BMS Graduate Student

Isabelle grew up in Manila, Philippines. She graduated from Emory University with a BS in Biology and an MS in Cancer Biology. Her Master’s thesis in the lab of Dr. Sumin Kang linked cancer metabolism to anti-tumor immunity. She is a PhD student in the BMS program and has been in the Sweet-Cordero lab since 2022. She is interested in cell signaling, drug resistance, and metabolic reprogramming. Her research focuses on these areas in the context of KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinoma. Outside of the lab, her hobbies include traveling, playing tennis, and reading.

BMS Graduate Student

Sarah is from the East Coast. She grew up primarily in NY and then moved to Connecticut as a teen. Before coming to UCSF, she earned her Master’s degree in Immunology from the Mayo Clinic. For her Master’s, she studied how MHC genotype influences the immune response to tumor-specific antigens in breast cancer. This experience motivated her to continue research at MIT’s Koch Institute as a senior research associate, where she researched the role of mutant p53 in shaping the tumor microenvironment in PDAC. As a graduate student in the Sweet-Cordero lab, she looks forward to studying cancer-immune interactions in lung adenocarcinoma using single-cell technologies and multi-omics data. For recreation, she loves learning new skills. Her latest adventures include ice skating and surfing.