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Caroline Kumsta, Ph.D.
Caroline Kumsta, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Caroline is an Assistant Professor in the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program, a member of the Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program, and Associate Dean of Student Affairs at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. Originally from Germany, Caroline received her Diploma (Dipl. Biol.) from the Technical University of Munich, and performed her Ph.D. studies at the University of Michigan in the lab of Dr. Ursula Jakob, where she studied the effect of oxidative stress on C. elegans. This work was funded by a Ph.D. fellowship form Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds. For her postdoctoral training, Caroline joined the lab of Dr. Malene Hansen at Sanford Burnham Prebys and studied cellular stress responses, the cell-recycling process of autophagy and aging in
C. elegans. She received postdoctoral fellowships from AACR and AFAR. She started her lab in 2021.
Outside of the lab, Caroline loves to go hiking with her husband and dogs, enjoys skiing and likes to go traveling, preferably into mountains, jungles or forests.
Cheng-Ju Kuo, Ph.D.
Cheng-Ju Kuo, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
ckuo (at) sbpdiscovery.org
Cheng-Ju was born and raised in Taiwan, where he received his Ph.D. He is currently a postdoc in the Kumsta lab and a proud father of two. In his free time, he enjoys playing baseball with his son and spending time with his little daughter. He is curious about how we can stop or slow down aging without needing a spaceship traveling at the speed of light. His research in the Kumsta lab might provide some answers. There, he is exploring how hormetic heat stress regulates autophagy and its regulators, spatially and temporally, to delay aging in the hopes to keep playing baseball with his son and maybe even his grand kids as he gets older.
Tatiana Moreno
Tatiana Moreno
Graduate Student
tmoreno (at) sbpdiscovery.org
Tatiana's research focuses on investigating how autophagy changes with age in humans and how autophagy-gene transcription factor TFEB is regulated upon heat shock and age in humans and C. elegans. She collaborates with other labs at SBP and UCSD to carry out her studies, and has taken on several student leadership roles in the graduate school.
Tatiana is from Madrid, Spain, and moved to San Diego in 2016 when she started her under-graduate studies at the University of San Diego. In her free time she likes to take road trips, go skiing and play cards with friends.
Caitlin Lange
Caitlin Lange
Graduate Student
clange (at) sbpdiscovery.org
Caitlin received her B.S. in Human Biology from UCSD in 2021 and is now a graduate student in the Kumsta Lab where her research centers on the role of autophagy in the cell-autonomous and non-autonomous regulation of proteostasis in
C. elegans.
As a San Diego native, Caitlin is always excited to spend an afternoon at the beach with her dog, Anya, and a good book.
Diego Hernandez
Diego Hernandez
Research Assistant
dhernandez (at) sbpdiscovery.org
Diego is a research assistant and lab manager in the Kumsta Lab. His research focuses on improving and validating tissue-specific RNA interference methods in C. elegans.
Growing up, Diego had grandparents with minds more agile than a hare, and a great grandmother with Alzheimer’s Disease. Understanding the mechanisms that contribute to neuro-degenerative and other age-related diseases motivates him to come to work every day.
Diego received his B. A. in Biochemistry from the University of San Diego in 2023. He relaxes by playing guitar or making jewelry. On the weekends you can find him tasting all the samples at a farmer's market or enjoying music at a concert.
Michelle Brown
Michelle Brown
Research Assistant
mbrown (at) sbpdiscovery.org
Michelle is a research assistant in the Kumsta Lab. Her research is focused on the regulation of autophagy-gene transcription factor TFEB/HLH-30 with heat stress and age in
C. elegans.
Michelle recently graduated from the University of San Diego where she double majored in biology and psychology and minored in biomedical ethics. During her undergraduate, she also became a certified personal trainer and continues to spend her free time involved in community fitness activities and weightlifting
Past Members
Past Members
Isabel Sakowicz - LEAP Postbacc (January-June 2025)
Jenisha Semexant - Summer Intern, Preuss High School (Summer 2024)
Anne Sun - Intern, San Marcos High School (Spring 2024)
Gavin McLaren - Summer Intern, University of San Diego (Summer 2023)
Tatiana Cantu - Lab Assistant, UCSD (2021-2023)
Shaun Lim - M.S., GSBS (2021-2023)
Ali Karim - Lab Assistant, UCSD (2021-2022)
Support Team
Support Team
Five Miles
Rock Shock
Anya
Join us!
Join us!
Sanford Burnham Prebys is an exceptional environment for research and training, offering the chance to work alongside world-class scientists dedicated to uncovering the molecular causes of disease and developing new therapies. Sanford Burnham Prebys also provides outstanding resources for professional development and leadership skills, benefiting both postdocs and graduate students alike. Our lab is highly collaborative, offering numerous opportunities to engage with other research groups within Sanford Burnham Prebys as well as with neighboring universities and institutes throughout the San Diego area.
Postdoctoral Research Fellows:
Applicants should have a PhD with a background in genetics and cell biology. We particularly welcome those with an interest in the molecular mechanisms of aging, proteostasis, or the regulation of autophagy in aging and diseases. Available positions will be posted here.
Graduate Students:
Those wishing to pursue graduate studies should apply directly to the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Sanford Burnham Prebys. If you are keen to join our lab, we encourage you to reach out via email to discuss potential opportunities.
Research and Lab Assistants:
Applicants with a background in laboratory research are encouraged to apply. We seek individuals who are eager to contribute to ongoing projects and assist in various research activities. Available positions will be posted here.
At this time, there are no open positions available. However, when opportunities arise, they will be posted here.
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