The CSHL School of Biological Sciences’ class of 2025

I first discovered the unique spirit of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory during the summer of 2017 as an URP in David Jackson’s lab. This experience ignited my passion for scientific research and set me on the path to pursuing my Ph.D. in the School of Biological Sciences two years later, an easy decision. Little did I know at the time how challenging yet rewarding this journey would be.

Ultimately, my experience at CSHL has been incredibly fulfilling. The opportunity to work alongside scientists from around the world during the meetings and courses, as well as those incredible scientists on campus, has been unmatched. Further, the sense of community at CSHL, whether in the lab, at Grace Auditorium, or on the volleyball court, is something truly remarkable. These experiences have shaped my time here in ways I will always remember.

My research experience here has been marked by both discovery and growth. I have had the opportunity to explore diverse research questions in innovative ways, none of which would have been possible without the immense support of so many individuals. My research mentor, Christopher Vakoc, has been a constant guiding light throughout my research project, and I have been surrounded by an inspiring group of labmates, colleagues, friends, and family. Their support has enriched my everyday experience, helping me to grow both as a scientist and as a person. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade my time at CSHL for anything. Although I am excited to move on as I continue my scientific development, CSHL and the incredible people I’ve met here will always hold a special place in my heart.

My time at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has been one of the most transformative chapters of my life—scientifically, professionally, and personally. I arrived here with a deep curiosity for biology and leave with a greater sense of purpose, technical expertise, and lifelong connections.

I am profoundly grateful to my mentor, Chris Vakoc, for his exceptional guidance, support, and belief in me throughout my Ph.D. journey. His mentorship shaped not only my scientific thinking but also how I approach challenges with creativity and resilience. Before joining the Ph.D. program, I had the privilege of working in the lab of Linda Van Aelst, whose mentorship was instrumental in launching my path at CSHL and fostering my love for research.

To my incredible colleagues in the Vakoc lab—thank you for your camaraderie, collaboration, and shared passion for discovery. I am also thankful for the remarkable community of staff and faculty at CSHL, especially Alex Gann, Monn Monn Myat, and Alyson Kass-Eisler, whose dedication to the School made this experience possible. Most importantly, I extend my deepest gratitude to my family and friends for their constant encouragement, and to my wife, Arielle Santos—your unwavering love, patience, and strength carried me through every step of this journey.

I leave CSHL filled with gratitude for the scientific training, lifelong friendships, and unforgettable experiences that have shaped me. It has been a privilege to be part of this extraordinary place.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the CSHL School of Biological Sciences for granting me the opportunity to pursue my Ph.D. degree. These years at CSHL have not only enriched my understanding of genome evolution and gene duplication but have also guided a profound personal journey.

Every challenge in decoding the CLE peptides family has been interlaced with moments of doubt and triumph. Exploring paralog divergence revealed the intricate beauty and unpredictability of evolution, mirroring the personal transformations we undergo.

I extend my deepest appreciation to my Ph.D. mentor, Professor Zachary Lippman, whose support and belief in me have shaped both my scientific and personal growth. I believe our relationship transcends the laboratory; the highs and lows we navigated together left an indelible mark on my life. I am grateful for the frank discussions, invaluable lessons, and genuine care that fueled my evolution as both a researcher and an individual. Equally, my heartfelt thanks go to the supportive community at CSHL and the cherished colleagues who turned this journey into a tapestry of shared triumphs and memories.

Looking back, I am enriched not only by discoveries but also by the friendships that have been my constant motivation. Challenges once insurmountable now stand as milestones of growth, shaping my outlook as a scientist and a person. I am deeply thankful for each moment—every setback and success shaped my perspective, fueling my resolve to continue unraveling the fascinating intricacies of evolution.

The journey of acquiring my Ph.D. has been a challenging yet immensely rewarding experience. It has broadened my perspective and equipped me with the skills, knowledge, and mindset to navigate any obstacle. This experience has shaped my identity not only as a scientist but also as an individual. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has accompanied me during my time here at CSHL and for all of the invaluable support that I have received.

From the moment I interviewed for the Ph.D. program at CSHL, I was captivated by the beauty of the campus and inspired by the collaborative spirit of the scientific community. Choosing CSHL felt like an easy decision, and my time here has far exceeded my expectations. After graduating from Bryn Mawr College at the peak of the pandemic, entering this program provided a much-needed sense of stability during a period of great uncertainty. The tight-knit nature of our small program allowed me to forge lasting friendships with my classmates, for which I am infinitely grateful.

Joining the Cheadle lab opened my eyes to the fascinating world of glial biology, fundamentally changing the way I think about the brain. I am incredibly thankful to my labmates, whose guidance and encouragement have been instrumental in my growth as a scientist. I am also profoundly grateful for the mentorship and support of my research and academic mentors, the dedication of the graduate school, and the unwavering support of my friends and family.

This Ph.D. has taught me that learning is a continuous journey, and I am eager to face the challenges ahead, carrying with me the lessons, relationships, and resilience gained from this experience.

I would like to sincerely thank Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and the School of Biological Sciences for providing me with the unique opportunity to transition from clinical practice to doctoral research in this exceptional scientific environment. Over the past five years, I have been fortunate to receive comprehensive training in experimental research, which has allowed me to develop as a scientist with the aim of leading my own research in the future. My research at CSHL has focused on understanding the connection between cancer and autoimmunity by studying anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, an autoimmune condition characterized by abnormal NMDA receptor expression in tumors.

I am especially grateful for the joint mentorship of Tobias Janowitz and Hiro Furukawa, whose collaborative mentorship has been instrumental in guiding this cross-disciplinary project from inception to completion. I am fortunate to have known Tobias for more than a decade since I met him at the University of Cambridge. He was the first to persuade me of the incredible benefits that scientific training in the U.S. would offer. My doctoral work would not have been possible without the invaluable training and generous support of many colleagues within these labs and the broader CSHL community, particularly Kevin Michalski and Miriam Ferrer.

Lastly, I want to thank my family and friends for supporting my move from the U.K. to the U.S.A. I am particularly grateful to my parents, Daniel and Heather, whose unwavering support and encouragement have made all my achievements possible.

Throughout my time at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, I have continuously been pushed to grow as a scientist and as a person. I want to extend my deepest thanks to the staff, the scientific community, my friends, and my family for enabling me to spend the last several years enriching myself and the wider scientific community with my work at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. The School of Biological Sciences is so dedicated to helping each student achieve their best, and the staff at the school are an inspiration to me as I take the next steps in my career.

I want to especially thank my mentor, Jesse Gillis, whose knowledge and wisdom have been so critical to my growth during my Ph.D. Because of him, I am an infinitely better scientist and a more careful and precise person. His advice throughout my Ph.D. was critical to growing the seeds of many projects until they bore fruit.

My work has focused on enabling us to better understand the similarities and differences between species, and this lens will color my understanding of biology for the rest of my life. But beyond biology, my time at Cold Spring Harbor will color new friendships, new opportunities, and new places as I continue on towards a lifetime of learning. I am so thankful to all the people who made it possible, in whatever large or small way they contributed.

Red, yellow, and orange— these were the colors that captivated my memory upon arriving at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. The unwavering excitement sparked by such a beautiful landscape soon transformed into the warmth of what became my scientific home. Just as a sailor is grateful for the boat that carries them across the sea, I am grateful to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory School of Biological Sciences for granting me the immeasurable opportunity to pursue my Ph.D.

Over the past six years, the wealth of knowledge I have acquired has been outstanding. I have been nourished with the most recent discoveries and state-of-the-art scientific techniques. This ideal environment has undoubtedly shaped my development, facilitating the completion of my doctoral thesis—a privilege for which I will be forever indebted. More than anything, the lessons I have learned and the skills I cultivated during my graduate studies have left an indelible mark on me. These transformative years have empowered me to become a confident scientist, one who will never yield in the face of scientific challenges and will always pursue the truth.

Years ago, driven by curiosity, I committed myself to understand how the abstract concepts of pain and pleasure are represented in the brain and shape behavior. Today, those questions have crystallized into new discoveries—none of which would have been possible without the unwavering guidance and support of my Ph.D. mentor, Professor Bo Li. For his mentorship and encouragement, which have motivated me to greater heights, I extend my deepest appreciation. I am equally grateful to the vibrant CSHL community, particularly my colleagues in the Beckman building. A critical part of my knowledge has come from endless discussions with them. Their camaraderie and generosity have been a shining light in difficult times.

As I reflect on my time at CSHL, a deep warmth fills my heart. Here, I have witnessed the fall of leaves interwoven with the melancholy of failed experiments, and the bloom of flowers alongside the joy of discovering the unknown. I am profoundly thankful—to have been a part of this institution’s legacy, to have pursued science in its purest form, to forge lifelong friendships, to have embarked on such an incredible journey, and to hold onto the hope of a brighter future.

I consider it a distinct privilege to have had the opportunity to complete my doctoral training at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. I have always had a deep-rooted passion for understanding the world through biology, and I knew from my first days on campus that there was no better place to pursue training in basic research so I could contribute to advancements in public health as a scientist.

It has been a surreal experience to see leading scientists—whose discoveries I had only read about in textbooks—walking past my office and, even more incredibly, engaging with me throughout my journey to pursue a Ph.D. The interdisciplinary focus of CSHL has challenged me to stay curious and think big, equipping me with the skill sets needed to tackle scientific challenges with both innovation and integrity. I am deeply grateful to the faculty and other members of the CSHL Cancer Center, whose examples have reinforced for me the direct connection between basic research and its tangible impacts, especially for patients battling cancer and other diseases. In particular, I am grateful for the unwavering support and encouragement offered by my thesis advisor, Mikala Egeblad, as well as Semir Beyaz and my academic advisor, Camila dos Santos.

I am excited to move forward in my career carrying the indelible ‘spirit’ of CSHL with me in all my future endeavors.

When I first arrived at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, fresh from college, I knew I wanted to bridge theory with experimental findings in biology, but not yet if I would be able to. Would I truly understand a field in depth? Would I generate original ideas, test them effectively, and persevere through challenges? Could I develop the breadth of knowledge needed for collaborations and mentoring others? Would I continue finding joy in my scientific journey?

Looking back over these five years, I’ve discovered that I am slowly becoming the scientist I envisioned, treading on a firm path and approaching future challenges with more optimism.

This transformation owes much to the privilege of being in this program, surrounded by mentors who provided guidance when needed and granted autonomy when appropriate. Most importantly, I am grateful to have had the freedom to keep learning and pursuing my curiosity. I’m extremely grateful to the School of Biological Sciences, my PIs, Dr. Saket Navlakha and Dr. Alexei Koulakov, my committee members, collaborators, classmates, and peers—every interaction here has shaped both my scientific development and personal values. The kindness and warmth I experienced have also crystallized the person I aspire to become.

I cannot adequately express how lucky I’ve been. As I move forward in my scientific career, I will deeply miss this community that has shaped me into who I am today.