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The mission of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Preparation in Interdisciplinary Knowledge to Excel (PIKE) PREP is to offer a multi-dimensional mentoring and research training experience to prepare underrepresented post-baccalaureate students to enroll and succeed in a top-tier PhD or MD-PhD program and commit to a career in biomedical research.
To achieve this mission, PIKE-PREP program students will:
Despite the growing diversity within the US population, there is an acutely low percentage of PhD biomedical researchers that are either Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, have disabilities, or are from a disadvantaged background. One important goal of PIKE-PREP is to address the challenges that impact underrepresented scholars and support them in their pursuit of earning a PhD in a biomedical research program.
PIKE-PREP is supported by an NIH PREP R25 grant through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and administered by the Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) at the CU Cancer Center. The program also receives support from the CU Anschutz Medical Campus Chancellor's Office, CU School of Medicine, CU Cancer Center, Department of Surgery, and Division of Medical Oncology.
Applications are now closed
To watch a recording of our information session on PIKE-PREP and other Post-Baccalaureate Research Programs here at CU Anschutz, click the button below.
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PIKE-PREP is a one-year program designed to prepare students for admission to and success in a top tier biomedical graduate school.
In this mentored research and training program, underrepresented students interested in pursuing a PhD or MD-PhD degree in biomedical sciences will participate in PIKE-PREP experiences and activities throughout the year at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
This program aims to reach historically underrepresented students which include American Indians and Alaska Natives, African Americans, Latinos/Hispanic and Pacific Islanders, individuals with disabilities, and/or individuals from a disadvantaged background that are pursuing a PhD or MD-PhD in a biomedical or behavioral sciences field.
If you are specifically interested in cancer-related research, and you would benefit from a two-year program, consider applying for the ASCENT post-baccalaureate program instead.
Neither PIKE-PREP nor ASCENT are for students interested in applying to MD programs without a PhD focus or for students who are only exploring the idea of a future career in scientific research. If you are interested in pursuing an MD degree, please apply to the B2MR program instead which is a post-baccalaureate program for future medical students who are interested in incorporating research into their medical career.
PIKE-PREP is a one-year program beginning in June and ending the following June.
As a comprehensive biomedical research university with numerous T32 and R25 training and education grants, students will have a diverse array of biomedical research subject areas to choose from including:
Name | Department/ School | Research Interests |
Rajesh Agarwal, PhD | Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences – Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences | Cancer Biology, Cancer Pharmacology, Warfare Vesicants |
Thomas Anchordoquy, PhD | Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences – Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences | Mechanisms to exploit exosomes for drug delivery, and strategies that harness the nanoparticle-induced immune response to limit off-target accumulation of nanomedicines and promote tumor regression. |
Bruce Appel, PhD | Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Biology – School of Medicine | The genetic, molecular and cellular basis of brain development and myelination using zebrafish as a model system. |
Tracy L. Bale, PhD | Department of Psychiatry – School of Medicine | Understanding the role of stress dysregulation in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric diseases, and the sex differences that underlie disease vulnerability in humans using the mouse as a preclinical model. |
Leslie Berg, PhD | Department of Immunology & Microbiology - School of Medicine | Understanding the roles of T-cell antigen receptor signaling in protection against infectious diseases, in tissues damage caused during autoimmunity, and in eradication of tumors. |
Evelinn Borrayo, PhD | Department of Community & Behavioral Health - Colorado School of Public Health | Health Disparities, Cancer Among Ethnic Minorities, Women, and Older Adults, Latina and Latino Cancer |
Cathy Bradley, PhD, MPA | Cancer Center & Colorado School of Public Health | Health and Labor Market Outcomes, Productivity Costs of Disease, Health Insurance Influence of Employment-Contingent Health Insurance on Treatment and Labor Supply, Socioeconomic Healthcare Disparities, Healthcare Delivery, Medicaid |
Kimberly Bruce, PhD | Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology/Metabolism/Diabetes – School of Medicine | Understanding how changes in brain metabolism drive neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis, and designing new strategies that restore metabolism to mitigate disease. |
Carlos Catalano, PharmD, PhD | Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences – Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences | Seeking to understand the molecular mechanisms of virus development in the complex double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses. |
Sarah Clark, PhD | Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery | Bacterial-driven immune modulation in the respiratory tract exploring how exposure to these bacteria influences upper and lower respiratory tract inflammation and disease, with a focus on the innate immune response to acute infection. |
Katrina Claw, PhD | Division of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine – School of Medicine | Using genetic information and biomarkers for personalized medicine, and understanding ethical cultural and social implication of genomics research with populations historically underrepresented in health research. |
Joanne Cole, PhD | Department of Biomedical Informatics – School of Medicine | Use of large-scale genomics as a tool to learn more about diet’s role in the body and human health, with a focus on cardiometabolic disease. |
Sean Colgan, PhD | Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology – School of Medicine | Mucosal inflammation in the context of inflammatory bowel disease and other GI diseases (microbiota, host immune system, genetic background, and environmental influences). |
Eduardo Davila, PhD | Division of Medical Oncology – School of Medicine | Understanding the cellular and molecular signals that promote generation of potent and long-lasting tumor-specific T cell responses. |
James DeGregori, PhD | Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics - School of Medicine | Understanding how carcinogenic conditions promote cancer evolution and discovering pathway dependencies in cancers that can be exploited therapeutically. |
Kelly Doran, PhD | Department of Immunology and Microbiology – School of Medicine | The study of host - pathogen interactions in the central nervous system and the female reproductive tract with a focus on major human pathogens including Streptococcus, Staphylococcus (MRSA), and Bacillus anthracis in order to develop new therapeutic approaches to prevent GBS maternal colonization and neonatal disease. |
Breck Duerkop, PhD | Department of Immunology and Microbiology – School of Medicine | Mobile elements in bacteria including bacteriophages, plasmids, and insertion sequences to understand how these elements interact with their bacterial hosts and impact human health. |
Julia Dunn, PhD | Department of Pediatrics – Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition – School of Medicine | Explores innate immunity with the goal of revolutionizing treatment of allergic diseases. |
Gidon Felsen, PhD | Department of Physiology and Biophysics – School of Medicine | How the nervous system makes and acts upon decisions using electrophysiological, behavioral, pharmacological, molecular, and computational methods to study how sensory representations are transformed into plans for motor output. |
Heide Ford, PhD | Department of Pharmacology – School of Medicine | Understanding the parallels between normal development and tumorigenesis/tumor progression by looking at developmental transcription factors and the immune microenvironment using mouse and zebrafish models. |
Rachel Friedman, PhD | Department of Immunology and Microbiology – School of Medicine | Understanding how T cell interactions with antigen presenting cells at the disease site and how this can result in either T cell activation or tolerance with the objective of developing therapeutic interventions to disrupt pathogenic cellular interactions that promote autoimmunity. |
Emily Gibson, PhD | CU Denver Engineering Department of Bioengineering | Develop novel optical devices using multiphoton, superresolution and structured illumination microscopy applied to living systems with the goal of aiding basic neuroscience research and development of clinical tools. |
Michael Harris - Love, PT, MPT, DSc, FGSA | Physical Therapy - School of Medicine | Geriatric Physical Therapy, Muscle Disease, Autoimmune Disorders |
Audrey Hendricks, PhD | Department of Biomedical Informatics – School of Medicine | Use biomedical research and statistical and machine learning method to develop and apply methods to improve the utility and equity of large, publicly available genetic resources, identify the biological mechanisms of healthy diets, and elucidate the genomic underpinnings of conditions and traits. |
Blake Hill, PhD | Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences – Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences | The fundamental events that regulate mitochondrial homeostasis in disease with the goal of determining how proteins interact with other biological macromolecules to control these basic processes in healthy cells and go awry to cause disease. |
Department of Surgery, Divisions of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and Transplant Surgery - School of Medicine | Transplantation immunology with a focus on developing clinically relevant protocols for the establishment of transplantation tolerance | |
Ethan Hughes, PhD | Department of Cell & Developmental Biology - School of Medicine | Understand how neuron-glial interactions modulate brain function and contribute to pathology in neurodegenerative disease by studying oligodendrocyte lineage cells with neurons in the adult cerebral cortex. |
Aaron Johnson, PhD | Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics - School of Medicine | The formation and regulation of chromatin domains and their roles in epigenetic genome regulation. |
Craig Jordan, PhD | Division of Hematology – School of Medicine | Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Leukemia Stem Cells. |
Ross Kedl, PhD | Department of Immunology & Microbiology - School of Medicine | Understand the boundary between the innate and adaptive immune systems and seek to identify practical methods of intervention for the purposes of vaccine discovery, development and design. |
Elizabeth Kovacs, PhD | Department of Surgery, Division of GI, Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery – School of Medicine | The effects of advanced age and alcohol misuse on inflammatory responses after burn trauma or infection. |
Diverse team of researchers working in the areas of computational biology and biomedical data science. We are passionate about using machine learning to turn massive collections of public data into biomedical insights about the genes and molecular mechanisms underlying complex diseases. | ||
Daniel LaBarbera, PhD | Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences – Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences | Multidisciplinary cancer drug discovery and development, including high-throughput and high-content screening (HTS/HCS); drug design and medicinal chemistry; cancer biology and lead drug mechanism of action determination, and in vitro and in vivo pharmacology. |
Carlo Marchetti, PhD | Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease – School of Medicine | The role of inflammatory cytokines as mediators of disease - specifically identification of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors and their role in infections and diseases such as pancreatic cancer and melanoma. |
Manisha Patel, PhD | Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences – Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences | Understand the role of redox processes and metabolic mechanisms in epilepsy, aging and toxicant-induced brain injury using biochemical, metabolic, transgenic, and translational approaches. |
Karin Payne, PhD | Department of Orthopedics – School of Medicine | The development of functional regenerative medicine approaches for bone and cartilage tissues, with a particular interest in treating growth plate cartilage injuries affecting the pediatric population. |
Roberta Pelanda, PhD | Department of Immunology & Microbiology - School of Medicine | Uncovering the molecular pathways that guide the development, selection and activation of autoreactive and non-autoreactive B cells and that, thus, lead to the generation of the naïve B cell repertoire. |
Vanessa Phelan, PhD | Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences – Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences | Seeking to understand how bacteria and fungi in the human body cooperate to influence antimicrobial resistance, drug efficacy and toxicity, and human health |
Nidia Quillinan, PhD | Department of Anesthesiology – School of Medicine | The excitability and plasticity changes in the brain following cerebral ischemia. Of particular interest is in the cerebellar networks that are affected by stroke and cardiac arrest and the role of sex hormones and their receptors in acute neuronal injury and long-term hippocampal function. |
Tania Reis, PhD | Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes – School of Medicine | Understanding the genetic basis of obesity and neuronal control of energy balance using Drosophila as a model system. |
Diego Restrepo, PhD | Department of Cell and Developmental Biology | Understand how brain circuits mediate decision making using high density electrical recording, advanced microscopy, closed loop optogenetics and computational neuroscience. |
Joseph Sakai, MD | Department of Psychiatry, Substance Dependence – School of Medicine | Drug abuse, conduct disorder, & substance use disorder |
Mario Santiago, PhD | Division of Infectious Diseases – School of Medicine | The interplay between the innate and adaptive immune response against retroviruses to conceptually advance vaccine and cure strategies against HIV/AIDS. |
Joseph Schacht, PhD | Department of Psychiatry, Substance Dependence – School of Medicine | Neurobiological measures to improve treatment for alcohol and addictive disorders. |
David Schwartz, MD | Division of Pulmonary Sciences & Critical Care – School of Medicine | Genetics and genomics of pulmonary fibrosis, gene discovery in innate immunity and epigenetics of environmental lung disease. |
Tamim Shaikh, PhD | Department of Pediatrics Clinical Genetics and Metabolism - School of Medicine | Copy number variation in human disease, genome instability and mechanisms of rearrangement, and discovery and functional characterization of candidate disease genes |
Matthew Sikora, PhD | Department of Pathology - School of Medicine | To understand mechanisms of response and resistance to steroid hormones and anti-estrogen therapies in breast cancer. |
Jamie Studts, PhD | Division of Medical Oncology - School of Medicine | Population Health Science for Lung Cancer Prevention and Control |
Richard Tobin, PhD | Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology – School of Medicine | The interactions of innate or innate like immune cells with adaptive immune cells to generate effective immune responses. |
| Department of Immunology & Microbiology-School of Medicine | Identifying novel tumor-derived suppressive mechanisms for potential therapeutic use. |
Linda van Dyk, PhD | Department of Immunology and Microbiology – School of Medicine | The interactions between virus and host in health and disease - specifically with gammaherpesviruses. |
Breelyn Wilky, MD | Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology – School of Medicine | Translational research related to sarcoma and early immunotherapy protocols: Understanding how patient sarcomas respond to immune therapy and testing new immune-related treatments in mouse models of sarcomas. |
Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology - School of Medicine | Discovery of novel immunosuppressive pathways and their applications in cancer therapy | |
ADDITIONAL MENTOR POSSIBILITIES | ||
Go to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Graduate Program Website to learn more about our graduate programs and faculty to identify additional possible mentors you would be interested in working with during your PIKE-PREP experience. |
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is the largest academic medical center in the Rocky Mountain region. As one of the only integrated health science campuses in the country, our campus brings together research facilities, hospitals, biotech/industry organizations, and clinics to transform healthcare.
There are five health professional schools at the Anschutz Medical Campus:
The Biomedical Science PhD Programs specialize in conducting basic and translational research that can bridge the research and clinical worlds. Through this graduate program, students can study cancer biology, cell biology, stem cells, and development, computational bioscience, human medical genetics and genomics, immunology, integrated physiology, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, rehabilitation science, or structural biology and biochemistry.
The Medical Scientist Training Program provides rigorous training for students interested in a career in clinical medicine and basic science research. In this program, students will gain training to excel as clinician-scientists.
At the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD Programs breakthrough research and groundbreaking discoveries happen every day. The PhD programs include specializations in pharmaceutical sciences, clinical translational science, pharmaceutical outcomes research, and molecular toxicology.
The Colorado School of Public Health takes a trailblazing approach to the science and art of public health by applying a blend of research and practice to the real world to improve health. In this program, students can earn a PhD or a Doctor of Public Health in Community & Behavioral Health, Environmental & Occupational Health, or Epidemiology.
The PhD in Nursing Program is designed to prepare nurse scholars to advance the art, science, and practice of nursing. In this program, students will focus on health care systems, caring science, or bio-behavioral science-based research.
Although the School of Dental Medicine does not offer a PhD in Craniofacial Biology, graduate students have the opportunity to conduct oral health research by enrolling in the graduate training programs with the biomedical science graduate program and electing to work with the School of Dental Medicine research faculty who are members of these training programs.
PIKE-PREP is intended for recent baccalaureate graduates who have a committed desire to pursue a PhD or MD-PhD in biomedical research and need one year of training to be ready to enroll in graduate school.
If you are interested in pursuing a career in a cancer-related research area AND need two years of additional training and career development to be prepared for admission to graduate school, consider applying to the ASCENT post-baccalaureate program instead.
PIKE-PREP is not intended for students who have not committed to a future career in research or for students pursuing an MD program. If you are interested in pursuing an MD degree and are also interested in conducting research, please apply to the B2MR program instead which is a 2-year post-baccalaureate program for future MD and MD-PhD students.
Before applying, ensure that you meet the following criteria. Applicants must:
Note: While there is no minimum GPA requirement for admission to this program, the applicant’s cumulative and science GPA as well as the number and type of science-related courses completed will serve as an indicator of readiness for graduate-level work and prior research experience will be viewed favorably.
We encourage all interested applicants to apply. If you have questions about your eligibility, please reach out to us to discuss this further (PIKE.PREP@cuanschutz.edu).
Only complete applications, for which all components are received, will be reviewed. We encourage early applications as we will do rolling admissions prior to the final candidate review which will occur after the application due date (See Important Dates). An application will be considered complete once the application is turned in and both of the primary letters of recommendation have been submitted.
The selection committee will consider your eligibility criteria, coursework, grades, research experiences, answers on the application, statement of purpose/intent, and letters of recommendation. We are looking to bring in scholars that have demonstrated a clear passion for science and scientific research and who intend to enroll in a PhD or MD-PhD program immediately following PIKE-PREP. We also want to understand why you are interested in PIKE-PREP and what you need to develop a competitive graduate program application as well as how the program will benefit you moving forward into a PhD or MD-PhD program.
We will review applications that are completed on a rolling basis (must have both primary letters of recommendation submitted to be reviewed).
You will be notified if you receive early admission into the program. All other applications will be rolled into the final review occurring after the March 2, 2025 due date.
The application window for PIKE-PREP is between November 1st and March 2nd. At this time, the application will be live.
No, you should not apply to all three programs. Each of these post-baccalaureate training programs is different from the other two, and you should read about each program in depth before deciding which program to apply to. Identify the program that best suits your interests and needs and apply to that one specifically. Some guidelines to help you make your decision between the three programs:
Note: If you are a student who is interested in becoming an MD but not interested in research, you are not a fit for any of the post-baccalaureate programs we offer.
Yes, you will be able to start the application and return to it to complete it at a later time. You will be prompted to write down the code that is given to you at this time and enter your email to receive the link to return to your incomplete application. As you will only be allowed to create one application, it is important you save both of these or you will not be able to return to your application to complete it. Your application won’t be submitted to the PIKE-PREP team until you click finish and submit.
The final deadline for the application and all application materials is March 2, 2025, at 11:59 pm MT.
Your application will be reviewed (following the application deadline) as long as at least two of your letters of recommendation have been turned in even if both of those letters are not your primary two letters. Note that missing one or both of your primary letters could affect the committee’s consideration of you as a candidate.
All applicants will be notified of the results between April 15th and May 1st.
Your letters of recommendation should be written by people who are able to attest to your personal, academic, and research skills and interests. A letter of recommendation from a research mentor is ideal if you have had research experience. Faculty members who have worked with you in laboratory-based courses and who know you and your research interests would be other good sources for letters of recommendation. All letters of recommendation should address your commitment to pursuing a PhD or MD-PhD degree and your future career plans and goals.
First, double check that you entered their email into the application correctly. Next, ask your recommenders to search their inbox, spam, and trash for PIKE-PREP. Our recommendation requests can easily end up in spam or be accidentally deleted. If they still do not have the recommendation request, reach out to us at PIKE.PREP@cuanschutz.edu and we can regenerate the email request to your recommender.
Potential mentors are listed on the website for your information. In the application you will have the opportunity to note any potential mentors you are interested in working with, however, ultimately mentor placement will be done by the PIKE-PREP leadership team. We will strive to place you with the best mentor based on your research interests. Scholars should not contact mentors and try to arrange their own lab placement. That is the job of the PIKE-PREP leadership team.
If you have a specific faculty member in mind that you would like to work with as a PIKE-PREP scholar that is not listed as a vetted and trained mentor with the program, we are happy to reach out to them to see if they are interested in serving as a PIKE-PREP mentor and working with you as a scholar. You will have the option to provide us with their name in the PIKE-PREP application.
Yes, your baccalaureate degree must be from a biomedical field. Having a degree in a biomedical field from an accredited institution allows you to demonstrate that you have the foundational knowledge and skills needed to pursue admissions to a top-tier biomedical graduate school. Students applying to PIKE-PREP should have completed rigorous coursework in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences in addition to mathematics. If you have specific questions about your eligibility based on your degree or coursework, please email PIKE.PREP@cuanschutz.edu.
In order to be eligible to participate in PIKE-PREP, you must have completed your baccalaureate degree within three years or less of the program start date.
Parental, medical, or other well-justified leave for personal or family situations is not included in the 3-year eligibility limit, nor is national service (e.g., Peace Corps, or service in the National Guard or Armed Forces Reserves).
Yes, as long as the last baccalaureate degree you earned was no more than 36 months from the start date of PIKE-PREP, and it was in a biomedical field you are eligible to apply.
Yes, you are still eligible to apply to PIKE-PREP even if you have earned a Master’s degree. The eligibility requirement is that you may not be enrolled in a degree-seeking program at the same time as you are participating in PIKE-PREP AND that you earned your baccalaureate degree within 36 months of the start of PIKE-PREP.
Yes, you should still apply. The goal of PIKE-PREP is to support our scholars in addressing areas they may have deficiencies in that would impact their ability to be accepted into competitive graduate programs. You will have the opportunity to retake undergraduate courses or take graduate-level courses with support from the PIKE-PREP mentors and team during your time in the program.
No, PIKE-PREP is not an exploration program. PIKE-PREP is for scholars who have already decided to pursue a future career in research and who need more support, development, and training in order to have a competitive application to graduate school.
The selection committee will consider your eligibility criteria, coursework, grades, research experiences, answers on the application, statement of purpose/intent, and letters of recommendation. We are looking to bring in scholars that have demonstrated a clear passion for science and scientific research and who intend to enroll in a PhD or MD-PhD program immediately following PIKE-PREP. We also want to understand why you are interested in PIKE-PREP and what you need to develop a competitive graduate program application as well as how the program will benefit you moving forward into a PhD or MD-PhD program.
We anticipate that we will be able to maintain all of the planned programming for our scholars in the upcoming cohort. While we recognize that the delivery method of the programming could be modified for safety, our scholars should be able to engage in research on campus provided that all state and University COVID-19 guidelines are followed such as masking and social distancing.
At this time we are unable to accommodate lab and site visits, however, applicants are encouraged to review the information on the PIKE-PREP website, reach out to the PIKE-PREP program team with any questions at PIKE.PREP@cuanschutz.edu, visit the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus website, and the Biomedical Science Graduate Program website.
There are other preparatory programs at universities across the country. You could research to find other programs that might be a better fit for you. Alternatively, interested students could consider obtaining a job in a research laboratory such as a research assistant, research coordinator, or laboratory technician. These positions may also offer tuition remission or reimbursement for employees to take graduate courses while working. These experiences could also help you prepare for graduate school and enable you to further develop the skills and experience you need to be accepted to a graduate program. To find listings for positions at CU go to the CU Careers Website. If you are interested in receiving research mentoring, check out the National Research Mentoring Network, which connects students with potential mentors across different disciplines.
Do you have other questions? Reach out to the PIKE-PREP team at PIKE.PREP@cuanschutz.edu
Once you begin your application you will have the option to save your work, resume at a later time, and review your application before submitting it.
Hello! My name is Astrid Ardón-López. I was born and raised in Honduras, and I moved to the United States in 2018. I received my Associate in Arts degree, with an emphasis in Math and Science from Cypress College. I then transferred to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) where I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry. As an NSF-funded SPIRES scholar, I studied the use of MiraLAX as a precipitating agent to crystallize proteins for X-ray crystallography. Through summer research programs, I have assisted Civil Engineering, Immunology, and Chemical Biology research projects at Cal Poly Pomona, the University of Arizona, and the University of California, Irvine. As a PIKE-PREP scholar, I joined Dr. Christene Huang’s Lab which studies transplantation immunology with a focus on developing clinically relevant protocols for the establishment of transplantation tolerance. In the future, I aspire to merge my passion for medicine and research to explore innovative approaches for the early detection of life-threatening diseases to ensure timely and effective treatment interventions.
Jenna Banh
My name is Jenna Banh, and I was born and raised in Colorado. I graduated Cum Laude with Honors from the University of Colorado - Denver with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Biology. During my undergraduate studies, I had the privilege of working in a lab focused on the mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease and Down Syndrome in the Locus Coeruleus region. I was also a Gardner Scholar as well in UCD's Psychology department. Since joining the PIKE-PREP program, I have been working in Dr. Gidon Felsen’s lab, studying the circuitry involved in saccadic eye movements and the neurons responsible for this phenomenon, particularly in the superior colliculus and surrounding regions. My goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in neurodegenerative research, and I am excited about the opportunities the PIKE-PREP program offers to nurture this passion. Outside of the lab, I am a dancer, training in hip-hop, heels, and various other styles. I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends, traveling, and exploring new culinary experiences!
Brooke Linden
I was born and raised in Colorado Springs, CO, and Tucson, AZ, was home for four years. In May 2023, I graduated from the University of Arizona Summa Cum Laude with Honors, earning a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology with a Biochemistry minor. I was a MARC scholar at the University of Arizona and conducted undergraduate research in the Capaldi Lab in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology. My undergraduate work focused on identifying novel cellular regulators implicated in TORC1 functioning. At the University of Colorado Anschutz, I work in the Davila Research Lab in the Department of Medical Oncology, investigating tumor-specific immune cell responses in cancer. I am pursuing an MD/PhD with a future goal of working in oncology clinical research as a physician-scientist. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and pets!
Hajjia Mohammed-Gipson
I’m Hajjia Mohammed-Gipson, and I graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana in May 2023 with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. I’ve lived a little bit of everywhere, but I mostly grew up in Memphis, TN. I am pursuing a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences in neuropharmacology because I love research and want to pursue a career developing drugs in the pharmaceutical industry. I have a passion to work, specifically, on psychiatric medications one day.
Amanda Morris
My name is Amanda (Manna) Morris, and I currently work in Bruce Appel’s lab studying the role of viral infection in the development and breakdown of myelin and synapses. I graduated from the University of Colorado Denver with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology as a Gardner Scholar, where my research was funded by the MARC U-STAR scholarship program. Previously, I have studied demyelination in the visual pathway induced by cuprizone. I plan on pursuing a PhD in neuroscience to investigate the mechanisms by which neurodegenerative diseases occur to hopefully lead to effective preventative therapies. I am a ping pong fanatic and I enjoy participating in and watching theatre.
Evie Nguyen
Hi! My name is Evie Nguyen and I was born and raised in Glendale, Arizona. In May 2024, I graduated from Arizona State University Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Biochemistry. I am a scholar in Dr. Julia Dunn’s Immunology Lab which is affiliated with the Gastrointestinal Eosinophilic Diseases Program at Anschutz. The lab is exploring eosinophil specialization in different environments, how specialized eosinophils interact with different cells, and the re-specialization of pro-inflammatory eosinophils in assisting tissue repair. I plan to pursue a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology. In my free time, I enjoy reading, watching tv/movies, baking, crocheting, and spending time with my family.
Skye Patterson
I grew up in West Texas and moved to San Antonio for my undergraduate studies where I graduated with honors from the University of Texas at San Antonio. I am passionate about research because I believe scientific progress is the key to creating a brighter future. I live with celiac disease, and many people I know struggle with other autoimmune related conditions. This has motivated me to investigate the mechanisms behind inflammation and disease. Ultimately, I hope to make a positive impact on the lives of those affected by these illnesses. I am currently pursuing this interest in Dr. Brek Duerkop's immunology & microbiology lab. I feel incredibly fortunate for the opportunity that PIKE-PREP has given me to pursue what I love. When I am not in the lab, I enjoy being outdoors, caring for my plants, listening to music, and creating art.
Anne Williams
Hi, my name is Anne Zinash Williams. I was born in Ethiopia but have lived the majority of my life here in Colorado. I attended Regis University where I received my B.S. in Neuroscience summa cum laude. My current research focus is studying the effect of tolcapone, brexpiprazole, and semaglutide medications on Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Additionally, I am researching the use of DBS or deep brain stimulation as a treatment for Methamphetamine Use Disorder. I hope to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Outside of research, I love exploring Colorado, hiking, traveling, and going to get food!
Kat Arce
Hi! My name is Kaitlyn (Kat) Arce and I am a Chicana who was born and raised in El Paso, Texas alongside C.D Juarez, Mexico. I graduated from Texas A&M Corpus Christi with a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Science. The majority of my family members have auto-immune disorders that have minimal treatment options. This need for greater treatment diversity is what is inspiring me to pursue a PhD in Immunology. Additionally, Hispanic populations are underrepresented in research studies causing inequities within healthcare. Therefore, I am also driven to develop future research on disease presentations of auto-immune conditions specifically within Mexican and Latino populations. I am currently enrolled in the Immunology PhD program at CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
Zoe Drigot
As a PIKE-PREP scholar I worked in Dr. Sarah Clark’s lab studying the lung microbiome and how it impacts upper airway infections. I have conducted research in her lab since my junior year of college. In May 2023 I graduated summa cum laude from the University of Colorado - Boulder with a degree in Neuroscience. I am currently enrolled in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at CU Anschutz Medical Campus. In the future, I hope to run my own lab and actively practice medicine. It is my ultimate goal for my research to be able to directly impact my patients.
Daniela Gonzalez-Rivera
During my time in PIKE-PREP I worked in the Muscle Morphology, Mechanics, and Performance Laboratory at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. My research focused on muscle health preventative screening for muscle mass deteriorating conditions. Previously, I was a Research Assistant through the MARC-U-Star Undergraduate Research Program at the University of Colorado, Denver, where I researched immunotherapies for highly metastatic melanoma skin cancer in the Department of Medical Oncology, Anschutz Medical Campus. I received my Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology at the University of Colorado, Denver in 2022. I am currently pursuing a Doctorate of Physical Therapy/PhD in Rehabilitative Sciences at CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
Rebecca Han
Hi! My name is Rebecca Han in PIKE PREP I worked in Dr. Manisha Patel’s lab at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy where I studied the role of reactive species and metabolism on epilepsy. In May 2023, I graduated from the University of Colorado - Denver as a MARC-U-Star scholar studying the role of dopamine on learning and memory. I am currently pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of California at San Diego to investigate the mechanism of disease and therapies to improve the quality of life of patients. Outside of the lab, I love spending time with friends and family, exercising, and trying new foods!
Megan Hupka
My name is Megan Hupka, and I was born and raised in Colorado. I graduated summa cum laude with my bachelor’s degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology with a minor in Computational Biology from the University of Colorado Boulder in May 2023. My passion lies in microbiology, specifically in pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions. I believe I can change the world for the better through my passion, research, and mentorship of others with a career in academia. During my time at PIKE-PREP, I worked with Dr. Kelly Doran studying Enterococcus and Group B Streptococcus and the factors contributing to their colonization and pathogenesis in the female reproductive tract. I am currently enrolled in the Microbiology PhD program at CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Outside work, I love being around my dog, friends, and family and staying active with Irish Step Dancing.
Jordan Swartz
My name is Jordan Swartz and I come from a small farm town on Colorado’s Eastern Plains. Graduating from CU Denver with a bachelor’s degree in Integrative Biology led me to be intrigued by the molecular processes of chronic diseases and disorders, such as various forms of cancer. In PIKE PREP, I did research exploring molecular mechanisms of DNA damage repair in two different types of breast cancer: invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) vs invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). I am currently pursuing a PhD in Pharmacology at CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Outside of the lab, I enjoy spending time playing board games, reading, gardening, home renovations, baking, and enjoying the great outdoors and food scene Colorado has to offer.
Xander Bradeen
I was born and raised in Colorado and graduated from the University of Colorado – Boulder Summa Cum Laude, with a degree in Neuroscience and a degree in Molecular Biology. I am pursuing an MD/PhD, with the eventual career goal of working in neuro-oncology.
UPDATE: Xander is currently pursuing an MD/PhD at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Kayla Medina
I am a first-generation Latina born and raised in Denver, CO. I received my BS in Integrative Biology and minors in Biophysics and Spanish at CU Denver. My younger sister's diagnosis with a rare genetic disorder called Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) inspired me to research rare genetic diseases to understand why and how this happens and ultimately find better treatments for these children.
UPDATE: Kayla is currently pursuing a PhD in the Human Medical Genetics and Genomics Program at CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
Danae Mitchell
My name is Danae Mitchell and I’m from Denver, CO and graduated with my BS in Biology from CU Denver. I’m interested in neuroscience, cell and molecular biology research and have worked with mouse models to research the functional outcomes to the brain after stroke.
UPDATE: Danae is currently pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience at CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
Leah Nez
(Photo by: Bryan Leavelle)
Ya’at’eeh! Shí éí Leah Nez yinishyé! Ashiihi nishli, tabaaha basheshchii, bitaani dashicheii, doo tachii'nii dashinali. Ákót’éego diné asdzáán nishłį́. Denver kééhasht’į́ ndi Tsé Bii' Ndzisgaii naashá Ahéhee’! Hello, my name is Leah Nez! I was born of the Salt Clan and born for the Water Edge People. My maternal grandfather is of the Under His Cover Clan and my paternal grandfather is of the Red Running into the Water People. In this way, I am a Navajo woman. I am currently living in Denver, but I’m from Monument Valley. Thank you! I graduated from MSU Denver in December 2021 with a B.S in Biology and B.A. in Philosophy. I have conducted research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the Tribal Health Research Office (THRO) working with Dr. Sara Chandros Hull in Urban Indian research ethics. This internship started through the Health Disparities in Tribal Communities Program (Summer Internship) in the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke (NINDS) and was extended by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). My hope is to enter the bioethics field and find my place in the scientific community helping forward research. I am pursuing the ethics of genetic research with Dr. Katrina Claw.
UPDATE: Leah is currently pursuing a PhD in Bioethics at Case Western University.
Gabi Padilla
Hi, my name is Gabriela Padilla. I was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia and have always loved science. I went to med school straight out of high school but realized that I loved biomedical sciences more than medicine. I decided to move to the United States in order to have more research opportunities, as Latin America’s biomedical field is currently small. I moved to California and I studied and graduated with a degree in molecular biology at the University of California San Diego. I am now looking to earn a PhD in molecular genetics!
UPDATE: Gabi is currently pursuing a PhD in the Cell Biology, Stem Cells and Development Program at CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
Thank you to our generous sponsors for their support with the next generation of diverse biomedical scientists!
Program Co-Director
Eduardo Davila, PhD, is a Professor and the Amy Davis Endowed Chair of Basic Immunology in the Department of Medicine and serves as the Associate Director of the Office of Cancer Research Training and Education at the CU Cancer Center. Davila’s research focuses on developing cancer immunotherapies. This research integrates a broad array of disciplines from protein biochemistry and cell biology to preclinical and clinical studies.
Program Co-Director
Carlos Catalano, PharmD, PhD, is a Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, of Skaggs School of Pharmacy. His research focuses on understanding how a virus "puts itself together" in a cell and the adaptation of virus shells as "designer nanoparticle" platforms for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
Assistant Director for Education Administration
University of Colorado Cancer Center
Education and Outreach
Program Developer
University of Colorado Cancer Center
Program Coordinator
Questions? Please email: PIKE.PREP@cuanschutz.edu
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Fitzsimons Building
13001 East 17th Place
Campus Box F434
Aurora, CO 80045
CU Anschutz
Anschutz Cancer Pavilion
1665 North Aurora Court
2004
Aurora, CO 80045
720-848-0300