A knotted strand of human hair. Typically, a single strand of human hair is between 0.03mm and 0.06 mm in thickness, comparable to the width of a human skin cell and thinner than a fruit fly’s eye.
Image courtesy of Robert Vierthaler, Pfarrwerfen, Salzburg, Austria.
Meet one of our early-career scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys: Alicia Llorente Lope, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Brooke Emerling, PhD.
When and how did you become interested in science?
I come from a family of scientists. Both my parents are biologists, and they are more on the zoology side of the spectrum.
I thought I might follow in their footsteps, but I grew older and became more interested in medicine. I didn’t know then if I wanted to be a physician or a biomedical researcher.
In the end, I felt that research was more my thing. I was more interested in understanding the mechanisms of disease than in treating it.
What are the key areas of research you focus on?
I wanted to work on breast cancer during my postdoctoral fellowship because I had studied the disease while earning my PhD. Now I focus on a specific subtype of breast cancer noted for having high levels of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 protein, or HER2.
This HER2 subtype is known to be aggressive, but it initially responds very well to targeted therapies, which are drugs designed to block the HER2 protein. Unfortunately, most patients develop resistance over time to these drugs.
We are trying to explain why this resistance occurs and learn how to overcome it with new treatments.
What motivates you about your research?
My grandmother died of breast cancer, so I have seen the disease from a very close and personal vantage point. It made me realize how much research is needed, even in cancer types that have a better prognosis now.
It’s clear to me how things have improved for breast cancer patients because of research, and that we can continue to enhance therapies and provide patients with better opportunities and outcomes.
What do you like about working here?
I like that there are a lot of opportunities for us as postdocs to enhance our career development. I think that’s important, and I feel that that’s one of the best things about this institute.
They provide many courses and workshops, and it shows that they really care about our training. I feel that I’ve had the chance to improve professionally in a lot of different areas.
We also have the Sanford Burnham Prebys Science Network that organizes social and networking events. It helps us make new connections. As we make friends here and discuss our projects and interests, we also develop new scientific collaborations.
Have you had an influential mentor?
My first research experience was actually the one that made me decide to get my PhD. I left my home in Barcelona and spent some time in Boston at a lab that studied lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a rare lung disease that my mom has.
Lisa Henske and her lab always treated me as if I was a part of the group, not just an undergraduate student that knows nothing. They would let me present in lab meetings. They would let me go to conferences.
I received outstanding training there, and Lisa’s mentorship was instrumental in my development as a scientist.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not in the lab?
I love scuba diving. The opportunity here to dive with sea lions is amazing.
In November, the sea lions have their pups, and you can dive with them. They are so playful! They even try to bite your fins, your camera. It’s a lot of fun.
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.
The cerebellum of a rat brain, with astrocytes and neurons, captured using confocal microscopy with immunohistological staining.
Image courtesy of Barbara Orsolits, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
The scholarship program for graduate students was created by the Clause family’s generous donation to Sanford Burnham Prebys
“I’m thrilled to receive this scholarship, which will help me continue contributing to our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Shahnaee.
The McCardle Clause Scholarship was established in honor of Phyllis McCardle Clause after her long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The award supports graduate student education in age-related neurodegeneration within the institute’s graduate school.
Shahnaee conducts research in the laboratory of Jerold Chun, MD, PhD, a professor in the Center for Neurologic Diseases at Sanford Burnham Prebys, with a focus on better understanding the effects of neurodegenerative diseases on brain cells.
“Since joining the Chun lab in 2021 and starting my PhD, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside a wonderful team and within the supportive Sanford Burnham Prebys community,” said Shahnaee. “I’m very grateful for this support and for the opportunity to keep pursuing my research with the guidance of my mentor and colleagues.”
As part of her thesis work, Shahnaee contributed to a study unveiling novel and diverse mRNA sequences transcribed from genes associated with neurodegenerative diseases (published in eNeuro 2024).
She will now characterize and study the function of the product of a specific novel human RNA isoform that she found significantly upregulated in disease-associated astrocytes in brain tissue from patients with AD.
“By focusing on the novel RNA isoform we discovered in astrocytes, my goal is to uncover how its translation into a protein alters brain function in Alzheimer’s disease, with the hope of identifying a new disease marker.”
“Contributing to this knowledge is both scientifically exciting and personally motivating,” said Shahnaee. “There is so much we still have to learn about the brain.”
The Sanford Burnham Prebys Center for Cardiovascular and Muscular Diseases recently announced the winners of the 2025 Science in Motion Travel Awards.
Gabriele Guarnaccia, a graduate student in the lab of Alessandra Sacco, PhD, will use his award to attend the 8th Cancer Cachexia Conference being held September 25–27, 2025, in Turin, Italy.
Luca Caputo, PhD, a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Pier Lorenzo Puri, MD, was selected to attend Frontiers in Myogenesis: Innovations in Myogenesis, From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Interventions, which will be held October 6–11, 2025, in Sunriver, Oregon.
The goal of the Science in Motion Travel Awards is to support conference participation for emerging researchers in labs with a primary affiliation in the Center for Cardiovascular and Muscular Diseases.
Applications will open again on January 15, 2026.
A colorized scanning electron micrograph of mouse fat cells (red) surrounded by a network of blood vessels (green).
Image courtesy of Daniel Malide, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH.
Blending a love of biology with the power of data science, Kelly Li, Phd, is tackling one of life’s biggest mysteries: aging. In Yuk-Lap (Kevin) Yip’s lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys, Kelly studies how aging cells influence disease, teaming up with collaborators to explore promising new therapeutic approaches.
Can you tell us about your research at Sanford Burnham Prebys?
I’m part of a pure computational biology lab, where we analyze complex biological data instead of doing benchwork. My current project focuses on aging and senescence—cells that no longer function but don’t die and can affect surrounding cells through inflammation. We use cutting-edge tools like single-cell multi-omics to study these cells and explore potential therapeutic targets. It’s a highly collaborative effort, especially with Dr. Peter Adams’ lab.
How did you first become interested in science?
I’ve always been curious about how things work, especially complex systems like biology. I studied cell and molecular biology as an undergrad and was fascinated—but also frustrated—by how traditional experiments studied one gene at a time. I wanted a more holistic view, so I turned to computational biology during my Ph.D., where I used data science to study diabetic complications. That’s when I really fell in love with using machine learning and data analysis to understand biology.
What brought you to Sanford Burnham Prebys?
I followed my mentor, Dr. Kevin Yip, here from Hong Kong. He moved during my Ph.D., and we had ongoing projects, so it was a natural transition for me to join his lab as a postdoc. I’ve been here since October 2022 and am now working on this exciting aging-related project.
What’s it like to collaborate on such a large project?
It’s very dynamic. The project involves collaborators across Sanford Burnham Prebys, UC San Diego, and institutions like Yale and the University of Minnesota. We meet regularly, share data and ideas, and refine our hypotheses together. I lead the data analysis side, so after running results, I’ll send them around, and we iterate based on group discussions. These interactions are where new ideas often emerge.
What motivates you about your research?
It’s a combination of curiosity and a desire to make a meaningful impact. Curiosity drives me to ask deeper questions and design more insightful experiments. I also find motivation in the research process itself—troubleshooting challenges encourages critical thinking and fosters collaboration with others.
How has the Institute supported your growth?
The environment is very collaborative. It’s easy to talk science—even informally in the lunchroom—and that leads to meaningful conversations and collaborations. I’ve also benefited from professional development programs like grant writing and leadership workshops. They’ve helped not just with research but with career planning as well.
You received a Fishman Fund Award. What did that support allow you to do?
The Fishman Fund I received is a career development award for postdocs. I used the funding to attend aging-related conferences, which helped me get up to speed in the field. I connected with other researchers, heard inspiring talks, and had great discussions with trainees and leaders in aging research. It really expanded my perspective and helped me refine my research questions.
What are your career goals?
I’d love to stay in academia and eventually run my own lab. Whether that’s in the U.S. or back in Hong Kong, I’m not sure yet. But I’m committed to research and continuing to explore how computational approaches can answer big biological questions.
What do you enjoy outside of science?
I like hiking and exploring the beautiful nature around San Diego. I also enjoy watching movies, dancing, and going to the gym—I try to stay active. That’s part of the anti-aging routine, right?
Do you have any advice for aspiring scientists—especially those interested in computational biology?
Yes! Learn the basics—both programming and biology. You need to understand the data and the underlying biology to really make discoveries. Stay curious and motivated, even when you’re knee-deep in code. And be collaborative—great ideas often come from conversations with others.
Any mentors who’ve had a big impact on your journey?
Definitely my PI, Kevin Yip. He’s been my mentor since undergrad. He introduced me to computational biology, was incredibly patient when I was just starting out, and has always supported me. I learned so much from how he approaches writing, research, and mentoring. I’m very grateful.
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.
Scientists and podcasters tackle how a scientist in Iran overcame great odds and forever changed diabetes diagnoses
Sanford Burnham Prebys scientists Ani Deshpande, PhD, and Pamela Itkin-Ansari, PhD, recently released the fourth episode of their podcast exploring groundbreaking discoveries in science and medicine.
The fourth episode focuses on how sugar silently alters our bodies. It includes the unlikely story of how an Iranian scientist made a serendipitous discovery in Tehran that changed diabetes diagnosis forever. His work laid the foundation for the hemoglobin A1c test that is conducted tens of millions of times each year to guide diabetes diagnoses as well as health care and lifestyle decisions.
In March 2025, Deshpande and Itkin-Ansari launched The Discovery Dialogues Podcast to glowing reviews. Their initial episodes were hailed as “masterpieces” by upcoming podcast guest Adam Heller, PhD, the scientist and inventor who revolutionized blood sugar testing and laid the groundwork for modern continuous glucose monitoring systems.
Learn more about the scientists and podcasters behind The Discovery Dialogues Podcast.
Their new episode is available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Hepatocytes or liver cells are the most abundant cell type in the human liver, and play multiple roles, including building proteins, producing bile to aid digestion of fats and chemically processing molecules found normally in the body, like hormones, as well as foreign substances like medicines and alcohol.
Image courtesy of Donna Beer Stolz, University of Pittsburgh.
Lukas Chavez, PhD, associate professor in the Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys, has been named a standing member of the Cancer Genetics Study Section at the National Institutes of Health.
Study sections are groups of invited experts from across the country who are tasked with assessing the scientific merits of grant applications. Their reviews are a major influence in the NIH’s decisions about which proposed research projects to fund.
Jayanta Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, director of the NIH, invited Chavez to join the cancer genetics study section because of his “demonstrated competence and achievement in his scientific discipline as evidenced by the quality of his research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals and other significant scientific activities, achievements, and honors.”
Chavez studies pediatric brain cancer and specifically, the role of extrachromosomal DNA as a driver of aggressive tumors. His study section term begins immediately and runs through June 30, 2029.