The Lundquist Institute

08/20/2026

Every month, Max Z. wakes up at 4am, travels from Texas to California, undergoes hours of testing and treatment, then flies home the same day. It’s an extraordinary routine, but for Max, it represents something powerful: hope.

Living with a rare tumor condition with few promising treatment options, Max has spent years searching for answers. That search eventually led him to The Lundquist Institute Investigator Santosh Kesari, MD, PhD and to a partnership built on persistence, trust and a shared willingness to leave no stone unturned.

Today, Max is participating in a single-patient clinical trial of a highly targeted therapy, made possible through an unlikely collaboration spanning patients, researchers, nonprofits and industry.

His story is a reminder of what can happen when research meets determination, and when physician-scientists have the freedom to pursue possibilities beyond standard care.

Read Max’s remarkable story: https://bit.ly/4x7Jbq7 ✨

08/19/2026

Clinical research can look a lot like detective work 🔎

During her eight weeks in The Lundquist Institute’s 2026 STAR High School Program, student Annie Chien discovered that research goes far beyond the lab bench.

While studying antibiotics used to treat bone and joint infections, Annie worked with complex patient data, traced patterns and learned to question assumptions—experiences that gave her a new perspective on research and her future in medicine.🔬

In her student-authored article, Annie shares how curiosity, critical thinking and mentorship shaped her summer at The Lundquist Institute. “I want to surround myself with people who aren’t afraid to voice their opinions, question the world around them, and hold themselves and others to high standards of precision.”

Read Annie's story: https://bit.ly/4fUxeOE

08/14/2026

What happens when a summer research project doesn’t go according to plan? For 2026 STAR High School Program student Sara Qian, a summer in the lab came with unexpected challenges and experimental roadblocks.

But along the way, Sara discovered one of science’s most important lessons: setbacks are part of the process of discovery.🔬“If we can’t prevent failure in our lives, the least we can do is grow from it. And this is the exact mindset that pushed my labmates and me to get back on our feet,” says Sara.

In her new student-authored article, Sara reflects on her eight weeks at The Lundquist Institute. Read Sara’s story and discover what she learned about the very human side of science: bit.ly/4wUwOO1

Photo: Immunostained images of neuronal and astrocytic populations under various experimental conditions

08/06/2026

This week, we join in celebrating Melanie Lundquist, who was honored by AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles for expanding opportunities for young people in Los Angeles through the blue economy—the growing network of industries, innovation, and careers connected to our oceans that drive both economic opportunity and environmental sustainability.

As the activist philanthropists whose transformational support gave The Lundquist Institute its name, Melanie and Richard Lundquist have helped shape our future in extraordinary ways. It was especially meaningful to hear others reflect on Melanie's impact.

As former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa shared, she is "a force of nature for the betterment of the next generation." Emily Inslee of the Gates Foundation added that "she gives us all hope for the power of collaborative philanthropy."

We couldn’t agree more.

Thank you, Melanie, for all you do for The Lundquist Institute, AltaSea, and communities across Los Angeles. Your generosity in action continues to open doors, inspire collaboration, and create opportunities that will benefit generations to come.

08/06/2026

What does a summer of scientific discovery look like? 🧬🔬

Follow our STAR High School Summer Students for a day in the life as they spend their summer immersed in biomedical research, learning alongside our investigators, asking big questions, and gaining hands-on experience in the lab.

Tomorrow, we’ll celebrate everything this incredible cohort has accomplished. Until then, here’s a glimpse into the curiosity, collaboration, and dedication that made this summer so memorable. We can’t wait to see where their journeys take them next! 🚀

Thanks to: 𝐷𝑟. 𝐴𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑦 𝐻𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑢 yarielesqueda fibhanoun nabiii_ee Ayaan Chandak. MedicalResearch

08/04/2026

An afternoon of teamwork, creativity, and celebration!🌟🔬🍕

Yesterday, we brought together our STAR High School Summer Program students for their final team social ahead of this Friday's graduation. The event featured mentor spotlights, lessons learned, lots of pizza, and a fundraising pitch challenge where students worked in teams to answer an important question: Why invest in our STAR High School Program?

Students crafted and presented compelling pitches to demonstrate how donor support can expand opportunities for future participants, showcasing not only what they've learned this summer but also the confidence, communication, and critical thinking skills they've developed along the way.

A special thanks to Investigator Dr. Denise Al Alam for joining us as our guest judge and for sharing her encouragement and expertise with our students. We also extend our gratitude to our mentors and everyone who helped make this memorable afternoon possible.

We're so proud of this incredible cohort and can't wait to celebrate their accomplishments at graduation this Friday! 🎓

07/31/2026

Research shows that exercise is one of the most effective tools for preventing and treating chronic disease, yet most physicians receive only limited formal training on how to prescribe it.

Through one of the nation's first Exercise Medicine Fellowship programs, The Lundquist Institute is helping prepare physicians to prescribe exercise with the same scientific rigor as other evidence-based treatments.

Meet Julia Lu, MD, MS, the inaugural fellow in our Exercise Medicine Fellowship Program. Dr. Lu is part of a new generation of physician-scientists redefining the role of exercise in healthcare.

“In practice today, exercise is often used by physicians as a treatment, but with very little understanding of what that term means. I want to see how we can change that paradigm, using exercise scientifically and methodologically to help patients see the progress and improvements they achieve in real time,” says Dr. Lu.

Read more below.

This summer, The Lundquist Institute welcomes Julia Lu, MD, MS, as the inaugural fellow in its new adult Exercise Medicine Fellowship Program.

07/23/2026

Leading scientific evidence was recently showcased in the June 2026 special issue of Experimental Physiology dedicated to Exercise as Medicine, which explores how exercise influences health across a broad range of conditions while highlighting emerging opportunities for research and patient care.

"Exercise Medicine is no longer a concept of the future. It is becoming an evidence-based discipline that will change how we prevent and treat disease," says Investigator Harry Rossiter, PhD, who co-edited the special issue.

In Part 3 of our Exercise Medicine series, learn how researchers at The Lundquist Institute are helping define this emerging medical discipline: bit.ly/4ywRWLL

07/15/2026

Read the full article and learn more about The Lundquist Institute Investigator Dr. Karpouzas’ latest research efforts: bit.ly/44ySXoN.

07/15/2026

Curiosity, collaboration, and creativity were on full display at last week's STAR High School Program team-building social! 🧬💡

Our STAR students kicked off the afternoon by sharing updates from their summer research experiences, reflecting on the projects they've been working on, the challenges they've overcome, and the lessons they've learned alongside their mentors.

They then put their innovation skills to the test in a fast-paced, five-minute pitch challenge, where each team identified a real-world problem, explored who it impacts, proposed a potential solution, and explained what made their idea innovative. The activity challenged students to think like both researchers and entrepreneurs while practicing how to communicate complex scientific ideas with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

The afternoon wrapped up with cake, pastries, and plenty of conversation as fellows connected with peers from across the program, building relationships that will last well beyond the summer.