Sanford Burnham Prebys

Congratulations to Caroline Kumsta, Ph.D., for receiving a $2.9M grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The award will enable Kumsta’s lab to take a deep dive into the fascinating concept of hormesis, where mild stress leads to improved health and a longer life span. Using C. elegans as a model organism, her team will pinpoint the exact timing and specific tissues where the body’s recycling system, #autophagy, needs to be activated to achieve long-term health benefits. Read more: https://bit.ly/3Lm1B0e #cellularrecycling #celegan #aging #agingresearch #lifeexpectancy #nia #nih

Stem cell scientists: Join the next Southern California Stem Cell Seminar on July 11, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. PDT featuring Michael Lane, Ph.D., of Drexel University. This event is in collaboration with UC San Diego and hosted by Evan Snyder, M.D., Ph.D. Register: https://bit.ly/3S3jrsz #stemcells #stemcellresearch

Congratulations to Ani Deshpande who has received a new CIRM grant for more than $1.5M. The award will support his lab’s work to assess epigenetic differences that distinguish normal blood stem cells from their malignant counterparts—potentially leading to novel leukemia-stem cell directed therapies.

Step into the complex world where addiction meets cancer. According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 48.7 million Americans had substance use disorder (SUD) last year.   Join our upcoming open house hosted by the Community Advisory Board and the NCI-Designated Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys to learn about how SUD increases the risk of cancer. Meet dedicated scientists and clinicians, tour the labs, and get answers to your most pressing questions. Free and open to the public. Register now: https://bit.ly/3RzJk2T For more on NSDUH, visit: https://bit.ly/2022NSDUH  #cancer #cancercenter #cancerresearch #addiction #addictionresearch #NCI #NIH #NIDA #NSDUH #SAMHSA #sandiego #lajolla #torreypines 

The Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research has awarded Ani Deshpande a grant in support of his work to help find a cure for childhood cancer, part of the $5 million in research grants distributed by the Rally Foundation and its Collaborative Partners this year. For a full list of the 2024 grants, https://lnkd.in/eH_NeTT8 #RallyOn #GOLDSTRONG

The San Diego Nathan Shock Center is accepting applications for its Pilot Grant program. Scientists interested in studying the biology of aging can receive up to $20,000 ($50,000 for spatial-omics or longitudinal single-cell studies) for services, supplies, training workshops and travel to San Diego. Applications are due August 22, 2024. For more information on eligibility, application requirements and to apply, visit https://bit.ly/3B5VVjU #grantopportunity #researchfunding #sciencefunding #grants Salk Institute for Biological Studies, UC San Diego

Congratulations to Aryaman Bhattacharya who won The Lee Summer Student Fellowship! Recently graduated from the BS/MS contiguous program in Biology at UCSD, Aryaman will now transition to his master’s in Debanjan Dhar’s lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys. Aryaman will study if inhibiting Ubiquitin D confers protective effects against alcoholic liver disease, which could pave the way for new therapeutic approaches to treat ALD and related liver disorders—including cancer. The Fellowship is given by the Southern California Center of ALPD and Cirrhosis within the Keck School of Medicine of USC. More: https://lnkd.in/gfXYpUbD

David Brenner’s latest essay for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Community Voices Project is now live. “𝐎𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲," describes how living a vigorous life: walking, gardening and enjoying sex well into the golden years, can lead to a longer well-lived life. Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3VCsi5D.

Sanford Burnham Prebys recognized the beginning of Pride month with a Pride flag-raising event on Friday, June 7, 2024. The gathering included an opportunity for speakers in a variety of roles throughout the Institute to share comments on the meaning of the Pride flag in their lives and careers. 🏳️🌈 David Brenner, M.D., president, CEO and Donald Bren Chief Executive Chair at Sanford Burnham Prebys, opened the ceremony, saying, “I’m very proud of everyone for working together to make this a welcoming community.” Alessandra (Lale) Cecchini, Ph.D., postdoctoral associate in the lab of Alessandra Sacco, Ph.D., concluded the formal ceremony, reflecting, “This gesture speaks loudly about who we are and what we stand for in terms of valuing acceptance, unity, respect and kindness.” She added, “While we have come a long way, we still have further to go. I hope this and other diversity-related events on campus encourage you to feel safe and empowered to fully be yourself.” Learn more about the event: https://bit.ly/4bU4UXX #pride #pridemonth #dei #deib #diversity #equity #inclusion #belonging

🎓❤️ On Friday, May 31, 2024, the Sanford Burnham Prebys Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences hosted four graduates, their family members and friends as well as current students, faculty members and staff at the Institute’s campus in La Jolla for the school’s first-ever Commencement ceremony. In addition to honoring the four graduates in attendance, the event also recognized the 62 other alumni who graduated from the Institute’s graduate school in the nearly 20 years since its founding in 2006. “The faculty and community at Sanford Burnham Prebys have been tremendous and afforded me the most meaningful opportunities to learn and grow,” said Stephen Sakuma, Ph.D. ’24, during his speech on behalf of Sanford Burnham Prebys alumni. “The journey has been long and, at times, arduous, but it also has been exceedingly rewarding.” Read more: https://bit.ly/3yWww0f #graduateschool #scientificresearch 📸 Pictured from left to right are Rachael McVicar, Ph.D. ’23; James Kent, Ph.D. ’22; Monica Gonzalez Ramirez, Ph.D. ’18; and Stephen Sakuma, Ph.D. ’24.