Experience

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

• United States
• Government Administration
• 1 - 100 Employee

• • Feb 2023 - Present

• • May 2021 - Feb 2023



American Society of Human Genetics

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Genetics and Public Policy Fellow

  • Sep 2019 - Jan 2021

  In my final fellowship rotation, I developed fact sheets for Congressional staff on the intersection of genetics and COVID-19, genetic diversity in research cohorts, and funding for genetics research. I wrote blog posts to update genetics professionals on NIH appropriations and genome editing policies. I also organized a virtual policy discussion forum the the ASHG annual meeting. In my final fellowship rotation, I developed fact sheets for Congressional staff on the intersection of genetics and COVID-19, genetic diversity in research cohorts, and funding for genetics research. I wrote blog posts to update genetics professionals on NIH appropriations and genome editing policies. I also organized a virtual policy discussion forum the the ASHG annual meeting.



United States Senate

• Legislative Offices
• 700 & Above Employee

• Genetics and Public Policy Fellow

  • Jan 2020 - Sep 2020

  In my second rotation, I analyzed the potential impact of legislation proposed by members on the Committee on biomedical research, mental health, COVID-19 and other health policy topics, worked with stakeholders to identify potential scientific, legal, or social issues, and suggested solutions to address these issues. I also drafted memos to update the Senator on health policy developments and to prepare the Senator and Democratic member staff for Congressional hearings. In my second rotation, I analyzed the potential impact of legislation proposed by members on the Committee on biomedical research, mental health, COVID-19 and other health policy topics, worked with stakeholders to identify potential scientific, legal, or social issues, and suggested solutions to address these issues. I also drafted memos to update the Senator on health policy developments and to prepare the Senator and Democratic member staff for Congressional hearings.



National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

• United States
• Research
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Genetics and Public Policy Fellow

  • Sep 2019 - Dec 2019

  In my first rotation as an ASHG/NHGRI Genetics and Public Policy fellow, I worked in the Policy and Program Analysis Branch at NHGRI. I drafted sections of the Congressional Justification and prepared briefs for senior leadership on congressional hearings, briefings, and inter-agency meetings. I also composed a panel proposal on balancing genetics expertise with patient autonomy and developed educational materials on Medicare fraud in genetic testing for a genetic counseling policy course. In my first rotation as an ASHG/NHGRI Genetics and Public Policy fellow, I worked in the Policy and Program Analysis Branch at NHGRI. I drafted sections of the Congressional Justification and prepared briefs for senior leadership on congressional hearings, briefings, and inter-agency meetings. I also composed a panel proposal on balancing genetics expertise with patient autonomy and developed educational materials on Medicare fraud in genetic testing for a genetic counseling policy course.



Stanford University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Postdoctoral Scholar

  • Apr 2019 - Aug 2019



Stanford University School of Medicine

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• PHD Candidate

  • Sep 2011 - Apr 2019

  Our lab studied the molecular mechanisms of touch in the simplified system of the nematode worm C. elegans. How do the molecules involved turn a physical poke into an electrical signal for the touch receptor neurons to pass on? For my thesis work, I collaborated with physicists to publish two interdisciplinary research papers combining experimental and computational approaches to explain how neurons integrate touch responses over space and time. To perform my experiments, I engineered a custom piezoelectric stimulator system for applying and measuring microscopic mechanical stimulator displacement during in vivo patch clamp electrophysiology. I also developed analytical methods for investigating complex neural responses to touch and programmed a suite of publicly available, documented MATLAB functions for importing and analyzing neural recording data (github.com/sammykatta/Matlab-PatchMaster). Show less



University of California, Berkeley

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Undergraduate Researcher

  • Jan 2010 - Aug 2011

  I carried out behavioral assays with mice to elucidate the effect of the Szechuan pepper-derived compound sanshool on heat pain reception. I also performed mammalian cell culture and thallium flux assay to observe the effect of sanshool on the two-pore K+ channel KCNK18. I carried out behavioral assays with mice to elucidate the effect of the Szechuan pepper-derived compound sanshool on heat pain reception. I also performed mammalian cell culture and thallium flux assay to observe the effect of sanshool on the two-pore K+ channel KCNK18.