09/24/2026
This week, the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences is marking 'Postdoc Appreciation Week', recognizing the contributions of postdoctoral researchers within SMHS.
In the UND Department of Biomedical Sciences, we want to recognize the significant contributions that five postdoctoral scholars are making to UND and the state of North Dakota:
- Dilini Ekanayake, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Nagamoto-Combs Lab. With over 10 years of experience in biomedical and translational research, her research interests center on identifying novel biomarkers and developing biomarker-based predictive models for the early detection and risk assessment of chronic diseases. Currently, her research focuses on cytokine-based biomarker profiling and machine-learning predictive models to predict behavioral alterations associated with chronic food allergy. She is also contributing to the development of a North Dakota farmer cohort study that will integrate biomarker profiling, bioinformatics, and machine-learning approaches to investigate immune signatures associated with environmental exposures, inflammation, and neurobehavioral health. Her long-term goal is to advance biomarker-based predictive models for the early detection and risk assessment of chronic diseases, ultimately contributing to improved disease prevention and personalized healthcare.
- Darius Quansah is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of North Dakota. His expertise and scientific interests are translational and clinical research in neuroscience, neurological pathologies, and viral infections that contribute to neurodegeneration. Quansah's research focuses on roles that endolysosomes play in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease and other clinical dementias, and how these critical roles can be therapeutically targeted. He has held roles as a Clinical Research Associate, and Laboratory Manager, with experience in providing support for clinical research studies, clinical trials, and validation studies for FDA-facing portfolios. His work in science and leadership have been widely recognized with multiple awards, including the Student Impact Award from UND Department of Biomedical Science, 1st Place for Graduate Research Achievement by UND School of Graduate Studies, Best Post-doctoral Award by the Neuropharmacology Division of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and Early Career Investigator Awards from the Society on Neuroimmune Pharmacology and the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.
- Dr. Hoa Nguyen (Brissette Lab) focuses on the virulence mechanisms and host responses underlying Lyme Neuroborreliosis. Her research combines cutting-edge platforms — including 3D choroid plexus organoids, cell-free DNA analysis, and machine learning — to uncover disease mechanisms and identify potential biomarkers. Dr. Nguyen received 2026 Cornatzer Fund Career Development Awards and the Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference (MMPC) Registration Waiver Award
- Kenta Echigoya recently joined Dr. Motoki Takaku’s lab as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Biomedical Sciences. His research background is in chromatin biology and structural biology, with a particular focus on using biochemical approaches and cryo-electron microscopy to study how transcription factors interact with nucleosomes. At UND, he is interested in understanding the mechanisms that regulate chromatin and gene expression in cancer.
- Geetika Verma, Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow working in the Nagamoto-Combs Lab. Her research in neuroimmunology investigates how allergen exposure and avoidance influence neuroinflammation, behavior, and demyelination in mouse models of food allergy, as well as therapeutic strategies to address behavioral deficits and neuroinflammation. Throughout her research career, she has authored 17 peer-reviewed publications, contributed to two book chapters, and reviewed more than 50 manuscripts. Her research has received multiple best-poster and research awards, notably from the American Association of Immunologists (AAI), including AAI Abstract Trainee Awards in 2024 and 2025, and the 2026 Society for Neuroscience Trainee Professional Development Award. She serves as an Academic Editor for PLOS ONE, Emerging Editor for Immunity, Inflammation and Disease, Guest Editor for Frontiers in Allergy, and a Reviewer and Committee Member for the Graduate Women in Science National Fellowship Program. She will present her latest findings at SfN 2026 in November in Washington, DC.
Thank you for all that you do for SMHS and beyond!
