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
Laura Hofman
Contact: laurahofman@g.harvard.edu
Program: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Year: G4
Lab: Bradley Bernstein
Rotation labs: Jason Buenrostro, Robert Manguso, Bradley Bernstein
Other programs: Leder, Program in Genetics and Genomics
Hi everyone! I’m Laura and I’m a PhD student in Harvard Medical School’s BBS program. I grew up in Utrecht, The Netherlands, and completed my BSc in Biomedical Sciences at Utrecht University. During my Master’s, I trained in Prof. Jarno Drost’s lab at the Princess Máxima Center studying immunotherapeutic targets in pediatric solid tumors using patient-derived organoids, and later joined Prof. Jennifer Doudna’s lab at UC Berkeley to work on CRISPR-Cas9 delivery strategies. Now in Prof. Bradley Bernstein’s Lab at Harvard Medical School, I seek to understand and exploit epigenetic (de)regulation of transposable elements to elicit immunity in small cell lung cancer. I’m also part of the Leder Human Biology Program, bridging fundamental biology with clinical application. Outside of the lab, I volunteer for the ONE Campaign, advocating for the investments needed to create global health equity, and I love teaching, tutoring, competitive rowing, and photography.
Topics we can discuss: Choosing rotation labs and advisors, Choosing a thesis lab, G3 (or anytime really) slump, Fellowships and grant applications, TA'ing / teaching
Rachel Hongo
Contact: rachelhongo@g.harvard.edu
Program: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Year: G6
Lab: Leonard Zon
Rotation labs: Catherine Wu, Judith Agudo, Stephanie Dougan
Other programs: Leder
Hello, I'm a 6th 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
