lipid nanoparticles, to protein engineering of Fc fusion biologics, and most recently, applying AI to early disease detection in healthcare.

As Professional Development Committee Chair, Poornima is committed to helping postdocs explore career paths beyond the traditional academic track. She organized a startup workshop series featuring MIT postdoc alumni who founded companies, creating space for postdocs to learn firsthand about the transition from bench to venture. She brings a deep commitment to mentorship, innovation, and empowering postdocs to see entrepreneurship as a viable and rewarding career path.

Hi! I’m Abhishek Soni, a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. My research focuses on developing self-driving laboratories that integrate automation and AI to accelerate clean hydrogen production from rocks.

I joined the Postdoctoral Association because I’m passionate about building a collaborative and welcoming environment for postdocs at MIT, especially for international scholars who are navigating a new academic and social environment. As Outreach and Belonging Chair, I work to strengthen connections across MIT’s diverse postdoctoral community and help create inclusive spaces for networking, mentorship, and collaboration.

One of my priorities is to further strengthen connections between postdocs across the School of Engineering and the School of Science, encouraging more interdisciplinary interactions and opportunities to learn from each other’s research and experiences. As part of this effort, I previously organized a discussion with the School of Engineering Dean and MIT postdocs to talk about topics such as travel grants, scholarships, and ways to strengthen support and community for postdocs. Looking ahead, I’m also interested in launching a few new initiatives, such as a Postdoc Spotlight series to highlight the research and stories of postdocs across MIT, informal events focused on navigating career paths after the postdoc (both academic and non-academic), and community gatherings that help postdocs connect across departments and backgrounds.

I’d love to hear your ideas as well—if there are topics, events, or initiatives that you think would benefit the postdoc community, please feel free to reach out or send me a message at [email protected]. I’m always happy to connect!

Hi y'all, I'm Danielle Coogan . I'm a Postdoctoral Associate in the AeroAstro Department with the Space Telecommunications, Astronomy, and Radiation Laboratory. My research focuses on precision navigation and instrumentation for satellite laser communication and remote sensing. I also have an interest in space sustainability and am a former National Academies Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow (2023). I'm MIT Lincoln Laboratory GEM Fellow alumna and received my PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida in December 2023.

As Alumni Chair of the PDA, I work to provide opportunities for current postdocs to connect with former postdocs to exchange ideas and to develop a strong professional network and community. I host the Early-Faculty Career Panel in the Fall and the Non-Faculty Career Panel in the Spring to facilitate discussion between current postdocs and former postdocs who followed various career paths. I also organize the PDA Faculty Mentorship Award, so consider nominating your PI!

Hi everyone! I’m Xinran , a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Biology and Co-Chair of the PDA Orientation Committee.

My main role? Onboarding new postdocs and sharing the perks of life as a postdoc at MIT and in the Greater Boston area! I joined the PDA in November 2025, after 4 months into my own MIT journey, and it has been incredibly fun and rewarding to explore this chapter alongside my fellow postdocs!

In addition to hosting our monthly new postdoc seminars, I work closely with my amazing co-chair, MIT HR, and the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) to constantly improve our institution-wide onboarding experience. I’m also proud to serve as a postdoc rep for the School of Science, working to build a stronger, more connected community for all of us.

We want to hear from you! How was your onboarding experience? How can we make it better? Drop us a line at [email protected].

Hello, I’m Khanh Tran, PDA Advocacy Committee Chair. I have been serving as a PDA officer for the past six months, working to help build systems that support postdocs at critical transition points in their careers.

Last semester, our team organized several initiatives to support postdocs’ well-being and professional needs, including:
- Launching the Food Resources Guide to help community members access available support resources: https://pda.mit.edu/food-resource/
- Hosting Visa & Immigration Seminar for international postdocs.
- Organizing a Hands-on CPR Training Class

This semester, we are focusing on helping postdocs better understand and plan for their future through a Retirement Benefits Workshop. I would love to hear what resources or programs would be most useful for you. Please feel free to DM me or reach out at [email protected]— your feedback will help us to advocate more effectively for the postdoc community. Thank you!