Alejandro Lillo, PhD

Jeanne Jones and Kathryn Fishback
Fishman Career Award

Alejandro Lillo, PhD, is a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Elena Pasquale, PhD. Lillo is studying a family of membrane proteins called Eph receptors. These receptors play important roles in many biological processes and in various diseases, including cancer.

Among these receptors, the Eph receptor A2 is most profoundly linked to cancer. Lillo’s work explores how Eph receptor complexes influence cancer cell signaling networks. His ongoing studies aim to identify new ways to target these receptor complexes for cancer therapy.

Kokila Shankar, PhD

Lenka Finci and Erna Viterbi
Fishman Career Award

Kokila Shankar, PhD, is a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Douglas Sheffler, PhD. Shankar focuses on neuroscience therapeutics discovery with a special interest in the stress system. The stress system plays a crucial role in the onset and maintenance of alcohol addiction and other substance use and mood disorders.

Shankar aims to identify new small molecules that modify how the stress system sends and receives biochemical signals in the brain. New drugs targeting the stress system may mitigate aspects of addiction such as withdrawal symptoms.

Meenakshi Sudhakaran, PhD

Reena Horowitz and Mary Bradley
Fishman Founders Career Award

Meenakshi Sudhakaran, PhD, is a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Kelly Kersten, PhD. Because cancer cells and tumors do not exist in a vacuum, Sudhakaran is interested in how tumors develop in and alter the nearby milieu of immune cells, connective tissue, blood vessels, proteins and carbohydrates.

Sudhakaran studies how this tumor microenvironment influences anti-tumor immunity and reduces the effectiveness of immunotherapy in solid tumors. She seeks to identify new immunomodulatory targets to help treat patients whose tumor microenvironment prevents an effective immune response.

Dominic Denk, MD

Jeanne Jones and Kathryn Fishback
Fishman Career Award

Dominic Denk, MD, works with Dr. Michael Karin to study what prevents the immune system from stopping the growth and spread of cancer. His research focuses on what influences the body’s natural defenses against cancers of the digestive system. 

Dr. Denk has linked liver metabolism to the spread of cancer, opening the possibility of strengthening anti-cancer immunity using existing medications.

His long-term goal is to be a physician-scientist leading a clinically focused research program that translates laboratory discoveries into new treatments.

Robert Wiesheu, PhD

Erna Viterbi and Lenka Finci
Fishman Career Award

Robert Wiesheu, PhD, works with Dr. Kelly Kersten to study immune cells called myeloid cells that influence the growth and spread of melanoma. His research explores how these cells shape the tumor environment, influence the effectiveness of immunotherapy and contribute to metastasis. 

Dr. Wiesheu plans to enter the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry to help guide the development of new cancer therapies. His goal is to accelerate immunotherapy research so that more patients can be treated and live longer, healthier lives.

Amador Gallardo de los Reyes, PhD

Reena and Sam Horowitz
Fishman Founders Career Award

Amador Gallardo de los Reyes, PhD, works with Dr. Xiao Tian to study how the brain ages. His research builds on the discovery that aging brain cells can regain more youthful characteristics.

By investigating how these rejuvenation strategies restore brain function, Dr. Gallardo hopes to uncover new approaches for preventing or treating dementia and other increasingly common neurodegenerative diseases.

His long-term goal is to establish an independent research program dedicated to understanding brain aging and developing new therapies.