International Trainees at CCR
Romina Araya
"I am amazed by the amount of things that I’ve learned here. It's been like an explosion in terms of the number of things I could do in a very short time and the different techniques and very high-level technology that I never had the opportunity to work with before. Everything is here and it’s not hard to learn, it’s just there and you have to be willing. I was always limited in what I wanted to do because I didn’t have everything I need. But here, I just create. "
Mohammad Arif Rahman
Bangladesh
Vaccine Branch
"There are only a few places in the world where I can do this type of work…to do research to control and eradicate HIV. I'm developing myself a lot and collaborating continuously with the heads and very famous scientists. I’m lucky to be here."
Defne Bayik Watson
"This is the place where the research makes the most difference in people’s lives. It was important for me to come to NCI because I felt like I could do something meaningful. Here, we can do high-risk projects that you cannot do in academia. And high-risk projects are always the high-rewarding ones as well. The high-risk, high-rewarding projects – that’s something you can only do at NCI."
Erin Swinstead
Australia
Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression
"Here at CCR, we have access to a number of key facilities such as microscopy and sequencing cores. This has provided me the freedom to perform experiments and answer scientific questions that might have been restricted elsewhere due to lack of funds or access to equipment and facilities. Having these facilities here on site has allowed me to take my research to the next level."
Shogo Takahashi
Japan
Laboratory of Metabolism
"At CCR/NCI, we can access and use many great core facilities and have many training courses. We can easily gain knowledge and learn new techniques from experts which has been amazing for my research."
David Peeney
United Kingdom
Radiation Oncology Branch
"CCR covers basic, translational and clinical research. Having access to, not only the vast human expertise, but also, the world class facilities in CCR and the rest of the NIH makes this a unique research environment unlike any other. "
Rafiqul Islam
Bangladesh
Surgery Branch
"If I ever need help, I collaborate with the people around me. The people in my branch and the Center for Cancer Research are always very willing to work together as we all have the same goal: saving patient lives. There is no other research hospital of this magnitude in the world that can offer me such an opportunity to work with so many brilliant minds dedicated to fighting cancer."
Diego Presman
Argentina
Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression
"I've come to deeply appreciate the intramural research program. You don't have to worry about getting grants, there are fantastic talks throughout the year, plenty of workshops, and incredible and talented people to collaborate with. You can be fully dedicated to your work without any distractions. It is a great place to do a postdoc and become a better scientist. "
Sara Gil-Hernandez
Colombia
Genetics Branch
"I came to the Center for Cancer Research because I am a pathologist and am training in breast cancer. I want to learn a lot about translational medicine. This field isn’t very popular in my country."
Claire Meaney
Ireland
Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis
"I chose to join the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis in CCR because of its translational approach to studying cancer. Here I am learning new skills in molecular epidemiology and using patient samples from case-control studies to complement lab-based mechanistic studies."
David Sanchez Martin
Spain
Laboratory of Cellular Oncology
"The NIH intramural program is nothing like that anywhere else. There’s many opportunities for fellows to get experiences, guidance and opportunities to explore. My background is in life sciences, and they organize a series of talks with other life science people to discuss avenues to follow for future careers."
Heba Al Khamici
Iraq and Australia
Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics
"There’s a huge gap in the research of cancer, so I want to contribute to research to cure or prevent cancer. It’s a big problem in the world right now. The CCR has many resources, funding and expertise to help improve training and contribute to cancer research and gather knowledge to stop the progression of cancer."
Sanjivan Gautam
Nepal
Experimental Transplantation and Immunotherapy Branch
"Around 2013 when I was completing my Ph.D. in immunology, immunotherapy was up and coming. When I started searching for my post-doc position, I found CCR, the home of immunotherapy. I thought that this would be the perfect place to conduct my research. There are many pioneers of immunotherapy here at CCR and the facilities for conducting research are unparalleled. "
Jean-Philippe Demers
Canada
Laboratory of Cell Biology
"My boss, Sriram Subramaniam, is one of the best in the world in electron microscopy. It’s the best opportunity to learn. CCR gives us lots of resources that help us accelerate our research."
Anurag Paranjape
"I feel CCR is the most ideal place for a visiting fellow to get trained. It is well-suited for collaborative research with many of the great minds in cancer research on campus. While performing basic research, one also gets to learn about the aspects of clinical research. The workshops and numerous training opportunities available for early-career scientists are unmatched anywhere in the world. "
Rochelle Fletcher
Jamaica
Experimental Transplantation and Immunotherapy Branch
"The quality of training and the plethora of resources readily available are the main reasons I wanted to come here. I think that those two key things allow me to conduct impactful translational cancer research and also help advance my career as a scientist. We’re so well-funded here, we’re able to focus on the research and answering scientific questions."
Dong Lin
China
Laboratory of Cell Biology
"I have been at CCR as a pre-doctoral visiting fellow for 13 months. Having access to many great facilities, resources, training courses and experts I have been able to understand 3 protein structures and nearly complete all of my projects in that time frame. I enjoy life at CCR and love my colleagues."
Kellsye Fabian
Philippines
Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology
"It is a privilege to work at CCR because it is a world-class cancer research institute where one can access resources, technologies and a pool of talented cancer experts. CCR also fosters collaboration between the public and private sectors. This environment allows me to perform cutting-edge research that is not possible in a lot of places. Furthermore, I am very interested in translational research and being a member of the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology at CCR gives me the unique opportunity to perform pre-clinical work on novel immunotherapeutic agents to provide rationale for future clinical trials."
Tsion Minas
Ethiopia
Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis
"My goal is for my research to alleviate the cancer burden Africa is currently facing and is predicted to face in the future. What better place to do my training than CCR, a world renowned cancer research institution. I’m getting the opportunity to use skills from different fields: epidemiology, molecular biology and bioinformatics to get a unique insight into how tumor biology, exposure and disease outcomes are interconnected in hopes that this will improve cancer prevention and care. CCR has also trained many leaders in the field and as an aspiring leader, this is a great place to be because we are not just being trained on the science, but also on how to be a great leader."
Lukas Bialkowski
Poland
Laboratory of Cellular Oncology
"I chose to join the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology (LCO) because of its impressive expertise in the field of HPV and promising anti-cancer research. I quickly discovered that CCR is not only a world-class research facility; it’s also a vivid scientific community with countless scientific meetings, workshops, interest groups and social events. Together with the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES), CCR helps me and other fellows in developing skills and knowledge for our future careers. This place boosts intellectual creativity and opens many exciting doors!"
Matthew Taves
Canada
Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology
"For the specific research questions I’m working on, the Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology is conducting the cutting-edge research in the field. The amount of resources and collaborators who do related research is really unparalleled to anywhere else. I have the flexibility to do things I otherwise wouldn’t be able to do; such invest more resources into my science and expand on projects. "
Remi Adelaiye-Ogala
Nigeria
Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis
"My focus is primarily on prostate cancer and I wanted to be in an environment that allowed me to adequately pursue my research goals. CCR stood out because it is unique in that it provides all of the infrastructure that I would need to achieve the goals that I have, especially in my field. I also like the opportunity that it has given to trainees to be able to interact and collaborate with others. We have a vast majority of experts in the field and we’re given the opportunity to network with them and even collaborate with them, which I think is one of the skills that every young investigator needs to grow. "
Tzu-Ting Huang
"CCR creates a wonderful research environment where I can easily collaborate and brainstorm with outstanding scientists in translational research. Here, I have access to many great facilities and world-class equipment that are not available in other places. Moreover, CCR provides high-quality training courses, workshops and fantastic talks that not only advance my knowledge but also help me become a better researcher. I really enjoy my life here and love my mentor and colleagues who are extremely supportive and willing to help me accomplish my goals."
Asaf Shilo
Israel
Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression
"CCR is great place for postdoc fellows. The conditions here allow us to be fully engaged in research. The excellent facilities and wonderful people here provide the ideal scientific and social environment and a great opportunity to develop and grow as a researcher. "
Rachel Lokanga
Democratic Republic of Congo
Genetics Branch
"CCR is the best place for anyone to conduct their research. Funds are available, and we don’t have to worry about grants. We have new cutting-edge techniques that aren’t available anywhere else and we’re learning from experts. Based on my interests, I thought it would be best for me to come to CCR to answer my research questions."
Christina Amatya
Nepal
Experimental Transplantation and Immunotherapy Branch
"NIH is a very diverse campus. Not only do you meet people from around the world, but the expertise is very diverse. CCR is home to so many experts in immunology, cancer, and cell biology, so you are able to learn a lot here. There is so much diversity in the science itself and in the resources that are available."
Laila Al-Eryani
Yemen
Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics
"CCR is one of the leading institutes for cancer research. For me, it is an honor to be here. I came to NIH 2 years ago to attend the NCI Cancer Prevention course when the Moonshot initiatives were just getting started, and I knew I wanted to be here. I chose CCR because of the incredible combination of clinical research with basic science research. Being able to meet and talk to patients only adds to the basic science research; it’s a unique setting you aren’t able to find anywhere else."
James Kirui
"I chose CCR/NCI as a whole because they are world leading research institutes, and they are cutting edge in their field for research. I have learned that in CCR/NCI/NIH, there are many collaborations, and people are very willing to help each other out, which assists me in furthering my cancer research knowledge."