Mykaela Salvacion

16-year-old me would be mind-blown if she knew that she’d be conducting cancer research 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 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, I am investigating the role of the MYCN oncogene in inducing immune evasion in high-risk neuroblastoma, an early childhood cancer with grim prognoses. As a translational research lab, our work directly affects and is tied to the patients under the care of my PI, who I have also had the opportunity to shadow. Alongside pediatric oncology, I am also passionate about healthcare disparities and cultural relativism in our medical system. To pursue these interests, I am majoring in Molecular & Cell Biology on the Pre-Med track, minoring in Anthropology with a Spanish Language Certificate, and volunteering as a patient care volunteer at CHOP and an interpreter/admin volunteer at Puentes de Salud.

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)
  • Independent Study/BIOL 3999 (Fall 2024)
  • Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation POST Program grant (Summer 2023)
  • CURF Research Expo (Fall 2022, Fall 2023)
• 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