Sanford Burnham Prebys

DeepTarget’s predictions are based on the principle that removing a gene encoding the protein target of a given drug through CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing can mimic the inhibitory effects of that drug. The tool was built by leveraging large-scale genetic and drug screening experiments with comprehensive data for 1450 drugs across 371 cancer cell lines. Image credit: Sanju Sinha, Sanford Burnham Prebys.

New research from Sanju Sinha, PhD, introduces DeepTarget, a tool that predicts both primary and secondary targets of cancer drugs. It could help repurpose existing medicines for more patients. sbpdiscovery.org/press/comput...

Q & A with Postdoctoral Researcher Rouven Arnold, PhD, from the Adams Lab - Sanford Burnham Prebys Meet one of our early-career scientists: Rouven Arnold, PhD

Meet Rouven Arnold, PhD, a postdoc in Peter Adams’ lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys. He studies how aging changes our cells—with the goal of preventing diseases like heart disease, cancer, and dementia.

Learn what drives his work and his path into science.
➡️ https://bit.ly/47PtecX

“People have understood the need for bias in drug design for a long time,” said Lauren Slosky, PhD, an assistant professor of Pharmacology at the University of Minnesota, and the corresponding author of the study. @laurenslosky.bsky.social

“Out of 826 GPCRs, approximately 165 are validated drug targets—so many of them have not been drugged,” says Steven Olson, PhD, executive director of Medicinal Chemistry at Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys, the University of Minnesota and Duke University report in Nature that “biased modulators” can target GPCRs more precisely—expanding potential drug targets and reducing side effects. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Sanjeev S. Ranade, PhD

In this colorized karyotype of chromosomes, the three copies of chromosome 21 are indicated. Trisomy 21 causes Down syndrome, and half of all such cases also involve congenital heart defects.

“Once we find the players that drive disease, we can find drugs to help,” says Sanjeev Ranade, PhD. New study reveals a key protein linked to heart defects in Down syndrome. 🧬❤️
sbpdiscovery.org/press/huntin...

Applications are now open for Sanford Burnham Prebys Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The Deadline is December 1, 2025.

🧬 Biomedical Sciences PhD Applications Now Open!
Do you want to explore the science behind human health and disease? Our program is looking for curious and driven researchers ready to tackle the most pressing questions in biology and medicine. sbpdiscovery.org/education/gr...

Paul Boutros, PhD, MBA

We’re pleased to announce that Paul Boutros, PhD, MBA, has been named the new director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer center at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute.
Read all about it! sbpdiscovery.org/press/paul-b...

Xueqin (Sherine) Sun, PhD

👏 Congratulations to Xueqin Sherine Sun, PhD, on receiving a $600,000 grant from the V Foundation for Cancer Research to study glioblastoma, one of the most common and deadly brain cancers.
sbpdiscovery.org/xueqin-sun-a...

YouTube video by Discovery Dialogues Untold Stories (Diabetes) - Episode 5 Sensing Sugar Spikes

🎧 Listen here:
▶️ YouTube: youtu.be/TEhPlF29yl4
🍏 Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/4nSAcUY
🎙️ Spotify: bit.ly/4mFa2UH

Sensing Sugar Spikes and the man who made the invisible visible. Episode 5 of The Discovery Dialogues podcast

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute scientists Ani Deshpande, PhD, and Pamela Itkin-Ansari, PhD,

What connects survival, science + diabetes care?
Adam Heller, PhD.

At 92, this Holocaust survivor, scientist + engineer shares how his innovations changed how millions manage diabetes.

🎙️Hear his remarkable story in Episode 5 of the podcast.
👀On YouTube: youtu.be/TEhPlF29yl4?...

HPV vaccination prevents 6 types of cancer. Get vaccinated and share the facts.

Today, 62 National Cancer Institute (NCI)–Designated Cancer Centers issued a joint statement underscoring the importance of HPV vaccination.
#HPVvaccine #HPVvax #EndHPVCancers

Sizing up a weakness in synovial sarcoma’s genes

🔬 New research from the @anideshpande.bsky.social Deshpande lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys.
The study demonstrates how public genomic screening data can be used to uncover a new genetic vulnerability in synovial sarcoma.
👏 Shout out to Rema Iyer, PhD lead author of the manuscript.

Myogenic determination gene number 1 (MYOD) protein immunofluorescence in myofibers.

For decades, scientists thought MYOD was just a muscle-builder. But new research from Sanford Burnham Prebys shows this gene has a Jekyll-and-Hyde side—able to switch from activating muscle genes to silencing them.
sbpdiscovery.org/press/muscle...

Preuss School interns wrap up unforgettable research experience - Sanford Burnham Prebys Aspiring biomedical researchers and health care professionals gained hands-on research training at Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Proud to host six high school interns from the Preuss School for a hands-on research experience at Sanford Burnham Prebys. 👏

Thanks to Peggy & Peter Preuss and Debby & Wain Fishburn for making it possible!
sbpdiscovery.org/preuss-schoo...

After comparing proteins in the bloodstreams of normal mice and mice lacking Mrc1, the team found the accumulation of 244 mannosylated blood plasma proteins to double or more of the amounts found in normal mice due to Mrc1 no longer keeping the levels in check. The scientists then took a closer look at the newly identified ligands. They used bioinformatics to review and depict these hundreds of proteins by their functions. Image credit: Jamey Marth and Mayank Saraswat, Sanford Burnham Prebys.

New research from the Marth Lab: Most blood glycoproteins are easy to spot—but finding the rare ones is like searching for Waldo across every book. 🧠🧬

🔗 Read more: sbpdiscovery.org/press/signal...

#Biomedicine #SanfordBurnhamPrebys #NatureCommunications #Science

Q & A with Postdoctoral Researcher Meena Sudhakaran, PhD, from the Kersten Lab - Sanford Burnham Prebys Meet one of our early-career scientists: Meena Sudhakaran, PhD. She studies cancer immunology to improve immunotherapy for breast cancer.

Meet Meena Sudhakaran, PhD, a postdoc in the Kersten Lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys. She’s advancing cancer immunology to improve immunotherapy for breast cancer. Read more about her journey into science: sbpdiscovery.org/q-and-a-with...
#CancerResearch #PostdocLife

Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor Agonist IVA337 Alleviates Inflammation and Fibrosis in MASH by Restoring Lipid Homeostasis Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), an advanced stage of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is characterized by significant hepatic fibrosis and inf...

#ArticleinPress: Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor Agonist IVA337 Alleviates Inflammation and Fibrosis in MASH by Restoring Lipid Homeostasis. @ucsandiego.bsky.social and @sbpdiscovery.bsky.social.

#OpenAccess text: ajp.amjpathol.org/article/S000...

A promising advance for pancreatic cancer published Cancer Cell: Blocking macropinocytosis reduces fibrosis around pancreatic tumors, improving immune cell access & boosting response to chemo & immunotherapy in mice. sbpdiscovery.org/press/reshap... @cosimocommisso.bsky.social @yijuan.bsky.social

Aashna Lamba - Lamba is investigating the use of genetic reprogramming to help the heart heal after being injured.

Ashley Neil - Neil is studying a neurotransmitter that influences brain cell inflammation and activity in Alzheimer's disease.

Big congrats to grad students Aashna Lamba & Ashley Neil at @SBPdiscovery—named 2025 CIRM Predoctoral Fellows! 🌟

Lamba’s research could help hearts heal after injury ❤️
Neil is exploring brain inflammation in Alzheimer’s 🧠

#SanfordBurnhamPrebys #RegenerativeMedicine #CIRM #STEM

Leading cancer and metabolic disease expert Michael Karin joins Sanford Burnham Prebys - Sanford Burnham Prebys Karin will direct the Center for Metabolic and Liver Diseases and continue his studies on inflammation and cancer.

📣 Welcome Michael Karin, Ph.D., to Sanford Burnham Prebys!
He joins as director of the new Center for Metabolic and Liver Diseases and will continue his pioneering work on chronic inflammation and cancer.
sbpdiscovery.org/press/leadin...

Opinion: Health database could provide key insights to improve care In every body and in everybody, there is an enormous, diverse and changing array of medical and health information, from longitudinal data like our weight and blood pressure over the years to the b…

What if the key to major medical breakthroughs is already sitting in clinical databases—just waiting to be unlocked?

Sanford Burnham Prebys CEO David Brenner shares why tapping into electronic health records could transform research and care.

Read more: www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/06/23/o...

Sanford Burnham Prebys celebrates newest graduate school alumni - Sanford Burnham Prebys The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences held its 2025 Commencement ceremony to celebrate four recent graduates.

Cheers to the newest grads of the Sanford Burnham Prebys Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences! 🎓🔬♥️ Their hard work, perseverance, and curiosity reflect the spirit of our graduate program's motto: “Knowledge is the power to heal.” Congrats to these rising scientists. More: https://bit.ly/3HFmyEB

🧠 Could HIV drugs help lower #Alzheimer’s risk? New research from Sanford Burnham Prebys, led by Jerold Chun, MD, PhD, found that patients taking #HIV drugs blocking #reversetranscriptase had fewer cases of Alzheimer’s—pointing to a potential drug target. More: https://bit.ly/4kuxvHU

CIAO Study: Lessons learned on living longer and better (with more to come) - Sanford Burnham Prebys A select group of scientists from around the world gathered in the small town of Acciaroli in the Cilento-Salerno region of Italy to review a decade’s worth of research in the ongoing Cilento Initiative on Aging Outcomes (CIAO), a longitudinal study of local residents 100 years and older.

Centenarians in Cilento are thriving thanks to a Mediterranean way of life. The CIAO Study 🌿 reveals they’re biologically younger, with resilient immune systems & strong social ties—offering real clues to how we can all age better. More: https://bit.ly/45HjqCf #CIAOstudy #longevity #healthyaging

Evan Snyder named Fellow of the Child Neurology Society - Sanford Burnham Prebys Evan Snyder, MD, PhD, has been named a Fellow of the Child Neurology Society, honoring a distinguished career and significant contributions in the field of child neurology.

Evan Snyder, MD, PhD, professor in the Center for Neurologic Diseases at Sanford Burnham Prebys, was named a Fellow of the Child Neurology Society for his clinical expertise and pioneering research in #pediatricneuroscience and #stemcellbiology. 🧠

Learn more: 🔗 https://bit.ly/4jATHio

From cancer and aging to immunotherapy and AI, these new PhDs are already making an impact—and they’re just getting started.

👏 Learn more about how we’re training tomorrow’s scientists: vist.ly/3n5mjza

#SBPgrad #PhDlife #FutureOfScience #BiomedicalResearch #CancerResearch #Immunotherapy

Prebys Foundation awards $1 million to Sanford Burnham Prebys as part of emergency support to local biomedical research institutions - Sanford Burnham Prebys The Prebys Foundation announced this week an emergency response package totaling $7 million to seven leading research institutions in San Diego — a global hub and leader in biomedical science and innovation.

The Prebys Foundation has announced a $7M emergency funding package for seven top-tier biomedical research institutions in San Diego, a global hub of scientific innovation, including Sanford Burnham Prebys. Learn more: 🔗 https://bit.ly/4kiJ84H

🎙️ Catch Ani Deshpande, PhD, in episode 151 of the @epigeneticspod.bsky.social‬‬ where he discusses his work on epigenetic regulation in #AML, and the use of #CRISPR and high throughput screens for drug discovery.

▶️ YouTube: vist.ly/3n5jemi
ᯤ Spotify: vist.ly/3n5jemj

Scientists and podcasters - Sanford Burnham Prebys Sanford Burnham Prebys scientists Ani Deshpande, PhD, and Pamela Itkin-Ansari, PhD, bring dramatic stories of scientific achievement to life.

Check out our Q&A with scientists and podcasters Ani Deshpande & Pam Itkin-Ansari! Their podcast 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝐷𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑢𝑒𝑠 is blowing minds—venom, insulin, and Ozempic all in one. 🎧💉 Listen: https://bit.ly/3Fmu4nl