2025 western region candidates 

Debadeep Bhattacharyya

Vice President, Covaris, USA

Both during my doctoral program (Emory University) and as a Research Associate (UNC-Chapel Hill) were focused on Proteomics. Throughout my life, I have been a protagonist and a flag bearer of Proteomics for clinical research (and Diagnostics) and Biopharmaceutical product development.

My present organization (Covaris) is known for their utility in Genomics (where Covaris' AFA technology is considered as the gold standard for DNA shearing). However, I initiate the move to promote Proteomic applications and also worked with notable laboratories around the world to establish a robust workflow for sample preparation in Proteomics, which is not being used and implemented around the world. As part of HUPO, I would love to focus on promoting the importance of Proteomics for both clinical and biotherapeutic development world. As we can see around us, the world of diagnosis, disease monitoring, treatment, and development of treatment modalities are increasingly moving to leverage multiOmics data and not rely only on the Genomics data.

Proteomics have made some steady progress since the advent of high resolution mass spectrometers, and I am a big proponent for development of comprehensive workflow (from raw samples to high quality data) for all types of samples in proteomics. I believe that my experience (17+ years) working for three major LC-MS manufacturers and ~5 years at a leading sample preparation company puts me in the right place to further bolster the importance and necessity of using Proteomics across all geography

Sergio Encarnacion-Guevara

Head of the Proteomics Laboratory, Center for Genomic Sciences, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico

Sergio Encarnación-Guevara is Professor of Functional Genomics at the Center for Genomic Sciences at the University of Mexico, where he serves as the principal investigator of the pioneering proteomics laboratory. He obtained his PhD from the University of Mexico and further honed his expertise with postdoctoral training in the Department of Molecular Genetics at Harvard Medical School. After a short period in Frederick Neidhardt’s esteemed laboratory at the University of Michigan, a pioneer in proteomics, Dr. Encarnación-Guevara founded Mexico's inaugural proteomics laboratory, becoming a trailblazer in the discipline by publishing the first proteomics research produced by a Mexican scientific team.

In 2005, he took a bold step to elevate the profile of proteomics in Mexico by establishing the Mexican Proteomics Society, where he has served on several occasions as vice-president and president. His leadership led to the organization of the first two Mexican Symposia on Proteomics, complemented by critical courses on Mass Spectrometry applications in the field. Dr. Encarnación’s influence is further evidenced by his role as Vice-Chair of the 6th Symposium of the Mexican Proteomic Society in 2015 and as the Chair of the organizing committees for the 8th Symposium, the 2nd Ibero-American Symposium on Mass Spectrometry, and the 3rd Pan American Human Proteome Organization (Pan-HuPO) meeting in 2019. As the leader of the Chromosome 19 Mexican team (C-HPP-HUPO) and a Member at Large of the Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project-HUPO Executive Committee, Dr. Encarnación significantly contributes to shaping the future of proteomics.

His longstanding commitment to excellence is reflected in his membership on the HUPO Awards Central Committee since 2018 and his role as Chair of the HUPO-2022 Congress in Cancun, Mexico, the first of its kind in Latin America. Dr. Encarnación boasts over 150 publications, including papers, book chapters, and conference proceedings. His major research interests include cancer proteomics, focusing on the secretome, tumoral dynamics, quantitative proteomics, protein phosphorylation, and the stoichiometry of ubiquitination and acetylation.

Benjamin Garcia

Professor and Head, Washington University School of Medicine, USA

I continue to be enthusiastic to run for the HUPO governing council this year. I have been a member of this governing council since 2016, including two years elected as a Member-at-Large in the Executive Committee. In this time, I have enjoyed learning about the HUPO organization and lending my voice and advice to help advise HUPO over the years. It’s been an amazing experience to work with such dedicated scientists on the HUPO Executive and other committees. I have also been heavily involved in HUPO in other capacities, formerly as the HUPOST editor, on the Membership and Outreach Committee, Conference Organization Committees, and have presented and organized many sessions at past HUPO conferences. I am active on social media, and served on the HUPO Social Media committee as well, where we found ways to promote our great organization. In 2020, I was honored with the HUPO Discovery in Proteomic Sciences award. I currently also serve on the United States HUPO leadership, and am the current President-Elect.

My goal over the next years will be to engage US-HUPO to be more synergized with HUPO to advance both organization’s goals. I also hope to continue to support younger scientists by supporting new networking and mentoring opportunities, and helping to connect HUPO scientists to one another throughout the year (and not just at the HUPO Congress). At this point in my career, my primary objective is to make academia and our proteomics field more inclusive to everyone from different nationalities, cultures and backgrounds to enhance our amazing proteomics communities. Lastly, I hope to also spearhead a new scientist exchange program, to facilitate interactions and collaborations worldwide.

Jose Angel Huerta-Ocampo

Principal Researcher, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. /Food Science Department

I currently work in the proteomics laboratory at the Department of Food Sciences, Research Center for Food and Development A.C. in Sonora, Mexico. Applying Proteomics as a tool for food and health research.

I’m currently focused on the proteomic analysis of stress response in probiotics, microalgae, and plants, as well as the identification of allergenic proteins in desert pollens and venoms. I have been a member of the board of the Mexican Proteomics Society, serving as a board member (2014-2016), treasurer (2016-2017, 2020-2021), and president (2022-2025) of a community to which I have belonged since 2009, when I joined as a student.

I would also like to serve the HUPO community and support increasing visibility for diverse topics (e.g., plants, non-model organisms), as well as contribute to promoting more varied participation in terms of geographic location, gender, and research topics.

Kayode Kuku

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, National Institutes of Health, USA

As a physician-scientist with a decade of experience in translational cardiovascular research, I bring a unique perspective to the HUPO Council that bridges clinical relevance with proteomics innovation. My work integrates large-scale human proteomic data with imaging and genomic tools to better understand disease mechanisms, with a focus on atherosclerosis, vascular biology, and health disparities.

Having trained in NIH-supported postdoctoral programs in epidemiology and molecular cardiology, and now contributing to both academic and industry-driven clinical development studies, I am deeply invested in translating proteomics into actionable insights for human health. My research has leveraged high-throughput proteomics for biomarker discovery, applied machine learning in high-dimensional datasets, and developed pipelines for molecular phenotyping in diverse populations. In addition, my work has taken center stage in global conferences in my field and has been published in top medical journals.

I am committed to HUPO’s mission to foster global collaboration in proteomics and to standardize data generation and sharing. I am especially passionate about improving communication between scientists, industry, and regulatory bodies, and advocating for inclusive ethical standards in human tissue use across countries. I aim to contribute to HUPO’s role as a central platform for proteomics innovation by supporting efforts that promote reproducibility, accessibility, and equitable participation in large-scale human proteome projects.

If elected, I will champion cross-disciplinary partnerships, support young investigators, and work to expand the clinical application of proteomics globally.

Maria Stella Ritorto

Senior Director Proteomics and Head of Mass Spectrometry, Profound Tx, USA

Thank you for considering my application for the HUPO council. I am deeply enthusiastic about proteomics technologies and their transformative impact on drug discovery and disease detection. With over 25 years of experience in academia, pharmaceuticals, and biotech, I have extensively utilized mass spectrometry to explore biomarkers and elucidate the mechanisms of human diseases within the proteome.

I believe my diverse perspective can significantly influence the direction of HUPO initiatives. I am particularly dedicated to supporting large-scale proteomics projects and collaborations aimed at uncovering hidden mechanisms and markers in the human population.

Currently serving as the Senior Director of Proteomics at ProFound Therapeutics, I focus on the critical yet often-overlooked role of non-canonical proteins in disease progression and their relation to genomic expression. I am eager to contribute to and support efforts to address technical and bioinformatics challenges, thereby advancing computational models, experimental techniques, and the understanding of protein structure-function relationships for both canonical and non-canonical proteins. I have been an active participant in HUPO, ASMS, and MSACL conferences.

Sandra Spencer

Proteomics Platform Manager, BC Cancer Research Institute, Canada

I am honored for the opportunity to apply for a position on the HUPO Council. For the last decade I have worked in the field of human proteomics as a researcher in clinical biomarker discovery/assay development and outreach/inclusion initiatives in STEM. I am an excellent candidate for the HUPO Council due to my involvement in event organization and service in the local proteomics community, experience in cross-disciplinary collaboration, and history of advocacy for open communication and I.D.E.A.L. initiatives throughout my career.

Collaboration and communication with scientists from different fields has been fundamental in my role the Proteomics Platform Manager for the BC Cancer Research Institute for the past 7 years. We routinely process large cohorts I believe that the standardization of proteomics is crucial to the future of the field. We follow and promote best practices as described by the HUPO initiative CPTAC. In fact, we are currently part of a Canada-wide collaboration to implement standardized workflows for untargeted clinical proteomics of Marathon of Hope samples.

I have experience serving on committees, working groups, and scientific meeting organization. I spearhead the organization of our biennial Platform Workshop and had the opportunity to assist with the organization of our annual local proteomics symposium (BCPM). In 2023 I founded our local area mass spectrometry discussion group, VAMS, for which I organize monthly meetings. Through these meetings I have enabled inclusive initiatives such as ride share reimbursement, trainee travel awards, and on-site child care. If selected to serve the international proteomics community on the HUPO Council, I will support and enable the HUPO ideals of collaboration, standardization, and I.D.E.A.L. with the same passion and dedication I have for my local community.