Jennifer Loza

Jennifer is a doctoral student in the Department of Immunobiology, under the mentorship of Dr. Nikhil Joshi. Her thesis project is focused on uncovering how neoantigen expression influences the earliest stages of lung adenocarcinoma development and the interactions between tumor cells and the immune system. Specifically, she investigates how CD8⁺ T cells suppress tumor progression through non-cytolytic mechanisms, including modulation of MAPK signaling and other molecular hallmarks of cancer. Her goal is to define the immunoediting pathways by which T cells shape tumor evolution, with the aim of identifying new strategies to enhance cancer immunotherapy.

She received her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Cell Biology with a minor in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), earning her degree with honors distinction. She started doing research in centrosome biology, studying mechanisms of cell division in C. elegans in the Oegema/Desai Lab during her undergrad at UCSD. Jennifer also completed a senior thesis project in Dr. Enfu Hui's lab, studying the structural components of the immune checkpoint molecule, PD-1. She gained an interest in biochemical techniques and intravital imaging through her undergraduate research experience.

She is currently a trainee under the Yale Cancer Biology Training Grant for predoctoral students. She is also the Empowerment Chair for the Yale Biological and Biomedical Sciences Development and Involvement Community (YBDIC). As a first-generation Mexican American scholar, Jennifer strives to empower historically-underrepresented students in science.