Vincent Lam

Professional Background

Vincent was born and raised in the Chicago metropolitan area and completed my undergraduate education at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign where he received a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering with an emphasis on Cell & Tissue Engineering and a minor in Chemistry. Vincent's early clinical experiences at a dermatology clinic showed him the profound impact that compassionate, evidence-based medicine can have on individuals, while his undergraduate research revealed the potential of science to address complex health problems. These formative experiences inspired Vincent to pursue a career as a physician-scientist, dedicated to translating laboratory findings into meaningful clinical advances.

As an undergraduate, Vincent gained diverse research experience in two laboratories. In the Dr. Jennifer Amos Research Lab, he developed interactive tools for visualizing student assessment data and investigated health literacy related to colorectal and cervical cancer screening among historically underserved populations in Chicago. In the Dr. Brendan Harley Lab, Vincent gained foundational experience in biomaterials and stem cell biology. There, he contributed to the development of a granular hydrogel platform for hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cell expansion. Vincent further broadened my expertise in regenerative science through a summer undergraduate research fellowship in Dr. Quinn Peterson’s laboratory at Mayo Clinic, where he studied mitochondrial heteroplasmy and endocrine signaling in induced pluripotent stem cell–derived pancreatic islet cells.

These experiences sparked Vincent's interest in cell signaling and disease modeling, ultimately leading him to pursue Ph.D. training under Dr. Michael VanSaun at the University of Kansas Medical Center in the Department of Cancer Biology. His current research investigates how mutations in TGF-beta signaling pathways influence pancreatic tumor phenotype and metastasis, particularly in the context of obesity. Through this work, Vincent has expanded his technical expertise in molecular biology and mouse models of cancer, while strengthening his skills in experimental design, data interpretation, and scientific communication.

Outside of his studies and research, Vincent enjoys biking, fishing, and playing basketball and soccer. He has played the piano since the age of five and explores his artistic side through digital modeling and sculpting for interactive AI experiences, such as Snapchat Lenses. Vincent also enjoys discovering new eateries and adding food photography to his Google Maps collection.

Mentor: Michael VanSaun, Ph.D.; Cancer Biology