2022 Postdoctoral Candidate Pelotonia Scholars
Learn more about the postdoctoral candidates who received a scholarship award in 2022.
2022 Spring Postdoctoral Candidate Pelotonia Scholars
Joseph Azar, MD
Major: Surgical Oncology/Cancer Immunotherapy
Project: Profiling TCF1+CD8+ T cells in neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX and PD-1 blockade in pancreatic cancer.
Mentor: Mark P. Rubinstein, PhD and Ernest Ramsay Camp, MD
Idea Inspiration: Having lost a close family member to cancer, my motivation stems from the belief that research can be life-changing and can give hope to those who have lost it.
Misbah Khan, PhD
Major: Cancer Biology
Project: PUM-mediated regulation of mitochondrial function and metabolism in small cell lung cancer.
Mentor: Wayne Miles, PhD
Idea Inspiration: Determine the mechanism of PUM regulation of mitochondrial genes in cancer.
Sajita Shah, PhD
Major: Cancer Biology
Project: Investigating the PDGFB/Angiopoietin-1 axis in the promotion of breast cancer-associated brain metastasis.
Mentor: Gina Sizemore, PhD
Idea Inspiration: To identify novel, effective targetable axis for breast cancer patients with brain metastasis.
Sara Taranto, PhD
Major: Precision Medicine
Project: Investigating CREB1 signaling in multiple myeloma.
Mentor: Francesca Cottini, MD
Idea Inspiration: I hope this project could suggest an innovative strategy tailored to the specific characteristics of a patient’s tumor.
Shaoying Ma, PhD
Major: Health Economics
Project: A comprehensive examination of LGBT tobacco use disparities.
Mentor: Ce Shang, PhD and Electra Paskett, PhD
Idea Inspiration: I aim to promote health equity and reduce LGBT tobacco use through policy research tailored for this population.
Deepika Singh, PhD
Major: Cancer Biology
Project: Identify the role of PPP2R2A in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and stemness.
Mentor: Junran Zhang, MD
Idea Inspiration: My project is focused on identifying new regulators of metastasis and provide novel targets to treat PPP2R2A-defiecient NSCLC.
Shahid H. Sofi, PhD
Major: Cancer Biology
Project: Dissecting altered BAF complex in African American prostate cancer.
Mentor: Moray Campbell, PhD
Idea Inspiration: I want to understand how difference in race causes a more aggressive prostate cancer.
Xuzhu Zhang, PhD
Major: Biochemistry
Project: The role of human MutS and MutL homolog in double strand break repair.
Mentor: Richard Fishel, PhD
Idea Inspiration: Witnessed many losses caused by cancer, I hope my research can make a difference in carcer prevention and therapy.