Congratulations to fourth-year Einstein PhD candidate Luis Ovando and his mentor, David Fooksman, PhD, associate professor of pathology, on receiving the prestigious NIH NIAID Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research. This highly competitive F31 diversity fellowship supports the research training of promising predoctoral students from underrepresented backgrounds. 

The award will fund Luis's graduate research for the next three years, positioning him to become a leader in infectious disease research. His project, titled "The Influence of Aging on Plasma Cell Function and Bone Marrow Competition," is conducted in the Fooksman lab, which focuses on regulating plasma cell differentiation, migration, survival, and function.

Luis's innovative research explores how aging impacts the role of long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs)—immune cells that sustain protective antibodies against potential recurrent infections—and how they may influence vaccine responses. LLPCs become more abundant with age and compete with newly generated plasma cells, potentially leading to weaker vaccine responses in older adults.

This study will provide critical insights into the competition among plasma cells in the bone marrow, an underexplored mechanism. By identifying new targets and strategies to optimize vaccine responses for older populations, Luis's research could significantly improve vaccine effectiveness in the elderly, ultimately extending healthy lifespans and reducing the spread of infectious diseases.

Since joining the Fooksman lab in 2021, Luis has co-authored papers in Cell Reports and The Journal of Immunology and recently co-authored a groundbreaking paper in eLife (June 2024), on plasma cell longevity mechanisms. He has also presented his work at the prominent AGE conference.

A graduate of Rider College in New Jersey, Luis is deeply committed to mentoring and advancing diversity in science. He supports underrepresented students at Einstein through organizations like the Einstein Minority Scientists Association (EMSA) and the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).