Ryan Tannir ('25), a Biology and Biochemistry double major, conducted research on immunotherapy treatments for cancer. Ryan was mentored by Dr. Leyuan Ma (Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) and this project was supported by the College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant. Currently, Ryan, is continuing his research at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as a Research Technician.
Undergraduate research at Penn was one of the most transformative experiences of my college journey. For the past few years, I conducted research in Dr. Leyuan Ma’s laboratory at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where I worked on a novel immunotherapy to treat cancer. At first, I was drawn to this project because of its ambitious goal—engineering immune cells to fight multiple types of cancer sounded like science fiction brought to life. The potential of creating a therapy that could be used to treat almost any type of cancer was both inspiring and daunting. Especially because this was my first time working in a cancer immunology lab.
What started as curiosity quickly became something much deeper. I realized that research isn’t just about running experiments; it’s about constantly asking questions, being okay with failure, and learning how to think creatively and critically. I spent many long nights in the lab troubleshooting protocols, reading papers, and trying to get my experiments to work. Through this, I learned how to be resilient and resourceful and ask for help when I needed it.
One of the most valuable parts of my research experience was the mentorship I received from both my principal investigator (PI) and the post-doc I worked with. My PI, Dr. Leyuan Ma, helped me to become an independent scientist and helped me navigate conducting immunotherapy research for the first time. My postdoc mentor, Dr. Tomasz Grzywa, didn’t just teach me lab techniques and how to perform various immunological assays—he also taught me how to think like a scientist and how to approach problems critically, which helped me better understand the intricacies of the project and be able to plan and execute my own independent experiments.
Outside of the lab, I got to explore the city more, grab dinner with other researchers in the lab, and even present some of my work at several conferences! This helped build my confidence in communicating complex ideas in simple terms and speaking in front of a large audience. What surprised me most was how much I grew personally—I started my research journey unsure if I was “cut out” for research, but now, I feel confident, curious, and more excited than ever about a future in medicine and biomedical research.
I would absolutely recommend pursuing research to other students, especially those who are unsure of what they want to do. You don’t have to be an expert going in—you just have to be willing to learn, make mistakes, and keep going. The most rewarding part for me was realizing that my work, even as a student, could contribute to something that might one day help treat cancer patients. That’s my motivation and something I will always be proud of.
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C.H. Henry ('25), a Communication and History double major, conducted research on the influence of presidential campaign music on the American voter. C.H. was mentored by David Eisenhower, J.D. (Annenberg School for Communication) and this project was supported by the College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant.