ARCS Foundation San Diego Chapter

06/04/2026

This past Tuesday, Leslie Bruce presided over her final General Meeting for the chapter, and what an uplifting gathering it was!

Approximately 50 members came together at the La Jolla Country Club for an engaging business meeting, an inspiring presentation by Jill Bray, and two special award presentations.

Leslie opened the meeting by welcoming several guests and presenting her annual review of chapter accomplishments. Highlights included finalizing the update of our governing documents, securing supplemental support for all 50 in response to federal funding cuts, adding as a new partner institution, and overseeing an outstanding .

Catie Madani, SOY Chair and SR Liaison, followed with an enthusiastic recap of the Scientist of the Year event, sharing both its impact and success. Cindy Goodman, Parliamentarian and Legacy Society Director, provided an update on the Legacy Society and encouraged members to support Member Giving before month-end.

Rachel Collins, VP of Meetings & Social Events, spoke on behalf of Tami Strachan, VP of Membership, reminding members that annual dues are payable by June 30. Paulette Roberts, Nominating Committee Member and VP of Administration, then presented the 2026–2027 Board and Director slate, which was approved unanimously by the membership.

Leslie asked members to be sure to look for the upcoming invitation to the which will feature a sunset supper at the Point Loma home of Doris Ellsworth. She also urged members to sign up at the registration table for the led by Suzanne Dixon.

The afternoon featured an informative and inspiring presentation by Jill Bray. Jill highlighted the many ways ARCS National supports local chapters and shared the organization’s long-term strategic vision. She emphasized the importance of viewing ARCS as a collaborative network, with National serving as a valued partner and resource for chapters.

Jill then presented the to Priscilla Moxley. For more than 35 years, Priscilla has generously contributed her time, talent, and treasure to . Deeply surprised and moved by the recognition, she received a heartfelt standing ovation from the membership.

The final tribute of the afternoon honored President Leslie Bruce. Ingrid Benirschke-Perkins, President-Elect, presented Leslie with a bouquet of flowers and an engraved vase on behalf of the Board, recognizing her vision, energy, and unwavering dedication over the past two years. Ingrid also expressed her sincere appreciation that Leslie will continue to serve the chapter as VP of Marketing & Communications.

As the meeting adjourned, members left with a sense of pride in the chapter’s accomplishments and excitement for the year ahead.

Heartfelt thanks to Laurie Roeder for capturing the highlights with these wonderful photos!

05/31/2026

What an inspiring evening! We’re pleased to share photos from the 2026 ARCS Scientist of the Year Celebration in La Jolla, honoring pioneering sleep researcher - Dr. Sonia Ancoli-Israel - and our 50 whose work is shaping our future. Many thanks to Vincent Andrunas of the La Jolla Light for these beautiful photographs.

Photo gallery

05/28/2026

2026 Graduations at the University of San Diego and Scripps Research
(May 14-15, 2026)
By Leslie Bruce (President, ARCS Foundation, Inc., San Diego Chapter)

There’s nothing quite like watching an graduate. You feel like a proud auntie, elbowing your seatmate and whispering, “That’s my girl!” or “That’s my boy!” In those moments, your commitment to these students – and to others like them through ARCS – is renewed. The value of the work we do through ARCS is reaffirmed. You beam with pride.

I had that experience several times during the week before SOY, and I’m still glowing. Chapter Recording Secretary Grace Miller and I attended the hooding ceremony for the Nursing PhD graduates at the University of San Diego. (Grace will shadow longtime ARCS Liaison to USD Caroline Etland this coming year, with hopes of giving Caroline a well-deserved break in 2027–28.)

The ceremony featured Hahn School of Nursing Dean Jane Georges, whose nearly tearful remarks movingly captured the magnitude of the impact these graduates can make. While nurses play a vital one-on-one role with patients, nurse scientists have the potential to improve – or even save – thousands of lives at a time by transforming the delivery of healthcare.

One by one, a dozen nursing graduates crossed the stage, bowing their heads as faculty mentors draped silken doctoral hoods over their shoulders before posing for photos to the cheers of family and friends. We applauded enthusiastically for our graduating : Andrea Correia, Oliver Erece, Sandy Jellen, and Kristina Lopez.

At the luncheon afterward, the Scholars thanked us and our Chapter for the support they had received throughout their PhD journeys. I asked our USD hosts whether more ARCS members might attend next year’s ceremony, thinking it would make an uplifting field trip. Their answer was an enthusiastic yes—so Members, look forward to an immensely rewarding experience next year!

Later that same week, I attended the Scripps Research graduation, where two of our Scholars were honored. Although Garrett Lindsey was unable to attend, Justice Fleischman was there to bask in the warm tribute offered by one of his faculty mentors.

I was seated next to Chris Cottrell, an SR ARCS alumnus and senior research scientist working on HIV vaccines. Chris shared that royalties from his contributions to the development of the Pfizer COVID vaccine – work he conducted while still a graduate student – enabled him to establish an endowed graduate student childcare supplement fund at the Institute. The fund helps increase stipends and offset childcare costs for student researchers. He explained that when he and his wife were graduate students at Scripps, his parents helped pay for childcare for their daughter, and without that support they would not have been able to complete their training. That experience inspired him to “pay it forward” to the next generation of scientists. How proud I am that our Chapter supported him!

Keynote speaker Peter Dervan, PhD, delivered a compelling defense of scientific research in America. A Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at Caltech, he reflected on the extraordinary generational impact of scientific mentorship. Dervan had mentored Scripps Research President and CEO Peter Schultz, who in turn mentored another leading scientist, who then mentored yet another renowned researcher. Dervan affectionately referred to the final scientist in that lineage as his “great-grandchild” – a poignant illustration of the continuity of discovery across generations.

Dervan also shared a striking perspective on the return on America’s investment in science. He recalled asking an economist to estimate the impact of taxpayer funding for scientific research since the launch of Sputnik in 1957. The estimate: American taxpayers have invested roughly $2–3 trillion in scientific research since then, generating an astonishing $50–60 trillion in economic prosperity. Yet another reason ARCS proudly stands with science!

Scripps Research Director and ARCS member Nicola Wilkins-Miller assured us that more ARCS members would be warmly welcomed at next year’s ceremony – another fascinating and affirming field trip to look forward to.

05/21/2026

Dear ARCS Members and Friends,

On behalf of everyone at ARCS San Diego, thank you for making our 2026 Scientist of the Year Celebration such a memorable evening. It was both a joy and an honor to recognize our 2026 Scientist of the Year, Dr. Sonia Ancoli-Israel, and to celebrate all 50 of our 2025–2026 ARCS Scholars.

We hope you enjoyed every aspect of the program: from the Scholars’ fascinating research presentations during the poster sessions to Dr. Ancoli-Israel’s illuminating remarks on our evolving understanding of aging and sleep.

Thanks to your generosity and the steadfast support of our sponsors, academic partners, members, and friends, ARCS San Diego is well-positioned to continue championing the region’s brightest doctoral students. We are deeply grateful for your support and commitment to our mission.

We look forward to welcoming you again next year as we celebrate the science, and the scientists, shaping our future.

Warm regards,
Leslie Bruce, President
ARCS San Diego Chapter

Catie Madani, Chair
SOY Planning Committee

05/14/2026

Meet Kristina Lopez, a 2025-2026 at University of San Diego Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science.

As minimally invasive technologies like robotics become increasingly common across surgical specialties, more patients are being discharged home directly from the recovery room following surgery. Kristina’s research explores the relationships between patient comorbidities, anesthetic agents, and same-day discharge rates among patients undergoing robotic gynecologic surgery. Her work aims to improve quality of care, reduce postoperative complications, and help prevent unexpected overnight admissions.

In her downtime, Kristina enjoys hiking, walks on the beach, jeeping, and being out in nature.

We’re proud to honor Kristina alongside 50 fellow at our upcoming Scientist of the Year Celebration on Saturday, May 17 at The Conrad in La Jolla. Join us in celebrating these inspiring researchers!

Details & registration: https://san-diego.arcsfoundation.org/2026-SOY-Celebration

05/12/2026

Meet Daniel Milshteyn, a 2025–2026 at UC San Diego.

Daniel studies how negatively curved lipids regulate cell membrane dynamics and environmental adaptation. His primary research focuses on the biophysical role of cholesterol in mitochondrial fission driven by multi-organelle contacts. He also collaborates with scientists in the Extreme Biophysics Research Coordination Network to investigate how lipids help model organisms survive in deep-sea and other high-pressure environments.

Through interdisciplinary training in super-resolution live-cell microscopy, membrane biophysics, and synthetic biology, Daniel is exploring how lipid composition influences systems ranging from individual cell membranes to whole-organism physiology and disease.

Outside the lab, Daniel enjoys listening to music, getting lost in nature, and roller skating.

We look forward to honoring Daniel alongside 50 fellow at our upcoming Scientist of the Year Celebration on May 17 at The Conrad in La Jolla!

Details & registration: https://san-diego.arcsfoundation.org/2026-SOY-Celebration

05/11/2026

Meet Lauren Valdez, a 2025–2026 at UC San Diego.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal age-related disease that causes muscle paralysis through the loss of motor neurons. Inspired to better understand this devastating condition, Lauren joined the Chaim Lab, where she studies RNA damage and RNA-binding protein dysfunction caused by oxidative stress in ALS patients. Her research seeks to uncover where within a neuron the disease process begins, a critical question that remains unanswered in the scientific community.

Beyond the lab, Lauren enjoys reading and exploring all kinds of arts and crafts.

We’re proud to honor Lauren alongside 50 fellow at our upcoming Scientist of the Year Celebration on May 17 at The Conrad in La Jolla!

Details & registration: https://san-diego.arcsfoundation.org/2026-SOY-Celebration

05/11/2026

Meet Avery Pong, a 2025–2026 at UC San Diego.

Avery’s research explores how immune cells communicate with one another in cancer treatment and inflammatory disease progression. Using advanced computational tools, he analyzes next-generation RNA sequencing data from tumor cells and inflamed fibroblasts to identify how cells signal and interact with their neighbors. By studying communication patterns across hundreds of thousands of cells, Avery’s work provides valuable insight into diseased signaling pathways that could one day be targeted with new therapeutics to improve patient outcomes.

Outside the lab, Avery enjoys climbing, playing piano, dancing, ultimate frisbee, and road biking.

We can't wait to celebrate Avery alongside 50 fellow at our upcoming Scientist of the Year Celebration on May 17 at The Conrad in La Jolla!

Details & registration: https://san-diego.arcsfoundation.org/2026-SOY-Celebration

05/11/2026

The countdown begins!

Join us next Sunday, May 17 (4-8 pm) at The Conrad in La Jolla when we celebrate our 2026 Scientist of the Year - Dr. Sonia Ancoli-Israel – along with the 2025-2026 from our four academic partners – UC San Diego, San Diego State University, Scripps Research, University of San Diego - and Noah Milman from the ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter.

The evening will be a true celebration of science and the remarkable individuals advancing discovery and innovation. We are also delighted to continue a cherished ARCS tradition: Scholar poster presentations during the opening cocktail and hors d’oeuvre reception (4–5:30 pm).

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors and underwriters for helping make this SOY Celebration possible. Your generous support enables ARCS San Diego to champion our Scholars as they pursue their PhDs, launch their careers, and advance science in America and around the world.

Details & registration: https://san-diego.arcsfoundation.org/2026-SOY-Celebration