Testimonials

“Khaja was an amazing mentor who explained every lab technique clearly and emphasized true understanding. His passion for research was inspiring and motivated me to pursue scientific work with the same dedication and curiosity.”

Gregory Ayzenberg

Western University of Health and Sciences

“Khaja gave me more hands-on experience than most students my age receive. His mentorship helped me develop strong lab techniques and a deeper appreciation for research. This opportunity has opened doors to future academic and professional growth.”

Jessica Powell

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

“Working with Khaja gave me direct feedback that pushed me to think deeper and reflect on my work. He always motivated me to explore the implications of my findings and consider underlying causes. I gained extensive experience with Western blotting and learned how biological mechanisms are affected by stress. This experience validated my passion for research and will help me in future science fairs and research opportunities.”

Sindhu Gokaraju

Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering

“Khaja’s training was excellent—he was patient and supportive throughout the learning curve. I learned Western blots, qPCR, and scientific writing, which gave me strong preparation for future research. His guidance made complex techniques approachable and enjoyable.”

Alexa Sen

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

“Khaja was an exceptionally kind, patient, and helpful mentor. He always explained thoroughly whenever I was uncertain. I gained invaluable skills in Western blotting, experimental planning, and data analysis, which strengthened my confidence as a researcher.”

Edwin Chong

Pasadena City College

“I thought working with Khaja was a really positive experience. His training was clear and hands-on, making new techniques easy to grasp. He was patient and approachable, always ensuring I understood before moving on. I learned Western blots, genotyping, and various lab techniques, which gave me insight into being a scientific researcher. This experience has prepared me to take on more advanced projects and future research opportunities.”

Anya Patel

Polytechnic School

“Working with Khaja gave me confidence in essential lab techniques such as Western blotting and cell culture. He was always patient, kind, and supportive. This experience has been invaluable for my development as a future scientist.”

Amy Valdivieso

Pasadena City College

“Khaja always answered my questions and guided me through the process of Western blotting with patience and compassion. His training gave me confidence to plan experiments, perform blots, and interpret results. I rate his training 9/10, it was an excellent experience that made research much more fun”

Daniel Chiem

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

“I appreciated Khaja’s precise and technically sound training. His constructive feedback allowed me to grow as a researcher and improved my understanding of the medical research pipeline. This mentorship was an important step in my scientific development.”

Miranda Le Claire

Pasadena City College

"Khaja was a dedicated and straightforward mentor. Training was rigorous and focused on true understanding. I studied the role of PHLPP in neuroinflammation and learned molecular biology skills such as Western blotting and qPCR, professional communication in a laboratory setting, and how to present at a poster day.

Khaja emphasized detailed note-taking, observing procedures before repeating them, and asking thoughtful questions. These habits strengthened my critical thinking and scientific inquiry. I have since applied these techniques successfully in my UCLA laboratory. I appreciated his dedication to identifying areas for improvement and helping me build those skills."

Xiaoxue Jiang

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

“Khaja’s mentorship was grounded in patience and encouragement. Even when I struggled, he believed in me and taught me resilience in science. His guidance shaped my outlook on research and inspired me to keep pushing forward.”

Kimin Han

Pomona College

“I really enjoy learning with Khaja. He is a great mentor and the training is very high quality. Khaja is patient and explains confusing concepts seamlessly. His patience and guidance make research fun and enjoyable. As a SURF undergraduate researcher, I gained knowledge and appreciation for scientific research. This experience has inspired me to continue research and ultimately apply to medical school.”

Leland Slu

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

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Jad Ammar

Polytechnic School

“Khaja gave a lot of support and guidance during the summer program. It helped me gain skills in analyzing mice behavior data from Long-term nicotine exposure”

Andre Siu

California State University, Los Angeles

“Khaja helped me prepare for lab work by guiding me through experiments while encouraging independence. His mentorship gave me confidence in my skills and inspired me to continue pursuing research opportunities.”

Marco Renteria

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

"Khaja helped me develop higher-level laboratory reasoning and problem-solving skills. When experiments didn’t go as planned, Khaja walked me through troubleshooting so we could improve on subsequent attempts."

David Babayan

Graduated UCSD 2023

"Working with Khaja was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as an aspiring scientist. Coming in without prior research experience, I learned core biochemical techniques while assisting him on a daily basis in the lab."

Tan Nguyen

Cal Poly Pomona

"I appreciated how Khaja made a fast-paced, technique-heavy summer both challenging and enjoyable. Learning the lab techniques  was intensive, but I always felt supported.

What I liked most was the continual feedback and Khaja’s openness to questions. His training was great overall and built my confidence. A favorite memory was staying late during my first week to finish samples and hearing Khaja’s journey to the PhD; his advice and story were motivating and made the research experience personal and inspiring."

Angel Calles

CSU Dominguez Hills

"Under Khaja’s guidance I practiced RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, RT-qPCR, and Western Blotting, and I learned to organize results into graphs for presentation to peers.

I would rate the training 8/10. At times the feedback felt like tough love, but I could tell Khaja genuinely cared about my success. He pushed me out of my comfort zone to be meticulous, efficient and willing to ask for help skills that became invaluable in later labs. The experience helped me secure subsequent research roles at UC Berkeley and, after graduating, at UCSF."

Robert Liu

UC Berkeley (graduated 2024)

"As a research intern, I shadowed Khaja and the cardiovascular signaling team and helped with in vivo mouse studies. Even in a one-month internship, I learned the basic steps of the research workflow and saw how careful methodology leads to trustworthy results.

Khaja was thorough and supportive. He explained the rationale behind each procedure and made sure I could learn as much as possible in the time I had. I’ve already applied what I learned to my current laboratory job."

Alexis Galano

Graduated from UC San Diego

"Khaja eased me into the lab environment professionally and helped me learn efficiently. Under his mentorship, I learned western blotting and core laboratory skills including pipetting, centrifuging, imaging blots, and humane tissue collection.

What stood out most was Khaja’s patience and clarity. He explains concepts step-by-step, especially for students new to research. He is a highly professional and efficient teacher; anyone working under him will learn a lot."

Jonathan Chpolansky

Boston University

“Khaja does a great job training student interns with a patient and hands-on approach. He gives you responsibility and allows you to apply what you’ve learned, turning mistakes into learning opportunities. I worked on cardiomyopathy and cardiotoxicity projects, gaining valuable lab skills. His mentorship has prepared me for future research and medical school.”

Christopher Munoz

University of California, San Diego

“Before working with Khaja through the AHA-SURE program, I had no prior research experience. I gained my first hands-on experience in protein and gene analysis and learned essential laboratory skills.

Khaja devoted time and effort to explain concepts and techniques clearly and encouraged me to ask questions. His passion for research and teaching inspired me to pursue research.”

Sona Ayvazyan

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)