Seeking answers for treating disease

I became enthralled with science during high school. I was amazed that it’s possible to understand how macromolecules encode information and that it’s possible regulate the expression of that information. Even more compelling was the realization that the basic processes that drive life can offer answers for treating disease.

I chose to join the M.D.-Ph.D. program at Mayo Clinic to train at the intersection of cutting-edge research and complex tertiary clinical care. Mayo cares for patients with challenging conditions like recurrent glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor. Alongside delivering the best treatments available, we also strive to learn as much as possible from each patient, using their experiences to guide the development of cures. This dual focus on patient care and discovery made Mayo the ideal environment to explore my long-term career path.

Serving future generations

While clinical training is equipping me to help patients day to day, working in the lab will allow me to serve future generations. Mayo is special because it places patients at the center of everything. This philosophy extends into the scientific community, where we continually ask how our work might contribute to drug development and delivery, potential off-target effects of treatments, and new drugs that might improve already approved or investigational therapies.

My Ph.D. research focuses on glioblastoma. I’m working with two mentors: Nhan Tran, Ph.D., a cancer biologist, and Henrique Borges da Silva, Ph.D., an immunology researcher. Our goal is to improve immunotherapy outcomes for patients with glioblastoma by leveraging mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity within the tumor microenvironment. The work is challenging and often slow, but the data we are generating is meaningful. I hope to grow old in a world where a glioblastoma diagnosis can be matched to an effective treatment for each individual. That would be something truly worthwhile.

Pursue science, if it’s what you love

Mayo offers graduate students highly competitive stipends and the unique opportunity to do rotations in labs across all three campuses before settling on a project. Throughout the year, we benefit from a variety of workshops that prepare us for grant writing, industry roles, and other career paths. The students here are exceptionally friendly and collaborative. On top of it all, I’ve found Phoenix to be a fun city. There are great hiking trails in the hills as well as great food options. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the Indian food is here in Scottsdale.

For students considering a Ph.D., I can say this: pursue science, if it’s what you love. It’s a challenging path, but one that urgently needs motivated young minds to join the fight against human disease. In my view, the exciting and important moments of discovery outweigh all the trials along the way.