Last week, scholars in the LEAP (Lab Experience As Pathway) program shared their research at a capstone presentation event, marking the culmination of a year-long journey in the lab. Designed to bridge the gap between college graduation and graduate school, the LEAP program provides recent grads with hands-on research experience, professional development, and mentorship to prepare them for advanced studies in STEM.
The program was first launched by Dr. Ani Deshpande and has since been championed by Dr. Kevin Yip, who continues to lead and shape its success. With generous support from the Prebys Foundation, the LEAP program is led by the Sanford Burnham Prebys NCI-designated Cancer Center, with significant contributions from the Office of Education, Training and International Services (OETIS), Workforce Engagement and Belonging (WEB), a dedicated team of mentors, and many other Sanford Burnham Prebys colleagues.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Deshpande reflected on the purpose and promise of the program. “This is about you,” he told the scholars. “Your energy, your growth, your potential. I’ve been so impressed by your scientific curiosity and your confidence.”
Dr. Yip added, “It’s been a privilege to work with such a talented and motivated group. Watching them grow as scientists and individuals over the past year has been truly inspiring.”
As the event wrapped up, students headed to a poster session and photo session with plenty to celebrate: a year of lab experience, new skills, and a clearer path to graduate school and beyond.
The LEAP program students include:
Emerald Adeyan (Chavez and Heynen-Genel Labs)
Developing an Innovative Assay for High-Throughput Detection of ecDNA in MYC-Amplified Medulloblastoma
Kyle Alvarez (Jackson and Sinha Labs)
Tissue Morphology Predicts Telomere Shortening in Human Tissues
Monica Jensen (Huang Lab)
Development and Validation of TREM2 Overexpression Lines in H9 Embryonic Stem Cells
Rachel Khoury (Wang Lab)
Motor Neuron Rewiring in Aging & Cachectic Muscle Wasting Conditions
Kai Rauda (Osterman Lab)
Skin-Deep Discovery: A Novel Vitamin C Metabolic Pathway in Cutibacterium acnes
Sarina Safavi (Yip Lab)
Exploring Differential Expression in Alzheimer’s Disease Resilience
Isabel Sakowicz (Kumsta and Tharp Labs)
Glucose-Driven Fibrotic Pathways: Connecting Metabolic Stress to Ovarian Fibrosis
Mahek Shah (Spruck Lab)
Validating F5446 as an Inducer of Viral Mimicry in Human Breast Cancer Cells