The Sinai and Synapses Fellowship is a small interfaith group of clergy, scientists and writers who are committed to elevating the discourse surrounding religion and science. By personalizing the relationship around religion and science, the Fellows are models for a productive conversation surrounding religion and science.
Below are the 2024-2026 Fellows; to see previous Fellows, click here.
Linda Abarbanell is an Associate Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, where she is also the Chair of the Division of Arts and Sciences on the SDSU Imperial Valley campus. A cross-cultural cognitive psychologist, her research focuses on healthcare practices and beliefs at the US-Mexican border and in a Mayan community in Chiapas, Mexico, including how people combine scientific and supernatural beliefs and treatments. For the past few years, Dr. Abarbanell has been part of an international, interdisciplinary team of researchers investigating how education shapes people’s values and beliefs across cultures, particularly in the areas of science and religion. Her work for this project has focused on how increasing rates of education and religious conversion have been shaping people’s healthcare beliefs and practices in the Mayan community where she works. She also recently embarked on another collaboration examining how sociocultural and economic factors shape people’s experiences living with extreme heat in the Imperial Valley, CA, where she co-led a field school related to this topic. Previous projects include experimental studies of the relationship between spatial language and cognition and an ethnographic study of indigenous women’s reproductive rights and health in the context of Mexico’s social assistance programs. Dr. Abarbanell is fluent in Spanish, speaks a Mayan language, and has been teaching herself Hebrew. In her spare time, she enjoys learning about different cultures and languages and creating textile art.
Hannah Giunta-Stibb is a neonatologist and pediatric pulmonologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH. In addition to her clinical work, Hannah has a PhD in bioethics and does research on critical decision-making and family communication. She completed her medical and bioethics training at Michigan State University, her residency at Mayo Clinic, and her fellowship training at the University of Rochester. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband Josh, daughter Priscilla, and Shetland sheepdog Zephaniah. Her husband has served as a pastor in ELCA and Episcopal calls, and her interest in religion started when she attended Catholic elementary school. In the coming years, she is excited to learn more about how people from a wide variety of faith backgrounds respond to the challenges at the intersection of science and religion.
Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime brings extensive experience leading collaborations between religion and the public square, previously as Director of Religion and Civic Engagement at Odyssey Impact in New York City, and now as CEO of the Alliance for Christian Media and Exec. Producer of Day1, broadcasting in its 80th year. Katie received her Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary, and her PhD from Emory University, and served as a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Universität Bern in Switzerland, where she investigated the intersection of religious and spiritual experience, sustained recovery from substance use disorders, and psychedelics. Katie is a lead investigator on the Psychedelics, Religious Experience, & Health Applications Project at the Center for Mind and Culture with Lawrence A. Whitney. She co-leads the international preaching cohort of The Ministry Collaborative, convening preaching ministers across the U.S., U.K. and Europe. An ordained Presbyterian minister, Katie served churches in Atlanta and New York City. She lives in Edinburgh, Scotland with her spouse Haddon and their daughter Abby.
David Gold is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Davis. His research focuses on interactions between the Earth and animal life — combining genetics and the fossil record to tackle problems as ancient as the origin of animals and as modern as the impact of climate change on ocean ecosystems. In addition to his scientific work, Dr. Gold is passionate about the history and philosophy of science, and is interested in understanding science’s strengths and limitations, and how it can be paired with other ways of knowing to better understand the world. Dr. Gold received his PhD from UCLA and went on to do postdoctoral fellowships at MIT and CalTech before joining the faculty at UC Davis. He has received many prestigious awards, including an Agouron Geobiology Postdoctoral Award and a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. You can learn more about his work at www.DavidAdlerGold.com.
Fred D. Ledley, M.D. is a professor of natural & applied science and management at Bentley University in Waltham, MA and director of the center for integration of science and industry. A physician and pediatrician by training, he has performed research in genomics on the faculties of the Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute and founded several biotechnology companies focused on gene therapy or personalized medicine. A widely published researcher, his current work focuses on advancing the translation of scientific discoveries for public value by developing synergies between science, medicine, business, and public policy. He has previously participated in the national, NIH-funded program in “Genetics, Religion and Ethics”, part of the ELSI program of the Human Genome project, and a Templeton-funded program “New Visions in Science, Nature and Religion” at US Santa Barbara. He has written a novel, Sputnik’s Child, which explores how science and technology became a faith for members of the baby boom generation and the limits of this faith. He plays clarinet in Shpilkes Klezmer Band and has served on the board of the Boston Jewish Music Festival, Jewish Arts Collaborative, and Celebrity Series of Boston. He joined in a Bnai Mitzvah with his wife, Tamara, at age 31, occasionally reads Torah and serves as darshan as a member of Temple Aliyah in Needham MA, and considers music, hiking the forest, and observing solar eclipses to be spiritual experiences.
Danny Lybarger is the Lead and Founding Pastor of The Well, a vibrant and inclusive United Methodist Church plant in Weldon Spring, MO, known for its commitment to creating safe spaces for all, especially those traditionally marginalized by the church. With a BA from George Fox University and an M.Div from United Theological Seminary, Danny combines theological depth with a passion for bridging the gap between faith and everyday life. Under his leadership, The Well has experienced significant growth and has been viewed as a compelling new model for ministry at the intersection of inclusivity and evangelicalism. Outside of pastoring, Danny enjoys spending time with his family, staying active at CrossFit St. Louis, and coaching his kids’ sports teams.
Jill Harman is an EdD candidate in Disciplinary Leadership at Creighton University, where she is currently writing her doctoral dissertation. She holds a Master of Religious Arts from Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. With over seven years of experience in restorative justice, Jill has made impactful contributions as a consultant and program developer. She serves as an Associate Pastor at Fremont First United Methodist Church and as an Adjunct Professor at Creighton University, where she is involved in teaching and curriculum development. As the co-lead of the Restorative Justice Project at Creighton, Jill is dedicated to promoting healing and justice by integrating restorative practices on campus and fostering a restorative mindset. Beyond her professional commitments, Jill is an avid reader and finds peace in gardening.
Andrew Rick-Miller is a co-founder and the current Executive Director of Science for the Church, a ministry seeking to helping strengthen the church through engagement with science. Previously, he spent more than ten years with the John Templeton Foundation, most recently leading the Religious Engagement Department, where he developed programs helping religious leaders and media engage scientific content. Drew studied literature and physics at Northwestern University before attending Princeton Theological Seminary (M.Div.). Drew’s vocational passion is to help the church navigate the faith and science interface. Drew lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, a Presbyterian pastor, and their three daughters. He still proudly dons purple and cheers on his Northwestern Wildcats.
Ciara Reyes-Ton is a biologist, science writer, and editor who is passionate about science communication to faith communities. She has a Ph.D. in Cell & Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan. She has served as Managing Editor for the American Scientific Affiliation’s God & Nature Magazine. She is currently the Digital Content Editor for BioLogos and an Adjunct Professor at Lipscomb University. She also recently helped found the Science Communicators of Faith (SCF), a group dedicated to providing a supportive, collaborative, and Christ-centered community for people of all backgrounds and skill levels to grow in the craft of science communication. She is also the author of “Look Closely,” a science and faith devotional that explores the life of Christ by bringing scripture in conversation with science, from water-walking lizards to dividing cells and resurrecting corals. Outside science, she has a heart for worship and is a proud mom.
Edgardo Rosado is Engagement Coordinator of Science for the Church. In addition, he is an Adjunct Professor in Theology at Nazarene Bible College and European Nazarene College. He has served as Lead Pastor for over 20 years in multicultural congregations in Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C. Ed completed a Bachelor’s in biblical studies and theology from Nazarene Bible College and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership at Olivet Nazarene University. He also received a Doctor of Philosophy in Theology degree at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. Ed led the Ciencia, Fe y Esperanza project, an initiative funded by the John Templeton Foundation aimed at engaging Latinx clergy, congregations, and students interested in STEM to foster a transformative dialogue around the confluence of faith and scientific principles. He is passionate about connective faith and science as a tool for social improvement and advancement within the Latinx community. Ed lives in Philadelphia with his wife and their dog. He enjoys playing the bass, drinking good coffee, and the city’s hustle and bustle.
Jack Shlachter is a physicist who worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory for over thirty years with briefer stints at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, the Atomic Energy Agency, and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization, the latter two based in Vienna, Austria; he led both the Physics Division and Theoretical Division during his LANL career. In parallel, Jack is an ordained rabbi who led the Jewish congregation in Los Alamos for many years, was the rabbi in Center Moriches, NY, during his years at Brookhaven, and now serves as rabbi of HaMakom, a congregation in Santa Fe, NM as well as the Los Alamos Jewish Center. He has also provided itinerant rabbinic support to far-flung Jewish communities including those in Vienna, Austria, Beijing, China, and Warsaw, Poland.
Dr. Olapeju Simoyan is an addiction medicine physician and an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Drexel University College of Medicine. She also holds adjunct faculty positions at Penn State University College of Medicine and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. She previously served as the Founding Medical/Executive Director of Research at Caron Treatment Centers and the program director for the addiction medicine fellowship at Geisinger Marworth. Prior to her medical training at Penn State College of Medicine, she obtained a dental degree from the University of Ibadan and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. She also served as a Fulbright scholar in Nigeria (2012-14) and an Erasmus Mundus scholar in France and the UK (2012-13). She was the recipient of the American Association of Medical Colleges’ Nickens Faculty Fellowship in 2012 and the Arnold Gold Foundation’s Humanism in Medicine award in 2022. Dr. Simoyan blends her passions for writing and photography to make scientific concepts accessible in her wildlife photo books for all ages. She also writes a column on a Patheos, “Where Faith and Critical Thinking Meet.”
Nicole Starr is a part-time student at United Theological Seminary. She is pursuing her M.Div. in spiritual direction. Ms. Starr has her juris doctor from the University of Minnesota School of Law. She currently works as a District Court Judge for the Second Judicial District in the State of Minnesota. She is active with the Minnesota Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Counsel and has served as a judge in the Ramsey County treatment Courts for six years. She is a current participant National Academy of Medicine Cross-Sector workshop series on Substance Use and Opioid crisis. Prior to her work as a district court judge, Ms. Starr worked as a public defender specializing on Forensic Litigation. During her time as a defense attorney, she was a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
A graduate of Cornell University, JD Stillwater is a science ambassador and author who writes and speaks about insights from natural reality, insights that drive paradigm shifts and cultural awakening. This work springs from JD’s love of science and his gift for making difficult concepts graspable for non-scientists. JD is an officer of the Religious Naturalist Association, and serves on the governing Council of the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science. JD is married with two grown children, one a computer scientist and the other an ordained minister.
Rabbi Daniel Swartz is the spiritual leader at Temple Hesed of Scranton and Executive Director of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL). In 2021, he was one of 40 faith leaders from around the world in a Vatican-led effort to promote Climate Justice. Previously, Rabbi Swartz held leadership positions with Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, the Children’s Environmental Health Network, and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. He is the author the children’s book Bim and Bom: A Shabbat Tale, which has been a featured selection of PJ Library. He is also the lead author and editor of To Till and To Tend: A Guide for Jewish Environmental Study and Action, published by the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, as well as “Faith Communities and Environmental Health,” which appeared in Environmental Health: From Global to Local, which won the 2005 Award for Excellence in Professional and Scholarly Publishing from the Association of American Publishers. Rabbi Daniel was ordained at Hebrew Union College and holds degrees from Brown University in Geological Sciences and in Environmental Policy, where he received numerous academic honors. He is blessed with being the spouse of Rabbi Marjorie Berman and the father of Alana Swartz.
Taylor Thomas received his Ph.D in ethics at Boston University. He earned a B.A. in religious studies from Appalachian State University and an M.T.S from Boston University School of Theology. He is a former fellow at the Boston University Pardee Center for the Longer-Range Future and a current postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Mind and Culture. His current research seeks to integrate theological ethics, moral philosophy, cognitive science, and theories of intersubjectivity to develop an interdisciplinary framework for understanding and responding to contemporary issues related to moral agency.
Randy Wedin, PhD is a freelance science writer and a Lay Teacher at the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center (MZMC). He earned his PhD in Chemistry at Harvard University and his BA in Chemistry and English Literature at St. Olaf College (Minnesota). As a science writer, he uses his communication skills to bridge the gap between the worlds of science, business, government, and the public. He has research and writing experience on a broad range of science-related topics, from green chemistry, drug development, and sustainability to smart grid, public outreach, and K-12 science education. In addition, he has written creative nonfiction essays and op-ed articles for general audiences on subjects related to parenting, relationships, and daily life, often using metaphors from the world of science to provide new perspectives on these topics. His current focus at MZMC is on exploring the relationship of science and Zen Buddhism in his dharma talks and a six-week course he taught on “Zen and Science”. He enjoys music and is a member of the choir and the brass at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MN. He and his wife have six adult children and stepchildren and six grandchildren.
The Rev. Dr. Denise Yarbrough is Director of Religious and Spiritual Life at the University of Rochester, where she also holds an appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Religion and Classics. She received her BA in Religion at Barnard College, her JD degree at the University of Michigan Law School, her MDiv from Princton Theological Seminary and her Doctor of Ministry degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. She was an attorney practicing for twelve years in New York City before leaving to go to seminary. An ordained Episcopal priest, she has spent over twenty years doing interreligious engagement and education. She teaches courses at the University on Sexuality and World Religions, Interreligious Studies, Religion and Public Health and Bridging the Gap:Dialogue Across Difference. She has taught interreligious engagement courses at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. She has published numerous articles on interreligious studies and engagement. She serves as the Canon for Interreligious and Ecumenical Relations for the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, and has served the national church on the Standing Commission on Interreligious and Ecumenical Relations. At the University of Rochester she oversees the work of the Interfaith Chapel, housing thirteen different religious groups. She advises the Student Association for Interfaith Cooperation, providing opportunities for interfaith education, dialogue and community service. The intersection of religion and science has been a consistent focus of programming at the Interfaith Chapel due to the STEM focus of the University. Denise is interested in promoting the dialogue between religion and science, particularly in a context where students who have a religious or spiritual practice and are also scientists often feel unable to integrate those two aspects of their being. When not working she loves to spend time with her partner, Tracy, her golden retriever Sasha and singing with the Rochester Oratorio Society and other choral groups. She has two grown children.