Who We Are
Emily Trunnell
WORK EXPERIENCE
Dr. Emily Trunnell earned a B.S. in nutrition science and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Georgia. During her graduate research, she studied the effects of diet on learning, memory, and gene expression in the brains of mice and rats. She is currently the director of PETA’s Science Advancement & Outreach division. She leads the team in its work to improve science policy and publishing and to replace the use of animals with superior research methods. Her peer-reviewed papers, letters, and opinion pieces have appeared in numerous publications, including Advanced Science, Drug Discovery Today, and Scientific American.
EDUCATION
University of Georgia
August 2016: Ph.D., Neuroscience
May 2010: B.S., Nutrition Science
PUBLICATIONS
Kati Bertrand
WORK EXPERIENCE
Kati Bertrand is SAO’s research and campaigns associate. She has an M.S. in animal husbandry and genetics from Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Poland. Before joining PETA, she worked as a research assistant at the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare at the University of Guelph in Canada and at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science. At SAO, she works with issues of animal welfare and SAO’s outreach to students.
EDUCATION
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences
August 2003: M.S., Animal Husbandry and Genetics
January 2002: Eng, Animal Science
PUBLICATIONS
Donya Mand
WORK EXPERIENCE
Dr. Mand is a recent graduate of Texas A&M University School of Medicine. As a student, she worked on clinical research projects, such as those aimed at enhancing the quality and effectiveness of Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment forms. At the Center for Biomedical Research, she spent several years working with human participants to devise training protocols in order to reduce the risk of falling. She has also volunteered at a clinic for indigent people and served as a peer reviewer for the AMA Journal of Ethics. She has worked extensively in the healthcare policy space with the Texas Medical Association (TMA), the American Medical Association, and TEXPAC. Her contributions to the field include editing numerous TMA proposals, actively participating in the development of medical legislation resolutions, and serving on a committee dedicated to enhancing patient-physician communication. Dr. Mand joined PETA as a science policy advisor in our International Laboratory Methods division and will be spending part of her time working on issues related to humane medical education, medical ethics, and more in SAO.
EDUCATION
Texas A&M University School of Medicine
May 2023: Doctor of Medicine – MD, Medicine
Layane Duarte e Souza
WORK EXPERIENCE
Layane Duarte e Souza is a biologist with more than a decade of experience in fundamental breast cancer research. She recently graduated with a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Montréal, where she studied the tumor microenvironment and developed new diagnostic tools based on nanomaterials. She previously studied biosciences at Rio de Janeiro State University in Brazil and genomics at Aix-Marseille University in France. She is currently contracted as a research associate in PETA’s Science Advancement & Outreach division. During her research career, she has been committed to seeking non-animal, human-relevant research opportunities and has published many peer-reviewed papers.
EDUCATION
University of Montréal
February 2024: Ph.D., Molecular Biology
Rio de Janeiro State University
December 2016: M.Sc., Biosciences
May 2015: B.S., Biology
Aix-Marseille University
May 2014: M.Sc., Genomics
PUBLICATIONS
