Mykaela Salvacion

16-year-old me would be mind-blown if she knew that she’d be working at a pediatric cancer research lab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, one of the best children’s hospitals in the world. Back then, my interest in oncology had only just started. However, I definitely would not be where I am today without facing challenges and taking risks–something I hope to help aspiring researchers at Penn navigate.

At the Maris Lab at CHOP, I am investigating the role of the MYCN oncogene in inducing immune evasion in neuroblastoma, an early childhood cancer. Besides the complexities of cancer and translational research, I am also passionate about healthcare disparities and cultural relativism in the American medical system. I am currently minoring in Anthropology and volunteering at Puentes de Salud and CHOP to pursue these interests, alongside being a Molecular & Cell Biology major on the Pre-Medicine track.

Please feel free to reach out to me about finding the right lab for you, managing Pre-Medicine at Penn, or doing research as a Work-Study student!

Research Activities

• Undergraduate Researcher at the Maris lab (The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Division of Oncology)
  • Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation POST Program grant (Summer 2023)
  • CURF Fall Research Expo (2022)
• Research Assistant at the Lieberman lab (The Wistar Institute)
• Research Intern at the Zavros lab (STAR Lab Program: The University of Arizona Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology)
  • 2nd Place Grand Award (Southern Arizona Research, Science, and Engineering Foundation)
  • Biomedical Science Award (Regeneron Pharmaceuticals)
  • Early Scientific Inquiry Award (University of Arizona Cancer Center)
  • Animal or Plant In Vitro Biology Award (Society for In Vitro Biology)
• Research Intern at the Limesand lab (KEYS Research Internship Program: The University of Arizona BIO5 Institute)

Affiliations: Penn Philippine Association, Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue: District 5, Puentes de Salud, Marks Family Center for Excellence in Writing

Interests: Work-study