TGen Talks

For many Arizona students, the path into science begins with a single summer that reshapes their confidence and their future. Since 2007, the Helios Scholars Program at TGen has been that turning point. Each year, Helios Scholars spend eight weeks working directly with TGen researchers exploring cancer biology, neurological and infectious disease, diabetes, and the fast‑growing world of computational genomics. Some even step into administrative roles that keep scientific projects moving. The program began with a Helios Education Foundation grant in 2006. The pilot’s success led to a $6.5 million endowment and the official launch of Helios Scholars at TGen, a program built to educate, inspire, and strengthen Arizona’s STEM workforce. Now entering its 20th year, the impact is undeniable. Alumni have published research, earned national recognition, and joined top graduate and medical programs across the country. Helios alumna Saahithi Mallapragada joins TGen Talks to discuss how her Helios experience became a launchpad for her career in science. You’ll hear about her internship experience, her work in the lab, and why she would encourage anyone to apply to the Helios Scholar program to see if science might be a true passion.

Understanding how infectious diseases spread in the past is important to understanding how they affect populations today. The difficulty lie in piecing together information given that so little is known about how microbes spread historically. Applying academic rigor with scientific assessment, two microbiologists teamed with an archaeologist to look at different types of evidence — genetics, anthropology, paleontology and climate — in an attempt to explain how the fungus that causes Valley fever, Coccidioides immitis, ended up in a specific area of Washington state. The review article in mBio by Drs. David Engelthaler, James C. Chatters and Arturo Casadevall details their approach from a historical perspective, applying what they knew about the biology and epidemiology of C. immitis, which led them to propose a new theory for why it has emerged in that region of Washington. Today, a great deal of discussion around the spread of diseases and the expansion of their habitats focuses on the effects of global warming. And while climate change does have an impact on different environments and habitats, this investigation sought to understand how and why different microbes, like fungi, move from one place to another through the lens of modern biology. Their final analysis, climate change may not always be the reason behind the spread of diseases, but it can reveal past events that could be dangerous. Engelthaler explains more in this edition of TGen Talks.

Pulmonary Fibrosis. A debilitating disease that restricts a person’s lung capacity, controllable with drug therapies, but it’s only “cure” is a double lung transplant. Researchers at TGen have released the results of a study that investigated the disease on a cellular level. Using advanced spatial transcriptomics, they identified hidden disease markers in seemingly healthy lung tissue—offering hope for earlier, more personalized treatments. Targeting these early disruptions could improve lung function and outcomes. With current PF treatments only slowing decline, this discovery, published in Nature Genetics, marks a step toward preventing irreversible damage. In this episode of TGen Talks, Nicholas Banovich, Ph.D., discusses the Nature Genetics finding and the new spatial map of gene expression in lung cells. Instead of blending tissue together and analyzing it, scientists can now examine individual cells and pinpoint where molecular changes happen. We’ll break down what this means, how it’s done, and why it could change the way we study lung disease.

What if the cure for diseases like Alzheimer’s or cancer lay hidden inside the immune systems of llamas, cows, or even sharks? On this episode of TGen Talks, TGen’s newest faculty member, Dr. John Fryer, introduces us to the world of nanotherapeutics—a new class of biologics derived from the unique immune systems of animals like camels and sharks. These ultra-small molecules, known as “nanobodies,” are revolutionizing the way we think about treating diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer, and even sepsis. Dr. Fryer explains how these tiny molecules—about 10 times smaller than traditional monoclonal antibodies—can target tough-to-reach areas like the brain, offering new hope for conditions once thought impossible to treat. He dives into his team’s work on neurodegenerative diseases, sepsis, and cancer, and shares how the collaboration between TGen and City of Hope is accelerating the development of these next-generation therapies. What’s even more fascinating? How creativity and curiosity drive scientific discovery, with Dr. Fryer’s lab exploring everything from nano and pico bodies to the science behind brain tumors. Tune in to learn about the science, the passion, and the unexpected inspiration that drives this groundbreaking research.

On this month’s TGen Talks, our host sits down with Leigh Nicholson, Ph.D., who was recently named a research assistant professor in TGen’s Early Detection and Prevention Division. Nicholson studies neurological diseases of all kinds — from the rarest to the very common — including a childhood disorder called Okur-Chung neurodevelopmental syndrome, or OCNDS for short, and Alzheimer’s disease, which affects nearly 7 million Americans. The podcast covers her path to a career in science, her day-to-day research, and why she thinks mentoring young scientists and improving scientific literacy is so important. All this and more, in just under 15 minutes.

Scientists at TGen have released the results of a more than decade-long study into multiple myeloma. Looking at more than 1100 patients from four different countries, scientists identified new genetic subtypes of the disease, providing insights that could transform how we approach treatment (see related story above). Listen as Jonathan Keats, Ph.D., the study's senior author discusses the findings, their impact on personalized medicine, and how TGen's advanced genomic sequencing is paving the way for more effective and individualized care. In particular, the study has identified a high-risk subgroup of patients with a distressingly short median survival, highlighting the urgent need for tailored therapies and innovative clinical trials.

On this month’s TGen Talks, David Engelthaler, Ph.D., professor and director of TGen’s Pathogen and Microbiome Division, discusses the recent surge of bird flu, also known as H5N1. H5N1 has been in the news a lot lately, but what does it all mean? Engelthaler breaks down the science and talks about the effects this particular strain might have on humans. He also explains what constitutes an outbreak, how they fade over time, and why they start anew. Bird flu, like other influenza viruses, changes and mutates over time, and the H5N1 strain is particularly concerning. Although it is currently a low risk for human outbreak (there are only 3 known cases in the U.S. thus far), its impact on other animals, especially poultry and cattle, caught the attention of the CDC, USDA and other groups that monitor such outbreaks. Engelthaler notes that outbreaks are often first noticed by wildlife managers or at zoos, where bird die-offs prompt testing for influenza. Over the past two years, the current bird flu strain has spread significantly by wild birds across North America and the rest of the world. The good news: In Arizona, only one mammal, an Abert’s tree squirrel, has tested positive for H5N1 to date. TGen researchers are working with local wildlife and health officials to monitor the situation.

Glioblastoma. It’s the most aggressive and least treatable type of brain cancer. Research into treatment has been slow, mostly because of the difficulty in accessing and treating a tumor that exists behind the blood-brain barrier. A new two year fellowship into Glioblastoma Multiforme, or GBM, aims to better drug therapies to fight the cancer while developing better tests to determine which drugs are working on an individual patient's tumor and which are not. The fellowship, established by Shawn Lane and the Lori Lane Foundation together with Chris and Florence Spyrow, honors Lori Lane and Andrew Spyrow, whose lives were cut short by GBM. This month on TGen Talks, Valerie De Luca, Ph.D., the inaugural Lori Lane/Andrew Spyrow Fellow at TGen discusses her work toward improving our understanding of molecular markers associated with tumor vulnerability to specific drugs.