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Institute News

Meet molecular biologist Jonatan Matalonga-Borrel

AuthorMonica May
Date

February 3, 2021

Jonatan Matalonga-Borrel, PhD in the lab

Matalonga-Borrel is on the hunt for a treatment that could help children born with a rare, life-threatening condition

Thanks to the sequencing of the human genome, scientists have helped parents get answers to the cause of mysterious conditions that have affected their children. Now, researchers are tackling a new challenge: translating this knowledge into life-altering medicines.

Molecular biologist Jonatan Matalonga-Borrel, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Dong lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys, is at the forefront of this effort. We caught up with Matalonga-Borrel as he prepares to take the virtual stage at DASL (the Diversity and Science Lecture Series at UC San Diego) to learn more about his work and his interests outside of the lab.

Did you always know you wanted to be a scientist?
I actually wanted to be an airplane pilot until my senior year of high school. But during the application process, I learned that I have very mild color-blindness, so I had to quickly decide what I wanted to do next. I pivoted to biology, a topic where I had some interest, thinking I would become a teacher. Then, when I was in college, I got the opportunity to complete a lab internship, which is where I discovered my passion for research. I would have never guessed that I would be where I am today, leading a project that might directly help families and children.

What do you study, and what is your greatest hope for your research?
I study Alagille syndrome, a rare disease that affects kids from the day they are born. Many organs are affected, especially the heart and the liver, and almost half of these children die before the age of 19.

Luckily, Alagille syndrome is associated with mutations in only two genes, both belonging to the same pathway, called Notch. This makes our goal easier to achieve: identify drugs that target Notch, which currently don’t exist. I’m excited that we’ve identified a promising option. My greatest hope is to create a medicine that truly helps these children and their families, who currently live without any treatment.

When you aren’t working in the lab, where can you be found?
You will likely find me playing golf at Torrey Pines! There is nothing like playing a twilight round, feeling a slight breeze and looking at the immensity of the Pacific Ocean. With that said, since I became a father, my golfing time has been severely impaired. Now it’s most likely that you’ll find me at home, entertained by the early stages of development of my son…and changing a lot of diapers!

What do you wish people knew about science?
How patient one has to be to move science forward. It can take weeks—or months—of trial and error until a big breakthrough happens.

We live in a world that seems to spin faster and faster. It is critical for our society to understand that proper science is not about rushing experiments. It is about setting the right ones.

How do you think your lab colleagues would describe you?
Upbeat, reliable and organized (hopefully!).

How has the pandemic affected your life?
I had my first baby last June, and the pandemic prevented any relatives to come from our home country, Spain, and meet their first grandchild. Thankfully, we had Skype to get in touch. Looking on the bright side, daycares have never been so clean, and the rate of sickness around kids has dropped significantly!

What is the best career advice you have ever received?

“Have fun and make friends,” from Dr. Eduardo Chini of the Mayo Clinic. It is possible to do great science and have fun—don’t feel guilty about it. My best collaborations came from my greatest friendships among colleagues.

What do you wish people knew about Sanford Burnham Prebys?
It’s an amazing community. Science moves forward thanks to communication and collaboration and it wouldn’t happen without a strong sense of community. This includes wise faculty members who train graduate students and postdocs, an Office of Education and International Services that offers year-round seminars and workshops, and a group I am part of, called SBP-Social Network (SBP-SN), which organizes fun social and scientific events. All of this creates a place where scientific excellence thrives.

Institute News

Meet cancer researcher Karina Barbosa Guerra

AuthorMonica May
Date

February 3, 2021

Karina Barbosa Guerra in the lab

Barbosa Guerra is working to find better treatments for a deadly leukemia

For Karina Barbosa Guerra, touring a lab and meeting scientists as part of her Girl Guides troop—Mexico’s equivalent of the Girl Scouts—was a life-changing experience. Suddenly, she could see herself as a scientist.

Today, Barbosa Guerra is a graduate student in the Deshpande lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys, where she’s working to find better treatments for a blood cancer called acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We caught up with Barbosa Guerra as she prepares to take the virtual stage at the Diversity and Science Lecture Series at UC San Diego (DASL) to learn more about when she decided she wanted to be a scientist and where she can be found when not in the lab.

Tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a scientist.
According to my mother, I stated that I wanted to become a chemist to develop vaccines when I was ten years old. However, it wasn’t until middle school that I started cultivating my own sense of scientific curiosity. At that time, I was in a Girl Scouts program centered on HIV/AIDS peer education, so I began to read a bit more about viruses. It was incredibly amazing that they could linger undetected in our bodies—and that many questions about their biology remained unanswered. The more I learned, the less I felt I knew, and I wanted to follow that endless string of questions.

What do you study, and what is your greatest hope for your research?
I study a cancer called acute myeloid leukemia—specifically, subtypes that are hard to treat. Certain cancer cells, like stem cells, are pretty resilient and can self-renew. This enables them to resist therapy, so we want to discover better ways to target this particular feature. My research aims to find ways in which we can treat these leukemias based on their stem cell–like capabilities. My hope is that we can ultimately benefit the patients enduring harsh treatments and disease relapse, and along the way, illuminate the fascinating aspects of the biology behind effective treatments.

What do you wish people knew about science?
That it’s a team effort. The current coronavirus pandemic has really shown us that collaboration is at the heart of transformative science. I think that great ideas are best developed through discussion—and the thrill of putting the pieces together is way more enjoyable with company.

How do you think your lab colleagues would describe you?
Maybe as the girl with a bunch of notebooks. I like to make notes of everything. My notebooks are way more reliable than my memory.

What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Early in the graduate program, one of my mentors told me, “Be there,” meaning that I had to spend time with my science. If I were to discover something or make a great insight, I had to be there to do it, think it or see it.

What do you wish people knew about Sanford Burnham Prebys?
That this is such a welcoming community. I felt this the very first time I visited the campus, and I feel so at home here as a student. There are plenty of opportunities to engage with others and help each other out. I really enjoy the collaborative spirit of our little community.

Learn more about the Institute’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Institute News

Meet the winners of the heartfelt Eric Dudl scholarship award

AuthorMonica May
Date

January 19, 2021

Jennifer Hope and Archna Ravi

Award pays tribute to postdoctoral researcher who succumbed to cancer at age 33

Eric Dudl’s lifelong dream to be a scientist was just starting to come true. He’d begun his postdoctoral research in a cancer lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys, where he was known as kind, helpful and the “go-to guy” when an unfamiliar piece of machinery arrived.

Watch the virtual ceremony honoring the winners of the Dudl scholarship award, including remarks by Eric’s family, their faculty mentors and the interim head of our National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center, Ze’ev Ronai.

Then, at age 32, he was diagnosed with cancer. The diagnosis only reaffirmed his passion for science, and he often returned to the lab after a long day of chemotherapy.

“One day when he was quite ill, I looked at Eric and said, ‘Why don’t you take some time off of work. Get your energy back and go back in when you feel better,’” says Jim Dudl, MD, Eric’s father, at the ceremony honoring this year’s scholarship recipients. “He immediately looked up at me and said, ‘Why would I do that? This is the best job in the world!’”

Eric underwent five rounds of chemotherapy, but the tumor was aggressive. Only nine months after the initial diagnosis, he succumbed to the cancer. He was 33.

Today, Eric’s memory lives on in the form of the Eric Dudl Endowed Scholarship Award, created by Eric’s family in 2007 to support talented postdoctoral researchers working in the cancer field. This year’s virtual event celebrated the 2019 and 2020 scholarship winners: Jennifer Hope, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Linda Bradley lab; and Archna Ravi, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Brooke Emerling lab.

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

Eric Lau, Robert Tinoco, And Gaurav Pathria

Where are they now? From left to right: Past Dudl Scholarship award winners include Eric Lau, now an assistant member at the Moffitt Cancer Center; Robert Tinoco, now an assistant professor at UC Irvine; and Gaurav Pathria, now a scientist at Genentech.

As in past years, each scientist was nominated by leaders at Sanford Burnham Prebys’ National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center and then selected by Institute president and Pauline & Stanley Foster Presidential Chair Kristiina Vuori, MD, PhD

“These talented scientists truly pick up where Eric had to leave off,” says Barbara Dudl, Eric’s mother. “We are so grateful to the Institute for their compassion for Eric during his illness and as we worked to create this scholarship, and the scientists who are now working on discoveries that might one day save the life of someone like Eric.”
 

Jennifer Hope, PhD (Linda Bradley lab)

Tell us a little bit about your research. If all goes well, what do you hope to achieve?
I’m working to understand why the immune system, specifically T cells, seems to turn a “blind eye” to tumors—in contrast to other foreign invaders such as viruses.

Over the last few years, our studies have pinpointed one molecule that transforms T cells and can help slow, stop, and in some cases, even eliminate, tumors in mice.

My ultimate hope is that we use this information to create better cancer treatments, particularly for skin cancer (melanoma), which remains a deadly cancer. 

What does this award mean to you?
It is a great honor to have received this award, particularly because of the story behind it! We may all have different reasons for going into science and research, but one thing we all share is passion for our work. We also know how taxing cancer therapies can be on a patient’s mind, body and soul, so for Eric to have continued his work with such diligence while undergoing treatment is truly inspirational and speaks to his resilience and character.

How does this award advance your work?
With this award, I was able to travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I spent a week in the lab of a renowned T cell expert. There, I gained invaluable hands-on experience with assays that I could bring back to my lab here and have already implemented in our work. The timing of this award, which I received in 2019, was very lucky. I completed the weeklong residency in January of 2020 just before COVID-19 had taken off in the U.S.
 

Archna Ravi, PhD (Brooke Emerling lab)

Tell us a little bit about your research. If all goes well, what do you hope to achieve? 
Scientists know that rapidly growing cancer cells become desperate for nutrients and start to use alternative pathways to get “food.” It’s a bit like, “If you aren’t going to feed me, I’m going to feed myself.” I’m studying a family of proteins that controls two of these alternative pathways (autophagy and mitochondrial metabolism). If we can block two important ways a tumor “feeds” itself, we believe we can create a very effective drug that can starve a tumor.

I hope my work will ultimately lead to better cancer therapeutics, especially for triple-negative breast cancer and sarcomas. These are very difficult tumors to treat; and we need better, targeted therapies to help more people survive these cancers.

What does this award mean to you personally?
Anyone who has heard Eric’s story has been inspired by it. It’s the sort of dedication and perseverance that I hope to achieve in my career. In the face of the disease, Eric chose to continue working on something he truly enjoyed and believed in. It’s about doing what you’re passionate about no matter what hurdles are thrown your way. For my work to be recognized with this scholarship is a great honor.

How will this award advance your work? What will you be able to achieve now? 
As a postdoctoral researcher, I’m on the threshold of a new path in my career. I plan to use the funds to “attend” conferences where I can share my work and network with people all over the world. This award really supports my career goal of becoming an independent scientist.

Anything else you would like us to know? 
For me, cancer research is not just about doing good science. It’s about ensuring that no one has to fear losing loved ones to this disease. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years back. Thankfully, she’s doing well now after surgery and chemotherapy. But that experience, and the fear that we both felt, stays with me today.

Along these lines, many people aren’t aware that the research needed to create a new drug starts at nonprofit organizations such as Sanford Burnham Prebys. The hardest part—the actual science notwithstanding—is getting the funding to carry out such research. No contribution to science is too small! Every gift increases the chances that we can find new treatments.

Read more about the Eric Dudl Endowed Scholarship Fund, or support early-career researchers, by donating to the fund. 

Institute News

Meet computational biologist Mallika Iyer

AuthorMonica May
Date

January 14, 2021

Mallika Iyer in front of computer with green protein

Iyer is studying how proteins “dance,” which could lead to better drugs and a deeper understanding of human health 

DNA is often the star of the show when we talk about the body, but proteins are the true front-line workers. Formed by DNA’s instructions, proteins begin as strings of chemical compounds and later fold into a 3D shape that dictates their job in the body. If scientists can solve a protein’s shape—a feat that often takes years or decades—they may be able to create better drugs or better understand disease.  

Biologist Mallika Iyer, a graduate student in the Godzik lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys, is harnessing the power of computers to unlock insights into protein structure and movement. We caught up with Iyer as she prepares to take the virtual stage at DASL (the Diversity and Science Lecture Series at UC San Diego) to learn more about her greatest hopes for her research and what makes her tick.

Did you always know you wanted to be a scientist?
I’ve known I wanted to be a scientist ever since I learned about the digestive system as a kid. I was fascinated by how the human body works—it’s the most well-thought-out machine ever. 

I didn’t, however, imagine myself being a computational scientist until much later. When I was in college, I realized that traditional lab work wasn’t for me. I began learning some basic coding after I graduated and was hooked. That transitioned into computational biology/bioinformatics.

What do you study, and what is your greatest hope for your research?
I study protein structure and flexibility. Proteins are often depicted as having a single structure, but they are actually very flexible and transition between many different conformations as a part of their function—sort of like a well-choreographed dance.

My greatest hope for my research, or this field in general, is that we will someday be able to predict the types of movements a protein undergoes during the course of its function, or “job.” Last year, the field saw a huge advancement in the prediction of protein structure (read more in The New York Times). But “structure” is only half the story. Being able to predict all the different conformations and movements would be incredibly useful for medicine—and very cool!

What do you wish people knew about science?
That being wrong is a huge part of science. Scientists are supposed to understand and explain how the world works. But that is something that involves a lot of trial and error! Being wrong is, in fact, the way we advance our knowledge.

When you aren’t working, where can you be found? Where is your happy place?
Prior to the pandemic, my happy place was actually the climbing gym. I was introduced to indoor rock climbing about two years ago, and I instantly fell in love it with. It’s a great way to exercise both your body and mind, and I have found the climbing community to be really friendly and accepting. What makes my gym even better is that it also has extra space to just hang out, work, read a book, and so on. So, I used to go there a lot!

What is the best career advice you have ever received? 
Use every opportunity you can to present your work and network with people. I try to present at as many conferences and symposia as I can, and simultaneously use that as a way to meet and network with others in the field. I’ve found that this allows me to practice answering questions about my work, which in turn enables me to think more critically about it. And it can also lead to new opportunities that further my research and career.

What do you wish people knew about Sanford Burnham Prebys?
That it has a graduate program! I think our program is really unique. Its small size means that each student gets a lot of attention, and we have an Office of Education, Training and International Services (OETIS) that really offers us a lot of great resources to help us shape our careers.
 

A woman in workout clothes kneeling in front of a rock climbing wall

​Prior to the pandemic, Mallika’s happy place was the climbing gym. “It’s a great way to exercise both your body and mind, and I have found the climbing community to be really friendly and accepting,” she says.

Learn more about the Institute’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Institute News

Meet the new graduate student class at Sanford Burnham Prebys

AuthorMonica May
Date

October 20, 2020

2020 SBP graduate students

Get to know the biomedical researchers of the future

Although Sanford Burnham Prebys has spent more than four decades fostering a reputation for excellence in basic biomedical research, our Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is relatively young. Founded in 2005, the program’s mission is to educate and train students to become the innovative biomedical scientists of the future.

“This year’s group of graduate students will work on ambitious projects that will help us learn about the biology of aging, the origins of cancer and more,” says Guy Salvesen, PhD, dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. “I look forward to seeing what these talented individuals will accomplish in the coming years under the guidance of our dedicated faculty.”

Meet this year’s incoming class of graduate students and learn about the bold projects they will undertake while at the Institute—and what drives them personally.

Sviatlana Zaretski (Hansen lab)

Sviatlana Zaretski began interning in the lab of Malene Hansen, PhD, as an undergraduate at University of California, San Diego. This led to a lifelong fascination with autophagy, a cellular recycling process that plays an important role in aging—the single greatest risk factor for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer and diabetes.

After graduation, Zaretski continued this work as a research assistant in the lab. Now, as a graduate student, she will build upon the knowledge she has gained to date to decipher the molecular changes that occur during aging and how they alter autophagy. This work could unlock new ways to slow the aging process and promote healthy aging.

Sviatlana Zaretski

“When I’m not in the lab, I can be found on the beach or in the park with my family.”

Rema Iyer (Deshpande lab)

Rema Iyer joins the graduate program with more than a decade of experience working in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries—including roles at Eli Lilly, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, GNF and AnaptysBio. Across these positions, her focus remained on preclinical drug discovery and drug engineering—with the goal of ensuring medicines are safe and effective in the human body.

As a graduate student in Ani Deshpande’s lab, Iyer will work to understand the role of epigenetics—chemical tags placed on DNA that alter gene expression—in cancers like acute myeloid leukemia. Her hope is that this work will lead to therapies that are meaningful to people with these cancers.

Rema Iyer

“What I love most about research is that I get to use my passion for science to help people. And with a PhD, I can have even more impact.”

Utkarsha Paithane (Bagchi lab)

Utkarsha Paithane obtained an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree in biotechnology from Amity University in India. She then went on to obtain a master’s degree at Keck Graduate Institute in California, where she worked to determine how non-small-cell lung cancer develops resistance to a targeted treatment called erlotinib.

As a graduate student in the lab of Anindya Bagchi, PhD, Paithane will work to uncover genetic mutations that contribute to cancer initiation, which could lead to treatments that prevent cancers from developing.

Utkarsha Paithane

“One of my favorite moments in my life is when my first DNA experiment in my undergrad worked. I was so proud!”

Adarsh Rajesh (Adams lab)

Adarsh Rajesh first connected with Sanford Burnham Prebys when he worked as an assistant in the lab of Peter Adams, PhD, studying cellular senescence, a sleeplike state of aged cells. Now, as a graduate student in the Adams lab, Rajesh will investigate the impact of epigenetics—chemical tags placed on DNA that alter gene expression—on cellular senescence, aging and cancer.

Rajesh is interested in combining bioinformatics techniques and cell biology to unlock the cellular mechanisms that drive aging and age-associated diseases—which could lead to treatments that promote healthy aging or prevent age-associated diseases.

Adarsh Rajesh

Rajesh is interested in combining bioinformatics and cell biology to understand aging.

Cedomir (Ceda) Stamenkovic (Sacco lab)

Ceda Stamenkovic completed his undergraduate studies at University of California, San Diego, where he majored in neuroscience and physiology. After graduation, he worked in several neuroscience research labs studying the brain’s response to opioids and reward behavior.

As a graduate student in the lab of Alessandra Sacco, PhD, Stamenkovic shifts his focus to muscle stem cells and how they degrade due to natural aging or muscular dystrophy. This work could lead to muscle-boosting treatments that help people maintain muscle mass as they age, or help people living with muscular dystrophy.

Cedomir (Ceda) Stamenkovic

“I’ve always been fascinated by the living world. I was interested in both biology as well as ecology, but I chose biology because of its ability to advance health and medicine. That’s very important to me.”

Institute News

Meet neuroscientist Paloma Sánchez Pavón

AuthorMonica May
Date

October 7, 2020

Paloma Sánchez Pavón in lab

Paloma’s research aims to protect premature babies from brain damage

Newborns have a new scientist in their corner: Paloma Sánchez Pavón, a graduate student in the lab of Jerold Chun, MD, PhD Paloma is working to find a medicine that could protect the still-developing brains of premature babies, which are incredibly delicate and prone to swelling. Called hydrocephalus, the condition is common—affecting one in 1,000 newborns—and repeated brain surgery is the only treatment.

We caught up with Paloma to learn more about what makes her tick, including why she decided to become a scientist and what she wishes people knew about research.

  • Did you always know you wanted to be a scientist? When you were a child, did you ever imagine you would be in the role you are today?
    I always knew I wanted to become a scientist, but I didn’t imagine I would be in the position I am today. Growing up, I was obsessed with the idea of becoming a marine biologist. I was fascinated by how much we didn’t know about the ocean. My plan was to move closer to the beach and enroll in a program that would allow me to learn more about it. Nevertheless, I soon realized that I was both mesmerized and terrified of the ocean (sharks, especially), and that I would never be able to spend enough time diving and exploring the water, which is what such a career would require. I was still passionate about biology and science in general, so I decided to study the most unknown (and equally unexplored) organ in the human body—the brain.
  • What do you study, and what is your greatest hope for your research?

    I study hydrocephalus, a condition that often affects premature infants. These newborns are extremely fragile and often accumulate fluid in their heads, which can cause brain damage or death. The only treatment is invasive brain surgery, required multiple times throughout individuals’ lives, to insert a shunt in their brains and drain the excess fluid so it is reabsorbed somewhere else in the body. This procedure is extremely uncomfortable for the patients and, like any other surgery, is associated with several risks that endanger their lives. I’m trying to understand the disease so we can find a better, less invasive treatment.

Paloma Sánchez Pavón at the beach in front of the ocean at sunset

When Paloma isn’t working in the lab, she can be found enjoying one of San Diego’s many beautiful beaches

  • What is one scientific question you wish you had an absolutely true answer to?
    To answer this question, I will step away from biology and turn to the universe. What is there beyond our galaxy? Will we be able to inhabit other planets? If we have so many things to still learn about the ocean and the brain, the universe is in a completely different category, with so many possibilities ahead of us.
  • What do you wish people knew about science?
    That it is fun. Experiments are about testing limits and going beyond what is known. I think that is really exciting. Also, science advances because we’re constantly asking new questions. Curiosity is what keeps this field in continuous evolution. And never be afraid to ask questions because science can be understood by everybody—it just needs to be explained well.
  • When you aren’t working in the lab, where can you be found? Where is your happy place?
    You will find me at the beach, walking along it or watching a sunset. One of the main reasons why I decided to move to San Diego is because I fell in love with its sunsets. You will also find me having brunch (my favorite American tradition) with my friends or enjoying a beer after work with them, especially around Encinitas or downtown San Diego.
  • What is the best career advice you have ever received?
    Never stop pushing the boundaries of knowledge. A curious mind is what keeps a scientist passionate about their job. Experiments usually don’t work the first time. You have to keep asking new questions and learning from your mistakes. Finishing a project takes time, but every day is unexpected and exciting because you don’t know what you’re going to find. That is the thrilling part about being a scientist.
  • What do you wish people knew about Sanford Burnham Prebys?
    What a great community Sanford Burnham Prebys is. I’ve never been in such a collaborative environment, where you work closely not only with students and postdocs, but also with faculty members. Everyone is always willing to help, whether that is lending reagents or advising about different techniques. As a student, this is what I value the most because it helps me develop as a scientist in an extremely enriching way.

Learn more about our Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Institute News

19th annual Trainee Research Symposium is a virtual success!

AuthorSusan Gammon
Date

October 5, 2020

Virtual Symposium on Zoom

Sanford Burnham Prebys’ annual Trainee Research Symposium is dedicated to highlighting the research of postdoctoral scientists and advanced graduate students.

This year, nearly 40 early-career scientists presented their research during an engaging two-day, jam-packed Zoom call that went off without a hitch.

After opening remarks by Malene Hansen, PhD, professor and faculty adviser for Postdoctoral Training, the podium and poster presentations began. Faculty, trainees, staff scientists and other interested parties navigated through sessions that ranged from new approaches to conquer brain cancer to the molecular basis of aging. The event gives “up-and-coming” scientists an opportunity to receive feedback on their work, explore potential new collaborations and receive prize money to support career development activities.

“We’re fortunate to be starting our careers at Sanford Burnham Prebys where the scientific research is significant and diverse,” says Cynthia Lebeaupin, PhD, a best poster presentation award winner. “I’m grateful to be able to present my project, which is focused on the link between fatty liver disease and cancer, to colleagues from different disciplines, such as cardiac disease and immunology. Their questions about my research bring fresh perspectives and spark new ideas.”

Keynote speaker Martin Chalfie, PhD, a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and professor at Columbia University, opened day two of the event with a presentation titled, “GFP: Lighting Up Life,” detailing the journey that led to his discovery of GFP—a fluorescent protein that revolutionized how scientists look at the inner workings of living cells. Chalfie followed with an informal “Ask Me Anything” session where he shared his passion for mentoring early-career scientists.

C. Randal (Randy) Mills, PhD, CEO of Sanford Burnham Prebys, closed the event with a happy hour exclusively attended by trainee presenters—an opportunity for everyone to get to know more about his experiences as a PhD student and how his career evolved to his current position as leader of our world-class biomedical research Institute.

Many congratulations to all who participated in the symposium, and thanks to the organizers at the SBP Science Network and the Office of Education, Training, & International Services (OETIS).

This year’s symposium winners are:

Best Podium Talk – Judges Selection

Natalie Kirkland, PhD
Engler/Bodmer Labs
Runner-up
Stephen Sakuma
D’Angelo Lab

Honorable Mentions

Mallika Iyer
Godzik Lab
Jaime Zlamal, PhD
Osterman Lab

Best Poster –Judges Selection

Cynthia Lebeaupin, PhD
Kaufman Lab
Rashmi Mishra, PhD
Dong Lab
Ee Phie Tan, PhD
Hansen Lab

Best Podium Talk – Popular Vote

Stephen Sakuma
D’Angelo Lab

Honorable Mention

Jaime Zlamal, PhD
Osterman Lab

Institute News

Celebrating the next generation of biomedical trailblazers at the 19th annual Fishman Fund Awards

AuthorMonica May
Date

September 22, 2020

From left to right: Daniela Dengler, PhD (Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics); Chiara Nicoletti, PhD (Puri lab); Kyungsoo Shin, PhD (Marassi lab); and Marie Berenguer, PhD (Duester lab)

Four talented early-career researchers were awarded prestigious Fishman Fund Awards.

When Dr. William and Lillian Fishman founded our Institute in 1976, they knew that nurturing the next generation of scientists was just as important as advancing cutting-edge research. Today, their values live on in the form of the Fishman Fund Awards, which help exceptional postdoctoral researchers develop into scientific leaders.

On September 24, four talented early-career researchers received the prestigious award during an inspiring virtual ceremony. Generous benefactors, past award winners, and family and friends tuned into the event, which featured remarks from Institute president Kristiina Vuori, MD, PhD; professor and Fishman Fund Award recipient José Luis Millán, PhD; Fishman Fund co-founder Reena Horowitz and co-founder designee Jeanne Jones.

“The Fishmans firmly believed in helping brilliant early-career postdoctoral scientists become great principal investigators,” says Ms. Horowitz, who established the Fishman Fund Awards in 2001 with her late friend Mary Bradley. “Our goal with these awards is to encourage and support these researchers in their quest for the next great medical breakthroughs, which might one day be able to save the lives of our family members, friends and neighbors.”

Fishman Fund winners undergo a rigorous selection process that includes a personal interview and a presentation to the selection committee. All winners receive a $10,000 career development award that can be used to attend workshops, network and travel to national and international conferences to learn about the latest developments in their research fields. The winner of the Fishman Fund Fellowship receives a two-year salary stipend in addition to the professional development funding.

Meet this year’s Fishman Fund Award winners

Fishman Fund Fellowship Award

Kyungsoo Shin, PhD, grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Canada, where he also attended Dalhousie University for his undergraduate and graduate studies. Dr. Shin works in the laboratory of Dr. Francesca Marassi, where he is advancing a potential treatment for age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 60. Dr. Shin recently showed that a protein called vitronectin is the likely cause of the pebble-like deposits in the back of the eye that underlie the disease. With this information, scientists can now work toward a treatment to prevent vision loss.

Dr. Shin’s career goal is to become an independent researcher focused on understanding how cellular membranes—gatekeepers that regulate what enters or exits a cell—are involved in disease. He hopes to mentor and inspire the next generation of scientists to advance our understanding of human biology.
 

Fishman Fund Career Development Awards

Marie Berenguer, PhD, grew up near Paris and went to school in Bordeaux. She is currently studying in the laboratory of Dr. Gregg Duester and focuses on how a compound called retinoic acid affects the way embryos are formed. Her work may open new avenues to prevent and treat birth defects.

Dr. Berenguer’s career goal is to become a principal investigator and lecturer in genetics and developmental biology. By leading her own research team, she hopes to improve our understanding of genetic diseases and lay the foundation for future therapies.

Daniela Dengler, PhD, is from Germany, where she studied pharmacy and worked in a pharmacy for a year before she decided to pursue her PhD at the Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. Dr. Dengler works in the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics with Dr. Eduard Sergienko. She is searching for new drugs that bind to proteins called G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), which mediate many physiological processes in the body. More than 30% of all FDA-approved drugs act on GPCRs.

Dr. Dengler’s career goal is to become a project leader in biotech, where she wants to combine her background in chemistry with her knowledge in assay development and high-throughput screening to find drugs for unmet medical needs.

Chiara Nicoletti, PhD, grew up in Gela, in Sicily, and received her PhD at the University of Padua in northern Italy. Dr. Nicletti is in Dr. Pier Lorenzo Puri’s lab and is studying the links between genetic sequences and risk of disease. Her research will open new avenues to help clinicians practice personalized medicine—including predicting who is likely to get a disease, how to prevent it, how to treat it and perhaps even cure the condition.

Dr. Nicoletti’s career goal is to become a principal investigator, leading her own research team that focuses on integrating foundational research with everyday medical practice to improve human health.

Watch the Fishman Fund Awards ceremony, which featured remarks from Institute president Kristiina Vuori, MD, PhD; professor and Fishman Fund Award recipient José Luis Millán, PhD; Fishman Fund co-founder Reena Horowitz and co-founder designee Jeanne Jones.

Learn more about the Fishman Fund, or, donate now, to support future scientific leaders.

Institute News

Meet molecular biologist Kyungsoo Shin

AuthorMonica May
Date

September 22, 2020

Kyungsoo Shin

Kyungsoo Shin is the winner of this year’s prestigious Fishman Fund Fellowship Award, which helps talented early-career researchers become scientific leaders

While growing up, Kyungsoo Shin always found himself drawn to science. Learning how the body works was endlessly fascinating to him. But it wasn’t until he was in the middle of his PhD that he became officially hooked on research.

“I was doing a long 16-hour experiment, and around 9 or 10 p.m. I started getting really positive results. I was so excited that I called my supervisors at the time,” recalls Shin. “Even though it was so late, they were just as happy as I was! That was my first introduction to how intoxicating research can be, and the power of a supportive community.”

Today, as a postdoctoral researcher at Sanford Burnham Prebys, Shin is applying his passion for discovery to an area of great need: finding a treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). No treatments currently exist for the common condition, which is the main cause of vision loss for people over the age of 60. As a new father, this research became especially meaningful to Shin.

“My son is 3 months old, and just started to smile and laugh,” says Shin. “I couldn’t imagine one day not being able to see him, or my grandchildren. If I had dry AMD, I probably wouldn’t be able to even drive to go see him. I don’t want to imagine that sort of life for anyone.”

Working with a world-renowned scientist

Shin has found a wise mentor in Professor Francesca Marassi, PhD, one of the world’s leading experts on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This technology allows scientists to see the shape of a protein, which enables rational drug design. When the job posting first appeared, Shin was writing his PhD thesis—but his supervisor told him to stop writing and apply to the position immediately. The opportunity to work with Marassi was too important.

“Learning from her has fundamentally changed who I am as a scientist,” says Shin. “Before I used to think in terms of completing projects. Now I ‘follow the science,’ which means let the data lead me to my next step.”

This approach has proved successful: Marassi and Shin recently uncovered a new drug target for dry AMD. Using NMR and other cutting-edge technologies located at the Institute, they deciphered the shape of a protein called vitronectin. Then they showed that the sticky, propeller-shaped protein likely “seeds” the formation of pebble-like structures in the back of the eye that cause vision loss.

Fishman Fund Award advances key research

Now, with the support of the Fishman Fund Fellowship Award—which provides a salary stipend and $10,000 for career development—Shin can attend scientific conferences that will help him think outside of the box and grow as a scientist. Receiving an award in honor of the Fishmans—who started the Institute after reaching mandatory retirement age—is special to Shin.

“The Fishmans were so devoted to pushing our understanding of human health that they continued their research even when they didn’t have to,” says Shin. “To receive a fellowship that is named after such inspirational and honorable people is truly an honor. I have a great sense of responsibility to advance research that will have a positive impact on humanity, and could one day benefit my son or his children.”

Sanford Burnham Prebys is grateful to the generous Fishman Fund donors who make the career development awards possible. Learn more about the Fishman Fund, or donate now, to support future scientific leaders.

Institute News

A path to parity for Black PhD students in the sciences

AuthorMonica May
Date

August 18, 2020

Mix Race Team Of Scientific Researchers In Lab Wearing White Coats And Protective Glasses

Graduate school dean Guy Salvesen describes barriers he has seen for students who are Black and how we can make science fully inclusive.

Only 5% of graduate students in science and engineering are Black despite making up more than 13% of the U.S. population—and in spite of showing similar levels of interest in science as their peers. A PhD is required for career advancement in biomedical research—so this disparity impacts the number of faculty members, CEOs and scientific leaders who are Black. It will take persistent and bold efforts on the part of individuals, groups, institutions and society at large if we are to achieve anything close to equality.

To learn more about this topic, we spoke with Guy Salvesen, PhD, professor and dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Sanford Burnham Prebys about barriers that discourage students who are Black from applying to PhD programs—and how they can be dismantled to address disparities.

Why are you personally passionate about achieving racial equality in the biomedical sciences?
Standing up for equality has always been a big part of my family’s values. I was born in South Africa during the era of apartheid. My mother always made it clear that she detested racism and the people who defended it. Before we moved away, she was part of a resistance organization called the Black Sash—a woman’s-only movement against apartheid. I come from a single-parent household, so my mother had an especially big influence on me.

Do you receive a lot of applications from PhD students who are Black?
We receive many applications from Latinx students, but I have to say not as many from Black students. We know this is not due to lack of interest. There are systemic barriers at play, which as a graduate school we try to address to the best of our abilities. Our founding mission was to have a student population that mirrors California’s demographics, so we are committed to doing all we can to reach that goal.

Guy Salvesen, PhD, dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Guy Salvesen, PhD, is the dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Sanford Burnham Prebys.

In your experience, what are the barriers that prevent students who are Black from applying to PhD programs?
First, I believe the biggest hurdle is the monetary aspect of a career in science. The field is poorly rewarded financially, especially compared to a career such as pharmacy or medicine. You must commit to almost a decade of minimum-wage pay as you complete graduate-school and then postdoctoral studies. Scientists are some of the most highly trained individuals in the world—and for many years, they are paid close to minimum wage.

Even when you complete training and find a well-paying job, many students have educational loans to pay back—and Black students are more likely to have loans because of the racial wealth gap. The students who apply but don’t attend our graduate school typically accept positions in pharmacy, where they can more rapidly start earning a high salary. To pursue biomedical research as a career, you have to be incredibly passionate about science and be able to defer economic rewards. I wish it wasn’t like that, but that’s the reality.

I believe it’s important to get students excited about science early and sustain that enthusiasm. Once a student begins a PhD program, they are hooked. We need to make sure that kids who are Black are getting early, positive experiences with science. This can be accomplished through school or after-school programs. This also helps children see themselves as scientists—and that’s an incredibly important factor as students consider their future careers.

What solutions could overcome these barriers?
Ideally, the National Institutes of Health would allocate funds to pay graduate students and postdocs better wages. This is also an area where philanthropy can play a big role. At Sanford Burnham Prebys, we are always grateful to the Fishman Fund Awards, which supplement the salaries of select postdocs. In a perfect world, we would be able to pay better wages to all graduate students and postdocs. Also, any actions that decrease student loan debt would help free students to choose science as a viable career option.

We need to ensure that we are proactively reaching out to schools that are serving students who are Black, especially Historically Black Colleges and Universities which award up to 30% of Black STEM PhDs; providing a safe and welcoming environment for graduate students who are Black; educating our Institute and especially faculty mentors about how to best support students from different racial backgrounds; and hiring faculty members who are Black. We also need to continue to listen and learn about additional actions we can take to achieve racial parity in our program.

Could you share some examples of actions the graduate school took that had particular success?
A partnership we have with the Preuss School, a middle and high school for students who would become the first in their families to graduate from college, has been very successful. Preuss students spend time in our Institute’s labs during the summer and experience what it’s like to work side by side with scientists. We also try to bring parents into the mix by inviting them to our campus, because they have a tremendous influence on the careers their children pursue. Many of our Preuss students went on to select STEM majors in college. Right now, we are short on funds to continue this program. We need support to keep it going.

We also liaise with California state colleges that serve members of underrepresented groups, such as the California State University campuses in Fresno, Long Beach and nearby San Marcos. Through summer internship programs, students from these schools experience advanced laboratory research for the first time. Once these students realize how much fun it is do science in a state-of-the-art facility, they get very excited.

Where do we go from here? Are you hopeful about the future?
It gives me hope that there is movement in society to redress wrongs that have occurred for more than 400 years. I’m optimistic that societal pressures will translate to real action. These issues are not new. It’s time that we listen, learn and take action. And that’s on all of us. No one is immune from systemic racism, and each of us has a role we can play to make positive change.

If you have any questions, comments or would like to share follow-up resources, contact us at info@sbpdiscovery.org.

Dr. Salvesen’s suggested readings: