Biography

Shannon Esswein is an MD-PhD Candidate in the University of California, Los Angeles-California Institute of Technology Medical Scientist Training Program. She uses biochemistry and structural biology to investigate protein structures relevant for understanding mechanisms of disease and identifying new therapeutic targets. In her undergraduate research at the University of California, Los Angeles, Shannon studied the molecular pathogenesis of immunoglobulin light-chain amyloid fibrils implicated in systemic light-chain amyloidosis disease and the blood cancer multiple myeloma. Subsequently, during her M.Phil. research at Cambridge, she investigated non-homologous end joining, a repair system for DNA double strand breaks that can be used by cancer cells to decrease the effectiveness of radiation therapy. As part of this research, Shannon identified small molecules that may inhibit this repair system for use in combination therapy. Now, as a Ph.D. Candidate at California Institute of Technology, she is studying the immune response to Zika and other viruses using cryo-electron microscopy. Shannon aims to apply biomedical research towards advancing treatment options and improving patient care as a physician-scientist.

Previous Education

University of California, Los Angeles B.S. Physiological Science 2013

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-esswein