In 2022, SIVB returned to in-person annual meetings – an essential part of bringing our community back together. Continuing to stay engaged, motivating each other, and learning from each other is now more important than ever for our Society. With this in mind, “We’ve Got You!” is a featured series of the In Vitro Report, which shares the stories of SIVB members, new and seasoned, alike. Regardless of your career stage and area of expertise, we hope these reflections encourage and engage you, our students, colleagues, and members, to pursue your research dreams!
In the previous issue, we highlighted the reflections of four Post Doctoral SIVB members — Drs. Lena Neufeld, Yi-Wen Wang, Anne Villacastin, and Aki Matsuoka who are participating in the Inaugural SIVB’s Mentoring and Talent Cultivation Hub (MATCH) Program. In this issue, we are pleased to put a spotlight on this exciting, inspiring, and successful program.
The MATCH team look forward to further expansion of the program, and ongoing support for the encouragement and development of the SIVB’s next generation of leaders. We hope that you will enjoy the opportunity to get to know more about the MATCH program, as plans are underway to expand participation to students and early-career professionals.
Addy Alt-Holland and Michael Fay
SIVB Post Doctoral mentees and mentors in the kickoff event of the MATCH program at the SIVB annual meeting in Norfolk, VA
The Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB) launched the MATCH (Mentoring and Talent Cultivation Hub) program this year. The program pairs Post Doctoral SIVB members with SIVB members who serve as mentors. The program’s name – “MATCH” – continues to symbolize the thoughtful pairing of experienced mentors and mentees with the goal of fostering both personal and professional growth. The program began with an exciting and successful kickoff event in the format of an in-person networking gathering at the SIVB annual meeting in June 2025 in Norfolk, VA. It includes one-on-one mentoring and monthly online workshops from May to December 2025. Since its launch, the SIVB’s MATCH program has seen encouraging engagement among the SIVB members.
Mentee and mentor pairs who participate in this program are matched based on:
- Career Goals: Mentees are paired with mentors who share relevant professional backgrounds.
- Interests: Both personal and professional interests are considered to nurture productive relationships.
- Personal Values: Individuals with similar values are matched to establish a strong foundation for communication.
- Experience: Mentors are assigned according to their expertise in fields mentees wish to explore.
The SIVB membership committee, chaired by Raj Deepika Chauhan and In Vitro Animal Cell Sciences (IVACS) Section Vice Chair (Membership) Anissa Belfetmi-Stone, led this effort. The MATCH program steering committee consists of Raj Deepika Chauhan, Piero Barone, Addy Alt-Holland, and Michele Schultz. The program collaborates with the SIVB Education Committee, chaired by Brad Upham.
Our first group of mentees included SIVB Post Doctoral members from several institutions, as listed below:
- Aki Matsuoka – Rutgers University
- Anne Villacastin – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Dibyajyoti Pramanik – Iowa State University
- Lena Neufeld – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Malihe Mirzaee – Rutgers University
- Omar Zayed – University of California – Riverside
- Rasika Aher – Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
- Ritesh Kumar – Boyce Thompson Institute
- Sri Cindhuri Katamreddy – International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
- Weifeng Luo – University of Maryland, College Park
- Yi-Wen Cuda – University of Georgia
- Yuanchun Wang – University of Florida
The mentors are SIVB members from diverse institutions and sectors, including universities, research institutes, and companies, listed below:
- Adam Saffer – CTC Genomics
- Addy Alt-Holland – Tufts University
- Ahmad Omar – University of Florida
- Anissa Belfetmi-Stone – Nixon Peabody
- Barbara Doonan – New York Medical College
- Bertrand Collet – French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE)
- Cankui Zhang – Purdue University
- Charles Armstrong – Retired (on the Scientific Advisory Board of Plastomics, Inc.)
- Esther Uchendu – International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
- Kankshita Swaminathan – HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
- Kasi Azhakanandam – OpenAgBio LLC
- Kolla Kristjansdottir – Midwestern University
- Morufat Balogun – University of Ibadan & International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
- Ning Zhang – James Madison University
- Pankaj Bhowmik – National Research Council Canada
- Peizhen Yang – Bayer Crop Science
- Piero Barone – Corteva
- Qingchun Shi – Bayer Crop Science
- Raj Deepika Chauhan – Pairwise
- Randy Niedz – U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
- Vivian Andoh – Jiangsu University
- Yumin Tao – Living Carbon PBC
- Zoe Dubrow – Pairwise
Within the first three months of their participation in the MATCH program, mentees reported:
- Improved self-awareness and confidence in navigating their professional paths,
- Progress toward personal career objectives,
- New professional relationships with mentors and peers within the SIVB community.
The inaugural 2025 MATCH program was designed for SIVB Post Doctoral members. As a result of its positive reception by both mentees and mentors, plans are underway to expand participation to students and early-career professionals. Stay tuned for the forthcoming announcement regarding applications for the 2026 mentoring program cohort!
If you are interested in participating, mentoring, or supporting this important initiative, we encourage you to get involved and help strengthen our SIVB community!
Submitted by Raj Deepika Chauhan and Addy Alt-Holland
