In June, the Yale Cancer Center's Office of Collaborative Excellence celebrated the achievements of its trainees by hosting its inaugural End-of-Year Celebration, recognizing a year of scientific discovery and professional growth. During the event, seven post-baccalaureate trainees presented their research spanning a range of cancer-focused topics.
Four presenters—Richard Romero, Ayjha Brown, Karliane Delgado-Soto, and Kaylee Zilinger—were honored for completing the two-year American Cancer Society (ACS) Center for Innovation in Cancer Research Training (CICRT) Post-Baccalaureate Fellows Program, where they conducted mentored research and prepared for careers in cancer research and medicine. The celebration concluded with a certificate ceremony recognizing the graduating fellows' scientific achievements and contributions to the Yale Cancer Center research community.
Ayjha Brown
Research Mentor: Faye Rogers, PhD Department: Therapeutic Radiology
Research Project: Direct Targeting of Amplified HER2 Gene Activates Immune Signaling Through DNA Damage Response
Karliane Delgado-Soto
Research Mentor: Nadya Dimitrova, PhD Department: Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
Research Project: Elucidating the functional role of MALAT1 overexpression in priming TKI resistance in EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer
Richard Romero
Research Mentor: Megan King, PhD and Patrick Lusk, PhD Department: Cell Biology
Research Project: Bridging DNA sensing and membrane dynamics: Investigating the cGAS–LEM2 interaction in cancer immunity
Kaylee Zilinger
Research Mentor: Rachel Perry, PhD Department: Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Endocrinology
Research Project: Metabolic characterization of murine renal cell carcinoma subtypes and functional effects of renal cell carcinoma–induced cachexia