Peer Advising
The goal of the LCBC Peer Advising Program is to connect incoming and junior graduate students interested in Cancer Biology with senior graduate students in the Consortium. We hope that this network will help you navigate through the many uncertainties in the first few years of graduate school, with the help of peers that have had similar experiences.
If you’re interested in becoming a Peer Advisor, please fill out this form.
Meet the Peer Advisors
Morgan Glass
Contact: morgan_glass@g.harvard.edu
Program: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Year: G2
Lab: Sandra McAllister
Rotation labs: Leonard Zon, Carla Kim, Judith Agudo
Other programs: Leder
I'm Morgan, and I'm a second year PhD student in Harvard’s BBS program.
I'm originally from West Virginia and earned my degree in Biochemistry from West Virginia University, where I investigated drug-delivery across the blood-brain barrier. Following graduation, I completed a postbaccelaureate fellowship at the National Cancer Institute, studying the role of perivascular cells in pre-metastatic microenvironments. Now in Dr. Sandra McAllister’s Lab at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, I'm interested in investigating cancer as a systemic disease, with a focus on how declining immune fitness with age influences metastatic progression in breast cancer.
I first became interested in science through my grandfather who was a science teacher and through TV shows like Animal Planet’s Most Extreme. I like to think about cancer as an “extreme” type of human cell biology.
Topics we can discuss: Choosing rotation labs and advisors, Choosing a thesis lab, Writing, publishing, presenting, TA'ing / teaching
Rachel Hongo
Contact: rachelhongo@g.harvard.edu
Program: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Year: G5
Lab: Leonard Zon
Rotation labs: Catherine Wu, Judith Agudo, Stephanie Dougan
Other programs: Leder
Hello, I'm a 5th year Ph.D. student in the BBS program, and in the Zon lab, I research the microenvironment during tumor initiation using zebrafish models of melanoma. I recently became involved with the LCBC Student Steering Committee (see my LCBC Student Steering Committee bio for more about me!) to help initiate this Peer Advising program. Please reach out if you want to talk about PQE prep, the "G3 slump," and in particular if you want to talk about the process of applying for an F31 fellowship- I applied during the fall of my G3 year and received an F31 fellowship from the National Cancer Institute for my G4-G6 years.
Topics we can discuss: Preliminary Qualifying Exam (PQE), G3 (or anytime really) slump, Fellowships and grant applications
