Sanford Burnham Prebys Science Network Hosts Community Outreach Symposium Showcasing Early-Career Research
Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from across Sanford Burnham Prebys took center stage at the 2026 Community Outreach Symposium, sharing their research with colleagues and mentors from across the Institute, as well as members of the broader community.
Organized by the Sanford Burnham Prebys Science Network (SBP-SN) and the Office of Learning and Development, the event aims to spark excitement about biomedical research and build trust with the public, while providing trainees with an opportunity to communicate their science to a diverse audience in short 3-minute talks.
The symposium included a Postdoc Pitch Competition, where postdoctoral researchers competed for the opportunity to represent Sanford Burnham Prebys in a mesa-wide competition this fall against peers from Scripps Research, Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the University of California San Diego.
The event also featured a Science Communication Competition, where seven graduate students presented their research and competed for audience votes. The friendly competition highlighted the importance of effective science communication and public engagement.
Postdoc Pitch speakers:
- Jimmy Massenet, PhD, Puri lab — CTCF: The Pillars That Hold Our Genome
- Julia Schoenfeld, PhD, Cosford lab — One STEP Forward in the Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease
- Ryan Loughran, PhD, Emerling lab — PIPKs: Sorting Out Your Cell’s Delivery System
- Kokila Shankar, PhD, Sheffler lab — Don’t Stress: Targeting Stress Signaling to Treat Brain Disorders- (First place Judges’ Selection and People’s Choice Award)
- Jessica Proulx, PhD, Adams lab — Game of Genes: A Song of Activation & Silencing – (Second place Judges’ Selection)
Drs. Kokila Shankar and Jessica Proulx will compete in the Torrey Pines Mesa-wide Postdoc Pitch Competition this fall.
Science Communication Competition presenters:
- Anamika Yadav, Sinha lab — The Aging Rollercoaster Inside Us
- Alisha Kirkland, Spruck lab — Cold Breast Tumors Go Viral – (First place People’s Choice)
- Anna Chechenina, Sinha lab — Your Liver Has a Bad Neighborhood: Finding Where Aging Moves In
- Sophie Hao, Dong lab — When Yellow Isn’t Mellow: The Race to Cure Biliary Atresia – (Second place People’s Choice)
- Carolina Cano Macip, Tian lab — Unlocking Nature’s Secrets to Healthy Aging
- Erik Hultenius, Tian lab — Anti-Aging Interventions for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Patrick Hagan, Cosford lab — ATG Attack: Developing New Drugs for Pancreatic Cancer
The symposium also featured a keynote presentation by Sanjeev Ranade, PhD, assistant professor in the Center for Cardiovascular and Muscular Diseases. Ranade shared highlights from his research on congenital heart disease and developmental biology, while also reflecting on the mentors, experiences and scientific communication opportunities that shaped his career.
Drawing on his own career journey, Ranade encouraged trainees to take chances and remain open to unexpected opportunities. He shared how a seemingly small decision to submit an abstract ultimately set in motion a series of events that led to new collaborations, funding opportunities and eventually a faculty position at Sanford Burnham Prebys. Success, he noted, often comes not from following a carefully mapped path, but from being willing to step forward when opportunities arise.
The event concluded with award announcements, followed by a reception hosted by SBP-SN that provided additional opportunities for networking and scientific discussion.
By bringing together members of the Sanford Burnham Prebys community and guests from the broader community, the symposium fostered collaboration, scientific exchange and public engagement while helping early-career researchers strengthen the communication skills needed to share their discoveries beyond the laboratory.
Special thanks to our judges for their time and participation:
- Nan Eastman
Fishman Community Advisory Board Member - Mitchell Furumoto
Associate Director, International Services, Sanford Burnham Prebys - Liz Hincks
Director, Communications, Sanford Burnham Prebys - Eric Meyer
Assistant Director, Fleet Science Center - Jill Roughan, PhD
Founder and President of Sciencia Consulting