Skip to main content
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH HUB UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH HUB
  1. Undergraduate Research
  2. Students
  3. Student Profiles
  4. Shannon Huang

I Am a Researcher

Shannon Huang Profile

Shannon Huang

Major(s): Bioengineering

College: Warren College 

UC San Diego graduation year: 2027

Which research programs/experiences have you been a part of?

What are you researching (or did you do in the past)?

I’m focusing on the immune-cancer cell interaction, specifically on improving T-cell mediated killing. I previously worked more on the T-cell side with reversing T-cell exhaustion at Scripps Research, but this summer I focused on the cancer cells with increasing MHC-1 expression at the Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP).

Why and how did you decide to get involved in undergraduate research?

In high school I had a lot of teachers who pushed for us to start doing research right away, so it was a big priority for me to get into a lab my first year. I actually found my lab through a flyer on one of the UCSD shuttle stops! I didn't know very much about immunology when I joined, let alone T-cells, but I ended up really enjoying it.
Shannon Huang Presenting

What has been the most exciting/interesting thing you've discovered through the research?

This summer I basically got a crash course in CRISPR screens, from generating cell lines to testing hits from computational screens. It was really cool to be able to go through the whole pipeline and even find some potential regulators of MHC-1!

What did you gain from the Undergraduate Research Hub?

It was super eye opening to not only go abroad to conduct research, but also to meet so many people through UCSD who were going through similar experiences and my fellowship cohort who have already done research abroad and told me about so many opportunities for doing so. On the research side, it was really cool to be able to look into the cancer side of the immune-cancer cell interaction, and see how techniques I've used or seen before for T-cells also apply to a different area.

What advice would you give to students starting research?

I think it's much easier to approach professors and students doing research than you think! It's at the very least a good way to learn more about research areas you might be interested in, and at most an edge into getting into a lab. Good luck! :)

What are your future goals?

I’m continuing this line of research once I get back to my lab in San Diego! After graduating, I’m planning on going to graduate school, but who knows where/what country I’ll end up in, especially after going abroad for my program.

Pictures

  • Shannon Huang Profile
  • Shannon Huang Presenting