Current Scholars

Dr. Armin Ahmadi (UCSD)

Postdoctoral Candidate

Undergraduate institution: UC San Diego

Graduate Institution: UC Davis

Bio: Armin Ahmadi, PhD, is a biomedical scientist focusing on advancing translational research in chronic kidney disease (CKD). He completed his undergraduate studies in Human Biology at UC San Diego and earned his PhD in Biomedical Science at UC Davis, where he focused on understanding the metabolic alterations associated with CKD and investigating innovative interventions to improve patient outcomes. Currently, as a postdoctoral scholar at UC Davis, Dr. Ahmadi utilizes multi-omics approaches, MR spectroscopy, and exercise physiology to study the pathophysiology of CKD and optimize therapies. His work spans clinical trials and ex vivo models, aiming to bridge scientific discoveries with practical applications to enhance the quality of life for patients.

Why research? Research allows me to ask questions that directly impact patient health and quality of life; and translate discoveries into tangible improvements in care.

What I like about my work: I like combining cutting-edge technologies with clinical studies to address complex problems and collaborating with talented teams who share a common goal of improving patient outcomes.

Interests: Chronic Kidney disease, cardiometabolic health, metabolism, physical functioning, and transplant

Dr. James Bartram (UCSD)

Postdoctoral Candidate

Undergraduate institution: University of North Carolina, Wilmington

Graduate Institution: University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Bio:  I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California San Diego. My work focuses on the relationship between protein homeostasis, metabolism, and how these mechanisms are involved in lineage fate determination of hematopoietic stem cells.

Why research? I chose research because in this field we all strive to push our understanding of fundamental biology with the goal of translating these findings into treatments for individuals

What I like about my work: I enjoy the collaborative nature, and the enthusiasm people bring to science.

Interests: Golf, college basketball, hiking, trying out new restaurants

Dr. Carlos Rosas (SDSU)

Postdoctoral Candidate

Graduate Institution: University of Illinois Chicago

Bio: I am a U2C Tl1 postdoctoral research fellow, working under the auspices of Dr. Linda Gallo in the SDSU South Bay Latino Research Center. I recently completed a T32 postdoctoral fellowship in Epidemiology at UC San Diego. My research focuses on the intersection of psychosocial factors and chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular health, among Hispanic/Latino adults.

Why research? I have always been very curious about the world. Growing up, I was always seeking answers to the “why” and “how” behind everything around me. When I discovered research, I was fascinated. The creativity involved in designing studies, the thrill of seeing results for the first time, and the hope that findings could one day make a difference in people’s lives is unmatched.

What I like about my work: I like the freedom to explore different questions related to mental and physical health. I also appreciate the opportunity to think creatively about solutions to complex challenges – an invaluable privilege. Most importantly, I take pride in knowing that my work is focused on improving the lives of under-resourced communities.

Interests: watching fútbol, reading, hiking, traveling, and trying new foods.

Elizabeth Lee (Scripps)

Predoctoral Candidate

Undergraduate institution: University of Virginia

Graduate Institution: The Scripps Research Institute

Bio: I was born in Seoul, South Korea but I mostly grew up in Northern Virginia right outside of Washington DC. I graduated from UVA in 2019 with a background in biochemistry and worked and a research associate at the Wyss Institute at Harvard Medical School as well as an early-stage biotechnology start-up for a few years before applying to graduate school. Now, I am a third-year Ph.D. candidate in a glycobiology lab at Scripps.

Why research? I first became interested in research after my first year in undergrad at UVA. I was drawn to the idea of developing molecular tools to study diseases in areas of high unmet need in the clinic, including chronic kidney disease. Through my previous research experiences, I gained inspiration from projects with translational aspects and have developed a strong desire to pursue academia as an independent researcher.

What I like about my work: I enjoy that my project spans both basic biology through the exploration of glycosylation-mediated interactions on the cell surface while also pursuing translational and clinical applications within the context of kidney fibrosis. Being able to work closely with experts in different fields has allowed me to gain unique perspectives to tackle challenges in both aspects of my research.

Interests: My hobbies outside of lab include cooking, baking, and hosting dinner parties for my friends. I also enjoy reading and traveling in my free time.

Diego Daniel Gomez-Ceballos (Scripps)

Predoctoral Candidate

Undergraduate Institution: California State University San Marcos

Graduate Institute: Scripps Research

Bio: I am a San Diego native, currently a second-year graduate student at Scripps Research in Dr. Katja Lamia’s lab. I study how circadian rhythms influence the hypoxia response at the molecular level. Specifically, I look at how circadian phase affects the heterodimeric DNA transcription factors controlling the hypoxia response by affecting partner choice, and how these different partners recognize and response to distinct DNA motifs in various hypoxic element promotors. Understanding these interactions is important due to the prevalence of hypoxia response dysregulation in various pathologies including acute kidney injury, cancer, and myocardial infractions.

Why Research?: Research to me, has always been an expression of self. An outlet for my creative impulses and desire to contribute to something bigger than myself. I also enjoy the interdisciplinary nature of research, and how a single topic can be relevant in multiple scientific disciplines. 

What I like about my work: I like how varied my work can be on a day-to-day basis. One day I can be designing primers and cloning different types of plasmids constructs, and the other day, I will be expressing these constructs in different types of cells and doing various downstream assays. Additionally, I like that science has no clear or clean cut answers, and we challenge what we know every day, paper by paper, and experiment by experiment.

Interests: Outside of lab, I like boxing, cooking, hiking, reading, and swimming.

Kaylin Ro (Scripps)

Predoctoral Candidate

Undergraduate institution: Cornell University

Graduate Institution: The Scripps Research Institute

Bio:I am a doctoral student in the Parker Lab at Scripps Research, specializing in crosslinking mass-spectrometry to map human protein-protein interactomes. My prior research at Cornell with Prof. Abbasov introduced me to chemoproteomics and interdisciplinary approaches in drug discovery and global proteome mapping. Now, at Scripps, I am excited to advance these proteomic methods combining chemistry with mass-spectrometry to explore fundamental biological processes linked to disease. Through the KUH fellowship, I aim to apply these workflows to uncover molecular mechanisms in acute kidney disease and consequently uncover potential therapeutic strategies.

Why research? The freedom to try new ideas and to be creative drew me to research, particularly combining multiple disciplines to approach different challenges. These are qualities that research offered me, while also simultaneously enabling me to learn more about the natural world. I also love to tackle deep challenges and limitations that require problem solving and a lot of thinking.

What I like about my work:I have a lot of freedom in exploring new ideas related to mass-spectrometry. I get to explore some of the more technical sides to MS-based proteomics and optimize new workflows to improve proteomic results. Most rewarding is getting the full panoramic perspective, from designing and synthesizing a small molecule made as a proteomic tool, observing its behavior in cells, and applying MS to uncover its resulting data.

Interests: Mass-spectrometry, proteomics, acute kidney disease, characterization of chronic diseases, chemistry, astronomy, chess.