Andrea Pesch joined the Speers’ lab through the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PIBS) as a Bernard Maas Fellow and is currently a fourth year Pharmacology PhD candidate. During her first two years of graduate school, Andrea was a trainee on the Pharmacological Sciences Training Program (T32) training grant, and she is currently a Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual NRSA (F31) fellow through the National Cancer Institute. Andrea graduated with highest distinction from the University of Michigan in 2017 where she received a B.S. in Biochemistry and the Chemistry department's Seyhan N. Ege Women in Science and Engineering award. Andrea worked as an undergraduate research technician in the labs of Dr. James Rae (Michigan), Dr. Jinghua Hu (Mayo Clinic), and Dr. Erin Schuetz (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital). As a graduate student, Andrea aims to develop translational treatment strategies to radiosensitize aggressive breast cancers, including the use of PARP inhibitors like olaparib and CDK4/6 inhibitors like palbociclib. Outside of lab, Andrea loves to host and cook for dinner parties and bake fancy desserts from scratch.
