ngiusti, Author at Sanford Burnham Prebys - Page 2 of 29
Institute News

Q & A with Postdoctoral Researcher Meena Sudhakaran, PhD, from the Kersten Lab

AuthorCommunications
Date

July 23, 2025

Meet one of our early-career scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys: Meena Sudhakaran, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Kelly Kersten, PhD. Sudhakaran studies cancer immunology to improve immunotherapy for breast cancer.

When and how did you become interested in science?
I was always curious as a child. When one of my family members was diagnosed with cancer, I grew up watching how it affects people. That made me really interested in how diseases work. I wanted to know the causes and the biological reasons beneath it.

What did you imagine you would be doing professionally, and how did it evolve?
When I was done with my master’s degree, I was sure I wanted to work in industry. I was determined to join a biopharma company where I could make medicines.

I worked as a scientist and as a senior scientist for three and a half years on a team at Biocon in India developing drugs for head and neck cancer. During my time in the company, I realized that I wanted to do a PhD to dive deeper into understanding the biology of cancer and how every cancer type is different.

During my PhD, I was introduced to immune cells and how immune cells affect tumor progression. I wanted to be in a cancer immunology lab for my postdoctoral training, so the Kersten Lab here was a perfect fit.

What are the key areas of research you focus on?
Breast cancer patients do not really respond to most immunotherapy drugs. We don’t yet know why they are ineffective.

Our immune system protects our bodies from pathogens, foreign particles or any abnormal cells like cancer. T cells, a type of immune cells in the tumor environment, can get activated and attack the tumor cells. But what often happens is that they become dysfunctional due to continuous exposure to the immunosuppressive environment and lose their ability to kill. Additionally, there are other immune cells such as macrophages that create a tumor-promoting environment.

Kelly previously showed that macrophages and T cells interact, creating a communication loop where the macrophages drive the T cells to exhaustion. The focus of my research is to understand how this interaction creates an anti-tumor immune response in breast cancer. This will help us get closer to the ultimate goal of making immunotherapy more effective in breast cancer patients.

What do you like about working here?
Kelly is a great mentor. She is very supportive. She is easy to approach, and our discussions are always encouraging yet stimulating. I believe it is really important for a successful lab that trainees feel comfortable discussing ideas and challenges openly.

Outside of my lab, there are lots of shared resources and training opportunities available. Everything is nearby and easy to access. People here are also very open to collaboration, which creates a strong and supportive research environment.

What motivates you about your research?
I love doing research! I like being in the lab, planning experiments and looking at the results.

It’s like solving a puzzle, so that keeps me excited.

What are your hopes for the next stage in your career?
I plan to return to industry and continue focusing on the translational side of biomedical research. My goal is to combine my experience in both industry and academia to help develop new medicines and improve treatments.

Although I am still early in my postdoctoral training, I can already see how much I’m learning. When I go back to industry, I’ll have stronger problem-solving skills, more knowledge, and more confidence in making decisions. I have definitely made progress, and I know that growth will continue and support me throughout my career.

Postdocs at Sanford Burnham Prebys are pushing the boundaries of science every day through curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. This series highlights their unique journeys, what inspires their work, and the impact they’re making across our labs.

Explore the Full Series

Institute News

Science in Pictures

AuthorScott LaFee
Date

July 21, 2025

Darkfield micrograph of human scalp section.

Image courtesy of Anita L. Tellier, Rochester Institute of Technology.

Institute News

Ani Deshpande promoted to professor in the Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys

AuthorGreg Calhoun
Date

July 16, 2025

The newly promoted scientist will continue studying how blood cancers sabotage stem cells’ special features to grow and spread

As of July 1, 2025, Ani Deshpande, PhD, was promoted to professor in the Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys.

The Deshpande lab studies developmental processes in stem cells that get hijacked by cancer, focusing specifically on acute myeloid leukemia (AML), one of the most common types of blood cancer. Several attributes of normal stem cells, including the ability to self-renew, are known to be co-opted or reactivated by cancer cells.

In addition, Deshpande collaborates within and beyond the institute on several large categories of AML research, 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,” said Deshpande. “Most patients with AML are given the same treatments that have been used since the 1970s, which is why we want to look at AML from as many angles as possible.”

Deshpande joined the institute in 2015 and was promoted to associate professor in 2022. Prior to arriving at Sanford Burnham Prebys, he held positions at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School. Recently, Deshpande and colleague Pamela Itkin-Ansari, PhD, launched The Discovery Dialogues Podcast, which explores  groundbreaking discoveries in science and medicine.

“I’m deeply grateful for the incredible support of my trainees, mentors and colleagues,” said Deshpande. “And for all who made this scientific journey so meaningful and worthwhile.”

Institute News

Q & A with Postdoctoral Researcher Ranajit Das, PhD, from the Cosford Lab

AuthorCommunications
Date

July 15, 2025

Meet one of our early-career scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys: Ranajit Das, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Nicholas Cosford, PhD. Das is a medicinal chemist focused on designing and synthesizing new potential therapies, with a focus on cancer treatment.

When and how did you become interested in science?
During my early childhood education, I developed a deep curiosity about the world around me. Over time, I became more interested in chemistry. I found it fascinating that two colorless things can mix and make something colorful, or that two liquids can merge and produce a solid.

Then, when I was introduced to organic chemistry in my undergraduate years, it was eye-opening. I realized that organic chemistry is connected to nearly everything we use or do in our everyday lives. Everything from the blue dye in denim jeans to fading vegetable colors, fragrances, and even the medicines we take, are made of organic molecules. That realization drew me even deeper into the subject.

As I continued studying organic chemistry, I got into synthetic organic chemistry and building molecules. If you have the right knowledge, you can use simple building blocks that are usually made of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, and assemble them into compounds that can be functional, beautiful and even lifesaving.

How has your scientific career evolved?
While earning my master’s degree, I was learning about drug discovery and how organic molecules can be useful for treating human diseases. Then, during my PhD, I trained in how to use those chemical components to build a probe to study a disease and ascertain how to potentially cure that disease.

Ever since, I have wanted to build something which will improve human health. That is the reason I decided to pursue a scientific career.

What brought you to the Cosford lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys?
I chose to pursue my postdoctoral training at Sanford Burnham Prebys because of its strong emphasis on drug discovery. The Cosford lab has been working for almost two decades on a wide range of disease models—including cancer, central nervous system and infectious diseases—which are key areas in today’s therapeutic landscape.

This provides an unusual opportunity to gain practical experience with diverse targets. Furthermore, several of the lab’s drug candidates are in preclinical or phase I/II clinical trials, reflecting its strength in translational research.

What are the key areas of research you focus on?
Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a natural process in our body. It allows us to remove unwanted cells as we grow and develop. Cancer, however, can disrupt the system of apoptosis.

One way this happens is through the action of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins, which block caspases and help regulate cell survival and cell death during cancer. The second mitochondrial activator of caspases, or SMAC, can bind to and neutralize these inhibitor of apoptosis proteins, thereby promoting apoptosis.

We’re trying to make molecules that can mimic SMAC in order to treat cancer.

What motivates you about your research?
It’s the creativity and complexity around creating 3D chemical architecture to have potential medicinal properties. As we test and refine the compounds, I enjoy using my knowledge of how they react with protein molecules and how that affects the activity of those proteins, which can be useful for targeting diseases.

It is essential to nurture a feedback loop of biological activity and synthesis that keeps the drug discovery process dynamic and purposeful. For me, it is motivating to see that we are designing something and synthesizing something that is having the biological activity necessary for any potential candidate therapy. From there, we can work on finetuning in terms of potency, selectivity, pharmacodynamic stability and other characteristics of successful treatments.

What do you like about working here?
I like the collaborative and supportive research environment here at the institute. We have scientists and students from many different backgrounds and areas of expertise all focused on the same goal, the advancement of biomedical research.

The core research facilities and interdisciplinary expertise make this place ideal for pursuing very complicated targets for translational research. The Institute also has an emphasis on mentorship and career development, which is very important. I feel I’m growing as a scientist in a community which values curiosity, integrity and teamwork.

How would you describe the culture here?
There is a culture of open communication. Sharing ideas, discussing challenges and seeking feedback are encouraged. I’ve found this helps foster personal and professional growth, as well as scientific innovation.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not in the lab?
I have a deep appreciation for world cinema, particularly Hollywood classics from the 80s and 90s. Bengali literature holds a special place in my heart, as does Indian classical music—especially the rich, melodic tones of the sitar and sarod.

Postdocs at Sanford Burnham Prebys are pushing the boundaries of science every day through curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. This series highlights their unique journeys, what inspires their work, and the impact they’re making across our labs.

Explore the Full Series

Institute News

Science in Pictures

AuthorScott LaFee
Date

July 14, 2025

A confocal micrograph of blood vessel networks in the intestine of an adult mouse.

Image courtesy of Satu Paavonsalo and Sinem Karaman, University of Helsinki.

Institute News

Science in Pictures

AuthorScott LaFee
Date

July 7, 2025

A fluorescent micrograph of a section of small intestine of a mouse. The finger-like projections are villi, which line the intestinal tract and increase surface area for absorption.

Image courtesy of Amy Engevik, Medical University of South Carolina.

Institute News

Science in Pictures

AuthorScott LaFee
Date

June 30, 2025

An optical projection tomograph depicts the lung of a 16 ½ day old embryonic mouse, with airways highlighted in pink and epithelial progenitors in green.

Image courtesy of Kamryn Gerner-Mauro and Jichao Chen at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Institute News

Science in Pictures

AuthorScott LaFee
Date

June 23, 2025

A trichinella cyst is depicted in pork muscle. Trichinella is a parasitic worm known to cause trichinosis, an intestinal infection that, untreated, can progress to serious inflammation of the heart and lungs.

Image courtesy of Nathan P. Myhrvold, Modernist Cuisine.

Institute News

Opinion: Health database could provide key insights to improve care

AuthorDavid A. Brenner
Date

June 23, 2025

In every body and in everybody, there is an enormous, diverse and changing array of medical and health information, from longitudinal data like our weight and blood pressure over the years to the biological samples, such as blood and tissues, that your doctor or a medical professional may ask you to provide.

There is also the non-medical social and demographic information that we share, from lifestyle choices like smoking, drinking and how much we exercise to socioeconomic status and how often we actually seek or need health care.

To some degree, we provide this information to our doctors during visits to clinics and hospitals. It’s part of how they work to keep each of us as healthy as possible.

But for everyone else, not so much, which is a shame.

The amount of health information collected by physicians is vast, unprecedented and exponentially growing, fueled by now-standard electronic health records (EHR) that make it easier, simpler and faster to collect and share patient information.

That last word “share” is critical. While having a digital record of your health is useful and convenient for individual doctors and patients, it is the untapped power and potential of new insights and discoveries lying within our combined health data that promises improved biomedical research and better answers to our relentless need for new drugs, treatments and therapies.

The term “translational medicine,” whose intent is to specifically apply basic scientific discoveries to human health, was introduced in the 1990s and gained widespread use through the emergence of popular terms like “bench-to-bedside” and “precision medicine” in the early 2000s.

But there is a massive gap between the generation of clinical data with its hidden treasures and the reality of companies and institutions leveraging those insights into new drugs and treatments that actually help people.

I know because I stand in that gap, a member of the scientific infrastructure necessary to translate research into health. I’m not alone, but it can sometimes feel like a lonely crusade.

Thanks to the biomedical revolution fueled by new technologies, we now have much deeper, empirically based understanding of how life works, from molecules and cells to networks of tissues and organs. Correspondingly, we better understand the pathology of disease, albeit not perfectly. There is still much to learn.

Where we always struggle is translating basic knowledge into action, into healthier and saved lives.

Humans are 99.9% identical in their genetic makeup. It is the remaining 0.1% that makes each of us unique. These genomic differences include “variances of uncertain significance.” or VUS. They are slight differences in DNA. Unlike gene variations specifically associated with disease, such as cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia, it is not clear whether variances of uncertain significances are actually connected to a specific health condition.

They are riddles wrapped in a mystery inside a cell membrane. We don’t know what variances of uncertain significances do, if they do anything, but within them perhaps lie many of the answers and remedies for what ails us.

Everyday clinics and hospitals collect human cells and tissue samples for examination. If a sample reveals a known, recognizable condition or disease, it can inform the physician about next treatment steps. If it does not, it is likely stored and ignored.

Doctors lack the expertise and capacity to study variances of uncertain significances in detail. Current and future biotechnology companies might have the expertise and ability to test and market new remedies, but they need someone to first to figure out how biology translates to medicine.

Some places, like where I work, already do this. It’s part of our vision and mission. The translational journey requires taking real steps. Systematically tapping the troves of clinical samples for new knowledge is one of them.

Another approach is to introduce the variances of uncertain significance into a preclinical model of a disease and see whether it makes the phenotype (the disease characteristics) worse. If the disease gets worse in the model system, the variances of uncertain significance is probably a disease causing mutation, if the disease is unchanged, the variances of uncertain significance is probably a harmless genetic variant.

Biomedical repositories and basic researchers can be doing more, collaborating more. The benefits are both certain and significant.

View the original piece in the San Diego Union-Tribune

Institute News

Science in Pictures

AuthorScott LaFee
Date

June 16, 2025

A micrograph using confocal, fluorescence and image stacking technologies depicts the optic nerve head of a rodent. Astrocytes in yellow, contractile proteins in red and vasculature in green.

Image courtesy of Hassanin Qambari and Jayden Dickson, Lions Eye Institute, Australia.