August John: Developing a new method to optimize cancer drugs
My Ph.D. research focused on identifying new drug combinations that will work well together in treating cancer.
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Student Research
As graduate students near the end of their Ph.D. training at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, they reflect on their research journeys, lessons they learned along the way, and their hopes for the future.
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Utkarsh Tripathi: Targeting senescent cells to treat aging and cancer
My Ph.D. research focused on understanding and targeting senescent cells — cells that stop dividing but release detrimental factors contributing to aging and age-related diseases, including cancer.
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Olivia Sirpilla: Engineering stem cells as a therapy for immune disease
My research focused on addressing autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases. Current treatments often focus on managing symptoms rather than addressing the root causes of immune inflammation.
Read the full profileStudent research by track
Read past profiles of our students and their research organized by research track in the Ph.D. program.
Biochemistry and molecular biology track
Luke Doskey: Student Analyzes Cell-to-Cell Communication in Disease
Keenan Pearson: Optimizing a DNA-Based Tool to Address Disease
Pei Yi Ng: Aiming to Mitigate Alzheimer’s Disease
Rameen Shah: Developing a Mini Brain to Study a Rare Genetic Disease
Brandon Wilbanks: Finding DNA Molecules That Can Transport Drugs Inside Cells
Biomedical engineering and physiology track
Clinical and translational science track
Danielle Beetler: Exploring a New Approach to Treating Deadly Heart Disease
Damian Di Florio: Understanding Sex Differences in Deadly Heart Disease
Harvey Huang: Exploring Brain Networks Involved in Vision and Disease
Harry Min: Pursuing Treatments for Deadly Neurodegenerative Disease
Minerva Orellana: A Student’s Community-Engaged Research on Fibroids
Stephanie Zawada: Wearables as a Tool to Help Doctors Assess Effects of Stroke
Immunology track
Molecular pharmacology and experimental therapeutics track
Zack Aibaidula, M.D.: Becoming a Scientist to Help Patients with Brain Cancer
Matthew Baker: Student Identifies Neurons Related to Addictive Behavior
Kevin Gao: Reengineering Heart Cells to Understand Sudden Cardiac Death
Ramin Garmany: A Big-Data Approach to Understand a Genetic Heart Disease
August John: Developing a New Method to Optimize Cancer Drugs
Deborah Msekela: Sleep-Related Epilepsy
Glancis Luzeena Raja: Taking on Pancreatic Cancer
Julian Rechberger, M.D.: Improving Treatment of Deadly Pediatric Brain Tumors
Olivia Sirpilla: Engineering Stem Cells as a Therapy for Immune Disease
Utkarsh Tripathi: Targeting Senescent Cells to Treat Aging and Cancer