community Archives - Sanford Burnham Prebys

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Institute News

Erik Hultenius awarded Melvin and Phyllis McCardle Clause Scholarship

AuthorCommunications
Date

September 23, 2026

Erik Hultenius, headshot in lab

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

Erik Hultenius, a third-year doctoral student in the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, was selected as the 2026 recipient of the Melvin and Phyllis McCardle Clause Scholarship.

The scholarship was established in honor of Phyllis McCardle Clause after her long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. The award supports graduate student education in age-related neurodegeneration within the Institute’s graduate school.

“Receiving this honor is very reassuring for the direction of my project,” said Hultenius. “Receiving positive feedback from the selection committee is encouraging, as is having my research project singled out from a competitive field of proposals.”

Hultenius became passionate about understanding the biology of aging during his undergraduate coursework. He remembers a particular class where he and his peers discussed a manuscript about epigenetic reprogramming to reverse features of aging in mice.

“It was fascinating to me that there are people working on interventions that targeted aging almost as if it was a disease,” said Hultenius. “At that point, I knew I wanted to develop ways to intervene in the biological aging process to prevent age-related neurodegeneration and other diseases before they become too difficult to treat.”   

After graduating in 2023, Hultenius conducted an internship with Altos Labs, a biotechnology company focused on restoring cell health and resilience through cell rejuvenation. He then joined Sanford Burnham Prebys and experienced a “full circle” moment with his PhD program mentor, Xiao Tian, PhD, assistant professor in the Center for Neurologic Diseases.

“I realized that Xiao was one of the lead authors on the paper I read in class that introduced me to this field,” said Hultenius. “He is partly responsible for sparking my research interest to begin with, so it was serendipitous to end up joining his lab.”

Hultenius investigates the brain’s immune cells, which are called microglial cells. He wants to understand how they change with aging and how those age-related changes might contribute to how Alzheimer’s disease progresses.

“Microglia are intimately involved in the processes that help to prevent disease from spreading in the brain,” said Hultenius. “They also mediate inflammation, and we know that increased levels of inflammation correlate with poor outcomes in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.”

Hultenius sees the potential to make a meaningful difference in this ever more prevalent age-related disease.

“There is a tremendous gap in patient care right now as treatment options are limited and lacking in effectiveness for most individuals. I want to make an impact on Alzheimer’s disease for all those affected, and the support from the Clause scholarship will help me advance my research and move closer to my goal.”

Institute News

Biomedical Research Symposium celebrates science, community and 50 years

AuthorCommunications
Date

September 22, 2026

graduate student and postdoc alumni group photo. Image credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys.
Graduate student and postdoctoral alumni panel. From left to right: Jonatan Matalonga Borrel, Paloma Sánchez Pavón, Miguel Reina Campos, Eric Lau, Carolina Kumsta and Michaela Romero. Image credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Sanford Burnham Prebys’ 25th annual Biomedical Research Symposium took on special significance this year as scientists and alumni gathered during the Institute’s 50th anniversary to celebrate the discoveries, collaborations and people that have shaped its scientific community.

The symposium showcased research from across the Institute, giving graduate students and postdocs opportunities to present their work, exchange ideas with faculty and colleagues and build new collaborations.

The program opened with a keynote address from Sanford Burnham Prebys alumna Fiona Scott, PhD, who traced a career that has taken her from fundamental research at Sanford Burnham Prebys to biotechnology and drug development. 

“It’s really been built on this idea of maintaining scientific curiosity, maintaining flexibility and open-mindedness,” Scott said of her career.

Scott shared examples from her work translating basic discoveries into potential medicines and reflected on how her experiences at Sanford Burnham Prebys influenced her approach to science. She encouraged trainees to seek out expertise beyond their own areas of study, stay open to unexpected directions and make the most of the people and resources around them.

Fiona Scott, PhD

Fiona Scott, PhD.

The anniversary celebration continued with a special alumni panel moderated by alumna Caroline Kumsta, PhD. Kumsta is associate dean of student affairs in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and an assistant professor in the Center for Cardiovascular and Muscular Diseases.

Five alumni representing careers in academia and industry discussed how their graduate education or postdoctoral training at the Institute prepared them for what came next. They talked about the value of mentorship and collaboration, learning to communicate science effectively and developing skills and relationships beyond the laboratory.

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences alumni group photo. Image credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Graduate student and postdoctoral alumni. Image credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Panelists also offered advice to current trainees, encouraging them to build networks, explore different career paths, develop a broad range of skills and remain adaptable as science and technology continue to change.

The conversation took on added meaning during Sanford Burnham Prebys’ 50th anniversary. Asked what it meant to return to the Institute for the milestone, alumni repeatedly described it as a scientific family and a place that continues to feel like home. They recalled the friendships, mentorship and sense of community that defined their time at the Institute and have stayed with them throughout their careers.

The day concluded with a special alumni reception, bringing together current and former members of the Sanford Burnham Prebys community to reconnect, celebrate the Institute’s first 50 years and look ahead.

Institute News

Q & A with Postdoctoral Researcher Bastien Cimarosti, from the Ranade Lab

AuthorCommunications
Date

September 14, 2026

Bastien Cimarosti

Meet one of our early-career scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute: Bastien Cimarosti, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Sanjeev Ranade, PhD. Cimarosti studies how the heart forms and what causes congenital heart defects.

When and how did you become interested in science?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been curious about the world around me. For example, when I was growing up, I loved to visit castles from the Middle Ages to understand more about our history or read books about physics and engineering.

During high school, I fell in love with biology thanks to a couple of teachers. Later I went to medical school, and it made me appreciate even more that there are so many things we don’t understand yet about human biology. That led me to a research career where I could explore my curiosity about the unknown.

What are the key areas of research you focus on?
I have a lot of different projects, but they all have in common that we are trying to understand what leads to babies being born with congenital heart defects. And how these conditions will affect patients throughout their lives.

Thanks to advances in medicine and surgical practice, most children born with congenital heart defects will reach adulthood. Even after surgery, however, the disease is still present and affects how patients develop and age over time.

We still have a lot to learn about what causes congenital heart defects. By better understanding the genetic or environmental factors at play, perhaps one day we will be able to prevent the disease from occurring in the first place.

What motivates you about your research?
On a day-to-day basis, my motivation is to do the basic science we need to understand how the heart forms and how perturbations during pregnancy can affect the heart.

Also, I use a lot of what are called omics techniques that can capture the complexity of living systems. I’m using different bioinformatics tools and machine learning tools to analyze the large datasets produced by these techniques. Because the datasets are so wide and capture a large portion of the underlying biology, I like that I am never stuck and can switch very quickly between ideas based on what I see in the data.

What do you like about working here?
The training environment for postdocs is just amazing. The core research facilities are tremendous as well. I work a lot with the genomics core and the experts there are terrific. You can just keep advancing science without thinking about technical constraints because everything you need is on campus and available to you.

What I love the most, though, is being with my lab. I love being able to work with my mentors, peers and colleagues, and being surrounded by smart and talented people.

Bastien Cimarosti photo collage in the lab

What are your career goals?
My goal is to stay in academia, become a principal investigator and open my own lab. I would like to continue working on cardiac developmental biology and how cardiac diseases develop.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not in the lab?
I love nature and being outside. I love hiking in the mountains around San Diego, going to the beach and swimming. And I look forward to meeting up with friends whenever we can to explore national parks together.

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.

Explore the Full Series

Institute News

Summer SPARK interns explore careers in regenerative medicine

AuthorCommunications
Date

August 10, 2026

SPARK intern group with Sanjeev Ranade, PhD
2026 Sanford Burnham Prebys SPARK interns with program director Sanjeev Ranade, PhD. Image credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Eleven participants completed six weeks of hands-on biomedical research at Sanford Burnham Prebys

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute welcomed its fifth cohort of interns this year for the Summer Program to Accelerate Regenerative Medicine Knowledge (SPARK). SPARK is an initiative by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) that provides research opportunities for high schoolers from underrepresented groups throughout California.

The SPARK participants completed six-week internships at Sanford Burnham Prebys and completed projects under the supervision of their faculty mentors.

“My experience was amazing right from the get-go,” said Jonathan Wang, a rising senior who worked in the lab of Shengjie Feng, PhD. “The whole lab came to greet me on my first day and it was really inviting.”

“It was all very new to me as both my first research experience and my first internship,” said Tannishtha Dhar, a rising junior who worked in the lab of Kelly Kersten, PhD. “I’ve always wanted to be a clinician or surgeon, but now I have a growing interest in biomedical research as well.”

In the first of two capstone events, the interns delivered poster presentations at the Sanford Burnham Prebys campus on July 30, 2026. The students detailed their projects and what they had learned over the course of their internships.

“Beyond what I learned about progressive liver disease in my project, I’m walking away with a greater appreciation of the importance of communication,” said Shiva Ambatipudi, a rising junior who worked in the lab of Debanjan Dhar, PhD. “With lab meetings every week, I saw how valuable it was to be able to share the results of your experiments and make connections with each team member’s work.”

The SPARK internship culminated with CIRM’s annual SPARK conference at the University of California Berkeley from July 31 to August 1, 2026. The participants from Sanford Burnham Prebys presented their work and networked with more than 110 interns from other institutions across the state.

“Being a part of the CIRM symposium was a great way to become more confident in your skills as a scientist,” said Rishab Ghosh, a rising junior who worked in the lab of Timothy Huang, PhD. “I think that growing your personal network and learning how to collaborate with other researchers also are very important aspects of this program.”

“I’m simply blown away at the quality of the work completed by these SPARK interns over six weeks,” said SPARK program director Sanjeev Ranade, PhD. “It was incredibly rewarding to help guide these bright, curious and ambitious students.”

2026 Sanford Burnham Prebys SPARK interns:

Institute News

Preuss School interns cap off summer in science

AuthorCommunications
Date

July 31, 2026

Fatima Rangel, Hailey Villa, Katya Marchetti, Derek Arista, Eliud Tapia and Zemeron Russom after the 2026 Preuss summer internship program capstone presentation.
Fatima Rangel, Hailey Villa, Katya Marchetti, Derek Arista, Eliud Tapia and Zemeron Russom after the 2026 Preuss summer internship program capstone presentation.

Members of the next generation of biomedical researchers and health care professionals spent three weeks training at Sanford Burnham Prebys

On Friday, July 24, 2026, the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute community celebrated the contributions of five high school student interns from the Preuss School. Located on the University of California San Diego campus in La Jolla, the Preuss School educates students striving to be first-generation college graduates.

Participants in the Preuss summer internship program gained valuable hands-on research experience over three weeks. This program is generously funded by Debby and Wain Fishburn.

“For many high school students, biomedical research is something very new to them,” said Yuk-Lap (Kevin) Yip, PhD, associate director of training and education in the NCI-designated Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys, during the July 24 capstone presentation.

“Over the summer, our five outstanding interns gained hands-on experience as scientists and began to understand why we are so excited about the work we do.”

Graduate student Joshua Minyard introduced the interns and invited them to discuss why they wanted to participate in the program.

“I was looking to test the waters for a potential future career in biomedical research,” said intern Derek Arista.

“I thought this would be a great opportunity to work in a laboratory and deepen my knowledge as I’m considering going into the medical field,” said intern Hailey Villa.

The interns then presented the findings from their three weeks of conducting experiments. In addition to sharing how cancerous tumors in different tissues affected fruit flies, the interns also detailed what they learned about drug discovery research.

“We worked with our mentor Josh Minyard to target a protein called STK4 that is known for allowing leukemia cells to survive,” said intern Eliud Tapia.

The interns tested three different drugs as potential inhibitors of STK4. They found that one of the three was the most successful inhibitor and was effective at lower concentrations.

Katya Marchetti, a graduate student and scientific leader of the 2025 and 2026 Pruess internship programs, provided closing remarks following the interns’ capstone presentation.

“I chose to commit to running this program because eight years ago, almost to the day, I was in these interns’ shoes,” said Marchetti. “I was a high school student participating in the summer research program that completely changed the trajectory of my life.

“You should be incredibly proud of what you’ve accomplished, not just because of the data that you’ve collected, but because of how much you’ve grown. Whether or not you decide to stay in science or pursue something completely different, I hope you know that you are capable of doing hard things, because you just proved it.”

The Preuss summer internship program at Sanford Burnham Prebys has operated since 2009 and is jointly organized by the NCI-designated Cancer Center and Office of Learning and Development. This program’s founding was supported by donors Peggy and Peter Preuss, and Debby and Wain Fishburn.

Institute News

LEAP scholars share scientific and professional development achievements

AuthorCommunications
Date

July 6, 2026

From left to right: Yun Ma, Sarina Safavi, Isabel Sakowicz and Josue Navarrete. Image credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys.
LEAP program participants recently shared their research at a capstone presentation event. From left to right: Yun Ma, Sarina Safavi, Isabel Sakowicz and Josue Navarrete. Not pictured: Mahek Shah. Image credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Postbaccalaureate training program participants deliver capstone presentations, thank mentors and colleagues

In late June 2026, trainees in the LEAP (Laboratory Experience As Pathway) to a PhD program at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute participated in a capstone presentation event. The scholars shared their research findings following a year of work and mentorship in labs throughout the Institute.

The LEAP program was designed to bridge the gap between college graduation and a PhD program. It provides recent graduates with hands-on biomedical research experience, career development opportunities and mentorship to enhance their applications for—and ability to succeed in—highly competitive biomedical PhD programs.

With generous support from the Prebys Foundation, the LEAP program is offered through a collaborative partnership between the Sanford Burnham Prebys NCI-designated Cancer Center and Office of Learning and Development.

“Today we celebrate five of our LEAP program participants who have gained new skills, demonstrated research successes and grown as scientists throughout their journeys here,” said Kevin Yip, PhD, during his introductory remarks.

Following Yip’s welcoming address, the LEAP program mentors introduced the participants and invited them forward for their capstone presentations.

Yun Ma, a trainee in the Feng and Yip labs, discussed her study of proteins that group together in what are called protein complexes to carry out biological functions.

Ma developed a method for comparing data on RNA and proteins to identify priority genes affecting how protein complexes form. These priority genes may help shed new light on how diseases progress and may inform efforts to design new medications.

Her presentation was titled, “Inferring disease-associated changes in protein complex assembly from multimodal data.”

Kevin Yip, PhD

Kevin Yip, PhD, the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Distinguished Chair and director of the Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, provided opening remarks at the event.

Sarina Safavi, a trainee in the Dhar lab, described her work to understand why cardiovascular disease—especially heart failure with preserved ejection fraction—is the leading cause of death among liver disease patients. Safavi developed tools needed to make new liver disease research models to study how the disease affects the heart.

The continuation of this research may lead to the discovery of new drug targets and methods for identifying liver disease patients at greater risk of heart failure to enable earlier treatments.

Her talk was titled, “Mechanistic understanding of MASLD-associated cardiac dysfunction and its reversibility.”

Josue Navarrete, a trainee in the Deshpande and Yip labs, detailed his project focused on small proteins from areas beyond the protein-coding genes that get the most scientific attention. Increasing amounts of evidence supports these microproteins’ biological importance, including in cancer.

Navarette optimized a computational technique for discovering microproteins which enables large-scale studies of thousands of genes. He tested the approach and found microproteins involved in stem cells becoming blood cells and other cells. Studying these microproteins may lead to new diagnostic techniques and potential treatments for blood cancers.

His lecture was titled, “Optimized pipeline enables genome-wide discovery of candidate microproteins in hematopoiesis.” Navarette will be joining the Institute as a doctoral student this fall.

Mahek Shah, a trainee in the Spruck lab, shared her study of a cancer treatment strategy that compels tumor cells to act as if they are infected by a virus. Known as viral mimicry, this therapeutic approach triggers the innate immune system to respond against cancer cells. Shah described drug screening experiments that identified promising novel candidate compounds.

In further tests, these compounds were found to activate viral mimicry, cause an immune response and to be toxic to cancer cells. Continued research may lead to new treatments that can boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and targeted therapies.

Her presentation was titled, “Novel compounds targeting histone modifying enzymes induce viral mimicry in breast cancer.”

Isabel Sakowicz, a trainee in the Tharp lab, discussed her research regarding the most common and difficult-to-treat form of ovarian cancer. These tumors can wall themselves off from the immune system with structural collagen proteins that resemble scar tissue.

Yun Ma, a trainee in the Feng and Yip labs

Yun Ma, a trainee in the Feng and Yip labs, discussed her study of proteins that group together in what are called protein complexes to carry out biological functions.

Sakowicz explored how a potential treatment strategy might reduce levels of a form of collagen known to promote ovarian cancer invasiveness and metastasis. Lowering collagen VI levels may break down the barrier around ovarian cancer cells to make other treatments more effective, including immunotherapies.

Her presentation was titled, “FAK protein loss rewires amino acid metabolism in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.” Sakowicz will be joining the Institute as a doctoral student this fall.

In addition to discussing their respective projects, the trainees credited their mentors, fellow lab members and access to avenues for training and advancing as professionals.

“Beyond my scientific achievements, I have enjoyed many career development opportunities, including attending and presenting at workshops, seminars and conferences,” said Ma.

“Everyone in the lab has contributed to a truly supportive and cooperative environment,” said Safavi. “I would also like to thank the LEAP program coordinators for their efforts and making sure we were set up for success.”

Institute News

Sanford Burnham Prebys Science Network hosts Community Outreach Symposium showcasing early-career research

AuthorCommunications
Date

June 19, 2026

Anna Checheninia presenting at the Outreach Symposium

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
Institute News

Q & A with Postdoctoral Researcher Kokila Shankar, from the Sheffler Lab

AuthorCommunications
Date

June 15, 2026

Kokila Shankar, PhD

Meet one of our early-career scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute: Kokila Shankar, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Douglas Sheffler, PhD. Shankar studies the brain stress signaling system to develop potential treatments for drug addiction.

When and how did you become interested in science?
My dad works in science, so I grew up seeing a little bit of that world. Within science, he works on the industry side which provided me with a perspective on how drug discovery works.

While I always liked science growing up, what really hooked me is when I learned about the field of neuroscience. You have to incorporate a lot of different types of knowledge to really understand neuroscience and neurobiology. And it’s one of the fields where I think that no matter how much we study it, there’s always going to be room to learn more and more.

What are the key areas of research you focus on?
I am really excited about the fact that I get to work in small molecule drug discovery for neurological and psychiatric disease. Currently, my focus is on treating drug addiction.

We use a drug discovery workflow to be able to take biological targets we’ve identified and develop small molecule chemicals that modify these targets. Essentially, we’re working on ways to either increase or decrease the activity of these targets as a strategy to potentially mitigate drug addiction symptoms.

More specifically, my main project is targeting the brain stress signaling system. By developing a small molecule that modulates a stress signaling receptor and some of its associated proteins, our goal is to change stress signaling in the brain. This is important because stress signaling is very involved in addiction. It can play a large role in people becoming addicted to substances and making their addiction worse and harder to quit.

What motivates you about your research?
I think in the field of drug discovery, people tend to portray making new medicines as a linear path. We have a small molecule identified through a screen that we know has some effects on a biological target. Then we just have to make it better, put it in cells, then in animals and finally we get it approved to put into people.

The reality is that there are so many things that can affect every single stage of that workflow. And there’s a lot of troubleshooting and interdisciplinary collaboration involved in keeping things on track. So even when things aren’t going smoothly, I remember that what I signed up to do as a scientist is solve problems. Each time we solve one, we also learn something new and that keeps me very motivated.

What do you like about working here?
Sanford Burnham Prebys feels like a very focused place to do research. Everyone’s goal is to work together to drive research forward. And you really feel that through the resources that are available, whether that’s the core facilities or the number of people that are available to collaborate or share reagents.

On top of that, the community here is very welcoming. Everyone is collaborative and wants to see each other succeed. And that’s rare to find in an academic research environment.

Kokila Shankar photo collage

What are your career goals?
My goal is to transition to a role in biotech or the pharmaceutical industry. And it would be even better if I was able to work in neuroscience therapeutics development.

Beyond that, I think a special aspect of being in science, earning a PhD and completing postdoctoral training is that it all prepares you for so many different types of careers. That could mean staying at the bench in R&D or moving into areas such as business, communications and marketing or science policy.

I feel like I’m very fortunate that there’s a lot of opportunities, and I don’t want to close the door on any of them.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not in the lab?
I am an active volunteer with the Fleet Science Center, so I love doing their K-12 and their adult outreach programs to get more people excited about science.

Also, I used to be a competitive ballroom dancer. Right now, I’m enjoying the opportunity to work with students at the University of California San Diego to help them improve. And hopefully one day I’ll step back into competition.

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.

Explore the Full Series

Institute News

Sanford Burnham Prebys recognizes 10 doctoral degree recipients

AuthorCommunications
Date

June 3, 2026

The graduates recognized at the third annual Commencement ceremony, from left to right: Michaela Romero, Yu-Ling (Linda) Chang, Cedomir Stamenkovic, Sviatlana Zaretski, Jiaqian (Emily) Wu, Ximena Diaz-Olea and Adarsh Rajesh
The graduates recognized at the third annual Commencement ceremony, from left to right: Michaela Romero, PhD ’25; Yu-Ling (Linda) Chang, PhD ’26; Cedomir Stamenkovic, PhD ’25; Sviatlana Zaretski, PhD ’25; Jiaqian (Emily) Wu, PhD ’25; Ximena Diaz-Olea, PhD ’25; and Adarsh Rajesh, PhD ’25. Rema Iyer, PhD ’25; Utkarsha Hemant Paithane, PhD ’26; and Ruslan Nuryyev, PhD ’26, were unable to attend.

The Institute’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences held its third Commencement ceremony to celebrate new alumni

The Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences hosted 10 recent doctoral degree recipients and their family members, friends and colleagues during the school’s third annual Commencement ceremony on May 29, 2026.

These new graduates join the ranks of Institute scientists and alumni that have propelled 50 years of discovery at Sanford Burnham Prebys and 20 years of graduate education.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Institute’s La Jolla campus in the Victor E. LaFave III Memorial Auditorium.

“As you reflect on your first days as a graduate student, I hope you recognize how far you have come, not only as scientists, but also as thinkers, collaborators, mentors and individuals,” said Alessandra Sacco, PhD, the dean of the Sanford Burnham Prebys Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and a professor in the Center for Cardiovascular and Muscular Diseases.

“The growth you have demonstrated through this remarkable journey is extraordinary, and today we celebrate both your accomplishments and the dedication that made them possible. It has been an honor to be part of your journey.”

Following her remarks, Sacco introduced David Brenner, MD, the president and CEO of Sanford Burnham Prebys.

“Yesterday, you were graduate students, today you are graduates and tomorrow you are alumni,” Brenner said. “I want you to feel like this is your second home where you’ll return as peers and colleagues to tell us about your triumphs and contribute to our seminars and symposia as active members of our community.” 

Following Brenner’s comments, Michaela Romero, PhD ’25, spoke on behalf of her fellow graduates.

“Here at Sanford Burnham Prebys, we’ve been immersed in a culture of collaboration where science is not a solo act,” Romero said. “This has not happened by accident and has been built one conversation at a time. 

“Cultures like this need to be nurtured with care, so I hope you create something that feels just as special as this place wherever you go in the future.” 

Romero turned the podium over to Cosimo Commisso, PhD, the deputy director of the Institute’s NCI-Designated Cancer Center and a professor in the Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program, who provided the Commencement address.

Commisso spoke about the importance of carefully contemplating the motivation behind your science and how it can change over time, which he punctuated with a story from his scientific journey about an event he attended for pancreatic cancer patients, survivors and their family members.

“I gave myself permission to evolve and realized that I wanted to dedicate my life’s work specifically to pancreatic cancer research,” he said. “If something like this happens to you, if such an event impacts you in a profound way, I hope you listen to your internal compass and remember that what motivates you today at graduation may likely look very different years later. 

“Evolution of your ‘why’ is a feature and not a bug,” he added. “Let your own ‘why’ be the force that pushes you beyond the familiar to make a difference.”

Diane Klotz, PhD, the chief learning officer at Sanford Burnham Prebys, then provided attendees an overview of the meaning of the hoods and symbols that are used in Commencement ceremonies. She asked faculty members to place the doctoral academic hoods upon the graduates to signify completion of their degrees.

This year, the following graduates were acknowledged:

  • Adarsh Rajesh, PhD ’25, who trained in the Adams lab and was hooded by Peter Adams, PhD, director of and professor in the Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program
  • Sviatlana Zaretski, PhD ’25, who trained in the Adams lab and was hooded by Adams
  • Yu-Ling (Linda) Chang, PhD ’26, who trained in the Colas lab and was hooded by Alexandre Colas, PhD, associate dean of admissions in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and associate professor in the Center for Cardiovascular and Muscular Diseases
  • Michaela Romero, PhD ’25, who trained in the Colas lab and was hooded by Colas
  • Jiaqian (Emily) Wu, PhD ’25, who trained in the Cosford lab and was hooded by Nicholas Cosford, PhD, professor in the Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program
  • Ximena Diaz-Olea, PhD ’25, who trained in the Ronai lab and was hooded by Andrei Osterman, PhD, her thesis committee chair, vice dean and associate dean of curriculum of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and a professor in the Center for Metabolic and Liver Diseases
  • Cedomir Stamenkovic, PhD ’25, who trained in the Sacco lab and was hooded by Sacco
  • Rema Iyer, PhD ’25, who trained in the Deshpande lab and was unable to attend the ceremony
  • Utkarsha Hemant Paithane, PhD ’26, who trained in the Bagchi lab and was unable to attend
  • Ruslan Nuryyev, PhD ’26, who trained in the Snyder lab and was unable to attend

Graduate school vice dean Osterman provided the ceremony’s closing remarks.

“What is happening today is because of your genuine accomplishment and is a product of your creativity, genius, effort and everything you invested in the research project that you completed,” Osterman said. 

“Now you will take all you have learned during your time here and choose your own path forward, and a new and exciting adventure begins.”

Institute News

David A. Brenner appears on nation’s longest running community podcast

AuthorCommunications
Date

May 27, 2026

Spotlight on the Community

Hosted by Drew Schlossberg, Spotlight on the Community is the nation’s longest running community podcast, now going on 20+ years.

Recently, David Brenner, MD, president and CEO of Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, appeared on the podcast to discuss the mission of the Institute, its research collaborations, the role of AI and the current state of biomedical research locally and beyond.

 You can hear Brenner’s podcast interview on Spotify,  Apple and iHeart platforms.