We are seeking applications for the 2027 SACB Scholars Program, which will support travel fellowships covering all travel, lodging, food, and conference costs.
The SACB conference is committed to increasing the participation of early-career trainees in the cancer systems biology community. By promoting attendance at the meeting, we hope that trainees will:
In an effort to expand opportunities, the 2027 SACB Scholars program will support trainees with funding for conference related expenses, and will provide a one-on-one, peer mentor to facilitate participation in conference activities. Ideal candidates include undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs, and majoring or conducting research (for postdoctoral scholars) in a science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or medical field. No prior cancer systems biology experience is required or expected. We especially encourage trainees from broad research backgrounds, including those working in adjacent fields such as computational biology, bioengineering, physics, mathematics, data science, or other quantitative and life sciences, to apply.
SACB Scholar applicants are not required to have submitted a scientific abstract to the meeting. Instead, a brief essay is required describing the applicant’s interest in attending the SACB conference and in cancer systems biology more generally.
Due to limited funding to support travel expenses, priority will be given to applicants from the United States.
Scholar applications are open. The deadline for essay submission is Friday, Oct. 16, 2026.
We will notify all applicants of their application’s status by late November.
Questions? Please e-mail us: contact@sacbmeeting.org
The program began at the 2022 meeting, with an inaugural class of 6 scholars. In 2025, we expanded to 8 scholars.
Dorothy Beck, University of Virginia
Oliver Cope, University of North Carolina
Adriana Del Pino Herrera, University of Florida
Adesuwa Igbinigie, University of North Carolina
Achyudhan Kutuva, Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh
Natalia Quintana Parrilla, Oregon Health Science University
Fareeda Abu-Juam, College of Wooster
Jaidyn Bryant, Xavier University of Louisiana
Jose Cadavid, University of Toronto
Rachelle Chanthavong, University of California, Los Angeles
Sydney Porto, Harvey Mudd College
Kinza Rizwan, Baylor College of Medicine
Caitlin Strassburg, College of Wooster
Sebastian Velez, University of Texas at San Antonio
Hear how the Scholars Program impacted two trainees!
Jose Cadavid, PhD (2022)
Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Biography: Jose Cadavid completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto where he developed 3D tissue models of pancreatic cancer. He is currently a postdoctoral associate in the Griffith/Lauffenburger labs at MIT, where he combines synthetic biology and systems biology to study cell signaling in the endometrium.
Impact: The SACB program allowed me to meet researchers in systems biology and to learn more about their research programs, which inspired me to pursue a postdoc in the general systems biology field.
“At the time, I was a doctoral student at the University of Toronto beginning to explore cancer systems biology but with limited exposure to the field. The SACB Scholar program gave me access to a dynamic conference where I could share my work and learn from experts across disciplines. The welcoming atmosphere and focus on new perspectives were incredibly motivating. The meeting helped me build a foundation for my current research and cemented my interest in pursuing a postdoctoral position in the broader field of systems biology at MIT. The diversity of scientific approaches and questions being tackled by researchers at SACB was nothing short of inspiring and I clearly see how I can apply many of these ideas to diseases beyond cancer.”
Achyudhan Kutuva (2025)
Current Position: Ph.D. Student
University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University
Biography: Achyudhan Kutuva is a third-year PhD student in the joint Carnegie Mellon–University of Pittsburgh Computational Biology program, co-advised by James Faeder and William Hawse. His research combines mechanistic modeling, machine learning, and single-cell approaches to study how T helper cells choose their fate and drive neuroinflammation. Alongside the biology, he develops open computational tools that make rule-based modeling of cell signaling accessible to experimental biologists. Since SACB 2025, he has advanced these projects across immunology and method development.
Impact: Attending SACB as a Scholar was my first major conference, connecting me with the systems biology community and shaping my interdisciplinary path.
“At the time, I was a first-year PhD student in the Joint CMU-Pitt Program in Computational Biology, curious about systems approaches to cancer but not yet connected to the wider community. Though my primary research as an undergraduate had focused on mechanistic modeling of cellular signaling following viral infection, SACB exposed me to the natural intersections between immune regulation and cancer biology, connections that have profoundly shaped my research trajectory. The SACB Scholars program made it possible for me to attend and engage with leading scientists, introducing me to new perspectives. The interdisciplinary nature of the conference and its welcoming atmosphere left a lasting impression.”