RDT Personnel

Crystal received her Ph.D. in Developmental Biology from the University of Chicago in 2014. She did her postdoctoral research in biophysics at the Developmental Biology Institute of Marseille and microbiology at Indiana University Bloomington. She has extensive experience writing and editing both manuscripts and grant proposals. Prior to joining the BSD RDT, she was a Proposal Development Specialist at Indiana University, where she worked on a wide range of proposals for multiple federal agencies and foundations, particularly NIH and NSF. She enjoys all things science, especially working with faculty at all levels cultivate and achieve their research goals.

Eva received her Ph.D. in Biology from Indiana University with emphases in evolution and animal behavior. She has been a research development professional for over 20 years, and uses her training in editing, proposal management, and team science to help researchers develop compelling and fundable proposals. Much of her work in recent years has focused on teams pursuing large grants. Eva is an active member of the National Organization of Research Development Professionals, where she currently serves on the board of directors. She enjoys a good checklist, and is a firm believer in the communicative superiority of the Oxford comma.

Kevin studied natural products chemistry at the University of Mississippi, focusing on the synthesis of small molecule neuromodulators. After receiving his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, he transitioned into the world of research administration, working in both the pre- and post-award arenas. Prior to arriving at the University of Chicago, Kevin was a Research Administrator III and Instructional Assistant Professor of BioMolecular Sciences at the University of Mississippi, in the School of Pharmacy. He served as the chair of UM’s Institutional Biosafety Committee and taught a graduate level research ethics course. Kevin is an active member of both NCURA and SRAI.

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Allison received her Ph.D. in Physics from Oregon State University and then was a Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow at Pennsylvania State University. In her current role she coordinates the limited opportunity internal review process, disseminates funding opportunities to BSD faculty, manages the Chicago Fellows program, and assists with Deans Letters. As a graduate student and postdoctoral fellow, she greatly enjoyed doing interdisciplinary research at the interface of biophysics and cell biology and honing her writing skills to communicate effectively with a wide audience. As a member of the RDT, she is excited to support multifaceted research teams tackling interdisciplinary problems and empower faculty to confidently communicate their science.

Connie received her Ph.D. in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was an Alexander von Humboldt fellow at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. After her postdoc, Connie worked for 11 years as a scientific editor, including six years as senior and deputy editor at Cell. In 2011, Connie returned to academia as Associate Director for a NIH-funded P50 Center of Excellence in Systems & Synthetic Biology at the University of California, San Francisco.
In addition to her current duties as Associate Dean, she is an active member of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB). She currently serves as the ASCB representative to the Coalition for the Life Sciences Board of Directors, an advocacy organization that educates Congress and the public about policy and legislation affecting the conduct and funding of biomedical research.