CIRM/TEAMS Cohorts

The SPARK Awards aim to improve access to stem cell research by selecting young individuals representing the diversity of California’s population, including those challenged by economic constraints. We encourage students from historically underrepresented groups and economically disadvantaged backgrounds to participate in this program.  

CIRM/TEAMS Cohorts
2022 CIRM/TEAMS Trainees 

  • Grace Aranda, a junior at Ruben S. Ayala High School, mentored by Anthony Chan, Ph.D., in the lab of Chun-Wei (David) Chen, Ph.D., in the Division of Epigenetic and Transcriptional Engineering in the Department of Systems Biology. 

  • Ashley Chen, a junior at Arcadia High School, mentored by Aly Buckley in the lab of  Zijie (ZJ) Sun, M.D., Ph.D., in the Department of Cancer Biology. 

  • Victoria Chen, a sophomore at Arcadia High School, mentored by Lei Tian, Ph.D., in the lab of Jianhua Ya, Ph.D., in the Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. 

  • Ethan Chen, a senior at Arcadia High School, mentored by Eryun Zhang, Ph.D., in the lab of Wendong Huang, Ph.D., in the Department of Diabetes Complications & Metabolism. 

  • Elizabeth Gayhart, a junior at Mountain View High School, was mentored by Eric Carlson in the lab of Mark LaBarge, Ph.D., in the Department of Population Sciences. 

  • Elyse Hwang, a junior at La Cañada High School, mentored by Chih-Hong Lou, Ph.D., in the lab of JK Yee, Ph.D., in the Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine. 

  • Anvitha Marlapati, a junior at Arcadia High School, mentored by Diana Gumber in the lab of Leo Wang, M.D., Ph.D., in the Department of Immuno-Oncology. 

  • Zaighum Nagra, a junior at North Hollywood High School, mentored by Guan Wang, Ph.D., in the lab of Qiong (Annabel) Wang, Ph.D., in the Department of Molecular & Cellular Endocrinology.

  • Mindy Rodriguez, a senior at Los Altos High School, was mentored by Alonso Tapia in the lab of Zhen Bouman Chen, Ph.D., in the Department of Diabetes Complications & Metabolism. 

  • Arianna Serna, a senior at Duarte High School, mentored by Aly Buckley in the lab of  Zijie (ZJ) Sun, M.D., Ph.D., in the Department of Cancer Biology. 

  • Chengming (Lucas) Sun, a junior at Arcadia High School, mentored by Sneha Varghese, Ph.D., in the lab of Sangeeta Dhawan, Ph.D., in the Department of Translational Research & Cellular Therapeutics 

  • Alyssa Wu, a senior at Diamond Bar High School, mentored by Qi Cui, Ph.D., in the lab of Yanhong Shi, Ph.D., in the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. 

  • Teresa Yu, a junior at Duarte High School, was mentored by Junfeng Li, Ph.D., in the Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics. 

  • Richard Zhu, a junior at North Hollywood High School, mentored by Haitao Sun, Ph.D., in the lab of Binghui Shen, Ph.D., in the Department of Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics.

 
Diabetes and Genetic Research Center
2021 CIRM/SPARK Cohort in their lab attire. 

 

2021 CIRM SPARK Trainees 

  • Neil Chen, a junior at San Marino High School, was mentored by Zhen Bouman Chen, Ph.D., in the Department of Diabetes Complications & Metabolism. 

  • Cindy Fabian, a junior at John H. Francis Polytechnic High School, was mentored by Wilma Tixi, Ph.D. in the lab of Hung-Ping (Ben) Shih, Ph.D., in the Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics. 

  • Lauren Ginn, a senior at Flintridge Preparatory School, was mentored by Maricela Maldonado, Ph.D., in the lab of Hung-Ping (Ben) Shih, Ph.D., in the Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics. 

  • Lina Huang, a junior at Philips Exeter Academy, was mentored by Lynn Miao, Ph.D., in the lab of Fouad Kandeel, M.D., Ph.D., in the Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics. 

  • Audrey Jung, a sophomore at Flintridge Preparatory School, was mentored by Keiko Omori, Ph.D., in the lab of Fouad Kandeel, M.D., Ph.D., in the Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics. 

  • Nikolai Piskulich, a junior at Damien High School, was mentored by Lynn Miao, Ph.D., in the lab of Fouad Kandeel, M.D., Ph.D., in the Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics. 

  • Mary White, a junior at Harvard-Westlake School, was mentored by Meirigeng Qi, M.D., Ph.D., in the lab of Fouad Kandeel, M.D., Ph.D., in the Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics.