In October 2025, two students from the Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics defended their PhD theses. Please join us in congratulating them and wishing them success in their next endeavors!
Yujia Zhai (Chen Lab)
Defense Date: October 14, 2025
Thesis Title: Depleting Programmed Cell Death 1 (PD-1) Positive Cells in Autoimmunity: Safety Validation and Stage-Specific Activity of a Depleting Anti-PD-1 Antibody in Type 1 Diabetes
About My Thesis: My research focuses on developing selective therapies that eliminate autoreactive immune cells without compromising overall immune protection. I established the long-term safety of PD-1 cell depletion and developed the first depleting anti-PD-1 antibody, revealing that immune context—particularly macrophage activation and disease stage—determines whether the treatment is protective or harmful in type 1 diabetes.
What’s Next: I will continue postdoctoral research.
Something Fun to Share: I will miss the beautiful Utah mountains and the warmth of the Molecular Pharmaceutics community that supported me through every challenge. Completing my PhD has been a meaningful and rewarding journey, and I’m deeply grateful for everyone who has been part of it.
Advice to New PhD Students: Research can feel slow at times, but every small step really does count. Be kind to yourself, reach out when you need help, and trust that steady effort will get you there in the end.
Tanya Chhibber (Ghandehari Lab, Judson Torres Lab)
Defense Date: October 27, 2025
Thesis Title: Transdermal delivery of miR211-5p and barasertib-HQPA for melanoma chemoprevention
My Thesis: My PhD project focused on developing transdermal delivery systems for delivering a small RNA or a small molecule as chemopreventive therapies against melanoma.
What’s Next: I will be joining the Utah Clinical Pharmacology Fellowship Program (UCPFP) as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Division of Clinical Pharmacology (DCP), Department of Pediatrics at the University of Utah.
Something Fun to Share: I will miss my incredible mentors and everyone in the Ghandehari and Judson-Torres lab. I will miss the Ghandehari lab's annual hikes and international potlucks, the Judson-Torres lab's annual boxing (during the lab retreat) and holiday party, as well as the Molecular Pharmaceutics summer barbecue and holiday party. I made some incredible friends in the department during my time here, who are now like family to me, and I will miss each and every one of them.
Advice to New PhD Students: Most days will challenge you — don’t give up on those days. Take it one day at a time, one experiment at a time, and if needed, take some time off. Even when it feels impossible, believe me, things do get better. I spent much of my PhD being hyper-focused and eventually experienced burnout, which taught me that taking breaks is just as important as doing your experiments. More than anything, take care of yourself.
