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Meet Dr. Zoë Lyski, UAPA's New Representative to the Faculty Senate

Zoë Lyski headshot

The University of Arizona Postdoctoral Association (UAPA) has selected Dr. Zoë Lyski, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Immunobiology, as its new Faculty Senate Postdoc Representative. The Postdoctoral Representative is a voting member who brings postdoc concerns to the Senate and reports Senate decisions back to UAPA.

Zoë received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of North Florida before earning her PhD from Oregon Health & Science University in 2022. Her dissertation research examined human B-cell responses to viruses, including dengue, Chikungunya, and SARS-CoV-2. As a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Immunobiology, Zoë works with her mentor, Dr. Deepta Bhattacharya, studying how immune responses shape viral evolution. Her research is supported by a BIO5 Postdoctoral Fellowship (2024) and an NIH F32 fellowship (2025).

Leadership has been a constant throughout Zoë's time at the U of A. She co-founded the Immunobiology Postdoc Group and serves as a small group leader for the Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP). Outside the lab, Zoe co-founded a nonprofit dedicated to helping under-resourced student-athletes access the support they need to attend college and become future leaders.

As a representative to the Faculty Senate, Zoë will ensure the postdoc voice on the Faculty Senate remains strong :

"I understand this seat was hard-won through UAPA advocacy, and I want to help ensure it continues to deliver real influence, not just a seat at the table."

At the top of Zoë's agenda is the transition some postdocs face when they are awarded funding from an external source, such as the NIH, and are required to change status from a Postdoctoral Research Associate and U of A employee to Designated Campus Colleague (DCC). The change of status often results in loss of benefits, including health insurance and retirement. Zoë sees this as effectively disincentivizing postdocs to compete for and secure funding/grant support.  She hopes to highlight this concern and bring it to the Senate for discussion.

More broadly, Zoë wants to make sure the concerns of her fellow postdocs are consistently and effectively represented in university governance and to report back to UAPA on Senate decisions. In this way, she aims to keep the UofA postdoc community informed and engaged.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Zoë Lyski on her new role, and in thanking her for stepping up to represent the UA postdoctoral community!