Our Team

Katie Wagner

Catherine Wagner (Katie; she/her) is an evolutionary biologist and Associate Professor at the University of Wyoming in the Department of Botany. Her scientific work uses evolutionary genetic tools to address questions about the origins and maintenance of species diversity, with a focus on freshwater fishes. She currently leads the SciMom wolfpack at 500 Women Scientists, where she has particularly focused on advocacy for women and parents facing career setbacks in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cynthia Prieto-Diaz

Cynthia Prieto-Diaz (she/her), MPH has been in the biotech industry helping to support the complete medical device product lifecycle as a biomedical engineer.

As a result from WFH (working from home), Cynthia was inspired to take a larger role in her immediate community to urgently address social inequities, especially those that negatively impact the health & wellness of the planet and its inhabitants.

Cynthia came to 500WS to be part of a movement to energize the next generation of STEMM leaders! Especially for individuals that have ever felt like they do not belong in STEMM – Cynthia is here for you! Both as an example and a cheerleader!

Liz McCullagh

Liz (she/her) is an Assistant Professor Neuroscientist at the Oklahoma State University. She is the co-founder of 500 WS’s flagship platform: gage—a global search platform featuring women and gender-diverse folks. Follow her on Twitter @ZaarlyLiz and her website.

Gabriela Fernández-Cuervo

Gaby (she/her/ella), is a chemical biology scientist by training. She received most of her education in Puerto Rico, where she was born and raised. After finishing her undergraduate studies at the University of Puerto Rico, she completed her doctoral degree at the University of Arizona and had her postdoctoral training at Stanford University.  As a scientist, she developed and applied chemical tools to better understand biological questions. Currently, she works as an Alliance and Business Development Manager at the University of California San Francisco where she builds teams and connects researchers with biotech and pharmaceutical companies to work on the most challenging research projects. Gabriela is passionate about STEM education. She believes that educators and entrepreneurs have the power to create learning experiences that can transform lives. She advocates for creative initiatives that empower students at all levels to own and advance a culture of equity and inclusion making high quality education accessible to all.