miRNA-15a/16-1 and the MEK1-ERK1/2-Elk1 axis in T-cell activation and proliferation.
Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), Anaheim, CA.
About
MD Candidate | Physician-Scientist
A short origin note: the science came first, then medicine became the way to make the science clinically accountable.
Why medicine after science?
I am a PhD-trained biomedical researcher and Harvard/MGH-trained postdoctoral fellow, now an MD candidate pursuing physician-scientist training in academic internal medicine, medical oncology, and translational cancer immunology. The sequence was deliberate: build mechanistic depth in immunology and cancer biology, then anchor it in clinical medicine.
My path spans clinical pathology, preclinical CRO work, doctoral T-cell biology at UH Mānoa, postdoctoral cancer and pulmonary organoid research at Harvard Medical School and MGH, and medical education at SGU. The longer versions of that path live on the Research, Experience, Residency, and CV pages; this page exists only to explain the human logic connecting them.
Presentations
Talks, posters, and invited lectures.
T-cell signaling and translational immunology: from mechanism to medicine.
MD Candidate Research Symposium, St. George's University.
MicroRNA regulation of T-cell activation and immune function.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Molecular Biosciences & Bioengineering Retreat.
Mentorship
Teaching, mentorship, and service.
Research Mentorship
Supervised undergraduate and graduate researchers in molecular biology, mouse models, immunological assays, and data analysis at UH Mānoa and Harvard/MGH.
Teaching Experience
Guest lectures in molecular biosciences, immunology journal club facilitation, and small-group tutoring in biochemistry and cell biology for medical and graduate students.
Recommendations
What mentors and collaborators say.
"Frank brings a rare combination of independent scientific thinking, rigorous experimental design, and genuine collaborative spirit to every project he touches. His ability to bridge molecular mechanisms with translational questions is a hallmark of his research."
— Research mentor · Name available upon request
Press
Media coverage and features.
Interview
Gnostic Vampire Media — Author spotlight and interview on research, writing, and the physician-scientist path.
Read feature →