Cory Dobson, Author at Sanford Burnham Prebys - Page 4 of 42

Author: Cory Dobson

Institute News

Three big questions for cutting-edge biologist Will Wang

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

January 26, 2023

Will Wang, PhD

Will Wang’s spatial omics approach to studying neuromuscular diseases is unique.

He works at the intersection of biology and computer science to study how complex systems of cells interact, specifically focusing on the connections between nerves, muscles, and the immune response and their role in neuromuscular diseases.

We sat down with Wang, who recently joined the Institute as an assistant professor, to discuss his work and how computer technology is shaping the landscape of biomedical research.

How is your team taking advantage of computer technology to study neuromuscular diseases?

No cell exists in isolation. All our cells are organized into complex tissues with different types of cells interacting with each other. We study what happens at these points of interaction, such as where nerves connect to muscle cells. Combining many different types of data such as single cell sequencing, spatial proteomics, and measures of cell-cell signaling helps us get a more holistic look at how interactions between cells determine tissue function, as well as how these interactions are disrupted in injury and disease. Artificial neural networks help us make sense of these different types of data by finding patterns and insights the human brain can’t see on its own. And because computers can learn from the vast modality of data that we gather, we can also use them to help predict how biological systems will behave in the lab. The process goes both ways – from biology to computers and from computers to biology. 

How will these technologies shape the future of biomedical research?

Biology and computer programming are two different languages. There are a lot of mathematicians and programmers who are great at coming up with solutions to process data, but biological questions can get lost in translation and it’s easy to miss the bigger picture. And pure biologists don’t necessarily understand the full scope of what computers can do for them. If we’re going to get the most out of this technology in biomedical research, we need people with enough expertise in both areas that they can bridge the gap, which is what our lab is trying to do. Over time we’re going to see more and more labs that combine traditional biological experiments and data analysis approaches with artificial intelligence and machine learning. 

Are there any potential risks to these new technologies?

Artifical intelligence is here to accelerate discovery. Mundane tasks and measurements that took me weeks to carry out as a graduate student can be automated to a matter of minutes. We can now find patterns in high dimensional images that the human brain can’t easily visualize. However, any kind of artificial intelligence comes with a certain amount of risk if people don’t understand when and how to use the tools. If you just take the absolute word of the algorithm, there will inevitably be times where it’s not correct. As scientists, we use artificial intelligence as a cutting-edge discovery tool, but need to validate the findings in terms of the biology. At the end of the day, it is us, scientists, who are here to drive the discovery process and design real life experiments to make sure our therapies are safe and efficacious. 

Institute News

STEM Shadow Day gives diverse students an inside look at Sanford Burnham Prebys

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

December 2, 2022

Michael Jackson, PhD, explaining the Institute's drug discovery research at the Prebys Center

As part of ongoing efforts to increase the diversity of the Institute’s trainees, Sanford Burnham Prebys’ DEI Education & Training Committee hosted 36 high school and college students from historically underrepresented backgrounds for a day of lab tours and workshops. The event was sponsored by the San Diego MESA alliance, and more than 20 faculty, staff and current trainees came together to help make the event possible. 

“It’s critical for all students to have opportunities to learn more about scientific research at an early phase in their academic career,” says Paula Checchi, PhD, an administrator in the Institute’s Office of Education, Training and International Students and a leader of our Education & Training Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. “Diversity in the lab contributes so much, both to the trainees’ success and to the overall progress of biomedical research. If we’re going to create a more diverse research community, we need to work from the ground up and support young scholars from all backgrounds every step of the way.”

The day began with an introduction by Hudson Freeze, PhD and a keynote address from Alessandra Sacco, PhD, who spoke to the challenges she’s faced as an Italian American and as a woman in science. 

“My parents When I was younger, some of my relatives asked me why I even wanted to study this because the role of women in science was very different then,” Sacco said. “When I started, I was the only woman in the lab, and that made it difficult to integrate. I didn’t think I’d last a week, but day by day you learn to overcome those challenges in front of you, and it gets a little easier, and it becomes an exciting opportunity to grow.”

She also spoke to the importance of diversity in STEM.

“Diversity is a huge resource, especially in scientific research,” Sacco said. “If you’re asking questions nobody has the answer to, and everybody in the room is from the same background with the same mindset, you’re less likely to less likely to find creative answers. Diversity enriches the scientific discussion, and we’re all part of the same research community.”

After the opening comments, high school students attended workshops on networking skills and mentorship. Meanwhile, college students divided into groups and went on guided tours of labs across campus, where they saw firsthand how Sanford Burnham Prebys researchers are solving pressing problems in medicine.

“It’s so exciting that researchers like Dr. Haricharan are looking at breast cancer in Black and brown women and really getting down to the fundamental biology, not just focusing on socioeconomic factors,” says Shadow Day participant Serina Cuza, referring to recent research from the lab of Svasti Haricharan, PhD “I know there could be pushback, but that’s how you know the research is potentially a breakthrough.”

The event ended with a networking lunch followed by a poster session, featuring work by students in the Sanford Burnham Prebys Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and alumni of this summer’s SPARK internship program.

“I really enjoyed all the people that I met today,” said Shadow Day participant Yaritza Rubio. “I like that there are so many people from so many different parts of the world here.” 

Institute News

Yasuyuki Kihara wins a dream award

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

November 9, 2022

Yasuyuki Kihari, a Japanese man in a grey hoodie, holding his award, a clear crystal plate.

And he’s had his eye on it for more than a decade.

Research Assistant Professor Yasuyuki Kihara, PhD, has won an Eicosanoid Research Foundation (ERF) Young Investigator Award, which is presented every other year to three early-career faculty researchers who have made breakthroughs in the field of bioactive lipids.

The award may not come with a cash prize, but for Kihara, this prize is priceless. 

“The first time I applied for this award was around 2009, and I’ve applied several times since then,” he says. “This has been many years in the making, and I’m incredibly honored to receive this award.”

Kihara is the first Sanford Burnham Prebys scientist to win this award for research completed at the Institute. Assistant Professor Victoria Blaho, PhD, also received the award in 2007, before becoming a Sanford Burnham Prebys faculty member in 2019. 

Applying bioactive lipids to multiple sclerosis: Kihara’s prize-winning research

Kihara has devoted his scientific career of more than 20 years to studying bioactive lipids, a broad group of molecules that cells use to communicate and to control their activities. Some of the most well-known examples of bioactive lipids are the hormones testosterone and estrogen, but there are countless other examples in different parts of the body as well.

“Bioactive lipids are involved in signaling in every cell of every organism,” says Kihara. “Lipids are essential for life, and I’m not sure I could even imagine a biological process or a pathway that doesn’t involve a lipid at some step.”

Kihara’s work focuses on multiple sclerosis (MS), a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord that affects the brain’s ability to communicate with the rest of the body. MS occurs when protective structures in our neurons, called myelin sheaths, become damaged.

“Losing this myelin makes it much more difficult for the brain to send signals to other parts of the body,” says Kihara. “This causes a wide range of symptoms that can be debilitating for the people living with this disease.” 

In 2010, FDA-approved an oral drug for MS called fingolimod. Fingolimod has a chemical structure that resembles a bioactive lipid, and Kihara has teamed up with Professor Jerold Chun, MD, PhD, to study how this drug works at the molecular level to explore whether there may be other ways to leverage bioactive lipids against MS.

“We believe that cellular signaling pathways and the bioactive lipids that control them may have a more complicated role in MS than is currently understood,” says Kihara. “Studying these molecules at this fundamental level will help reveal new ways of treating the disease.”

Institute News

Brain cancer researcher Jia Zack Shen wins 2022 Eric Dudl scholarship

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

October 18, 2022

Professor Cosimo Comisso, Brett Dudl, Dr. Jim Dudl, Barbra Dudl, and scholarship winner Zack Shen

For the first time since the pandemic, Sanford Burnham Prebys presented the Eric Dudl Endowed Scholarship Award in person at last week’s Cancer Center Open House. This year’s recipient, selected by leaders at the Cancer Center, was Jia Zack Shen, PhD, a staff scientist in the lab of Charles Spruck, PhD The award pays tribute to Eric Dudl, a postdoctoral researcher who succumbed to cancer in 2006, when he was just 33.

“Eric was ill at such a young age, but he was also very lucky because he knew exactly what his dream job was and what his life meant,” says Shen. “Eric’s compassion and dedication to cancer research has been inspiring and encouraging for our postdocs here at Sanford Burnham Prebys. Thank you to the Dudl family for helping me continue my career here.”

Honoring Eric Dudl

In 2005, Eric Dudl had just begun his postdoctoral research in a cancer lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys, where he was known as kind, helpful and a fast learner. Then, at age 32, he was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer. This only fueled his fiery passion for cancer research.

“Even when he was very ill, Eric wanted to make a contribution in the time he had,” says Jim Dudl, MD, Eric’s father. “One day I looked at Eric and asked, ‘Why don’t you take some time off work? Get your energy back and go back in when you feel better?’ He looked up at me and said, ‘Why would I do that? This is the best job in the world!’”

Tragically, Eric Dudl would pass away in 2006, at age 33. The next year, his parents established the Eric Dudl Endowed Scholarship Fund to support young cancer researchers like their son.
“These talented scientists pick up where Eric had to leave off,” says Barbara Dudl, Eric’s mother.

Eric Dudl

Eric Dudl

“We are so grateful to the Institute for their compassion for Eric during his illness and helping us create this scholarship. The scientists who are now working on new discoveries might one day save the life of someone like Eric.”

The award presentation was emceed by Cosimo Commisso, PhD, and featured comments from Eric’s parents, as well as his brother, Bret.

“This scholarship fund is the best way we can honor Eric, because he was so passionate about education and supporting others,” says Bret. “The fact that he now helps other postdocs further their work to fight cancer is exactly what he would have wanted.”

Meet the recipient: Jia Zack Shen

Shen started at the Institute as a postdoctoral researcher in 2016, winning a Fishman Fund Award that year. He has since transitioned to a permanent role as a staff scientist, and the funding from this award will help continue to support his role.

“Sanford Burnham Prebys has a great, noncompetitive atmosphere, and the resources we have here are excellent,” says Shen. “Combining cancer research with the drug discovery capabilities we have at SBP is my dream.”

Shen’s research focuses on killing cancer stem cells by shutting off their ability to self-renew and by promoting a response from the immune system, delivering what Shen and his colleagues call a “one-two punch.” Shen has been working specifically on glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive brain cancers.

“Glioblastoma is one of the most devastating diseases, and there is a desperate need for better ways to treat it,” says Shen. “I am working hard to leverage the immune system to fight glioblastoma and save thousands of lives.”

Institute News

How community collaboration shapes leukemia research at Sanford Burnham Prebys

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

October 4, 2022

Rena Johnson, Ani Deshpande, PhD, and Todd Johnson holding a large cardboard check for $25,000 from the Luke Tatsu Johnson Foundation

Since 2020, Todd and Rena Johnson, co-founders of the Luke Tatsu Johnson Foundation (LTJF), have helped fund the research of Associate Professor Ani Deshpande, PhD

But it all started with their son Luke. He had a very rare subtype of acute myeloid leukemia, one of the most difficult-to-treat cancers, and, sadly, he passed away from the disease in 2016. This inspired the Johnsons to become involved with fundraising and advocacy for cancer research.

“Our foundation started with a fundraising golf tournament to honor Luke, and that was about taking something so horrific and so horrible and finding a way to turn it into something positive,” says Rena. “If you can take that tragedy and put a positive spin on it, then everything around Luke and his name and his memory becomes positive.”

How “the stars and planets aligned” to bring the Johnsons to the Institute

In a remarkable coincidence, the Johnsons discovered on their first visit to the Institute that Deshpande’s research focuses on AF10 fusion AML, an extremely rare subtype of the disease that accounts for about 5 percent of cases. It’s also the subtype of AML that Luke had.

“It was a goosebumps-raising moment,” says Todd. “Once we visited Ani and saw his lab, we realized there was a lot more in common with our story and his research than we had realized before.”

“The stars and planets aligned and brought us to Ani,” adds Rena. 

Luke Tatsu Johnson

Luke Tatsu Johnson

As well as helping fund Deshpande’s research through LTJF and their partnership with the Rally! Foundation, the Johnsons are also on the Community Advisory Board (CAB) for the Institute’s Cancer Center, which advocates for cancer research by engaging the community. 

“The CAB does such a wonderful job of connecting the community with the scientists, and we’re so excited to be involved in that,” says Todd. “That’s fundamentally what we do as a foundation—we support the folks doing this work so that children and families down the road can have a different outcome from Luke’s.”
 

AML research “needs more support and needs more funding”

The Johnsons’ support helped the AML research team discover a new potential treatment for AML, which is currently in preclinical studies, after which they hope it will advance to clinical trials. The research team maintains that it would have been impossible to secure the NIH grants necessary to do these studies without the jump start given by the LTJF and the Rally! Foundation.

“We couldn’t do what we do without the Johnsons’ support,” says Deshpande. “We are so grateful to have them in our corner, and we’re confident that our work will help improve outcomes for kids like Luke down the line.”

Despite this progress, more research into AML and other leukemias is still needed. Leukemia is the most common cancer in children and teens. About 4,000 children are diagnosed with leukemia each year, and AML accounts for about a third of these cases.
 

Studying AML from all angles

To tackle this pressing problem, the Institute has established an AML disease team composed of researchers across labs and clinician partners. The team’s research falls into several large categories, including studying the genetics of AML, studying how the disease works in animal models and working to develop drugs that can target specific mutations associated with the disease, which are numerous. 

“AML has many different subtypes, so it’s been difficult for researchers to make major advances to treat all cases of AML,” says Deshpande, who co-leads the AML team with Professor Peter D. Adams, PhD “Most patients with AML are given the same treatments that have been used since the ’70s, which is why we want to look at AML from as many angles as possible.”

In addition to being difficult to treat, it is also challenging to get funding for AML research, particularly for the rarer subtypes. This makes the support of foundations such as LTJF even more vital to researchers like Deshpande. 

“This is exactly why AML research needs more support and needs more funding, because this is a much more difficult disease than other forms of leukemia,” says Todd. “Many patients don’t have positive outcomes, and the only way to turn that pendulum is to intensify our efforts and increase the amount of research being done.”

Institute News

Peter Adams named Mentor of the Year at 21st Annual Research Trainee Symposium

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

September 23, 2022

Peter Adams receives the Mentor of the Year Award from Marie Berenguer

Peter Adams, PhD, has been named Mentor of the Year, a new honor from the Institute’s Office of Education, Training and International Services (OETIS) and the Postdoctoral Training Advisory Group (PTAG).

The award was based on nomination letters submitted by postdocs and graduate students on the Sanford Burnham Prebys campus, and the winner was selected by a committee of PTAG members. The award was announced on September 22 at the 21st Annual Trainee Research Symposium.

“Professor Adams creates an environment that supports his postdocs in pursuing their research projects by motivating his trainees to experience new techniques, take on challenging projects and help them to decide the direction in which they want to move forward,” said postdoctoral associate Marie Berenguer, who presented the award to Adams. “He helps his trainees expand their professional networks and further develop their technical and transferable skills. Every trainee from the Adams lab submitted an abstract for this year’s Annual Trainee Research Symposium, a sign of Peter’s commitment to their training.”

trainees and posters

Trainees present their research to peers and faculty at the poster session

Adams Lab

The Adams lab

In his comments when accepting the award, Adams spoke to his mentoring philosophy: “Some of you have asked me, ‘What’s the most important thing in a student or a postdoc?’ What I’ll say is that the most important thing is to take ownership of your project, so my mentoring strategy is, in a way, to put the burden on you. But I can only put that burden on you if you can rise to it and take that on, and clearly you do. You do a great job, so that makes my life very easy.”

Reading from nomination letters submitted by postdocs, Berenguer added, “Your positive vision and passion for science, your willingness to collaborate and help, and your kind personality were highly praised and stated as the major reason that you are a one-of-a-kind mentor who has positively impacted your lab members and also many other researchers across Sanford Burnham Prebys.” 

In addition to the award presentation, the day consisted of opening remarks from Hudson Freeze, PhD, and Alessandra Sacco, PhD; presentations by graduate students and postdocs from labs across the Institute; and a keynote presentation from Principal Investigator Karissa Sanbonmatsu, PhD, from Los Alamos National Laboratories, about her work in epigenetics. President and CEO David Brenner, MD, delivered closing remarks, which were followed by a poster session.

“Mentoring is one of the most important things senior faculty can do to advance the careers of their students and postdocs,” said Brenner during his comments. “It’s such a pleasure to join you all for this symposium today.” 

trainees and faculty enjoying refreshments

Trainees and faculty enjoy refreshments during a break

Institute News

Using stem cells to study the biochemistry of learning

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

August 18, 2022

Neural networks grown from human stem cells

A method for studying human neurons could help researchers develop approaches for treating Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia and other neurological diseases

Researchers from the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics have developed a procedure to use neurons derived from human stem cells to study the biological processes that control learning and memory. The method, described in Stem Cell Reports, uses electrodes to measure the activity of neuronal networks grown from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The procedure tracks how synapses—the connections between neurons—strengthen over time, a process called long-term potentiation (LTP).

“Impaired long-term potentiation is thought to be central to many neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s, addiction and schizophrenia,” says senior author Anne Bang, PhD, director of Cell Biology at the Prebys Center. “We’ve developed an approach to study this process in human cells much more efficiently than current methods, which could help trigger future breakthroughs for researchers working on these diseases.”

LTP helps our brain encode information, which is what makes it so critical for learning and memory. Impairment of LTP is thought to contribute to neurological diseases, but it has proven difficult to verify this hypothesis in human cells.

LTP helps our brain encode information, which is what makes it so critical for learning and memory. Impairment of LTP is thought to contribute to neurological diseases, but it has proven difficult to verify this hypothesis in human cells.

Anne Bang, PhD, director of Cell Biology at the Prebys Center.

“LTP is such a fundamental process,” says Bang. “But the human brain is hard to study directly because it’s so inaccessible. Using neurons derived from human stem cells helps us work around that.”

Although LTP can be studied in animals, these studies can’t easily account for some of the more human nuances of neurological diseases.

“A powerful aspect of human stem cell technology is that it allows us to study neurons produced from patient stem cells. Using human cells with human genetics is important in these types of tests because many neurological diseases have complex genetics underpinning them, and it’s rarely just one or two genes that influence a disease,” adds Bang.

To develop the method, first author and Prebys Center staff scientist Deborah Pré, PhD, grew networks of neurons from healthy human stem cells, added chemicals known to initiate LTP and then used electrodes to monitor changes in neuronal activity that occurred throughout the process.

The method can run 48 tests at once, and neurons continue to exhibit LTP up to 72 hours after the start of the experiment. These are distinct advantages over other approaches, which can often only observe parts of the process and are low throughput, which can make getting results more time consuming.

For this study, the researchers used neurons grown from healthy stem cells to establish a baseline understanding of LTP. The next step is to use the approach on neurons derived from patient-derived stem cells and compare these results to the baseline to see how neurological diseases influence the LTP process.

“This is an efficient method for interrogating human stem cell–derived neurons,” says Bang. “Doing these tests with patient cells could open doors for researchers to discover new ways of treating neurological diseases.”

Institute News

One plant at a time: How Sanford Burnham Prebys is helping the monarch butterfly

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

August 9, 2022

Monarch caterpillar

Monarch butterflies are in trouble, and we’re doing something about it

To help protect the monarch butterfly, which was recently declared endangered, Sanford Burnham Prebys is planting milkweed on campus. Planting milkweed and other butterfly-friendly flowers along monarch migration routes is a key strategy to support this iconic California species and prevent further decline. 

“In the ’80s, we all took the butterflies for granted,” said Eva Engvall, PhD professor emerita at Sanford Burnham Prebys. Professor Engvall’s comments on the decline of the monarch were immortalized several years ago in a printed mural on campus. “Thirty years later, we never see them.”

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently added the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) to its list of endangered species. The distinctive orange-and-black butterflies are a staple of Californian wildlife, but their numbers have drastically declined over the last 30 years.

Although monarchs are known for their heroic migration to Mexico and back each year, those that live west of the Rocky Mountains need not travel so far—many of their overwintering sites are located right here in California, with others scattered throughout West Coast states.

In the 1980s, when Sanford Burnham Prebys was known as the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation, some of these resting sites could be found on our campus. Today, this is no longer the case.

Habitat destruction from agriculture and urban development, along with declining milkweed populations caused by drought and fire, have decimated the butterfly population. The IUCN estimates that the population of West Coast monarch butterflies has fallen by an estimated 99.9% between the 1980s and 2021.

“For some time, I thought they didn’t come to La Jolla because the area had been so developed,” said Engvall. “But this is apparently not the cause of the reduction in the number of butterflies, but rather the lack of the plant milkweed, which the larvae need to feed on.”

To combat this problem, the Institute has planted several milkweed plants along our on-campus walkways. Milkweed plants provide shelter and a place to lay eggs for adult butterflies, and they are the only plants that monarch caterpillars eat. Dozens of monarchs have already been spotted on the milkweed just outside Building 1. 

“They eat so fast that we may need to plant more at this rate,” says facilities director John Reed, who planted the milkweed last week. 

Monarch caterpillars feeding on milkweed plats

One caterpillar quickly became many on our on-campus milkweed plants

The milkweed planting is the latest in a series of steps the Institute has taken to help protect the environment and promote sustainability. Sanford Burnham Prebys has been recognized as a trailblazer in water conservation for its innovative water-saving landscaping, and the Institute also recently completed a sweeping round of solar energy upgrades.

“It’s great that our Institute is able to do our part to protect the environment, including these beautiful monarch butterflies,” adds Reed.

Institute News

New internship program ignites a SPARK

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

August 8, 2022

SPARK interns group standing in front of Prebys center

For the first time, Sanford Burnham Prebys hosted high school interns from the SPARK program, an initiative by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) that provides biomedical research opportunities for underrepresented groups throughout California.

The SPARK interns each completed a six-week project under the supervision of a faculty mentor and presented their results to scientists at the Institute as well as at CIRM’s annual SPARK conference. 

“Our SPARK program selects diverse students from San Diego and Imperial Valley, and we were proud to have these students at Sanford Burnham Prebys as the inaugural class,” says Program Director Paula Checchi, PhD Checchi is an administrator in the Office of Education, Training and International Services at Sanford Burnham Prebys. She developed the educational components of the program and also organized several community outreach events for interns.

SPARK stands for Summer Program to Accelerate Regenerative Medicine Knowledge, and students worked in labs learning the hands-on techniques that scientists use to study degenerative diseases—with the ultimate goal of finding new approaches to treat the millions of people affected by these conditions.

“I had no idea that people even worked on zebrafish in labs,” said SPARK intern Ameera Ali, who used zebrafish as a model to study heart disease in the lab of Karen Ocorr, PhD “Traditionally in science you only hear about lab mice and lab rats, but zebrafish are so much more interesting. I can’t wait to work with them again.” 

For intern Saranya Anandakumar, who studied in the lab of Victoria Blaho, PhD, the best moment was a simple one. She says, “My favorite part of the internship was getting to see human blood under the microscope! Seeing all the different types of cells was the coolest thing ever.”

Ameera Ali presenting her research

SPARK intern Ameera Ali presents her research

Four interns from high schools in Imperial Valley had the added experience of living away from home for the first time. Samantha Alvarez, who completed her internship in the lab of Brooke Emerling, PhD, stayed with a family in the San Diego area.

“I loved it,” says Alvarez. “I got a chance to take a peek at what it’s going to be like in my adult life once I graduate and I’m independent.”

At Sanford Burnham Prebys, the internship program culminated in a final celebration where students had the chance to share the results of their work and what they’ve learned from their time at the Institute. The students then traveled to Northern California August 2–3 for CIRM’s annual SPARK conference, where they presented their work and networked with interns from other Institutions. 

“My biggest takeaway was all the cultural diversity on campus and in the lab,” says Alvarez. “One of my mentors is from Barcelona, and it was so interesting to compare cultures and experiences. Everybody was so nice and welcoming. It was great.”

Institute News

Preuss internship inspires young scientists

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

August 1, 2022

Preuss interns

Future first-generation college students gained valuable research experience and learned what it’s like to be a scientist.

Each year, rising high school juniors from the Preuss School come to Sanford Burnham Prebys to try their hands at biomedical research in an intensive three-week internship program. This year, students performed a two-week laboratory course followed by a rotation in six labs at the Institute’s NCI-designated Cancer Center, where they learned about state-of-the-art techniques used in cancer research.

“This experience has been great,” says Preuss intern Brian Pham. “I love that we get to learn from people who are actually doing science instead of just hearing about it in a classroom.” 

Students from the Preuss School, affiliated with UC San Diego, strive to become the first in their families to graduate from college. The Sanford Burnham Prebys Preuss internship program helps train the next generation of scientists by inviting students from the Preuss school to work alongside Institute scientists.

“I got to hear from other first-generation scientists,” says Preuss intern Vickey Martinez. “They didn’t know anything about science or college or anything when they were younger, and that’s kind of my story. It’s nice to know that there are people with similar backgrounds.”

Preuss intern Lilly Hoang with (left to right) Wainwright Fishburn, Malin Burnham and Max D’Angelo, Ph.D

Preuss intern Lilly Hoang receives a certificate of completion. (l-r) Wainwright Fishburn, Lilly Hoang, Malin Burnham and Max D’Angelo, PhD

The students also got to get their hands “wet” by doing real experiments alongside Senior Scientist Marcela Raices, PhD, and graduate student Stephen Sakuma, both researchers in the lab of Maximiliano D’Angelo, PhD.

Preuss students and Marcela Raices

Preuss students with the Laboratory Course Director Marcela Raices, PhD

“We want to teach the students practical skills that will come up in their research careers so they can get a taste of what scientists actually do day-to-day, and have the satisfaction of getting results,” says Raices. “We also wanted to make it clear that anybody can be a scientist—it’s just about putting in the work and learning the skills.”

Topics for the lab workshops included separating proteins with gel electrophoresis and performing Western blot tests with fluorescent proteins. Understanding the proteins involved in the development and growth of cancer is an important approach to finding new treatments.

“The students have been so enthusiastic, and we hope that carries over into their future careers,” says Sakuma.

The internship program culminated in a celebratory luncheon with students, researchers and Institute staff, where students had the opportunity to share the results of their experiments and what they’ve learned from their experience.

“This internship was eye-opening for me,” says Preuss intern Angelina Solis. “As a first-generation student, it’s really hard to imagine yourself in different careers because you don’t even know what’s possible. It’s like an unexplored area of life.”

The 2022 Preuss High School summer internship program was carried out by Sanford Burnham Prebys’ NCI-designated Cancer Center under the direction of Maximiliano D’Angelo, PhD, associate professor and associate director of Education and Training.

Preuss interns Bryan Pham and Vivana Espino work with Marlenne Perales

Preuss interns Bryan Pham and Vivana Espino work with Marlenne Perales, a research assistant in th lab of Ani Deshpande, PhD