Scholar Stories
to our labs as top students
but novices in research,
eager to learn...”
– Serhiy Souchelnytskyi, Associate
Professor of Oncology-Pathology,
Karolinska Institutet
John P. Casey Jr.
Undergrad Institution: Louisiana State UniversityGraduate Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Host Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Major/Degree Objective: PhD, Biological Engineering
“The program gave me the confidence that I could do high-quality, independent research. It also showed me that I would enjoy the work environment in a place like MIT.”
Raluca Sima
Undergrad Institution: Victor Babeş University of Medicine and PharmacyHost Institution: Karolinska Institutet
Hometown: Arad, Romania
Major/Degree Objective: Pharmacy
“Before the Amgen Scholars Program, I just followed standard protocols,” Sima notes. “But in the program, I learned to analyze the results and come up with ideas to improve the protocol to get better results.”
Molly Stanley
Undergrad Institution: University of KansasHost Institution: Washington University in St. Louis
Hometown: Iola, Kansas
Major/Degree Objective: Human Biology and Psychology
“I am extremely grateful for Amgen’s generosity,” Stanley adds. “Without this program, I would not have had the funds or time to work full-time in a research lab.”
Alexander N. Ballard
Undergrad Institution: University of Maryland, BaltimoreHost Institution: Stanford University
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Major/Degree Objective: Biological Sciences
“Science is such a big universe, and research will get rough sometimes. Now I know this, and I still want to do it. My goal is to add to the knowledge that’s out there.”
Karen Levy
Undergrad Institution: University of NevadaHost Institution: Columbia University/Barnard College
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Major/Degree Objective: Biology; Biochemistry
“I’ve learned more about how to conduct scientific research and about myself on a personal level in the two-and-a-half months I was in New York than I have in my entire college career.”
Leke Oni
Undergrad Institution: Xavier UniversityHost Institution: University of California, Los Angeles
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Major/Degree Objective: Chemical Science
“Upon completion of the program, I want to conduct significant medicinal research. My passion for science lies in researching those fatal diseases that disproportionately affect African Americans...”
Cataria Davis
Undergrad Institution: Alabama A&M UniversityHost Institution: Howard University
Hometown: York, Alabama
Major/Degree Objective: Biology
“I couldn’t have had a better experience... there is no better way to learn about a career path than to get all the information you want and need firsthand from people who are already working in that field.”
Michael Sanchez
Undergrad Institution: San Francisco State UniversityHost Institution: University of California, Berkeley
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Major/Degree Objective: Biology
“For individuals wishing to pursue a doctoral degree, it is important to know what the academic atmosphere is like at the graduate level... Programs like Amgen Scholars do just that.”
Christopher Campbell
Undergrad Institution: University of Missouri at RollaHost Institution: University of California, San Francisco
Hometown: Nixa, Missouri
Major/Degree Objective: Biochemistry
“Before entering the Amgen Scholars Program, I was preparing to enter a career practicing medicine...After the program, I decided to pursue a Ph.D. and devote my career to research alone...It was truly an empowering experience for me.”
Ellen Dwyer
Undergrad Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignHost Institution: University of California, San Diego
Hometown: Park Ridge, Illinois
Major/Degree Objective: Molecular and Cellular Biology
“It is sometimes hard to see the big picture when you are just working on a small project for eight weeks. But when I got to hear the story behind a drug candidate … beginning with choosing the drug target all the way to Phase 3 clinical trials, it made it very real.”
Doug Tischer
Undergrad Institution: Worcester Polytechnic InstituteHost Institution: California Institute of Technology
Hometown: San Anselmo, California
Major/Degree Objective: Chemistry, Biochemistry Minor
“I enjoyed the responsibility of coming up with a problem to tackle and designing experimental approaches to solve it.”
Glen Liszczak
Undergrad Institution: Ramapo College MahwahGraduate School: University of Pennsylvania
Host Institution: UC San Diego
Major/Degree Objective: PhD, Biochemistry
“There’s no doubt that without my Amgen Scholars experience at UCSD, I’d have been much less marketable.”
Janelle Ruiz
Undergrad Institution: Loyola Marymount UniversityHost Institution: University of Washington
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Major/Degree Objective: Biology and Psychology
“The Amgen Scholars Program gave me a realistic sense of what being a scientist is. And despite the challenges, I discovered that a career in science is something that I should seriously consider.”
Lindsay Dawson
Undergrad Institution: Lehigh UniversityHost Institution: MIT
Hometown: Monroe, New York
Major/Degree Objective: Behavioral Neuroscience
“Before Amgen Scholars, I would have just gone along with whatever project my professor assigned. I never would have thought I could design an experiment on my own. Now, I know I can.”
David Nanyes
Undergrad Institution: University of Houston-DowntownHost Institution: Stanford University
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Major/Degree Objective: Biology, Chemistry Minor
“Before the program, my depth of knowledge in cellular and molecular biology wasn’t that great. But whenever I had a question, Dr. Wang was right there. I really enjoyed learning from someone who knew exactly what he was talking about.”
Taylor Lenton
Undergrad Institution: Wellesley CollegeGraduate Institution: California Institute of Technology
Host Institution: California Institute of Technology
Major/Degree Objective: PhD, Chemistry
“I still run into the Amgen Scholars I worked with that summer, as well as others who’ve been through the program at different sites. There’s an instant connection because we’re all really excited about science.”
Sophie Thomain
Undergrad Institution: École Normale SupérieureHost Institution: University of Cambridge
Hometown: Bidos, France
Major/Degree Objective: Bioengineering
“I enjoyed being together in the same place and sharing our difficulties, doubts and successes. We learned how to communicate our results – and our lack of results! It’s more than a lab experience. It’s a human experience.”
Taiyabah Naeem
Undergrad Institution: Gallaudet UniversityHost Institution: Stanford University
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Major/Degree Objective: Biology and Chemistry
“Being a deaf person myself, it was intriguing to learn more about the ear and its structure and function. Knowing that our research project could possibly impact thousands of hearing-impaired people is pretty amazing.”
Jose Rios
Undergrad Institution: Arizona State UniversityHost Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Major/Degree Objective: Bioengineering
“I knew that I liked science, but until I got that lab experience this summer, I didn’t know if I could make it a career. The Amgen Scholars Program showed me that I could.”
Ana Tufegdžic Vidakovic
Undergrad Institution: University of BelgradeGraduate Institution: University of Cambridge
Host Institution: University of Cambridge
Major/Degree Objective: PhD, Oncology
“The Amgen Scholars Program offered an ideal opportunity to fulfill my passion for science…participating in cutting-edge research and making my own discoveries definitely made me even more addicted to science.”
Burak Tepe
Undergrad Institution: Bogazici UniversityHost Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Hometown: Izmir, Turkey
Major/Degree Objective: Molecular Biology and Genetics
“I really wanted to work in a lab outside my country, and the Amgen Scholars Program was a great way for me to do that and to meet and work with people from all over Europe.”
James Clements
Undergrad Institution: Loyola Marymount UniversityHost Institution: University of Washington
Hometown: Everett, Washington
Major/Degree Objective: Mechanical Engineering
“I’d been nervous and hesitant to apply to bioengineering PhD programs. Now I know I can go in and understand what’s going on and do very well. Amgen Scholars has really empowered me.”
Karla Ramos
Undergrad Institution: University of Puerto RicoHost Institution: University of California, Berkeley
Hometown: Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Major/Degree Objective: Chemistry
“Throughout my lab work, I was able to apply all of my chemistry knowledge to biology applications and problems. I really got to learn a new field of science.”
Amgen Scholars is an international program funded by the Amgen Foundation with direction and technical assistance
provided in the United States by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and in Europe by the University of Cambridge.
© 2013 Amgen Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.