Samantha Leano earned a bachelor's degree in biotechnology and bioinformatics with a minor in human rights from UC Davis. She has nearly three years of research experience in the pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors, working with organizations such as the UC Davis Plant Sciences Department, UC Davis medical Center in collaboration with the FDA, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Her most recent project involves developing deep-learning simulations to study evolutionary selective sweeps in domesticated sunflowers. She is a member of the Botanical Society of America and has volunteered with organizations focused on environmental sustainability and public health preparedness. Samantha also participates in emergency response training and blood donation through the Red Cross.
As the PBC site coordinator, she collaborates with educators to support hands-on biotechnology education.