Trainees in the Neuro-Oncology Branch share their unique experiences of learning-by-doing in the laboratory and clinic to advance their careers.
By Raleigh McElvery, Scientific Communications Editor
July 30, 2024
Shaping the next generation of researchers and health care professionals is integral to the mission of the NCI Center for Cancer Research’s Neuro-Oncology Branch (NOB). The Branch offers a myriad of training opportunities—including summer internships, postbaccalaureate (“postbac”) programs, a graduate partnership program, postdoctoral training programs, research fellowships, and clinical fellowships.
During their time at the Branch, trainees gain hands-on experience in the laboratory and clinic. They also get to participate in the Branch’s Tumor Board, journal clubs, and clinic review meetings.
Since 2016, the Branch has mentored approximately 50 postbac fellows—recent college graduates who spend one or two years working with NIH investigators. Read on to meet nine of the NOB’s postbac fellows who are preparing to take their next career step. Learn what brought them to the Branch, what they’ve accomplished, and how their experiences influenced their career trajectories.
Kaitlynn Slattery
Kaitlynn began at the NOB as a summer intern in 2021, under the mentorship of Chunzhang Yang, Ph.D. In 2022, she returned to the Branch as a postbac in the lab of Terri Armstrong, Ph.D. “Investigating the biomarkers associated with patient outcomes in Dr. Armstrong’s lab was the perfect way to blend my basic science and clinical research interests,” Kaitlynn says.
She attended multiple conferences during her time with the Branch, and her greatest accomplishment was earning an award for her scientific poster at the American Society for Intercellular Communication Meeting in 2023. She was also a member of the CRANIUM Committee, which organizes the NOB’s CRANIUM Journal Club. In 2023, she presented at one of the journal clubs alongside two leaders in the cancer neuroscience field: Michelle Monje, M.D., Ph.D., and Frank Winkler, M.D., Ph.D.
“These opportunities really helped build my skills in communicating science, networking, and hearing about the latest research in cancer and beyond,” Kaitlynn says.
Her next career step is earning a Ph.D. in tumor biology from the NIH-Georgetown Graduate Partnerships Program.
Brayden Chavis
Brayden came to the NOB because he was interested in using his passion for neuroscience to help patients. He worked closely with Senior Clinician Marta Penas-Prado, M.D., to contribute to the Branch’s virtual Tumor Board, which brings together doctors and other health care providers from different specialties and institutions to discuss patient cases, with a special focus on rare brain and spine tumors. Specifically, he works with presenters to help organize the logistics of case presentation at the Tumor Board.
“I’ve really enjoyed learning alongside doctors about treating patients,” he says. “My biggest takeaway is that we have a long way to go to understand how to treat brain tumors, and I think that’s an exciting prospect.”
As he finishes up his time at the NOB, he hopes to use his project management, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills to pursue a career in consulting.
Morgan Johnson
Morgan was inspired to pursue medicine when one of her family friends was diagnosed with a brain tumor. “The Neuro-Oncology Branch caught my eye—not only because of the type of research the Branch does—but also because of the quality of research and its mission,” she says.
As a member of Dr. Armstrong’s team, she spent most of her time exploring cognition in primary brain tumor patients enrolled in the Branch’s Natural History Study. She also contributed to the team’s scientific publications, presented her work at local and international conferences, and helped to organize the CRANIUM Journal Club.
“Some of my best memories were interacting with our resilient patient population and incredible clinical teams,” she says. “Our teams build communities with their patients, and it was an honor to be a part of the interdisciplinary collaboration providing these patients with such high-quality care.”
Next, she will attend the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Madhura Managoli
Madhura began her postbac at the NOB in 2021. During her first year, she worked with former Branch Chief Mark Gilbert, M.D., testing a drug called ONC206 on 3D tissue clusters that mimic the tumor microenvironment. In the years that followed, she transitioned to working in Dr. Armstrong’s lab on patient outcomes research.
“I am very proud of working with Drs. Gilbert and Armstrong, as well as all my mentors and amazing leaders in the field,” she says. “That is something that I take pride in, because such opportunities are extremely rare.”
In addition to working in both the lab and the clinic, Madhura also earned a poster award at a recent conference hosted by the American Psychosocial Oncology Society. “Exchanging thoughts with other researchers while presenting my poster was enlightening—and gave me a fresh perspective on what others were working on,” she explains.
She will soon be attending medical school at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Zalman Wong
Zalman was a member of the NOB’s Preclinical Translational Research Team. He spent his time testing a novel drug on cells from brain tumors called meningiomas.
“My biggest takeaway from my experience here is the importance of basic science research,” Zalman says. “The Neuro-Oncology Branch helped me see how testing a drug in cells is able to translate into clinical trials—and hopefully help with clinical outcomes.”
He enjoyed attending lab meetings, which give lab members a chance to share their project progress. He is most proud of presenting a scientific poster about his work at the NIH’s Postbac Poster Day.
Next, he will be attending a master’s program at Brown University before applying to medical school.
Zuena Karim
Zuena was drawn to the NOB because of its mission to improve patients' quality of life and well-being. “I believed that being part of the NOB would provide me with invaluable insights and skills essential for delivering the highest standard of patient care,” she says.
In Dr. Armstrong’s lab, Zuena examined how geographic and neighborhood disadvantages affect symptoms and health-related quality of life in brain tumor patients. She also contributed to a project investigating how supporting individuals with these tumors impacts caregivers’ lives. Her next career step is pursuing a medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine.
“Witnessing the resilience, spirit, and strength of patients—as well as the dedication, humanity, and compassion among clinicians and researchers—was incredibly inspiring and provided me with comprehensive insights into patient care,” she says. “My wonderful mentors also taught me essential skills in identifying and addressing health disparities to improve patient care, which are lessons I intend to carry into medical school.”
Tuesday Haynes
Tuesday started at the NOB as a summer intern in 2021 before returning to start her postbac. As a member of Dr. Gilbert’s Translational Immunology Research Program, she investigated the relationship between tumor mutational burden and response to immunotherapy.
“One of the things that I'm most proud of is learning how to respond and adapt to challenges in lab work,” she says. “Lab work usually doesn't go to plan, especially the first time around. I'm really proud of learning how to handle those setbacks and grow from them.”
She will be starting medical school in the fall at Baylor College of Medicine. “I've learned so much about neuro-oncology, research, and patient care,” she adds. “Those experiences have defined where I see myself going in medicine.”
McKenzie Kauss
McKenzie came to the NOB to combine her interests in clinical research and lab work. As a member of Dr. Armstrong’s team, she examined how disease and treatment affect patients’ long-term cognition. She was also helping to identify biomarkers for cognitive decline, in addition to working in the clinic.
“I'm really proud of the work we've done in the lab,” she says. “When I came in, we were getting the research protocols ready. Now, we’ve run multiple cohorts of patient samples to look for these biomarkers. We also have a paper coming out soon.”
Next, she will be attending Medical College of Wisconsin, where she hopes to continue exploring how observations in the clinic can inform research questions.
“My advice for potential postbacs is to find something you really care about and are interested in,” she says, “because that helps you to develop as a researcher and makes you excited to come into work every day.”
Matthew Watowich
Matthew was an NOB postbac from 2021 to 2023 and is now a first-year M.D./Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He worked in Dr. Gilbert’s lab, focusing on a clinical trial that will help determine which brain tumor patients are likely to respond to immunotherapy. His job was to optimize the tests that would help the researchers analyze patients' responses to immune checkpoint inhibition.
In addition to sharing his work at multiple conferences, Matthew was also the co-author of a review article about T cell exhaustion in malignant gliomas.
“I really owe a lot to the NOB and my experience there—Dr. Gilbert's mentorship especially—for shaping my career trajectory and allowing me to grow my professional interests,” he says.
To learn more, visit the NOB’s Training Opportunities page.
Top image caption: Trainees from left to right—Kaitlynn Slattery, Brayden Chavis, Morgan Johnson, Madhura Managoli, Zalman Wong, Zuena Karim, Tuesday Haynes, McKenzie Kauss, and Matthew Watowich.