Cory Dobson, Author at Sanford Burnham Prebys - Page 2 of 41

Author: Cory Dobson

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Sanford Burnham Prebys celebrates first graduate school Commencement ceremony

AuthorGreg Calhoun
Date

June 7, 2024

Left to right are Rachael McVicar, PhD; James Kent, PhD; Monica Gonzalez Ramirez, PhD; and Stephen Sakuma, PhD
Pictured from left to right are Rachael McVicar, PhD ’23; James Kent, PhD ’22; Monica Gonzalez Ramirez, PhD ’18; and Stephen Sakuma, PhD ’24.

The Sanford Burnham Prebys Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences held its first-ever Commencement ceremony to celebrate nearly 20 years of educating future scientists

On Friday, May 31, 2024, the Sanford Burnham Prebys Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences hosted four graduates, their family members and friends as well as current students, faculty members and staff at the Institute’s campus in La Jolla for the school’s first-ever Commencement ceremony.

In addition to honoring the four graduates in attendance, the event also recognized the 62 other alumni who graduated from the Institute’s graduate school in the nearly 20 years since its founding in 2006.

“The graduate school is a direct extension of our commitment to training the next generation of scientists,” said David Brenner, MD, president, CEO and Donald Bren Chief Executive Chair at Sanford Burnham Prebys, during his welcoming remarks. “We focus on cultivating a collaborative culture where students are full participants. Thank you for your dedication to learning and creating new knowledge, and for your contributions to our mission of translating science to improve health.”

Brenner added, “We’re incredibly proud of you!”

Alessandra Sacco, PhD, director of, and professor in, the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys, and dean of the Institute’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, delivered the Commencement address.

“Hold onto perseverance and trust in yourself as you move forward,” said Sacco. “Never forget the sacrifices you have made, the hours in the lab and the failed experiments that have shaped you into better researchers.”

Sacco also remarked, “You are the next generation of scientists. You can make a difference by pushing on scientific boundaries while also having a positive influence on your communities.”

Alessandra Sacco, PhD, director of, and professor in, the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys, and dean of the Institute’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, delivered the Commencement address.

After concluding her remarks by wishing the graduates great success throughout their professional journeys, Sacco introduced Stephen Sakuma, PhD ’24, to speak on behalf of the Institute’s 66 alumni.

Stephen Sakuma, PhD ’24, spoke on behalf of the Institute’s
66 alumni.

“The faculty and community at Sanford Burnham Prebys have been tremendous and afforded me the most meaningful opportunities to learn and grow,” said Sakuma. “The journey has been long and, at times, arduous, but it also has been exceedingly rewarding.”

Diane Klotz, PhD, chief learning officer at Sanford Burnham Prebys, then discussed the meaning of the hoods and symbols that are used in Commencement ceremonies. She recognized the Institute’s alumni, both present and across the globe, and explained that all graduates are conferred degrees following the completion of all educational requirements and successful defense of their theses.

The Commencement ceremony, then, represents an opportunity to welcome back and celebrate with our alumni and their friends and family, and to pay tribute to alumni unable to attend who entrusted Sanford Burnham Prebys with their graduate education and preparation to enter the field of biomedical research.

Klotz invited the graduates forward and instructed faculty members to adorn them with the doctoral academic hoods signifying completion of a PhD program.

The graduates who attended the Commencement ceremony were:

  • Monica Gonzalez Ramirez, PhD ’18, who trained in the Salvesen lab and was hooded by Guy Salvesen, PhD, emeritus professor
  • James Kent, PhD ’22, who trained in the Marassi lab and was hooded by Dr. Guy Salvesen
  • Rachael McVicar, PhD ’23, who trained in the Snyder/Leibel lab and was hooded by Evan Snyder, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine and professor in the Human Genetics Program
  • Stephen Sakuma, PhD ’24, who trained in the D’Angelo lab and was hooded by Maximiliano D’Angelo, PhD, associate professor in the Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program

As the inaugural dean of the Institute’s graduate school, Salvesen provided the ceremony’s closing remarks. He wished the alumni well and supported Sacco’s assertion that their perseverance would be rewarded, which he reinforced with a quote from author and Arches National Park enthusiast Edward Abbey.

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.”

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How a protein component of nuclear pore complexes regulates development of blood cells and may contribute to myeloid disorders

AuthorCommunications
Date

June 5, 2024

A computer graphic depicts a nuclear pore in a eukaryotic cell. Nuclear pores are large protein complexes that span the nuclear membrane and allow the movement of molecules, such as proteins, RNAs, and other molecules between the nucleus and the cell’s cytoplasm. Image courtesy of M. Towler and J. Aitken, Wellcome Collection.
Computer graphic depicts a nuclear pore in a eukaryotic cell. Nuclear pores are large protein complexes that span the nuclear membrane & allow the movement of molecules, such as proteins, RNAs, & other molecules between the nucleus & the cell’s cytoplasm.

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are channels composed of multiple proteins that ferry molecules in and out of the nucleus, regulating many critical cellular functions, such as gene expression, chromatin organization and RNA processes that influence cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation.

In recent years, new studies, including work by Maximiliano D’Angelo, PhD, associate professor in the Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys, have noted that NPCs in cancer cells are different, but how these alterations contribute to malignancy and tumor development—or even how NPCs function in normal cells—is poorly understood.

In a new paper, published June 5, 2024 in Science Advances, D’Angelo with first author Valeria Guglielmi, PhD, and co-author Davina Lam, uncover Nup358, one of roughly 30 proteins that form the NPCs, as an early player in the development of myeloid cells, blood cells that if not formed or working properly leads to myeloid disorders such as leukemias.

The researchers found that when they eliminated Nup358 in a mouse model, the animals experienced a severe loss of mature myeloid cells, a group of critical immune cells responsible for fighting pathogens that are also responsible for several human diseases including cancer. Notably, Nup358 deficient mice showed an abnormal accumulation of early progenitors of myeloid cells referred as myeloid-primed multipotent progenitors (MPPs).

“MPPs are one of the earliest precursors of blood cells,” said D’Angelo. “They are produced in the bone marrow from hematopoietic stem cells, and they differentiate to generate the different types of blood cells.

Maximiliano D’Angelo and Valeria Guglielmi

“There are different populations of MPPs that are responsible for producing specific blood cells and we found that in the absence of Nup358, the MPPs that generate myeloid cells, which include red blood cells and key components of the immune system, get stuck in the differentiation process.”

Fundamentally, said Gugliemi, Nup358 has a critical function in the early stages of myelopoiesis (the production of myeloid cells). “This is a very important finding because it provides insights into how blood cells develop, and can help to establish how alterations in Nup358 contribute to blood malignancies.”

The findings fit into D’Angelo’s ongoing research to elucidate the critical responsibilities of NPCs in healthy cells and how alterations to them contribute to immune dysfunction and the development and progression of cancer.

“Our long-term goal is to develop novel therapies targeting transport machinery like NPCs,” said D’Angelo, who recently received a two-year, $300,000 Discovery Grant from the American Cancer Society to advance his work.

This research was supported in part by a Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society (RSG-17-148-01), the Department of Defense (grant W81XWH-20-1-0212) and the National Institutes of Health (AI148668).

The study’s DOI is 10.1126/sciadv.adn8963.

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Maximiliano D’Angelo

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José Luis Millán joins international initiative to study calcification in aging

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

July 21, 2023

José Luis Millán, PhD

Sanford Burnham Prebys professor José Luis Millán, PhD, has joined a five-year, $13 million program that will study misplaced calcification in the eyes and brains of patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

The initiative is funded by the National Institute on Aging and will be led by Francesca Marassi, PhD, an adjunct professor at Sanford Burnham Prebys and chair of biophysics at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

AMD affects nearly 20 million adults in the U.S. and is the leading cause of central vision loss and legal blindness. AD affects more than 6 million people in the U.S., and it is the top cause of dementia across the globe. Age is a prominent risk factor for both diseases. However, how AMD and AD progress over time is not well understood, and research is needed to drive the development of effective pharmaceutical treatments.

Both diseases are associated with the progressive accumulation of mineralized deposits under the retina and in the brain. Healthy calcification processes are needed to grow and repair bones, but these same processes can cause misplaced deposits in the eye and the brain that contribute to disease. Scientists do not yet know what causes these deposits to form, and answering this question may provide clues to better understand AMD and AD, as well as aid the development of new ways to diagnose and treat these diseases.

The international research team, which also includes scientists from UC San Diego, University of Maryland School of Medicine, and Queen’s University Belfast, will explore the characteristics of misplaced calcifications in both the eye and the brain. They have devised four projects to examine calcifications at varying scales, from their atomic structure up to their accumulation in cells and animals.

Millan will direct the fourth project, which will study how cells and tissues maintain their balance of phosphorus. In human adults, approximately 90 percent of the body’s total phosphorus is crystalized in bone, and these same crystals also are part of the calcified deposits that form in AMD and AD. Dr. Millan’s team will study mice to determine how cells control phosphorus levels and how these biochemical pathways contribute to the formation of calcified deposits in the eye.

The grant, funded by the National Institute on Aging, is titled “Molecular mechanisms of calcification: roles and opportunities in diseases of aging.”

This story is adapted from a press release published by Medical College of Wisconsin.

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San Diego Pride is this week. We asked: Why are LGBTQ+ people the “invisible minority” in STEM?

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

June 22, 2023

Institute employees at the Pride flag raising

Conversations around diversity and inclusion are abundant in academic institutions, but one group in particular—the LGBTQ+ community—is frequently left out of those conversations. 

June is LGBT+ Pride month, but San Diego has made it a local tradition to continue the celebration into July, when the city hosts its annual Pride Festival. This year’s San Diego Pride Festival will be held July 15-16. Pride celebrations around the world give people and institutions alike the opportunity to reflect on the unique struggles of the LGBTQ+ community and consider how we can support these individuals to the benefit of all.

Luca Caputo, PhD

To learn more about the struggles of LGBTQ+ people in the scientific community, we spoke to Sanford Burnham Prebys postdoctoral associate Luca Caputo, PhD Caputo is the cofounder of Queer Science Society San Diego, whose mission is to raise awareness of the concerns of queer scholars in STEM. They are a frequent speaker on LGBTQ+ issues in STEM, most recently at the Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park, where they are included in their New Science exhibition. Caputo is also involved in DEI initiatives here at the Institute, where they helped spearhead our first-ever Pride flag raising last year. 

Why is LGBTQ+ considered the “invisible minority” in STEM? 

The reason why the LGBTQ+ community is an invisible minority is not because there are no queer scientists or STEM professionals. Rather, it’s because there’s a huge lack of data about queer representation in the scientific community. This community has historically not asked for this data, so queer people are not represented in reports and statistics about minority representation. This is not just a data problem—it can prevent LGBTQ+ people from feeling like they belong in STEM. 

Have you personally experienced this?

The lack of representation of queer scientists during my earlier studies had me questioning my belonging in STEM and academia, and the lack of data and discourse around these issues only made it worse. I was lucky and privileged to later encounter great mentors who made me feel welcome and appreciated for everything I am, not only for my pipetting skills. However, not everybody is so lucky.

What needs to happen to correct this problem?

Institutions that track demographic data for scientists and STEM students need to be more inclusive in their methods. This is slowly starting to change—one great example is that the National Science Foundation is finally including questions on sexuality, orientation and gender identity in its Survey of Earned Doctorates, but this is just one small step forward. 

There are still major societal problems affecting queer people in academia, such as unfair U.S. immigration laws that don’t acknowledge same-sex partnerships as marriages for visa purposes. These laws keep talent away from the U.S. or pose an unfair economic burden to same-sex couples, as they will need to travel abroad and navigate complex legislation to get married and be recognized. 

In the meantime, what can non-queer allies do to support the LGBTQ+ community in STEM?

One important thing is being responsive and listening to what members of the community have to say. An easy example is to normalize and respect the sharing of pronouns in email signatures and in Zoom meetings. This will help create a welcoming atmosphere and an environment that will allow LGBTQ+ individuals to safely come out and be confident and comfortable. 

On a more institutional level, many steps can be taken to make workplaces more welcoming, such as having all-gender-inclusive restrooms and honoring Pride months with concrete gestures, like holding Pride events. It’s also important not to wait for members of the LGBTQ+ community to ask for these gestures. These are all approaches that can be translated to being allies to any underrepresented group in STEM, not just the LGBTQ+ community.

How does being more inclusive benefit the scientific community as a whole?

It benefits the community in so many ways. For example, the amount of talent in the scientific community will increase exponentially. Having different point of views will increase our ability to find new cures for diseases and solutions to other real-world problems. Additionally, we have an ethical obligation to make the community inclusive and representative of the whole population, because most basic research is paid for by the entire public via taxes and charitable donations. Finally, increasing inclusivity will also improve the relationship between the scientific community and the general population, as marginalized communities will be able to see their needs and perspectives represented.

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Sanford Burnham Prebys graduate student selected for prestigious Women in Science scholarship

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

June 20, 2023

Katya Marchetti, a young woman with brown hair against a background of yellow flowers

Katya Marchetti has had her heart set on research since childhood. Today, she’s a bright, confident scientist making her dream a reality at Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Katya Marchetti, a first-year PhD student in the lab of Karen Ocorr, PhD, was recently awarded an Association for Women in Science (AWIS) scholarship. This competitive award encourages outstanding women pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields at San Diego colleges and universities.

“Receiving this recognition highlights the importance of advocating for women’s empowerment in STEM and fostering an inclusive and diverse scientific community,” says Marchetti.

Marchetti grew up in Bakersfield California and finished her undergraduate degree from UC San Diego in just three years. Last year, she enrolled as a graduate student at 21 years old, making her one of the youngest PhD students to ever join the Institute. For her, the AWIS award is a culmination of a lifelong enthusiasm for science, inspired and encouraged by her family.

“I’m a very curious person,” says Marchetti. “I just inherently have to know how everything works, and my dad is the one got me inspired and interested in exploring things. I am so grateful for the opportunities that he fought for me to have, because he gave me everything that he didn’t.”

With the enthusiastic support of her family, Marchetti began her research career at the ripe age of nine years old. 

“My first-ever science project was heart research,” she says. “My favorite song was “Kickstart My Heart” by Mötley Crüe, and I wanted to see if it would raise blood pressure. I tested myself and my family, and we actually found that it did, obviously.” 

Today, Marchetti’s heart research is a bit more sophisticated. She studies hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a rare disease in which the left side of the heart is underdeveloped and unable to effectively pump oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. HLHS is a congenital disease that is nearly always fatal without heart surgery. Marchetti’s research focuses on uncovering the genetics that underpin this disease to find new ways to prevent and treat it.

“Researching heart disease is very rewarding in and of itself, but it’s also really motivating to work on a disease that occurs in one of the most vulnerable populations,” says Marchetti. 

Marchetti is also heavily involved on campus at the Institute, as one of just two graduate students to serve on the Institute’s Education and Training committee, part of the Institute’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Council. She has also mentored interns for the Institute’s CIRM-sponsored SPARK program, which provides research experiences to high school students from underrepresented backgrounds.

“I really love mentoring people who don’t have a lot of lab experience,” says Marchetti. “It’s my favorite thing I’ve done in graduate school so far. I think that’s kind of my way of paying forward the opportunities that I’ve had.” 

Marchetti will use the funds from the AWIS scholarship to further support her HLHS research. She also maintains that even after finishing her PhD, her long-term goal is to continue working in the San Diego research community. 

“If were to describe myself as a city, it would be San Diego,” she says. “It’s really the perfect place for me.” 

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Opinion: Including researchers of diverse backgrounds makes science more accurate and applicable

AuthorAlessandra Sacco, Michael Jackson and Svasti Haricharan
Date

June 14, 2023

Photo of a pipette and test tubes

America has always been an experiment, an ongoing enterprise to determine how and how well people of different races, cultures and experiences might govern and live together. It’s an experiment that extends to every aspect of our lives. We celebrate our diversity and inclusivity through the food we eat, the languages we speak and the stories we tell.

Unfortunately, universities and other research institutions in the United States often do not have stories to tell about diversity and inclusion. People of color and women who aspire to careers in academic research are frequently discouraged early on from entering the grueling pipeline (which may extend more than a decade) by the lack of opportunities, access and accommodation.

It is no accident that non-White and female scientists are significantly and consistently underrepresented in the ranks of U.S. academic faculty: approximately 30 percent are female, just 6 percent are Black or Hispanic. Despite recent social awareness and movements toward change, the composition of tenure-track or tenured underrepresented faculty of color in the U.S. increased by only 1 percentage point (11 percent to 12 percent) between 2013 and 2019.

There are fundamental reasons why well-intentioned platitudes and policies regarding science and education don’t reflect reality. Neil A. Lewis Jr., a communications professor at Cornell University, wrote in a 2022 essay in Nature Human Behavior that “What counts as ‘good science’ tends to be research approaches that prioritize the experiences of dominant groups, and not approaches developed to prioritize people placed on the margins of society.”

He added, “The topics that count are ones that fit with the ‘master narratives’ in the field, and not the ‘counter narratives’ that sometimes emerge from marginalized groups.”

Many studies have demonstrated that the more diverse a research team is, the more likely its findings are to move fields forward and create new technologies and inventions. Simultaneously, research conducted by scientists who do not belong to dominant groups is more likely to be ignored by the larger research community, resulting in the so-called “diversity-innovation paradox” that slows scientific progress.

Historically, scientific and clinical studies have addressed research and health questions primarily through the prism of White males, overlooking or ignoring potential — or even likely differences — that might be found in women or people of color. As late as 1977, for example, the Food and Drug Administration recommended excluding women of childbearing potential from phase 1 and early phase 2 drug trials.

This is changing. It’s now well-documented that males and females differ in their response to drug treatment. Likewise, among different ethnicities. Inclusion is now law, and new research points to improved representation among communities of color in most clinical trials.

The embrace of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, in public education has become a fundamental force for long-term good. The more children of every size, shape and color who are exposed to these disciplines, the more diverse and energized future generations of scientists, engineers and health professionals will be.

However, we are still in the first steps toward making this journey more accessible to marginalized groups. There is no mainstream movement yet in this direction. The ability to break into the upper echelons of academia continues to be constrained not only by race and ethnicity, but by privilege, with first-generation students facing many more barriers than those with at least one parent with a higher education degree. Scientists who are from the LGBTQ community also face significant challenges to finding acceptance for their research and their identity in academia.

A new educational program at Sanford Burnham Prebys, an independent biomedical research institute in La Jolla, attempts to remedy this singular reality. Funded by a grant from The Conrad Prebys Foundation, the institute has welcomed a group of 13 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from diverse backgrounds and identities, all of whom will be working in labs, gaining hands-on experience in drug discovery and translational medicine from industry-trained researchers.

They come from near and far, having previously studied at places like San Diego State University, University of San Diego, University of Barcelona and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Their research interests are diverse: new treatments for breast and pancreatic cancers, how DNA repairs itself, regenerating heart muscle and how the brain protects itself from Alzheimer’s disease.

The goal is to provide these young scientists with advanced research training that will better position them to not just have successful, productive careers, but also become role models and leaders in biomedical research.

The Prebys Foundation fellows, as they are called, represent a small step in the right direction. Similar efforts are needed elsewhere, everywhere, at small and large institutions, laboratories and places where the work of science gets done.

As a nation, we must be committed to planting the seeds of new generations of scientists through programs like STEM. And when they begin to mature, we must provide the water and nutrients to ensure our young scientists bear fruit for a very long time.

Alessandra Sacco, PhD, is vice dean and associate dean of student affairs in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Sanford Burnham Prebys, and co-director of the fellowship program. Michael Jackson, PhD, is senior vice president for drug discovery and development and co-director in the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, and co-director of the fellowship program. Svasti Haricharan, PhD, is associate director for training and education in the NCI-Designated Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys. All live in San Diego.

This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.

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Is San Diego’s rooftop solar boom over? Not at Sanford Burnham Prebys

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

May 30, 2023

Aerial view of solar panels on the roof of the Institute's parking structure

Many in the county are facing barriers to adopting solar energy, but Sanford Burnham Prebys is leading the charge with a $2.5 million investment in solar power.

San Diego is a mecca for rooftop solar, with some of the highest installation rates in the nation. The county boasts the most rooftop solar in California under the state’s net-energy metering program. The region currently has 1,739 megawatts of such capacity, compared to just 1,096 megawatts in Los Angeles County. 

And yet, many apartment buildings, warehouses and parking lots across the sun-soaked region lack photo-voltaic panels, and government programs that encourage solar in the city appear to be facing significant headwinds, most notably with the recent overhaul of how homeowners are compensated for rooftop installations.

Despite these limitations, Sanford Burnham Prebys has taken major steps toward converting to solar energy, making a significant investment in new solar energy infrastructure. Shiny, black solar panels blanket the campus, including the two-story parking structure, complete with electric vehicle charging stations.

These improvements are the latest in a series of sustainability projects spearheaded by Sanford Burnham Prebys over the last two decades.  

However, sustainability does not come cheap. In total, the new solar energy infrastructure, which included 1,690 solar panels, 50 car charging stations and batteries to store the generated electricity, cost the Institute about $2.5 million.

Though steep, the cost has been an “amazing investment,” says John Reed, director of facilities at the Institute. “It’s a very quick payback.”

There are a small handful of other examples of solar-covered parking lots across San Diego, including at universities, hospitals and the international airport downtown. But it typically only pencils out if the business uses a lot of power on site. This leaves huge swaths of concrete bare where, some argue, there should be solar panels. 

“It doesn’t disturb anything to put more solar on roofs and carports,” says Raphael Declercq, CEO of Powerflex, the company that constructed the Institute’s new solar infrastructure. “We just have to explain the value, and hopefully regulation will follow.”

For Sanford Burnham Prebys, the cost of solar is both a way to reduce energy costs at the Institute and an investment in sustainability. The upgrades could reduce yearly carbon emissions by as much as 696 metric tons. According to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, this is as much as the yearly emissions of 83 average homes.

“Labs use more energy than almost any other industry, so to be able to offset some of that with solar is a great thing,” adds Reed. 

This story is based in part on an article from the San Diego Union-Tribune by Joshua Emerson Smith.

Photo credit: Nelvin C. Cepeda/The San Diego Union-Tribune

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Back by popular demand: The Rising Stars Symposium at Sanford Burnham Prebys

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

May 17, 2023

Group photo of the 12 rising stars againt a backdrop that reads

The annual event aims to foster greater diversity in biomedical research and shine a spotlight on the next generation of scientific leaders.

Sanford Burnham Prebys recently hosted its second annual Rising Stars Symposium, an event that showcases the biomedical research of exceptional postdoctoral and junior faculty candidates from across the country.

Laura Menocal“This was such a valuable learning experience for me,” says Rising Star Laura Menocal, currently a PhD candidate at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. “Participating in the Rising Stars Symposium gave me an important opportunity not only to share my own scientific accomplishments, but also to network and connect with other scientists who share the same passions at an institution that actively fosters inclusivity.”

The 12 Rising Stars were invited, all expenses paid, to the Institute to present their research, network and learn more about postdoctoral and junior faculty opportunities there. 

“This year’s Stars shone bright with their promise and dedication to science,” says Angelica Rocha, PhD, diversity officer, head of the DEI Council at Sanford Burnham Prebys and one of the key organizers of the Symposium. “Their work could lead to the scientific breakthroughs that change the way we view and treat disease. They are at a pivotal stage in their careers, and we would be thrilled if they made our Institute their new home.” 

The event was hosted by the NCI-designated Cancer Center’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Team and the Institute’s DEI Recruiting Committee, who strive to create an inclusive workforce through equitable hiring, recruitment, and retention practices. 

“Many organizations use diversity and inclusion as buzzwords without taking any concrete steps to actually create inclusive systems and environments,” says Menocal. “Sanford Burnham Prebys is breaking this mold by hosting the Rising Stars Symposium, and I am so proud to have been able to participate.”

After a brief introduction from President and CEO David Brenner, MD, UC San Diego professor JoAnn Trejo, PhD, opened the day of presentations with a keynote address discussing her research on cellular signaling and her experience as a first-generation college student. She also spoke about her years of experience promoting diversity in the biomedical scientists and mentoring early-career scientists.

“I didn’t grow up in a family of scientists. I actually grew up in a family of migrant farmworkers,” said Trejo during her talk. “I had no immediate role models and no one to guide me into what I was going to do. It was mentors who helped me get there—crossing paths with the right people, making connections, and getting good advice and guidance.”

In addition to presenting their work, the Stars were the guests of honor at an afternoon reception celebrating diversity in science. They also participated in professional development workshops, toured the laboratories and core facilities of the Institute, and met with faculty to learn more about career opportunities.

Institute News

Presenting The Conrad Prebys Foundation fellows

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

May 15, 2023

Prebys fellows group photo

Thanks to a generous grant from The Conrad Prebys Foundation, a diverse group of early-career researchers will gain hands-on experience in drug discovery and translational medicine.

A new educational program at Sanford Burnham Prebys has welcomed a diverse group of early-career scientists to learn how to transform research discoveries into treatments for human diseases. The program was made possible by a generous grant from The Conrad Prebys Foundation as part of its mission to increase the diversity of San Diego’s biomedical workforce.

“Our mission at The Conrad Prebys Foundation is to create an inclusive, equitable and dynamic future for all San Diegans,” says Grant Oliphant, CEO at The Conrad Prebys Foundation. “San Diego is one of the top areas in the country for biomedical research, and we’re pleased to partner with Sanford Burnham Prebys to help strengthen the pipeline of diverse talent in life sciences research.”

Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows selected for the program will complete projects at the Institute’s Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics (Prebys Center), the nation’s leading nonprofit drug discovery center. The Prebys Center specializes in finding new medicines for diseases with a substantial unmet medical need in order to develop better therapies. 

“Thank you to The Conrad Prebys Foundation. I am beyond grateful for their support,” says predoctoral Prebys fellow Michael Alcaraz, who will complete his project on the links between aging and brain disease with Professor Peter D. Adams, PhD, and Steven Olson, PhD, executive director of Medicinal Chemistry at the Prebys Center. 

To help fulfill the Foundation’s mission, Sanford Burnham Prebys students and postdocs from historically underrepresented groups were encouraged to apply for the new program.

“Promoting diversity in the biomedical workforce is a founding principle of our educational program,” says Alessandra Sacco, PhD, vice dean and associate dean of Student Affairs in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Sanford Burnham Prebys. Sacco will oversee the new program alongside Dean Guy Salvesen, PhD, and Professor Michael Jackson, PhD

“Working actively to train people from all backgrounds gives opportunities to people who may not otherwise have had them—and it also improves the quality of the research itself,” she adds.

“Translational research is one of the biggest priorities in biomedicine right now because it’s how we turn discoveries into actual medicines,” says Sacco. “This program gives students and postdocs an opportunity to build the skills they need for translational research jobs in academia or industry.”

The fellowship will culminate in a final symposium next spring, where the fellows will present their research to their peers and to the wider community. 

“I’m looking forward to gaining more experience and making my contribution to the translational science at the Prebys Center,” says predoctoral Prebys fellow Merve Demir, who will complete a structural biochemistry project with Assistant Professor Jianhua Zhao, PhD, and Eduard Sergienko, PhD, director of Assay Development at the Prebys Center. 

The full list of fellows includes:
 

Postdoctoral Fellows

– Karina Barbosa Guerra [Deshpande Lab, Ed Sergienko co-mentor]
“SGF29 as a novel therapeutic target in AML”
 
– Merve Demir [Zhao Lab, Ed Sergienko co-mentor]
“Structural studies of MtCK and GCDH enzyme drug targets”
 
– Jerry Tyler DeWitt [Haricharan Lab, TC Chung co-mentor]
“Investigating the unique molecular landscape of ER+ breast cancer in black women” 
 
– Alicia Llorente Lope [Emerling Lab, Ian Pass co-mentor]
“Exploring PI5P4Kγ as a novel molecular vulnerability of therapy-resistant breast cancer” 
 
– Van Giau Vo [Huang Lab, TC Chung co-mentor]
“Identifying enhancers of SNX27 to promote neuroprotective pathways in Alzheimer’s disease and Down Syndrome”
 
– Xiuqing Wei [Puri Lab, Anne Bang co-mentor]
“Selective targeting of a pathogenetic IL6-STAT3 feedforward loop activated during denervation and cancer cachexia”

 

Predoctoral Fellows

– Michael Alexander Alcaraz [Adams Lab, Steven Olson co-mentor]
“Activating the NAMPT-NAD+ axis in senescence to target age-associated disease”
 
– Shea Grenier Davis [Commisso Lab, Steven Olson co-mentor]
“Examining PIKfyve as a potential therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer” 
 
– Patrick Hagan [Cosford Lab, Ian Pass co-mentor]
“Discovery and development of novel ATG13 degrading compounds that inhibit autophagy and treat non-small-cell lung cancer”
 
– Texia Loh [Wang Lab, Ed Sergienko co-mentor]
“Investigating the role of HELLS in mediating resistance to PARP Inhibition in small-cell lung cancer”
 
– Michaela Lynott [Colas Lab, TC Chung co-mentor]
“Identification of small molecules inhibiting ATF7IP-SETDB1 interacting complex to improve cardiac reprogramming efficiency”
 
– Tatiana Moreno [Kumsta Lab, Anne Bang co-mentor]
“Identifying TFEB/HLH-30 regulators to modulate autophagy in age-related diseases”
 
– Utkarsha Paithane [Bagchi Lab, TC Chung co-mentor]
“Identification of small-molecule enhancers of Honeybadger, a novel RAS/MAPK inhibitor” 
 

Institute News

Do worms get stressed? We asked an expert

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

April 19, 2023

Nematodes under a microscope

The National Institutes of Health recognizes April as National Stress Awareness Month, with the goal of bringing awareness to the health impact of stress.



 

Stress comes in many forms—from the psychological stress we experience during difficult moments to the biological stress in our smallest cells. At Sanford Burnham Prebys, Assistant Professor Caroline Kumsta, PhD, uses small worms (nematodes) to study the negative relationship between cellular stress and aging (yes, aging can be stressful!). On the flip side, she’s also exploring how we can use small amounts of stress to improve health and potentially treat neurodegenerative diseases. 

We spoke to Kumsta about her research to learn more about how nematodes, stress and neurodegenerative diseases are all related.

Why do you work with nematodes?
Nematodes are very good for aging research because they have a short life span—only a few weeks—so we can measure the effects of aging within a reasonable amount of time. Another reason why we like these worms is because we can measure stress responses in more than individual cells. We can use nematodes to study broader, more systemic responses, as well as how stress responses are communicated from tissue to tissue. We can only see these effects if we look at how stress responses are orchestrated across the entire organism. Even though worms don’t look like us, a lot of the basic biological machinery we study is the same as in humans because stress responses evolved a long, long time ago.

How do worms help you study aging and cellular stress responses?
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is true in biology—in other words, small amounts of stress can actually be beneficial for organisms, including humans. We’re studying this idea in nematodes by giving them a small heat shock early in their lives, almost like giving them a few minutes in a sauna. The heat triggers stress responses in the worms at the cellular level, and one of these responses is that the worms’ cells induce a cellular recycling process, called autophagy. Autophagy recycles cellular components and helps keep cells healthy and free from debris. This is a beneficial process that helps increase the life span of the worms. My team is exploring how this process works and figuring out how we can use it to fight diseases.

How can your work in nematodes help us study human diseases?
Our main target is neurodegenerative diseases. One of the drivers of diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or Huntington’s disease is that proteins accumulate in the brain in aggregates or clumps. We’ve seen that nematodes that have had a heat shock early in their lives have reduced clumping of disease-relevant proteins. This is because when autophagy kicks in as a stress response, it helps slow the accumulation of these clumpy proteins. We’re ultimately looking for ways to boost the cellular recycling process in humans as a way to treat degenerative diseases. We can imagine heat therapy as a treatment intervention, and we are currently developing methods of measuring autophagy status in humans so that we will be able to test potential interventions.