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Institute News

Sanford receives first Erkki Ruoslahti Award for Transformational Leadership

AuthorScott LaFee
Date

December 13, 2024

Denny Sanford in the lab with scientists working in the background

At a special event December 11, attended by trustees from Sanford Burnham Prebys and featuring brief talks by many of the Institute’s newest faculty, the inaugural Erkki Ruoslahti Award for Transformational Leadership was presented to T. Denny Sanford.

The new award honors recipients whose visionary leadership drives positive change, inspires groundbreaking solutions and contributes to the transformation of industries and society.

It is named after one of the institute’s earliest faculty and its president from 1989 to 2002. Ruoslahti made seminal contributions to the discovery of cell adhesion receptors known as integrins, helped developed a novel class of tumor-homing peptides and advanced the science of nanomedicine.

His past honors include elected membership to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the European Molecular Biology Organization, the Japan Prize, Gairdner Foundation International Award, G.H.A. Clowes Award, Robert J. and Claire Pasarow Foundation Award and Jacobaeus International Prize.

In 2022, Ruoslahti was announced as one of three winners of the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, sometimes called “America’s Nobel.”

Sanford is, of course, one of the institute’s three namesakes, a distinguished businessman and philanthropist who has long supported its work and vision.

“Denny Sanford has been a friend, supporter and mentor for many, many years. He believes in the importance and value of both basic and translational science, of helping patients and the world become better and healthier,” said Brenner.

“His past, present and future support of Sanford Burnham Prebys is critical to our vision and mission. No one has done more. This award is a heart-felt, tangible symbol of our gratitude.”

Watch Award Presentation
Institute News

Alexandre Colas named 2024 Mentor of the Year at Sanford Burnham Prebys

AuthorGreg Calhoun
Date

October 8, 2024

Alicia Llorente Lope, PhD, presenting the 2024 Mentor of the Year Award to Alexandre Colas, PhD
Alicia Llorente Lope, PhD, a postdoctoral associate at Sanford Burnham Prebys, presented the 2024 Mentor of the Year Award to Alexandre Colas, PhD. Colas is the associate dean of admissions for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and associate professor in the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program.

Colas was applauded for enthusiastically promoting mentees’ professional and scientific development.

Alexandre Colas, PhD, was named as the 2024 Mentor of the Year at Sanford Burnham Prebys. This honor is jointly awarded by the institute’s Office of Education, Training and International Services (OETIS) and the Postdoctoral Training Advisory Group (PTAG).

Colas is the associate dean of admissions for the Sanford Burnham Prebys Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and associate professor in the institute’s Development, Aging and Regeneration Program.

The Mentor of the Year awardee was determined following a selection process driven by postdoctoral scholars. After a committee reviewed nomination letters submitted by postdoctoral associates and graduate students, Colas was announced as the recipient on September 19 at the 23rd Annual Biomedical Research Symposium.

“It is evident that Colas has remarkable mentorship skills and a genuine commitment to fostering both the scientific and professional development of his postdocs and graduate students,” said postdoctoral associate and PTAG representative Alicia Llorente Lope, PhD, during her presentation of the Mentor of the Year award.

“Colas’ nominators described him as kind, compassionate and someone who creates a positive, collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment in his lab. His enthusiasm for science is infectious, and it inspires those around him.”

Additional comments from Colas’ nominators include:

“He promotes participation in career development and events, encouraging all his mentees to attend scientific workshops and training events, conferences, talks and symposia that will benefit our scientific and personal growth.”

“As an enthusiastic leader, Colas organized events to celebrate achievements and milestones. He used these opportunities to promote team-building and collaborative efforts among his lab members and beyond the lab.”

“Whether discussing complex scientific hypotheses or the latest developments in our field, Colas has a unique ability to make even the most challenging concepts accessible and exciting.”

“His influence and guidance have allowed me to push myself outside my comfort zone and to become a better scientist.”

“He guides students through difficulties, offering thoughtful advice and constructive feedback that helps us overcome obstacles and strengthens our resilience and confidence as researchers. His mentorship has helped me achieve great scientific discoveries in the lab and grow closer to becoming an independent research scientist.”

“Should I establish my own lab, I aspire to follow Colas’ mentoring and leadership style, which I believe is the epitome of mentoring perfection.”

Institute News

Michael Alcaraz awarded Melvin and Phyllis McCardle Clause Scholarship

AuthorGreg Calhoun
Date

September 18, 2024

Michael Alcaraz, headshot in lab
Michael Alcaraz is a fourth-year graduate student in the Sanford Burnham Prebys Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

The scholarship program for graduate students was created by the Clause family’s generous donation to Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Michael Alcaraz, a fourth-year graduate student in the Sanford Burnham Prebys Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, was selected as the 2024 recipient of the Melvin and Phyllis McCardle Clause Scholarship.

“I am very excited about being chosen for this scholarship,” said Alcaraz. “I’ll be gaining mentorship opportunities from researchers in neuroscience that complement my lab’s focus on aging.

“This funding will make a big difference as my research moves forward. The scholarship also provides support for professional development, which will allow me to attend conferences to share what I’m studying and grow my network.”

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.

Alcaraz conducts research in the laboratory of Peter D. Adams, PhD, the director of the Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program, with a focus on the mechanisms of aging.

With support from the scholarship, Alcaraz will be investigating the fundamental connections between aging and the increased risk of AD, the most common cause of dementia. His project is focused on the role of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), an essential metabolite and building block for enzymes.

NAD+ levels decrease with age in several tissues, including in the brains of humans and mouse models of AD. The decline of this important metabolite is associated with insufficient energy metabolism that is a major hallmark of AD.

“In collaboration with the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, we will test a potential drug to promote production of NAD+ in the brain by activating a key enzyme involved in NAD+ biosynthesis,” said Alcaraz.  The compound was developed by the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics led by Michael Jackson, PhD, senior vice president of Drug Discovery and Development.

“The goal of my project is to raise the levels of NAD+ in mice suffering from an analogous condition to AD and test its effects on improving brain metabolism, function and behavior,” added Alcaraz.

“The objective is to build the preclinical foundation for one day achieving benefits for patients. We all know how devastating AD is for patients and families, and the need for new treatments grows greater every single day.

“This project will require a lot of collaboration between experts in aging, drug discovery, neuroscience and behavioral analysis. We have all this expertise available across the Institute, and I’m looking forward to working with an interdisciplinary team on this effort thanks to the generosity of the Clause family.”

Institute News

Chiara Nicoletti, PhD, garners inaugural Fishman Fund Cynthia Schwartz Shenkman Research Excellence Award

AuthorGreg Calhoun
Date

September 12, 2024

Chiara Nicoletti, profile photo in office
Chiara Nicoletti, PhD, studies epigenetic patterns in skeletal muscle development and disease in the laboratory of Pier Lorenzo Puri, MD, director of the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program.

This annual award was established in 2024 to recognize the contributions of postdoctoral fellows at Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Chiara Nicoletti, PhD, a postdoctoral associate at Sanford Burnham Prebys, was selected as the first recipient of the Fishman Fund Cynthia Schwartz Shenkman Research Excellence Award. 

This award is one of two new honors being given during the 23rd Fishman Funds awards ceremony on September 17, marking 2024 as a special year for the Institute and the supporting donors.  

The inaugural Don Barach Fishman Fund Career Award adds a fourth prize in the category of career awards focused on providing professional development opportunities for postdoctoral fellows. In addition, the Fishman Fund Cynthia Schwartz Shenkman Research Excellence Award adds a new third category of honors.  

This award recognizes and rewards experienced postdoctoral fellows who have achieved a track record of research excellence. It is designed to help offset the cost of living in the region, and to benefit recipients as they prepare for the next step in their careers.

“For me, this award provides recognition of my hard work and that of my colleagues,” said Nicoletti. “It also acknowledges my mentor at Sanford Burnham Prebys and how he supports members of his laboratory.”

Nicoletti studies epigenetic patterns in skeletal muscle development and disease in the laboratory of Pier Lorenzo Puri, MD, director of the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program.

“My graduate school mentor met Lorenzo at a conference in 2016,” said Nicoletti. “Lorenzo wanted to apply what was then a very new technique called Hi-C to better understand how the MyoD protein—a key player in the establishment of muscle cell identity—is able to transform non-muscle cells into muscle.

“He wanted to study how changes in the three-dimensional organization of DNA can trigger alterations in gene expression, leading to a switch in cell identity. Few people in the world could analyze the data from these experiments at that time. And one of those people was me.”

Chiara’s accomplishments since joining Sanford Burnham Prebys and the Puri lab in 2018 include her work on dysferlinopathy, a rare form of muscular dystrophy. In collaboration with the laboratory of Jyoti K. Jaiswal, MSc, PhD, at Children’s National Research Institute in Washington, D.C., she developed an atlas mapping how the disease causes changes in the transcription of genes in skeletal muscle. This compendium follows the disease progression of dysferlinopathy at the single-cell level.

Dysferlinopathy patients suffer from progressive muscle loss in which muscle cells are replaced by fat and scar tissue. Understanding how this process takes place may accelerate research to find new drugs to improve muscle function. For her work on this project, Nicoletti was recently recognized with the Young Investigator Award by the Jain Foundation, a nonprofit foundation focused on finding a cure for dysferlinopathy.

“When you get to know people with muscular dystrophy, you immediately see that their minds are bursting with life,” reflected Nicoletti. “Someone I met recently said his dream was to bring his daughter to the altar at her wedding and have a father-daughter dance. If we can do something to improve his quality of life, imagine the ripple effects of what that would mean to his daughter, to his whole family.”

When Nicoletti completes her postdoctoral fellowship, she would like to remain in academia as an independent principal investigator.

“As a bioinformatician with experience in bench research, I hope to bring different labs together to build interdisciplinary collaborations focused on how diverse biological systems and organs interact.

“I also would like to teach as I feel it is our fundamental duty as scientists to train the next generation. I believe it is especially important to educate students and postdoctoral fellows about basic bioinformatics skills so that they are better equipped to evaluate published data and collaborate with computational biologists.”

Nicoletti also expressed a long-term goal of applying computational biology methods to advance knowledge of why patients are more or less susceptible to disease and have different responses to medications. These learnings are critical to personalizing treatment plans for individuals rather than populations.

Nicoletti is thankful for the support of the Fishman Fund Cynthia Schwartz Shenkman Research Excellence Award during the remainder of her postdoctoral training.

“The work I do is very rewarding. It feels close to the best that humanity has to offer when scientists and patients collaborate to achieve a common goal.

“I’m so grateful for this award, which serves as even more motivation for me, my mentor and collaborators. We’re each only given one life, and I’m determined to give back as much as I can to society through science.”

Institute News

Brenner receives Director of the Year award for leading “companies in transition”

AuthorScott LaFee
Date

September 5, 2024

David Brenner standing in front of Sanford Burnham Prebys logo

Congratulations to Sanford Burnham Prebys President and CEO David Brenner, who received last night the 2024 Director of the Year award in the category of “companies in transition” from the Corporate Directors Forum, a San Diego-based network of top executives.

The award was presented in ceremonies at the Hyatt Regency in La Jolla.

Brenner, who became president and CEO of Sanford Burnham Prebys in September 2022, was honored for his bold and dramatic vision of the institute as a 21st century leader in biomedical research.

“This award is given to directors who have contributed significantly in times of change and have brought positive and productive conclusions,” said Lori Moore, a former award recipient and Sanford Burnham Prebys trustee in her introduction at the event.

“David is both passionate and humble. He is both a physician and a scientist. Most importantly, David leads a cultural shift at Sandford Burnham Prebys with tenacity, passion, and humility! He has brought in exceptional new scientists and restructured the organization. His passion is to create a culture in our community where people synergize and find resources to work together. He indeed translates science into health.”

In just two years, Brenner has restructured the institute as home to four disease-focused centers (cancer, cardiovascular, neurologic and metabolic) and three technology-enabling centers for drug discovery, multi-omics and artificial intelligence.

With a landmark $70 million gift from philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, he has recruited a dozen new and established scientists.

“The old ways of thinking about and doing science no longer adequately address the complexities of modern science or the realities of the public health challenges we face,” said Brenner. “As scientists and physicians, we must transform how we work even as our work continues to transform itself.”

Institute News

Emily Wu awarded Melvin and Phyllis McCardle Clause Scholarship

AuthorSusan Gammon
Date

September 28, 2023

Emily Wu headshot

A scholarship program enabled by the Clause family’s generous donations to the Institute has been awarded to Jiaqian (Emily) Wu, a graduate student in the lab of Nicholas Cosford, PhD, co-director and professor of the Cancer Molecular Therapeutics Program.

“This award is special to me because it’s more than a scholarship—it’s inspiring and encouraging for early-stage scholars,” says Wu. “My research goal is to discover innovative treatments of Alzheimer’s disease and enhance our understanding of the disease. Receiving this honor from a family who was affected by this devastating disease makes me even more motivated to advance my research. I sincerely appreciate the support.”

The McCardle Clause Scholarship was established in honor of Phyllis McCardle Clause who passed away after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease in 2008, in San Diego, California. The award supports graduate student education in neurodegeneration and aging within the Graduate Program for Biomedical Sciences.

Wu’s research focuses on a brain-specific enzyme called STEP, whose levels are increased in the human prefrontal cortex of AD patients. Genetic and pharmacological evidence from mouse studies suggest that targeting STEP, a signaling molecule involved in the initial synaptic dysfunction that occurs prior to the loss of neurons, may provide an early treatment option for Alzheimer’s disease.

“We are using a bold approach to screen for potential drugs that modulate STEP,” says Wu. “The strategy holds great potential in overcoming the historical challenges of drug potency, selectivity and blood-brain barrier penetration efficacy for Alzheimer’s disease.”

“More approaches to stemming Alzheimer’s disease are desperately needed. I’m hopeful that our research will contribute to the field and help people suffering this disease.”

Institute News

Sanford Burnham Prebys celebrates one of its legends

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

March 8, 2023

Erkki Ruoslahti, MD, PhD

In 2022, Distinguished Professor Emeritus Erkki Ruoslahti, MD, PhD, was awarded the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, the top American prize for biomedical research.

Ruoslahti was also among the first scientists to join the Institute in the late 1970s, where he completed this award-winning research. To celebrate Ruoslahti’s career and accomplishments, Sanford Burnham Prebys hosted a special lecture with the esteemed scientist as well as a celebratory reception afterward.

“Erkki’s illustrious career is one that keeps us all inspired—me, especially, as I follow in his footsteps in leading this Institute,” says David A. Brenner, MD, president and CEO of Sanford Burnham Prebys. “His Lasker Award win is so very much deserved. Not only does it recognize his outstanding influence in the field, but it also elevates the status of our Institute in the research community.”

Ruoslahti, who shares the award with Richard O. Hynes from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Timothy A. Springer from Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, began his presentation with the research that led to his discovery of the integrins—proteins found on the surface of cells that helps them attach to, and communicate with, nearby cells and the extracellular matrix. 

Ruoslahti’s road to the discovery of integrins began at the University of Helsinki, where, along with his colleagues, he discovered fibronectin, a protein that helps surround, support and give structure to cells and tissues in the body. However, the biggest breakthroughs were yet to come.

Erkki Ruoslahti gives lecture to full a full auditorium

Ruoslahti gave his presentation to a packed house in Fishman Auditorium

“My research on fibronectin and the subsequent discovery of the integrins really got going in my first years at Sanford Burnham Prebys,” says Ruoslahti, who first joined the Institute in 1979, when it was known as the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation.

The Ruoslahti research team discovered that a simple sequence of three amino acids, called RGD, within fibronectin, attaches directly to cells. They were then able to synthesize RGD and use it as a tool to discover the cell-surface receptors today known as the integrins. This seemingly small discovery created an entirely new subdiscipline of molecular biology.

“The Lasker Award is given for a fundamental discovery that opens up a new area of biomedical science. It is America’s top biomedical research award and is often referred to as ‘America’s Nobel,’” says Brenner. “This is a profound honor, one that is only given to those who have made the greatest impact in our field.”

In 1989, Ruoslahti became president and CEO of the Institute, a position he held until returning to full-time research in 2002. He became a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Sanford Burnham Prebys in 2020. Ruoslahti has previously received the Japan Prize, the Gairdner Foundation International Award, the G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award, and the Robert J. and Claire Pasarow Foundation Medical Research Award. He is also a Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland, a Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland and is among the most cited scientists in the world.

Institute News

Yasuyuki Kihara wins a dream award

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

November 9, 2022

Yasuyuki Kihari, a Japanese man in a grey hoodie, holding his award, a clear crystal plate.

And he’s had his eye on it for more than a decade.

Research Assistant Professor Yasuyuki Kihara, PhD, has won an Eicosanoid Research Foundation (ERF) Young Investigator Award, which is presented every other year to three early-career faculty researchers who have made breakthroughs in the field of bioactive lipids.

The award may not come with a cash prize, but for Kihara, this prize is priceless. 

“The first time I applied for this award was around 2009, and I’ve applied several times since then,” he says. “This has been many years in the making, and I’m incredibly honored to receive this award.”

Kihara is the first Sanford Burnham Prebys scientist to win this award for research completed at the Institute. Assistant Professor Victoria Blaho, PhD, also received the award in 2007, before becoming a Sanford Burnham Prebys faculty member in 2019. 

Applying bioactive lipids to multiple sclerosis: Kihara’s prize-winning research

Kihara has devoted his scientific career of more than 20 years to studying bioactive lipids, a broad group of molecules that cells use to communicate and to control their activities. Some of the most well-known examples of bioactive lipids are the hormones testosterone and estrogen, but there are countless other examples in different parts of the body as well.

“Bioactive lipids are involved in signaling in every cell of every organism,” says Kihara. “Lipids are essential for life, and I’m not sure I could even imagine a biological process or a pathway that doesn’t involve a lipid at some step.”

Kihara’s work focuses on multiple sclerosis (MS), a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord that affects the brain’s ability to communicate with the rest of the body. MS occurs when protective structures in our neurons, called myelin sheaths, become damaged.

“Losing this myelin makes it much more difficult for the brain to send signals to other parts of the body,” says Kihara. “This causes a wide range of symptoms that can be debilitating for the people living with this disease.” 

In 2010, FDA-approved an oral drug for MS called fingolimod. Fingolimod has a chemical structure that resembles a bioactive lipid, and Kihara has teamed up with Professor Jerold Chun, MD, PhD, to study how this drug works at the molecular level to explore whether there may be other ways to leverage bioactive lipids against MS.

“We believe that cellular signaling pathways and the bioactive lipids that control them may have a more complicated role in MS than is currently understood,” says Kihara. “Studying these molecules at this fundamental level will help reveal new ways of treating the disease.”

Institute News

Brain cancer researcher Jia Zack Shen wins 2022 Eric Dudl scholarship

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

October 18, 2022

Professor Cosimo Comisso, Brett Dudl, Dr. Jim Dudl, Barbra Dudl, and scholarship winner Zack Shen

For the first time since the pandemic, Sanford Burnham Prebys presented the Eric Dudl Endowed Scholarship Award in person at last week’s Cancer Center Open House. This year’s recipient, selected by leaders at the Cancer Center, was Jia Zack Shen, PhD, a staff scientist in the lab of Charles Spruck, PhD The award pays tribute to Eric Dudl, a postdoctoral researcher who succumbed to cancer in 2006, when he was just 33.

“Eric was ill at such a young age, but he was also very lucky because he knew exactly what his dream job was and what his life meant,” says Shen. “Eric’s compassion and dedication to cancer research has been inspiring and encouraging for our postdocs here at Sanford Burnham Prebys. Thank you to the Dudl family for helping me continue my career here.”

Honoring Eric Dudl

In 2005, Eric Dudl had just begun his postdoctoral research in a cancer lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys, where he was known as kind, helpful and a fast learner. Then, at age 32, he was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer. This only fueled his fiery passion for cancer research.

“Even when he was very ill, Eric wanted to make a contribution in the time he had,” says Jim Dudl, MD, Eric’s father. “One day I looked at Eric and asked, ‘Why don’t you take some time off work? Get your energy back and go back in when you feel better?’ He looked up at me and said, ‘Why would I do that? This is the best job in the world!’”

Tragically, Eric Dudl would pass away in 2006, at age 33. The next year, his parents established the Eric Dudl Endowed Scholarship Fund to support young cancer researchers like their son.
“These talented scientists pick up where Eric had to leave off,” says Barbara Dudl, Eric’s mother.

Eric Dudl

Eric Dudl

“We are so grateful to the Institute for their compassion for Eric during his illness and helping us create this scholarship. The scientists who are now working on new discoveries might one day save the life of someone like Eric.”

The award presentation was emceed by Cosimo Commisso, PhD, and featured comments from Eric’s parents, as well as his brother, Bret.

“This scholarship fund is the best way we can honor Eric, because he was so passionate about education and supporting others,” says Bret. “The fact that he now helps other postdocs further their work to fight cancer is exactly what he would have wanted.”

Meet the recipient: Jia Zack Shen

Shen started at the Institute as a postdoctoral researcher in 2016, winning a Fishman Fund Award that year. He has since transitioned to a permanent role as a staff scientist, and the funding from this award will help continue to support his role.

“Sanford Burnham Prebys has a great, noncompetitive atmosphere, and the resources we have here are excellent,” says Shen. “Combining cancer research with the drug discovery capabilities we have at SBP is my dream.”

Shen’s research focuses on killing cancer stem cells by shutting off their ability to self-renew and by promoting a response from the immune system, delivering what Shen and his colleagues call a “one-two punch.” Shen has been working specifically on glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive brain cancers.

“Glioblastoma is one of the most devastating diseases, and there is a desperate need for better ways to treat it,” says Shen. “I am working hard to leverage the immune system to fight glioblastoma and save thousands of lives.”

Institute News

Fishman Fund Fellowship awarded to Cynthia Lebeaupin for liver cancer research

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

June 8, 2022

Cynthia Lebeaupin, PhD

Cynthia Lebeaupin, PhD was recently awarded the 2022 Fishman Fund Fellowship, a postdoctoral award unique to Sanford Burnham Prebys.

The award provides a boosted stipend to exceptional postdocs from the Institute who have a demonstrated research track record and whose work shows significant potential for future breakthroughs.

“It’s an honor to have been selected for such a prestigious award from the Institute, says Lebeaupin, who works in the lab of Randal J. Kaufman, PhD “The resources and people at Sanford Burnham Prebys are incredible and I’m happy to be able to continue my research here.”

Sanford Burnham Prebys introduced the Fishman Fund Awards in 2001 to honor of the Institute’s founders, Dr. William and Lillian Fishman. The fund was established by Reena Horowitz and the late Mary Bradley, longtime supporters of the Institute.

“The Fishmans created an Institute that fosters a collaborative, inspirational atmosphere for postdoc students,” said Horowitz at the 2021 Fishman Fund Awards. “The Fishmans understood that support for new science is a brilliant research investment.”

Lebeaupin has been at the Institute since 2018, and this is not her first honor from the Fishman Fund. In 2021, she was awarded a Fishman Fund Career Development Award, a smaller prize offered to several postdocs each year. She also completed an internship at the Institute’s former Lake Nona campus in 2014.

“I’ve had an affinity for Sanford Burnham Prebys for a long time,” says Lebeaupin. “I knew once I met Dr. Kaufman and everybody on campus that this was the best place to complete my postdoc.”

Lebeaupin’s research focuses on a growing and pressing problem in medicine – liver cancer. One of the major risk factors for developing liver cancer is fat accumulation in the liver, known as fatty liver disease. Increases in obesity rates over the last several decades have led to a dramatic increase in fatty liver disease.

Fatty liver disease is increasing at an alarming rate, and unfortunately, it’s here to stay,” says Lebeaupin. “My research is figuring out how fatty liver disease progresses to liver cancer, so we can use this knowledge to help prevent it.” 

In particular, Lebeaupin is working on exploring how cells respond to fatty liver disease over time. She discovered that a molecule that helps liver cells protect themselves from short-term stress can promote cancer in the long-term. She has now moved into studying the system in human tissues.

“This research is exciting because we aim to translate our discoveries from the bench to the bedside,” says Lebeaupin. “What I hope to do in the future is use new technologies on liver samples from patients so we can identify what’s actually going on in liver diseases.”