# New Members Introduction **URL:** \ **Category:** AWG Discussions\ **Tags:** new-members, interests, introductions\ **Created:** [September 17, 2026, 2:02pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627 "2026-09-17T14:02:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RyanEpperly](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/ryanepperly/32/5198_2.png) [@RyanEpperly](https://awg.osdr.space/u/RyanEpperly)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 2:32am UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/21 "2026-10-27T02:32:10Z")
Hello everyone! 👋 My name is Ryan Epperly, and I’m a Junior Aerospace Engineering undergraduate at Virginia Tech! I’ve gained experience in both the defense and commercial space sectors, working on projects involving space systems, spacecraft hardware, and environmental risk analysis. My interests span propulsion, space radiation, dynamics, and guidance, navigation, and control (GNC). I’m also particularly interested in exploring how AI/ML can be integrated into aerospace engineering to solve complex challenges and advance space exploration while keeping human expertise at the helm of that ship! Looking forward to meeting and working with everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Courtney.Bodine](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/courtney.bodine/32/5213_2.png) [@Courtney.Bodine](https://awg.osdr.space/u/Courtney.Bodine)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 3:13am UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/22 "2026-10-27T03:13:32Z")
Hello! I’m Courtney! I am a registered nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a graduate student at the University of North Dakota pursuing a Master’s in Space Studies focusing on Human Factors. I’m interested in human physiology and psychology in long-duration spaceflight! I’m excited to connect with you all, learn, and contribute where I can! ---
**Author:** ![windymc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/windymc/32/410_2.png) [@windymc](https://awg.osdr.space/u/windymc)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 3:31am UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/23 "2026-10-27T03:31:15Z")
oh neat! Would love to hear more about your ideas. Welcome to the group 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![windymc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/windymc/32/410_2.png) [@windymc](https://awg.osdr.space/u/windymc)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 3:32am UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/24 "2026-10-27T03:32:25Z")
By LC do you mean Locus Coeruleus? If so, that is one of my favorite brain areas!! ---
**Author:** ![Iremes](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/iremes/32/5232_2.png) [@Iremes](https://awg.osdr.space/u/Iremes)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 12:16pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/25 "2026-10-27T12:16:17Z")
> [@HarijithanV](#): > Hello everyone 👋 My name is İrem Nur Eş, and I’m a computational biologist and bioinformatics analyst. I’m excited to have recently joined the OSDR Brain Analysis Working Group (Brain AWG)! My background includes single-cell and bulk RNA-seq analysis, NGS, computational genomics, structural bioinformatics, statistical modeling, and reproducible scientific computing. I work primarily with Python and R, using tools such as Scanpy, Seurat, DESeq2, Bioconductor, and Biopython. Through independent research and international bioinformatics projects, I’ve gained experience in transcriptomic analysis, differential gene expression, functional enrichment, and scientific data visualization. I’m particularly interested in understanding how spaceflight affects the brain at molecular and cellular levels, as well as exploring neurodegeneration, cognitive function, brain aging, and space-related biological stressors. I’m looking forward to learning from the community, contributing my computational and analytical expertise to collaborative research projects, and connecting with researchers from different backgrounds. It’s a pleasure to be part of this community. Looking forward to collaborating with you all Best regards, İrem Nur Eş ---
**Author:** ![alastairrosso](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/alastairrosso/32/5268_2.png) [@alastairrosso](https://awg.osdr.space/u/alastairrosso)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 2:22pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/26 "2026-10-27T14:22:53Z")
Hi everyone! My name is Alastair Yangkin. I have a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and recently finished an associate’s degree with coursework in foundational physics and engineering. I also recently completed an internship in manufacturing engineering building engineering analysis tools. My interests are primarily in AI/ML and its applications in engineering and science, though I am eager to learn more. Looking forward to working with you all! ---
**Author:** ![laylo\_temir](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/laylo_temir/32/5238_2.png) [@laylo\_temir](https://awg.osdr.space/u/laylo_temir)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 3:13pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/27 "2026-10-27T15:13:26Z")
Hi everyone! I’m Laylo, a 1st-year PhD student in molecular biology at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest, originally from Uzbekistan. In my PhD I use LC-MS proteomics to study lysine methylation: I enrich methylated peptides to find new substrates of the KMT2D enzyme in human cells. My background is wet-lab (pharmacy BSc, biology MSc), so I’m new to bioinformatics and space biology, but very excited to learn! I joined the Multi-Omics AWG and hope to help the Proteomics Pipeline subgroup with sample-prep metadata and biological interpretation. I’m especially interested in how spaceflight changes protein modifications (PTMs). Looking forward to meeting you all! 🚀 ---
**Author:** ![rtscott2001](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/rtscott2001/32/5_2.png) [@rtscott2001](https://awg.osdr.space/u/rtscott2001)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/28 "2026-10-27T17:36:53Z")
Welcome @Iremes, @alastairrosso and @laylo_temir 🎉 I’ll try to give an idea for each of you (and will cover all this more at Office Hours on Thursday). **@Iremes** – your Scanpy/Seurat experience fits the brain datasets I linked a few posts up: OSD-352 (RR-3 spatial and single-nucleus multiomics), OSD-561 (RRRM-2 cerebellum) and OSD-612 (RR-10 brain). The [OSDR BioData API](https://visualization.osdr.nasa.gov/biodata/api/) pulls processed counts and DE tables directly into Python or R. Introduce yourself at the next Brain AWG meeting (@windymc and @nilufarali run it). **@alastairrosso** – the SI/ML AWG has open subgroups on Digital Twins, Anomaly Detection, DNA Damage and Causal Inference, all of which need people who can build tools. The fastest way in is to attend the next SI/ML AWG meeting and ask where hands are needed. **@laylo_temir** – I believe the Proteomics Pipeline subgroup has wrapped up (the pipeline should be released VERY soon), but OSDR has a growing set of mass-spec datasets that nobody has mined for PTMs yet. Filter the [study search](https://osdr.nasa.gov/bio/repo/search?q=&data_source=cgene,alsda&data_type=study) by assay type, and bring a PTM idea to the next Multi-Omics AWG meeting (@jessicadurbano can help you shape it). All three: the [subgroup projects table](https://awg.osdr.space/t/how-to-be-involved-master-table-of-open-sub-group-projects/1233/40) and [meeting calendar](https://awg.osdr.space/upcoming-events) are your map. Glad you’re here 😊 ---
**Author:** ![rtscott2001](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/rtscott2001/32/5_2.png) [@rtscott2001](https://awg.osdr.space/u/rtscott2001)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 6:29pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/29 "2026-10-27T18:29:28Z")
Welcome @RyanEpperly and @Courtney.Bodine 👋 Ryan, with your radiation and environmental risk work you should talk to @kjenkins and @rafaelvaz. They run the Anomaly Detection / Environmental Telemetry subgroup in the SI/ML AWG and are always looking for people who can model telemetry. On the data side, RadLab now has the [Artemis I 2022 data](https://awg.osdr.space/t/artemis-i-2022-data-in-radlab/4185) alongside the ISS dosimetry, and the [Environmental Data App](https://visualization.osdr.nasa.gov/eda/) has cabin conditions for (mostly) every rodent mission. Both have APIs. I would be curious what a GNC person makes of those datasets. Courtney, an RN doing human factors is exactly who the Brain AWG (@windymc and @nilufarali) and the new Spaceflight Epidemiology AWG ([@SpaceEpiAWG](https://awg.osdr.space/groups/spaceepiawg)) want to hear from. Start there, and if you want to poke at the human datasets in OSDR, the [study search](https://osdr.nasa.gov/bio/repo/search?q=&data_source=cgene,alsda&data_type=study) lets you filter by organism. The [subgroup table](https://awg.osdr.space/t/how-to-be-involved-master-table-of-open-sub-group-projects/1233/40) and [meeting calendar](https://awg.osdr.space/upcoming-events) will get you both to the right rooms. Welcome aboard. ---
**Author:** ![pandorahancock](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/pandorahancock/32/5269_2.png) [@pandorahancock](https://awg.osdr.space/u/pandorahancock)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 7:04pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/30 "2026-10-27T19:04:05Z")
Hello – My name is Pandora and I am from Oklahoma. I’m an independent researcher with a background in biomedical sciences, neuroscience studies, psychoanalytic studies, and pharmacy healthcare/industry. I am especially interested in human cognition in spacetime, sensory perception influence on linguistics, complex dynamic systems, and artificial intelligence. My proposed research explores how physical environments and recurring patterns influence our sensory perception, behaviors, and the symbolic representations we apply to physical reality in order to understand and navigate it. I am particularly interested in how these perspectives might inform AI development, create individualized education frameworks, and unify social systems within civilization while preserving human biological imaginative processes and human agency. I also am interested in helping develop and support cybersecurity measures and systems. I look forward to learning new ideas and hopefully sharing what I can that could benefit a collaborative network. ---
**Author:** ![Courtney.Bodine](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/courtney.bodine/32/5213_2.png) [@Courtney.Bodine](https://awg.osdr.space/u/Courtney.Bodine)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 7:06pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/31 "2026-10-27T19:06:50Z")
Hi Danny! I’m currently pursuing my master’s is Space Studies at the University of North Dakota, and my background is in nursing. I’m very interested in the human factors and psychological well-being aspects of spaceflight, so your interests in spaceflight analogs and stress mitigation really caught my attention! I’m currently working on a research proposal for one of my classes focused on supporting motivation and psychological well-being during long-duration spaceflight, so it’s exciting to see others in this group interested in similar areas! ---
**Author:** ![rtscott2001](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/rtscott2001/32/5_2.png) [@rtscott2001](https://awg.osdr.space/u/rtscott2001)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 7:10pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/32 "2026-10-27T19:10:07Z")
Welcome @pandorahancock 👋 Good place to start: the [OSDR Visualization Dashboard](https://visualization.genelab.nasa.gov/data/). Filter Material type to Brain and you get 41 datasets, and widening to eye, spinal cord and other CNS-adjacent tissues turns up more. Pair those with cabin conditions from the [Environmental Data App](https://visualization.osdr.nasa.gov/eda/) and you have environment-to-biology data you can model. For the SI and complex systems side, the [Causal Inference subgroup](https://awg.osdr.space/t/causal-inference-sub-group-2025/1720) in the SI/ML AWG is the closest match to what you describe. @NateA leads it with @james.casaletto and @anna.lewkowicz, so start with them. Everything else lives in the [subgroup table](https://awg.osdr.space/t/how-to-be-involved-master-table-of-open-sub-group-projects/1233). ---
**Author:** ![Iremes](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/iremes/32/5232_2.png) [@Iremes](https://awg.osdr.space/u/Iremes)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 7:22pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/33 "2026-10-27T19:22:50Z")
Thank you so much, Ryan, for the thoughtful recommendations! These datasets align very well with my background and research interests in single-cell transcriptomics, bioinformatics, and multi-omics analysis. I’ll take a closer look at OSD-352, OSD-561, and OSD-612, as well as the OSDR BioData API. I’ve already reached out to Windy and Nilufar, and I’m looking forward to attending the next Brain AWG meeting. I’m particularly interested in contributing to active computational and omics analysis projects within the group. Thank you again for the guidance! ---
**Author:** ![Eleni\_Christoforidou](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/eleni_christoforidou/32/5240_2.png) [@Eleni\_Christoforidou](https://awg.osdr.space/u/Eleni_Christoforidou)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 7:34pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/34 "2026-10-27T19:34:39Z")
Hi everyone! I’m Eleni, a neuroscientist and independent scientific researcher, currently affiliated with the University of Sussex, UK. My research focuses on neurodegeneration with expertise in transcriptomics, non-coding RNA biomarkers, neuroinflammation, bioinformatics, and computational data analysis. I’m excited to have joined the NASA OSDR Brain AWG as I expand my research into space biology, exploring how spaceflight affects the nervous system. Looking forward to connecting, exchanging ideas, and collaborating with you all! ---
**Author:** ![WitchOz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/witchoz/32/5270_2.png) [@WitchOz](https://awg.osdr.space/u/WitchOz)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 7:53pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/35 "2026-10-27T19:53:03Z")
Hi everyone! 🚀 Ozan here, also known as **Witch Oz**! I lead a team exploring the fascinating frontier of **astronautical oncology** , and we’ve just received the green light from JAXA to take our CAR-T cell research into space! Will we make a breakthrough, challenge a few scientific assumptions, or fail spectacularly and learn something extraordinary? That’s the beauty of science, isn’t it? 🔬✨ Excited to connect with brilliant minds here and explore the unknown together! Cosmic greetings from the space-cold Austrian Alps! 🏔🚀 **Witch Oz** ---
**Author:** ![Iremes](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/iremes/32/5232_2.png) [@Iremes](https://awg.osdr.space/u/Iremes)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/36 "2026-10-27T20:06:08Z")
Your work in space oncology sounds fascinating, especially the CAR-T cell research you mentioned. As a computational biologist and bioinformatics analyst, I’m particularly interested in how spaceflight conditions may influence cellular and molecular processes. It’s exciting to see such interdisciplinary research happening within this community. Looking forward to learning more about your work and connecting with fellow researchers! ---
**Author:** ![Aaaroe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@Aaaroe](https://awg.osdr.space/u/Aaaroe)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 8:13pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/37 "2026-10-27T20:13:40Z")
Hello! Neuro-oncologist with interests in gliomagenesis and sequelae of CART toxicity, brain radiation, and immunotherapy. Would be happy to help if I can ---
**Author:** ![laylo\_temir](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/laylo_temir/32/5238_2.png) [@laylo\_temir](https://awg.osdr.space/u/laylo_temir)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 9:21pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/38 "2026-10-27T21:21:03Z")
Thanks a lot, Ryan! I’ll look through the mass-spec datasets and contact Jessica with a PTM idea! ---
**Author:** ![windymc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/windymc/32/410_2.png) [@windymc](https://awg.osdr.space/u/windymc)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 10:12pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/39 "2026-10-27T22:12:11Z")
Looking forward to meeting both @RyanEpperly and @Courtney.Bodine! Thank you for introducing yourselves and welcome to the team! ---
**Author:** ![BerkeSinar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/berkesinar/32/5279_2.png) [@BerkeSinar](https://awg.osdr.space/u/BerkeSinar)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 11:56pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627/40 "2026-10-27T23:56:10Z")
Hello everyone! 👋 I’m Berke Sinar, a Software Engineer and registered Engineering Technician (EngTech TMIET), currently completing my final year of BSc Computer Science at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), UK. I recently completed an Embedded Software Engineering placement at GE Aerospace, where I worked on safety-critical avionics software development, requirements engineering and verification. My technical and research interests include artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, responsible AI and data analytics. I’ve also been involved in developing AI-driven applications, particularly around algorithmic fairness, predictive modelling and real-world decision support. I’m excited to be joining the AI/ML and Multi-Omics Analysis Working Groups! I’m particularly interested in exploring how machine learning and computational approaches can help analyse complex biological datasets, uncover meaningful patterns and contribute to scientific discovery in space biology. I’m keen to contribute my technical skills to ongoing research projects, expand my knowledge of computational biology and collaborate with researchers from different disciplines. Looking forward to connecting, learning and contributing to the community! Best wishes, Berke [Previous page](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627.md?page=1) [Next page](https://awg.osdr.space/t/new-members-introduction/4627.md?page=3)