The L&D Quarterly showcases the vibrant learning and development community at Sanford Burnham Prebys by highlighting major events and Institute-wide professional development for all employees, student and postdoc accomplishments, and programs that support the next generation of biomedical scientists Published each quarter, this newsletter keeps our community and stakeholders connected to the impactful work happening across the Institute's education and training initiatives
By: Sara Sandoval, MS
Six bright high school students from the Preuss School UC San Diego kicked off their summer internship by bonding over a creative tradition of dying their lab coats. These students were selected to work in the Ocorr lab where they dove into research using the fruit fly (Drosophila) to explore how metabolism affects their health They also explored flow cytometry as a powerful tool to advance immunotherapies for cancer patients
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Inspiring the New Generation of Scientists
Celebrating National Postdoc
Appreciation Week
Welcoming our Newest PhD Students
Summer Book Club Recap
New Speaker Series Spotlights the Path from Lab to Market
Celebrate 50 Years of Discovery
Graduate Student & Postdoc Highlights
Graduate Student & Postdoc Counts
For many of these students, it was their first experience stepping into a lab where they were given the opportunity to conduct hands-on experiments, analyze real-world data, and discover the thrill of scientific inquiry beyond the classroom
Under the mentorship of our dedicated graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, the Preuss interns had a transformative summer immersed in research and scientific communication, gaining not just technical skills but confidence and clarity about their future paths in science.
The program also provided interns access to our scientific community. Through our Lunch Time Talks series, interns met Sanford Burnham Prebys researchers and heard firsthand about their scientific journeys and how they got into their career. The summer program ended in a capstone presentation where interns shared their findings with an audience of scientists, mentors, school counselors, the Preuss principal, and their proud families More than
just a summer internship, this experience was an opportunity for students to learn scientific knowledge and envision what is possible: a path to their higher education, their careers, and a future in biomedical sciences.
“I was thrilled to participate and plan the Preuss internship for the third year now! It is incredible to see such skills and passion in young students and that at such a young age, they are professionally conducting experiments and even making their own presentations to communicate science!”
Katya Marchetti
“Mentoring the Preuss interns was an incredibly rewarding experience that inspires my passion for research and education. Their curiosity, teamwork, and enthusiasm exemplified the spirit of discovery and reminded me of the importance of fostering the next generation of scientists ”
By: Nisha Cavanaugh, PhD
September 15-19, 2025, marked the 16th annual National Postdoc Appreciation Week, established by the National Postdoctoral Association in recognition of the significant contributions postdoctoral researchers make to scientific discovery. At Sanford Burnham Prebys, the Office of Learning and Development, in collaboration with the SBP Science Network (SBP-SN), hosted a week of celebratory events recognizing the postdocs who advance the Institute's biomedical research mission.
6th Annual Postdoc Town Hall – An open forum where key initiatives to enhance the postdoc training experience and results from the 2025 Annual Postdoctoral Survey are discussed
Highlights from the week included:
Annual Postdoc Appreciation BBQ –Faculty mentors and postdocs gathered for a relaxed lunch, fostering community and strengthening mentor-mentee relationships across the Institute.
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24th Annual Biomedical Research Symposium –
Selected postdocs and graduate students presented their cutting-edge research to the entire Institute through oral presentations, flash talks, and a poster session
For more information, click here.
BEST PODIUM TALK
Judges’ Selection
Winner: Luca Caputo, PhD (Puri lab)
Runner-Up: Sophie Hao (Dong lab)
BEST PODIUM TALK
Popular Vote
Jessica Proulx, PhD (Adams lab)
Katya Marchetti (Ocorr lab)
BEST FLASH TALK
Popular Vote
Michael Alcaraz (Adams lab)
BEST POSTERS
Judges' Selection
Cheng-Ju Kuo, PhD (Kumsta lab)
Caitlin Lange (Kumsta lab)
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Fishman Awards Ceremony – Four postdocs received Career Development Awards to support their professional goals, while one researcher was honored with the Cynthia Schwartz Shenkman Research Excellence Award for outstanding contributions to biomedical science. For more information, click here.
Jeanne Jones and Kathryn Fishback
Fishman Career Award: Alejandro Lillo, PhD (Pasquale lab)
Lenka Finci and Erna Viterbi Fishman Career Award: Kokila Shankar, PhD (Sheffler lab)
Reena Horowitz and Mary Bradley Fishman
Founders Career Award: Meenakshi Sudhakaran, PhD (Kersten lab) Continued
Cynthia Schwartz Shenkman Research Excellence Fishman Award:
Theophilos Tzaridis, MD (Adams lab)
Don Barach Memorial Fishman Career Award: Bastien Cimarosti, PhD (Ranade lab)
Mentor of the Year Award – Through a postdoc-led nomination and selection process, Dr. Sanjeev Ranade was honored as the 2025 Mentor of the Year for his exceptional commitment to mentoring excellence
Inaugural Postdoc Pitch Competition – Postdocs competed to present their research to a general audience in just three minutes using one static slide. The top two finalists will represent Sanford Burnham Prebys at the Torrey Pines Mesa-wide competition on October 23, competing against researchers from Salk Institute, Scripps Research, and UC San Diego
By: Sara Sandoval, MS
We’re thrilled to welcome nine new graduate students to the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences! Their first week began with an orientation that highlighted our program requirements, student support services, and community resources. The Graduate Student Association (GSA) hosted a welcome happy hour with games, food, and plenty of opportunities for fun and connection! As you see our newest graduate students around campus, we encourage you to say hi and help them feel at home in our community. They represent the next generation of biomedical scientists, and we can’t wait to see the discoveries they’ll make and the impact they’ll have as they begin their PhD journey.
Pictured from left to right: Yuliang Han, M.S., Chinese Academy of Sciences (Feng Lab); Neha Niranjan, B.S., UC San Diego (Deshpande Lab); Nuo Chen, B.S.c., The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen (Deshpande Lab); Zichen Gao, B S , University of Science and Technology of China (Tian Lab); Luke Shelerud, M S , Boston University (Dhar Lab); Kyle Alvarez, B S , UC San Diego (Sinha Lab); Anna Chechenina, B S c, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Sinha Lab); Cray Minor, B S , UC San Diego (Tharp Lab); Conor Murphy B S , UC Riverside (Kersten Lab)
By: Lauren Mitchell, MS
The Office of Workforce Engagement & Belonging (WEB) and the Sanford Burnham Prebys Research Library co-hosted another successful year of the Summer Book Club, this time discussing I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, by Erika L Sánchez This program highlights the Institute’s culture of collaboration, lifelong learning, and celebrating our global workforce. Every year in May, WEB and the Library hold an institute-wide vote for the book that will be discussed during monthly lunchtime meetings from June to August. All of this year’s voting options were National Book Award finalists
written by women authors. We were delighted to welcome new and familiar faces to these meetings, including postdocs, administrators, faculty, and lab managers. Book club discussions explored themes of grief and loss, secrets and lies, and a shared gratitude for no longer having to navigate the challenges of being a teenager
By: Nisha Cavanaugh, PhD
In July, we launched Innovators & Entrepreneurs, a new speaker series designed for scientists interested in transforming groundbreaking research into
real-world impact. The series features entrepreneurs and industry leaders who share their journeys from lab to market
Our inaugural speaker, Ciara Kennedy, PhD,
MBA Sanford Burnham Prebys alum and CEO of Sorriso Pharmaceuticals packed the auditorium as she shared the inspiring story behind Livmarli, a breakthrough treatment for rare pediatric liver diseases.
Her journey from researcher to CEO captivated the audience and demonstrated what's possible when scientific innovation meets entrepreneurial vision
We look forward for our next seminar in early 2026, welcoming Ajay Nirula, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D at Recludix Pharma
This series exemplifies the Institute’s commitment to preparing scientists not just for research careers, but for leadership roles that translate biomedical research discoveries to improve human health..
Next year marks a major milestone: Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute turns 50!
As we gear up for our 50th anniversary, we’re reflecting on all the alumni who have helped shape our legacy From groundbreaking research to mentoring the next generation, your contributions continue to make an impact!
More to come about exciting events planned throughout the year, including an exclusive alumni gathering and the 50th Anniversary Gala.
We’d love for you to be part of it by sharing your stories, helping plan some of the celebration events, and celebrating this incredible legacy with us
If you’re interested in getting involved, click the button below for more information.
Let’s make this milestone unforgettable — together!
Dr. Jiaqian (Emily) Wu successfully defended her thesis on September 10, 2025
Dr. Wu conducted her thesis research “Fragment-based Drug Discovery of Small Molecular Modulators of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases,” under the mentorship of Dr Nicholas Cosford.
Dr Michaela Romero successfully defended her thesis on August 27, 2025.
Dr Romero conducted her thesis research “Discovery and Characterization of Fibroblast Identity Stabilizing Mechanisms That Restrict Therapeutic Cardiac Reprogramming,” under the mentorship of Dr Alexandre Colas
Carolina Cano Macip, a graduate student in the Tian Lab, was awarded the 2025 Pluripotent Stem Cell Research travel award by Miltenyi Biotec!
os Garcia Teneche, a uate student in the Adams was awarded the atology Inclusion Pathway Graduate Student Award award is available for ents conducting research on d science-focused projects.
The Science in Motion Travel Award supports emerging researchers in sharing their work and showcasing the innovative science from the Center Center for Cardiovascular and Muscular Diseases.
Anis Shahnaee, a graduate student in the Chun Lab, was awarded the 2025 Melvin and Phyllis McCardle Clause Graduate Scholarship in Age-Related Neurodegeneration.
ardees included Gabriele arnaccia (Sacco Lab) who will end the 8th Cancer Cachexia nference in Turin, Italy, and a Caputo, PhD (Puri Lab) who present at Frontiers in ogenesis in Sunriver, Oregon
Diane Klotz, PhD Chief Learning Officer Associate Dean, Administration & Professional Development
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Angelica Rocha, PhD Associate Director, Institutional Research & Academic Planning
Sara Sandoval, MS Recruitment, Admissions, and PhD Pathways Programs Manager
Nicole Villa, MA Program Coordinator, OLAD Office of Learning and Development
Nisha Cavanaugh, PhD Associate Director, Career Development & Postdoctoral Programs
Workforce Engagement & Belonging (WEB)
Lauren Mitchell, MS Director, WEB
Megan Elyamani Academic Programs Specialist & Registrar
Alessandra Sacco, PhD Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Linda Bradley, PhD Faculty Advisor, Postdoctoral Training Leadership Support
