Women in STEM Panel

Director of Research at Stanford's Obstetrics & Gynecology Department

Dr. Girsen has over 20 years of experience in the medical science field including Director of Research, Clinical Researcher, and Primary Care Physician positions. She leads the cross-functional team of research professionals in conducting complex clinical trials, cohort studies and basic science research in Stanford's Obstetrics & Gynecology department, including oversight of over 50 research staff members.

Professor of Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology at University of California Santa Cruz

Dr. Carpenter is a Professor of MCD Biology at the UCSC, and leads the Carpenter Lab, an independent research program at UCSC that she began in 2015. Her research involves the study of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and their functions within the immune system, with the aim to identifying novel drug targets leading to improved therapeutics for infectious and inflammatory diseases. She is also the Secretary of the International Cytokine and Interferon Society (ICIS).

Founder and Director of CSEdBotswana, and Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Science Education at San José State University

Dr. Tshukudu is the founder and director of CSEdBotswana, a unit within the University of Botswana that strives to provide every student in Botswana with the opportunity to learn computer science skills, developing and implementing computer science education reform throughout Botswana primary and secondary schools. In addition, she is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science and Science Education Department at San José State University. 

Associate Professor of Computer Science Department at San José State University

Dr. Saxena is as an Associate Professor in the Computer Science Department at SJSU, and leads the Mobile Ubiquitous Systems Information Center at SJSU. She previously worked as an Associate Professor at the Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea; Lecturer, Amity University, India, and as a visiting researcher in the Computer Science and Engineering Department of the University of Texas at Arlington. She has co-authored one book and published in more than 100 international journals and conferences.

Founder & CEO of Aruna Personalized Medicine and Center for Cognitive Resilience

Dr. Semby is the founder and CEO of both Aruna Personalized Medicine, and Center for Cognitive Resilience. She is a dedicated naturopathic and functional medicine doctor with a focus on treating perimenopausal women, helping women navigate their perimenopause journeys with personalized strategies. With the Center for Cognitive Resilience, she helps those facing cognitive decline fight dementia early-on to find and treat memory loss. 

Associate Professor of Computer Science & Bioinformatics at San José State University

Dr. Lee is an associate professor and the graduate coordinator for the MS Bioinformatics program at SJSU. She is specialized in genomics research at the intersection of computer science, mathematics, and biology, and serves as a faculty member of the Applied Programming Experiences (APEX) program that aims to expose diverse students to computer programming by embedding Python-based computing modules into Statistics and Biology courses. Dr. Lee is also passionate about fostering the success of women and girls in the STEM fields through training, networking, and mentorship.