A team led by Debanjan Dhar, PhD, developed a translational model that begins to explain why people with metabolic liver disease are at higher risk of heart disease, providing new insights into the connection between liver and cardiovascular health. The researchers believe the model will accelerate efforts to understand how metabolic stress in the liver affects the heart and help identify therapies that can prevent or reverse disease progression.

Our cells must fold proteins into specific three-dimensional shapes so they can carry out their biological jobs. The Kaufman lab and collaborators published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealing new insights into how insulin-producing cells manage protein folding—and how this system can be thrown out of balance.

Damage to DNA in cancer cells can cause pieces of chromosomes to break off and form separate DNA fragments. Published in Genome Medicine, the Chavez lab compared tumors containing these fragments with research models developed from the same tumor samples. Because these models closely match human disease, they can help scientists improve the diagnosis and treatment of these cancers.

The Sanford Burnham Prebys Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences celebrated 10 new PhD graduates during its Commencement ceremony on May 29. Faculty, family and friends gathered to recognize the graduates' achievements and welcome them into the Institute's alumni community. Commencement speaker Cosimo Commisso, PhD, encouraged the new scientists to let their evolving sense of purpose guide their careers and future discoveries.

What can we learn from people who live healthy, active lives well past 100?

Researchers, physicians and aging experts from Europe and the United States gathered at Sanford Burnham Prebys to share the latest discoveries from the CIAO Study, an international effort to uncover the biological, lifestyle and environmental factors that promote healthy aging and exceptional longevity. 

We are so grateful for the partnership of caring people like you who invest in the success of biomedical research and our Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. As we celebrate our 50th year throughout 2026, we count you as an important partner.

Congratulations to four Institute scientists who have been named among Research.com’s 1,000 best scientists in the world for 2025/26: Michael Karin, PhD; Erkki Ruoslahti, MD, PhD; David Brenner, MD; and Randal J. Kaufman, PhD.

Our Discovery Series program offers a behind-the-scenes look at rare disease research at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. Attendees will gain a greater appreciation of rare disease research and a deeper understanding of the groundbreaking work being done by our scientists and clinical partners.

Join us in celebrating 50 years at our Illumination Gala. Together, we’ll celebrate five decades of incredible achievements and the visionary thinkers and partners who got us here. Our science is fueled by a passion to transform lives.

Kevin Tharp, PhD, was awarded a three-year, $450,000 Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance grant to study high grade serous ovarian cancer. Tharp will use the new funding to follow up on research findings regarding how high grade serous ovarian cancer circumvents the immune system’s anti-tumor defenses.